Dear Hunters' greens eaters,

Today the shares will look a little different at the farm and at our in town pick ups.  Sometimes we do this so you will get a more useable portion, rather than tiny bits of this and that.

Everyone should have a half pound of escarole in a sack.(see recipes below)

Farm shares should have about a half pound of kale, a half pound of sugar snap peas (eat it shell and all) and a mixture of small lettuces.

In town shares should have a crown of broccoli, about 5 ounces of spinach and a butter lettuce.

ESCAROLE

Escarole is a broad leaved, green member of the chicory family, related to radicchio and endive.  If you know those greens, you know it has a sharp bitterness.  Small quantities can be added to lettuce in a salad to spike up the flavor, or it can be cooked, which should mellow the bite.  Escarole usually comes in large flattish heads, ours was crowded so comes in small upright bunches.

Mashpot or Stamppot.  My brother came home from The Netherlands with a new dish he was told translated to Mashpot, another customer translates it stamppot.  Basically it is any kind of greens and mashed potatoes mixed together.  Mike learned it with escarole or endive.

So our approximation would be to saute some garlic in olive or other oil, chop the escarole roughly and saute in the oil for about 6 or 7 minutes, mix in the mashed potatoes and heat through.

Escarole and Fagioli (escarole and cannellini beans)  (From the East Rochester, NY Rotary TREASURED ITALIAN RECIPES Cookbook)

2 heads escarole                        1 or 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 to 8 Tbsp olive oil                   parsley
1 clove garlic, quartered

Saute garlic in oil just until golden.  Set aside to cool for a few minutes before adding washed, halved escarole leaves, salt and pepper, parsley and 1 cup water.  Cook for 5 minutes on high heat, stirring to avoid burning.  Lower and cook slowly about 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.  The, stir in beans and cook until hot.  Serves 4 to 6  (depending on portions)

Helpful Hints: This may also be prepared using savoy cabbage or most any greens

                                                                               Jean E. Marfioti
                                                                               From Stella Marafioti
                                                                               (Mother-in-law), Calabria

FARM UPDATE

The late spring continues to be as odd as the early spring, but in a different way.  It is cool and quite dry, with warmer nights.  This has been great for planting, and the coolness allows the spring vegetables to mature slowly rather than racing to put up flowers, but the spring vegetables also like rain to swell their tissues and make them more succulent.  The nights are warm enough to have the beans and tomatoes planted and the squashes poised to go in the ground, but not warm enough for them to do much.

So with summer around the corner we'll see how things play out, will it be a cabbage or tomato year.  Only time will tell.

So... Bon Appetit, Until next week.