Artichokes: These artichokes don’t have a choke – the fuzzy central part in some varieties. The stem is tender, the inner leaves and heart are succulent. Nearly 100% of the U.S. artichoke crop is grown in California and about 80% of that is grown in Monterey County. Only a teeny, tiny fraction of artichokes grown in the US, are grown in the Capay Valley! Treasure them as very rare. At Full Belly’s farmers markets, the chefs are paying $4 and $5/pound for them – and because we are putting them in the CSA boxes this week, the chefs and their patrons will miss out!
Spring Onions: If we had left these to continue growing in the ground they would develop underground bulbs and we would dry them into storage onions. Fresh like this they are a bit milder and sweeter. Onions are from a large Genus called Allium, that contains hundreds of edible plants. Many of our meals start by cleaning, chopping and frying up a member of the Allium genus.
Stir Fry Mix: a pleasing mix of all the young greens on the farm, this can be steamed and dressed with a bit of salt, oil and vinegar, or lemon. Very simple, very satisfying.
