Kohlrabi with Sautéed Greens and Parmesan

1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced thin

1 lemon, zested

Juice from one lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 bunch kale or head of bok choy, rough chopped

2 garlic scapes, finely chopped

1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped

¼ cup parmesan 

Whisk together lemon zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi with dressing.

Rough chop greens. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic scapes until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add greens by the handful, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more greens as volume in skillet reduces. When all of greens are wilted, sauté with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Toss greens with kohlrabi, parmesan and pistachios.

Grilled Napa and Potato Salad with Sesame Garlic Scape Dressing

1 head napa cabbage, washed and cut in half length wise

1 lb of Superior russet potatoes large, diced

¼ cup olive oil

Heat grill to medium-high

Toss potatoes in 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Seal in an aluminum foil pouch and place on the grill and cook until fork tender (roughly 20 minutes). Turn once (varies from grill to grill). Be careful when checking the potatoes. If your pouch has a good seal you are going to have steam try to escape when you open it. 

Lightly coat the napa cabbage in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill face down for 3-5 minutes then turn over and grill for another two minutes. 

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature then roughly chop into bite size pieces. 

Combine napa cabbage with the cooked potatoes and toss with dressing. 

Can be served warm or chilled. 

The Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (gluten free)

1 garlic scape minced

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Combine ingredients and blend well or shake vigorously

Garlic Scape and Cilantro Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes

1 bunch of cilantro minced

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

A few generous grinds of black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Add this pesto to any pasta dishes with a little bit of fresh chevre and you can’t go wrong.

Garbanzo Bean and Kale Soup

Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, pair very well with this hearty Kale Variety. This vegetable and bean soup helps utilize what this week’s share has to offer.

2 cups garbanzo beans, drained (if using canned beans, ½ cup dry beans if cooking)

½ a bunch of kale cut in half length-wise then chopped

2 turnips  - chopped

2 zucchini or patty pan- chopped

2 garlic scapes – minced

¼ cup scallions- chopped (reserve the tops as an herb to finish the soup)

2 oz olive oil

2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) (water also works)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté ¼ cup scallions and garlic scapes in olive oil until aromatic. Try not to let it brown. Add turnips and zucchini and cook for 1-2 minutes add kale and 1 cup of stock and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the beans and the remaining stock and cook until all ingredients are tender (not mushy).

Add salt and pepper to taste. Then finish with minced scallion tops.

Several variations can be done to this dish. By adding some curry powder or chili powder you can definitely kick it up a bit. This recipe is a basic starting point. Feel free to experiment. Also, if you make a grilled cheese sandwich with the pesto jack in the cheese, share and dip it into this soup. That would be a tasty addition. 

Cucumber and Parsley Salad

1 Cucumber Peeled

2 Tbsp. Diced Pearl Onion

2 Tbsp Olive

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Vinegar – If you have some chive infused vinegar this would be great here. Otherwise Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar would be a great choice

¼  Cup Minced Garlic Scapes – If you don’t have any scapes left from last week, you can substitute Scallion

½ bunch of Parsley Minced

½ Tsp Salt

Pepper to taste

Take cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise then remove the seeds with a spoon (this is optional as I eat the seeds and they are delicious) and slice crosswise very thinly. Add salt and place into a bowl and set aside.

Dice the pearl onion and mince the garlic scapes. Combine with the minced parsley and set aside. 

Mix together lemon juice, vinegar and oil. Whisk and then pour over cucumbers. Toss onion/garlic/herb mixture into the cucumbers and toss thoroughly to ensure a light coating on all the ingredients. Add pepper to taste. 

Creamy Spinach and Garlic Scape Pasta with Asparagus

1 bunch Garlic Scapes sliced into thin cross sections. 

¼ lb of Spinach washed and rough chopped

½ lb Asparagus cut into bite sized pieces

1 lb Pasta

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream

½ cup White Wine

½ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Start pasta water boiling with a little bit of salt. Cook pasta until al dente.

Sauté asparagus for 3 minutes, then remove from the pan.

Add Garlic Scapes and sauté until they are aromatic 1-2 minutes then deglaze pan with white wine and reduce until liquid until almost gone. Then reduce heat to low and cream.

Cook on low until the cream is reduced by half then add the spinach. Continue to cook over low heat until cream is reduced by half again. Stir frequently so no burning happens in the bottom of the pan.

Once desired consistency is reached, turn off the heat. Add the cooked asparagus to the creamy spinach mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and season to taste. 

Fold pasta into sauce and enjoy.