"Pretty-Much-Anything" Pesto, by Melinda

I've discovered over my years as an RHF member that sometimes you can't get through all our wonderful greens while they're still crispy fresh, especially if you're also growing greens at home or you don't have a large family.  So to use the greens while they still have all their nutritive value, I discovered that lots of them--and I mean HUGE quantities--actually can be processed down to much smaller amounts by using them as the basis for pesto. This also allows you to keep them (in  compact, frozen form) into the depths of winter--it's so great to crack out a truly summery pesto sauce for dinner while the winds and snow are howling outside!

Dino (or Lacinato) kale

Here's one I made in the food processor last week, using all of the kale (removing only the toughest stems), the spinach, and the garlic scapes--everything left in its raw state.

• 1 large bunch of kale, stems removed if desired
• 1 bunch of spinach
• several cloves of garlic, or to taste
• 8 to 10 garlic scapes
• a sufficient amount of olive oil to get the food processor to do its work
• about 1/4 to 1/2 cup pecorino romano or parmesan cheese (vegans can use a vegan parmesan substitute or just leave out the cheese altogether)
• about 1/2 to 3/4 cup nuts (walnuts are good for their hearty flavor, but almonds, cashews, pine nuts, etc., work just as well)
• several tbsp dried chopped basil OR a handful of fresh basil (or to taste)
• about 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

Add all your greens to the food processor bowl (do in several batches if necessary) and add enough oil to get it to start chopping down the greens. You'll be astounded at how "small" all those huge greens become!  Gradually add the other ingredients to your processor bowl, each time incorporating them with what's already in there, scraping down the sides of the bowl and adding a bit more oil as necessary.  Process until it's as smooth as you like. It's ready, then, to use or freeze.

Other veggies or greens that can be incorporated into your pesto include beet greens, radish greens, turnip greens, scallions, dandelion greens, foraged greens like purslane, lightly steamed chopped kohlrabi or carrots (their nutrients are more available if lightly cooked), and so forth. Be imaginative! Be creative!

Followup from Share Week #1, by Angela

The rainwater tanks are officially full! Torrential waterfalls spewed from the overflow spouts this past Friday during the persistent rainfall (notably, there was no waterfall in the entryway due to our new gutters, though still much flooding from the sheer quantity of liquid dropping from the sky).

Washed clean from a long winter, the rain has opened a new season on the farm in much the same way the spring-greens-filled shares may nourish your bodies with a transitioning shift. Green foods, as a whole, are purifying and promote renewal. Through the many explanations of nutrition and science that I don't fully understand, humans thrive on the consumption of chlorophyll ("the blood and green-coloring principle of plant life").

Week #1's beautiful share of garlic scapes, Tokyo bekana,
kale, romaine lettuce (huge!), & spinach!

As your body applauds the kales, lettuces, Asian greens, etcetera; may you be renewed with your return to the farm, just as the farm leaps with delight in the presence of community within the fence line. Membership is still available for your friends or family to join us this season. Please email redhillfarm@osfphila.org or call (610) 558-6799 for a registration form or more information about membership. (New membership registrations will be prorated for pickup dates that have already passed.)

Week #2 (June 10th to 14th) Pickups on Red Hill Farm, by Angela

This is a "Full Share" and "Friday Bi-Weekly"-pickups week. Brendan will be the farmer in the shareroom this week. If you have any questions or would like to make a purchase, seek out his friendly face (or look for the most "farmerly" man if you don't know him yet).

This is Brendan w/ a
butterfly on his forehead. The 
butterfly will be gone when you
see him this week!

For your menu planning, this week's pickup includes salad mix, Dinosaur kale (aka Lacinato kale), those fabulous romaine lettuce heads, pac choi (an Asian green), and more of the delicious garlic scapes.

All members are welcome to our Farm Event this Friday, "Fridays at the Farm"! That's this Friday, June 14th, featuring a presentation and demo on "New Green Recipes You'll LOVE" by Christa Mantey, RD, from 5:30 pm to 7 pm. The demonstration will be at 6:15.

Please join members for relaxation, friendship, and fun. Bring your own beverage/snacks; we will provide iced tea and a light snack.

Garlic Scapes, World's Most Graceful Veggie, by Melinda

Garlic scapes are (or would be) the flowering tops of garlic plants--I say "would be" because to get the largest, fullest garlic bulbs from the garlic clove you originally planted, you need to prevent the

Garlic scapes (source)

garlic plant from flowering (the flower draws energy from the bulb). As the garlic clove tries to grow into a full plant, it sends up a graceful stalk with an elongated but roundish shape at the tip, a shape that eventually will open into a garlic flower. To prevent that, garlic farmers clip off those beautiful stalks and, wonder of wonders, they're not just edible, but scrumptious!

Btw, there's some disagreement about the tops of the scapes. Some people say to cut off the flower & the part above it b/c it's too tough. Other people use it. As well, some folks think there can be a tough section at the bottom of the scape, where it was cut, but I'd test that out before removing the bottom. These things are "green gold"!  Don't waste 'em!

Garlic scapes can be used to make a divine pesto (see the recipe in the share room this week) or you can click here for another. But they have other uses too, in soups, stews, omelets, etc.

Steamed Garlic Scapes--rather like asparagus or string beans, but with that extra something! Instructions:  you can steam them whole till just tender and serve w/ melted butter or olive oil, like asparagus.  Or, cut them in shorter pieces, steam, and serve instead of string beans. You also can add the shorter pieces to stir fries.

Scapes Roasted with Chicken--My friend David Wilson lightly coats the bottom of a baking pan with oil, then lays the scapes (either whole or cut) on the pan bottom and places chicken breasts, legs, or thighs atop the scapes.  Bake in 350 oven till chicken is done through. The scape flavor infuses the chicken, and the chicken flavor infuses the scapes. David also has done the same thing, scapes on bottom, chicken atop, on a George Foreman grill!

Scapes on Pizza--You can grill your scapes (whole) beforehand for a smoky taste, then plop them atop a pizza and bake for required time.  Click here for source & photos for Scapes Pizza.

White Bean & Garlic Scapes Dip

• 1/3rd cup sliced garlic scapes (3 or 4)
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, more to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), rinsed & drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil, more for drizzling

In food processor, process scapes with lemon juice, salt, & pepper till finely chopped. Add beans & process to a rough paste. With motor running, slowly add oil through the feed tube & process till fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tbsp water, or more, till mix is the consistency of a dip. Adjust seasoning to taste, spread out on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, & more salt if desired. (Source)

Sauteed Garlic Scapes--recipe by William Woys Weaver, from Mother Earth News (click here)

Sauteed Scapes (source)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 8 oz. young garlic scapes, trimmed [of either top or bottom, or neither]
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup haloumi cheese, cut in very small dice (haloumi is a sheep or goat cheese made in Cyprus & available at large markets here. It doesn't melt. But other salty cheeses can be substituted, e.g. aged cheddar or aged chevre)

Heat oil  in broad skillet & add sugar. Stir to caramelize the sugar for about 2-3 minutes & add the scapes. Cover & saute over medium-high heat for no more than 3 min., shaking the pan a bit to keep scapes from burning. After 3 min., add chopped tomatoes and wine. Stir, then cover & reduce heat to low; continue cooking for 5-6 min., till scapes are tender but not soft. Season, then add haloumi and parsley and serve at room temp. Can be used as an hors d'oeuvre or side dish. Or even a main dish for two people!

For more recipes, including garlic-scape carbonara (pasta dish w/ eggs & bacon), garlic-scape risotto, pickled dilly garlic scapes, and more, see "Sarah's Cucina Bella" by clicking here.