C.S.A Week 10

I read an article this week about the emergence of “super weeds”. The article talked about a weed called Amaranth Pigweed that in just a short number of years has evolved to resist up to 6 different herbicides including the main ingredient in Monsanto’s “Roundup”, glyphosate. Chemical companies have been fighting back, switching to a combination glyphosate and older chemicals like Dicamba (one drop of Dicamba can kill a human). Monsanto genetically modified their seeds of cash crops like corn and soy beans to withstand sprays from both chemicals to fight Amaranth Pigweed. But Amaranth Pigweed is winning. Select individuals of this weed have been cropping up in fields sprayed with these herbicides, and they are quickly taking over, becoming the dominant genetic variation of the weed. The article went on to discuss the possible affects of these super weeds, such as higher food prices, decline in global food supply, and the need for new farming practices. The article awoke an excitement in me. Weeds are outpacing big chemical companies, and hopefully will push us all into changing our food production means on a massive scale. If you look around our field, you will occasionally see tall purple stalks with graceful draping seed heads scattered about the garden mixed in with the vegetables. These are the cultivated cut flower amaranth, gone rouge. They have thousands of seeds that drop and scatter each fall and pop up all over the garden the following year in the spring. I leave a few each season because I think they are pretty, and they do the garden no harm. I’m looking at them now with a new appreciation.

In the Share:

• Garlic _From our friends at Steady Soils in Baldwin, Maine

• Green Beans

• Sungold Cherry Tomatoes

• Red Slicing Tomatoes

• Redfire Lettuce

• Kohlrabi

• Melons at Hosac, and Edamame at Earle

• Purple Top Turnips

PRUPLE TOP TURNIP COOKING

Peel each turnip using a vegetable peeler. Cut each one into 1-inch cubes with a sharp kitchen knife.

Add 1 tbsp. of the butter, margarine or olive oil to a skillet. Set the heat to medium. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and black pepper, according to your taste preference. Stir to combine.

Add the purple turnip cubes and enough water to equal a depth of 1/4 inch. Turn the burner to high and let the liquid come to a boil.

Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Let the turnip cubes simmer until they are fork tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking another 3 minutes, or until the liquid cooks away.

Add 1 tbsp. of butter, margarine or olive oil, parsley and lemon juice. Shake the pan or toss the turnip cubes lightly with a spoon to make sure the cubes are evenly coated with the maple syrup glaze.

Transfer the turnips to a serving bowl with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle on black pepper according to your taste preference. Serve hot and enjoy.

Kohlrabi Apple Slaw

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

• 1 teaspoon white sugar

• 1 large kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and grated

• 4 apples - peeled, cored, and diced

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and sugar together in a bowl.

• Step 2

  Toss kohlrabi and apples together in a large bowl; pour mayonnaise mixture over kohlrabi mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.