Garlic packs a serious nutritional punch. Regarded in almost every culture for its medicinal and culinary properties, garlic has proven benefits against coronary artery diseases, infections, and cancers. Garlic contains no cholesterol, but has vitamin B-6, vitamin C, copper, iron, calcium, selenium, and manganese. Garlic has also been used for centuries to treat colds, coughs, bronchitis, and other ailments. Dried garlic can be stored on your counter top, in low humidity, for months. Fresh green garlic should be stored in the refrigerator, similarly to leeks. Fresh green garlic is available in the spring and summer, dried garlic is available in the summer and fall.
tender greens
We grow several soft, tender greens. These are greens that are great raw in a salad or lightly cooked. Be warned – they shrink quite a lot when cooked and only need light heat to cook. They should be stored in the refrigerator in a bag that will keep them from wilting.
Arugula: Arugula is a spicy green- the perfect addition to a salad. It pairs nicely with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar! Eat it raw or lightly wilted.
Lettuce: head over to our lettuce page for recipe and storage tips.
Mizuna: Mizuna is a member of the mustard family but is much more mild and sweet than some of the other mustard varieties. We grow three varieties: all green, all purple, and green with a purple stem. It can be wilted in a frying pan and seasoned lightly- it is very tasty!
Spinach: We grow loose spinach and bunched spinach, all of it incredibly sweet. Did you know that spinach is related to beets and chard? You can find spinach-specific recipes on our spinach page, but most, if not all, of the recipes on this page will work with spinach.
Again all greens should be stored in a refrigerator with something that will help keep in the moisture. If they do start to wilt, don’t despair – they can be revived with cold water: if the greens come in a head (like lettuce) cut the base about 1/2″, or separate leaves from base entirely. Submerge leaves and stems in cold water, making sure that any cut ends are fully submerged. If you’re in a hurry, try adding some ice cubes to the water and then soak for at least 30 minutes. Note that heavy and extremely wilted leaves may take more time. This tip does not work for leaves that have already yellowed or become slimy. If some leaves are too far gone, try removing those and soaking the remaining leaves that are still intact. Thanks to StopFoodWaste for the tips!
hearty greens
We grow greens during the cool seasons which means winter, spring and fall on our farm. Storage for bunched greens is fairly similar across the board- store them in your refrigerator, unwashed, and in a bag that will help keep them from wilting. Most of these greens can be eaten raw or cooked. If eating raw, they usually benefit from a bit of massaging to tenderize the leaves.
Broccoli Raab: Also spelled “rabe,” it’s part of the turnip family and tastes like turnip greens, not like broccoli. It has small florets and leaves. It can be a bit more on the bitter and earthy side, it’s often recommended that you first blanch and then sauté, but blanching isn’t necessary and you can skip that step and just sauté.
Chard: The green, gold, and red chard leaves harvested at Full Belly are rich in color and nutrients. Chard can be steamed, sautéed, or added to soup or salad.
Collards: Collards are closely related to cabbage and have beautiful, blue-grey, flat leaves. They can be remarkably sweet.
Kale: One cup of loosely packed Kale eaten raw provides over 100% of the recommended daily vitamin K for adults. Kale is also rich in Vitamins A and C, and contains a fair amount of copper, iron, and calcium. Kale can be added to soups, salads, omelets, or sautéed into a stir fry. Can’t get your kids to eat it? Try making kale chips by stripping the leaves off the stem, placing leaves on a baking sheet, sprinkling with salt and olive oil, and baking until crispy. Don’t throw out the stems – they’re sweet and crunchy. You can cook them separately from the leaves or use them in the same dish, but consider adding a little extra cooking time.
Spigarello: Do you like dino kale and collards? If so, you’ll love spigarello. Also known as leaf broccoli, its taste and texture are somewhere between collards and dino kale and you can use it in most of the greens recipes on our website that call for kale or collards.
And don’t forget about Beet Greens! The greens on the beets are delicious too. They’re like slightly thicker chard (which makes sense; chard and beets are related) and can be used anywhere you’d use chard, just with slightly more cooking time.
Again: all greens should be stored in a refrigerator with something that will help keep in the moisture. If they do start to wilt, don’t despair – they can be revived with cold water: cut the thick stems back about 1/2″ to expose a new open end, then submerge leaves and stems in water, making sure that any cut ends are fully submerged. Soak for at least 30 minutes. Note that heavy and extremely wilted leaves may take more time. This tip does not work for leaves that have already yellowed or become slimy. If some leaves are too far gone, try removing those and soaking the remaining leaves that are still intact. Thanks to StopFoodWaste for the tips!
bok choi
We grow three types of bok choy – the large white, stemmed (joi choi), the shorter green-stemmed (mei qing, or Shanghai), and purple. All have different shapes but are equally delicious with crunchy stems and soft leaves and can be eaten raw or cooked. They’re particularly good in stir-fries and soup.
They can be harvested when they’re small and young (baby bok choy) or when they’re large. Some of the joi choi can grow to a formidable size!
Store in the refrigerator in a bag.
persimmons
There are many types of persimmons but they are broken into two categories: astringent persimmons (like Hachiya), which are inedible when firm and need to become very soft and ripe before they can be eaten, and non-astringent persimmons (like Fuyu), which can be eaten hard, like an apple, or soft. Fuyu are short and squat, like a tomato, while Hachiya are pointy like an acorn. More information here.
quince
The quince is related to apples and pears and will be fragrant and perfectly fine on your countertop for several weeks. Quince is often used to make jams, jellies and membrillo (quince paste).
stir fry mix
The stir fry is a mix of greens from our fields, usually the young leaves. Generally we rinse our stir fry mix and then fry it quickly with a little bit of oil until it’s wilted. Dress it with some lemon and salt, or a little bit of your favorite vinegar and it will be ready to go!
kohlrabi
It’s true, you have to remove the leaves and peel off most of the skin of the kohlrabi — but once you get to the flesh inside, it’s a lot like a broccoli stem: sweet and crisp. Slice the raw kohlrabi very thin and drizzle it with olive oil and sea salt; or add matchstick-shaped pieces to your salad; or use it for dipping. If you want to cook it, try roasting it with other veggies. You can also add it to soup.
parsley
Someone once wrote us that “nobody eats parsley” which can’t be true, since it is ordered in quantity by many of our stores and restaurants, but the comment did indicate to us that parsley may not be fully appreciated for the amazing herb that it is. It goes well with potatoes and rice and can be added to most of your vegetable dishes. It is a source of antioxidants and vitamins well beyond what you might expect.
apricots
We grow Royal Blenheim apricots, a treasured heirloom variety that makes up in flavor what it may lack in looks and durability.
They are considered one of the most flavorful apricot varieties out there, with some calling them the “pinot noir of apricots.” They are fragile fruit with delicate skin that bruises easily so they are rarely available in stores and supermarkets. More about their history here.
Blenheims ripen from the inside out and might have a slight green tinge on their shoulders – this green color is unique to this variety and doesn’t mean that they’re underripe. They should be stored stem side down on a flat surface, ideally on the counter. They ripen fast, so keep an eye on them, and since they ripen from the inside, keep in mind that they don’t need to be very soft to be ripe.
We also dry our apricots and make apricot jam, both of which allow you to enjoy apricots after the summer harvest ends. You can acquire both at our Farmers Markets, through our online Farm Shop, at select stores, and via the CSA.
In addition to Royal Blenheims, we also grow a very small amount of apriums, a plum/apricot hybrid (75% apricot and 25% plum).
popcorn
Our popcorn, a variety called Robust, is grown during the hot summer months and dried on the stalk in August and September. It makes a perfect snack- you can almost taste the summer sun with each bite!
It should be popped the old fashioned way. We warm up 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a pot on the stove (we always put one or two “tester” kernel in the pot and when it pops, we add the rest). Make sure to put a lid on your pot and, once the kernels start popping, gently shake your pot to keep the kernels moving. Once the popping slows, remove from heat, remove the lid, and pour it into a big bowl. The video below may help:
herbs
While herbs aren’t our primary focus, we do grow several herbs, annual and perennial.
For annual herbs, we grow cilantro and dill in the spring and basil and parsley in the summer. We grow these in regular beds, like we do other row crops.
We have a small garden for our perennial herbs, including bay leaves, chives, lemon verbena, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon, and thyme. We grow such small quantities of these that only go to the farmers market.
Most herbs are great additions to any roasting vegetables and can bring great flavor to soups, meat dishes, and work great as garnishes.
rutabagas
Rutabagas are a wonderful root vegetable that can add flavor to any wintery dish. Mashed, roasted, or added to soup, rutabaga is one of the Full Belly farmer’s favorite treats. Rutabaga originated as a cross between the cabbage and turnip. Though our CSA members often only see the root portion of this vegetable, the tops are also nutritious and tasty.
Rutabagas contain significant amounts of vitamin C- 100g contains about 45% of our daily recommended intake!
Full Belly farmers often prepare by peeling, chopping into 1″ cubes, and adding to any other winter root vegetables for roasting in the oven at 350 degrees. Enjoy!
lemons
Our Evergreen Meyer Lemon trees have been a beautiful addition to our farm providing life and color during the fall and winter months. Most importantly they produce a wonderfully delicious and juicy fruit. Like most citrus, Meyer lemons are packed with vitamin C that helps against infectious agents and reduces pro-inflammatory free radicals from the blood. Full Belly’s Meyer lemons are sweet and can be used in salad dressings, teas, and are perfect for making delicious desserts. Meyer lemons should be used more quickly than other lemons, though storing them in the fridge will help them keep for about a week.
pomegranates
Pomegranates are are rich in nutritional benefits- dietary fibers, anti-oxidants, and vitamin C. Full Belly farmers (and kids!) love to snack on pomegranates during the crisp fall months.
Pomegranates are often used to flavor meat dishes. The seeds can also be sprinkled over salads, cooked greens and desserts, adding a crunchy texture, wonderful color, and sweet-tart flavor.
Extracting pomegranate seeds can be messy, but our Hoes Down kitchen crew demonstrated the following method: Cut the fruit in half or quarters and immerse the pieces in a bowl of water. One by one, break the pieces apart, bending the skin side of the pieces inside out, opening up the membranes and expelling the seeds into the bowl of water. Scoop off the membrane and collect the seeds in a strainer. The seeds can be kept overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator. Or leave them out in a small bowl and you will find that you love to use them straight as a healthy snack. Martha Stewart has a very helpful video, which can be found here.
Alternatively, the pomegranates can be juiced with a manual or electric juicer. Those membranes that surround the seeds have a very tannic flavor, so you want to minimize their presence in the juice. If you have removed the seeds you can pulse them in a food processor and then transfer the mix to a sieve and let it drain.
This video also shows an easy seed extraction method:
salad mix
Full Belly Farm salad mix is comprised of baby lettuce leaves harvested before their full maturity with additional greens (spinach, mizuna, arugula) depending on what’s in season. It should be stored in the refrigerator, and rinsed before eating. Additional recipe ideas on our lettuce page.
lettuce
It is very common for lunch at Full Belly Farm to be a large salad piled high with the various kinds of lettuce we grow (romaine, butter, oak leaf, red leaf, green leaf, sierra — the list goes on!), carrots, homemade croutons, and if we are lucky, some of Jenna’s homemade salad dressing. Lettuce is a relatively easy crop to grow and we cultivate it almost year round, except in the heat of the summer. Lettuce, a low calorie vegetable, is a storehouse of vitamins and phyto-nutrients. Lettuce should be stored in in the refrigerator and rinsed before eating- it may still have a bit of soil from the Full Belly Fields on some of the leaves!
okra
Whether you like your okra pickled, fried, or stewed in a gumbo, we have you covered. Full Belly has beautiful green and purple okra, available for a short time in the summer months. Don’t be quick to pass up this unique vegetable as it is packed with vitamins and high in dietary fiber. Okra contains vitamin A which is great for improving eye sight and vitamin K, which is needed to strengthen bones. As a high starch vegetable, okra is a good addition for thickening soups and stews. It is best to store okra in the fridge and eat it fresh to obtain its full health benefits.
