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Arugula

What’s Below:

About Arugula

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Arugula

Arugula is a green leafy vegetable that grows in cool temperatures, and is in the same family as other brassicas like collards, cabbage, kale and radish. It has origins in Southern Europe, particularly Italy and Greece where it’s been cultivated for at least 2,000 centuries. These tender leaves are known for their peppery, mustard-like flavor at their most mature, however they can be picked when younger for a more subtle, sweet taste. 

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and flowers

  • Medicine and Nutrients: These punchy little leaves also pack lots of nutrients like vitamins A, C, & K, as well as minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: Don’t wash arugula until you are ready to use it, make sure you are storing the leaves when dry after washing. Arugula will last in the refrigerator for about one week, loosely wrapped between some paper towels and kept in a plastic bag or container.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: Arugula is most commonly eaten raw in salads tossed with a dressing or vinaigrette, on sandwiches, in smoothies to add a kick, or just by itself. If you’re lucky enough to catch an arugula plant flowering you can harvest the bright yellow flowers and eat those too.

  • COOKED: Arugula can also be quickly cooked as a sauteed or stir-fried green like spinach, or added towards the end of a soup or stew’s cooking time.

RECIPES 

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Tatsoi

Photo Source: Morning Chores

What’s Below:

About Tatsoi

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT tatsoi

Tatsoi is a tender green that has rounded leaves. It has a smooth texture and a sweet, earthy flavor. These yummy greens have origins in China, particularly along the Yangtze River in East China, where it’s been cultivated for over 2,000 years. To this day it is especially popular in Chinese and Japanese cuisines for adding to stir-fries and soups.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and flowers

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Tatsoi is very rich in vitamins C, K, and A. They also provide a significant source of fiber.

  • Storage: Store tatsoi in the refrigerator, in the crisper drawer with other vegetables. Put it in a plastic bag and wait to wash until eating or cooking. Tatsoi has a short shelf-life and will only last a few days.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: Tatsoi can be eaten raw, and is tender enough to use as a salad base.

  • COOKED: In terms of cooking, tatsoi has some similarities to spinach, and can be used in place of it. That said, their leaves are best prepared using quick cooking methods like sautéing, steaming, braising, and adding to soups.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri.

Cabbage

Caraflex cabbage

Caraflex cabbage

What’s Below:

About Cabbage

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Cabbage

Cabbage is a leafy green that forms a head of densely packed leaves that can range from tasting sweet to a mild bitterness. These versatile greens have their origins in Southwest Europe/Mediterranean where they’ve been cultivated for at least 2,500 years. Due to their nutrient density, transportation friendly shape, and a great vehicle for flavor infusion from spices and herbs, cabbage has been a valued green for centuries across cultures. Cabbage is a popular green to cook in the African and Asian diasporas, and is important for its medicinal uses just as much as it is for food.

Napa Cabbage (Photo source: Unsplash)

Tendersweet Cabbage (Photo source: Seeds Day)

We grow three types of cabbage here at Rock Steady, which are caraflex and tendersweet, and napa cabbage. Caraflex cabbage is a small cabbage with a pointed shape. It has a mild flavor and the texture is tender and crunchy. Tendersweet cabbage is a flat cabbage with a mild, slightly sweet taste. Napa cabbage is an elongated cabbage with crinkly, tender leaves that are much more similar to bok choy than regular cabbage and sweeter than any other variety. This variety first came about in China where it’s been cultivated for about 600 years.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Cabbage provides a great source of vitamin C and potassium. It’s high fiber content is good for regulating your digestion and is good for boosting your immunity.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: A whole head of cabbage will keep for a week or longer when stored unwashed in the fridge and sealed in plastic.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: All cabbage types can be pickled, as well as shredded into slaws and salads. They also make for a delicious wrap for savory fillings hot and cold.

  • COOKED: All cabbage types can be roasted, braised, blanched, steamed, and stir fried.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Purslane

What’s Below:

About Purslane

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Purslane

Purslane is an adorable, juicy, tart plant that some might say is a combination of a mini nopal, watercress, and spinach. It has tear-drop “leaves”, fat stems, and vibrant little pinkish to yellow flowers that are all edible raw or cooked.

The origins of purslane are still not super clear, some researchers believe it may have originally grown in the wild or have been domesticated in Europe, while others have found different species in the Americas and Africa. Either way, most researchers believe the plant came into existence at least 4,000 years ago. It can be found in many Asian, Mexican and Southern European dishes.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Root, stems, and flowers

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Carrot roots are packed with Vitamins A and K, and are a great source of potassium. Their leaves/tops are an incredible source of Vitamin C, fiber, and trace amounts of essential minerals.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: Gently wrap it in a towel then place in a loosely closed plastic bag and refrigerate for up to a few days. If you want to freeze purslane, steam it just until tender, squeeze out any excess moisture, cool, then wrap tightly in plastic and freeze.

  • Cooking with Purslane: Although purslane is typically eaten raw in salads, you can also cook it using quick methods like sauteeing and stir-frying, or add it to soups.

Recipes 

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, and Amara Ullauri

Salad Mix

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About Salad Mix

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

Learn More

ABOUT SALAD MIX

Typically a salad mix is a combination of tender greens that can include any variety of lettuces and baby mustards/brassicas. Our blend this year is a mix of tender, red and green salanova lettuces.

Although Lettuces have their origins in Egypt, and Mustards have their origins across West and Central Asia and Italy, the concept of a salad mix was first recorded in Southern France where mesclun salads were gaining popularity in the early 20th Century. However, it’s worth noting that gathering a mixture of greens has been a common practice across the world for millennia, and it’s very likely that indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, and Asia were gathering and combining wild, tender greens and flowers for consumption even if there aren’t very many records of what they called those mixtures or how they dressed them.

The word salad comes from the Latin/Spanish word for Sal, and speaks to the use of salt, oils, and vinegars used to dress lettuce greens in ancient times throughout the Mediterranean. 

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and tender stems

  • Medicine and Nutrients: See collard, kale, and lettuce profiles. 

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: To store salad mix, grab a plastic storage container large enough to fit the salad greens. Line it with paper towels, wash and dry the greens, dump them inside, seal the lid, and throw it in the refrigerator. The paper towels absorb any excess moisture that might cause the leaves to get slimy.

COOKING WITH IT 

  • RAW: Salad mixes are typically eaten raw and tossed with a dressing or vinaigrette. To make it into a complete meal you can add nuts, seeds, smoked meats, roasted vegetables, dried fruit, and cooked whole grains. 

  • SAUTE: Salad mixes can also be sautéed or stir-fried to go with rice, noodles, or alongside a broth or eggs (scrambled, fried, or poached are some great egg preparations to eat with sauteed greens).

RECIPES

LEARN MORE

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes and Ayllen Kocher

Callaloo (Amaranth Greens)

Photo Source: Now You’re Cooking (“Callaloo plant at Farintosh Farms in Stouffville, Ontario.”)

What’s Below:

About Callaloo

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Callaloo(Amaranth)

Callaloo (also known as amaranth) is a tender leafy green that also produces grain. It’s leaves have a slightly bitter flavor with a nutty undertone that is very similar to spinach, and the grains can be toasted or boiled. Callaloo has been cultivated for over 9,000 years across the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Each of these regions have a long history of preparing callaloo leaves and seeds in a variety of ways that include savory dishes, soups, stews, drinks, and sweets.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and seeds

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Amaranth is a nutrient and medicinal powerhouse, with leafy greens that provide tons of essential nutrients like protein and fiber; vitamins K, A, & C; as well as minerals like iron, calcium, and manganese. The grains also offer significant amounts of those nutrients alongside copper and complex carbohydrates.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: To preserve callaloo, it's best to chop it before. Place the freshly chopped callaloo into a zip lock bag and store it in the fridge for a couple of days. If you’re planning to freeze the callaloo, you won’t need to drain it for a long time. Place the cut up callaloo into a zip lock bag and remove the air before sealing it. Store the callaloo in the freezer for future use.

  • Ways to Prepare: Callaloo can be sauteed, blanched, steamed, and put into soups and stews. It can also be made into a filling for patties and dumplings.

RECIPES 

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Collard Greens

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What’s Below:

About Collards

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Collards

Collards are a flavorful dark green that has origins in Italy, Greece and Turkey where it was first cultivated over 4,000 years ago. However, the continued use of collards in modern times can be largely attributed to Black and African Diasporic peoples who were forcibly brought to the United States during the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. During this period some enslaved people would grow collards in subsistence gardens and substitute them in place of the ones they were familiar with back in Africa but were unavailable or hard to grow in the Southern U.S.

To this day collards continue to be a highly favored dish in Southern cuisine where they’re a staple in the meal spread for various holidays and celebrations, and are also important in areas of the U.S. where African Americans moved during The Great Migration. Outside of the U.S., collards are also a very popular crop to cook within Brazilian cuisine.

Collards have somewhat bitter tasting leaves, however they become tender and sweet the longer they are cooked. This is one of the reasons why braising and boiling them have traditionally been the go-to method for cooking them. However, longer cooking methods tend to make them a muted, green color that can be unappealing to some and there are a variety of quicker ways to cook them to maintain their vibrant green color (see below).

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and stems.

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Collards are incredible source of vitamins and minerals like iron, Vitamins K and C.

  • Storage:  These hearty leaves are best kept in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator for about 5 days. When you are ready to cook the greens, you'll need to wash them.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: When prepared for raw salads or slaws, collards need to be chopped very fine and/or massaged in order for oils, vinegars, and salt to fully penetrate and season the leaves. The leaves can also be used for making nutritious, gluten-free wraps.

  • COOKED: Collards are traditionally braised or stir-fried, but can also be sautéed, steamed, roasted, stir fried, and used in soups/stews.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Escarole

Escarole.jpg

Escarole is like a hearty lettuce - a little bit bitter and very delicious! You can cook it in soups, sauté with loads of garlic or toss in salad with a sweet tangy dressing.

Storage: Store unwashed with a dampened paper towel in a perforated plastic bag and refrigerate. By changing the towel occasionally and keeping it damp, you'll be able to store the greens for up to a week.

Recipes and Ideas:

Here’s a place to start!

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Kale and Baby Kale

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What’s Below:

About Kale

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Kale

Kale is a leafy green in the mustard/brassica family that has origins in Italy, Greece and Turkey where it was first cultivated over 4,000 years ago. It’s been adopted into a variety of cuisines across Black and brown diasporas in place of greens native to Africa and Southeast Asia, and has typically been substituted or combined with several other greens in Southern U.S. dishes or stir-fries and stews in Asian dishes.

Mature kale and baby kale are green leafy vegetables that grow abundantly throughout our whole CSA season. Mature kale is known for its tough and fibrous texture.

Unlike mature kale, baby kale has a much milder flavor than its older sibling. Like arugula, baby kale is known for its slight peppery taste. It can be eaten raw or sauteed. Since baby kale isn’t at its peak maturity, it can also come in mixed salad greens because it tastes so mild. 

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and stems.

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Kale is an incredible source of vitamins and minerals like iron, Vitamins K and C.

  • Storage for Baby Kale : Wrap the bunch of kale in a layer of paper towels, and store in a supermarket plastic bag or a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The kale should be in great shape for a week.

  • Storage for Mature Kale: Kale is hearty, and it will keep in the refrigerator for more than a week. Store dry in a a plastic bag with most of the air squeezed out, or wrapped in a paper towel.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: When prepared for raw salads or slaws, kale needs to be chopped very fine and/or massaged in order for oils, vinegars, and salt to fully penetrate and season the leaves.

  • COOKED: Kale leaves can also be sautéed, braised, steamed, roasted, stir fried, and used in soups/stews. 

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Pea Shoots

Pea shoots.jpg

What’s Below:

About Pea Shoots

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT pea Shoots

When grown to full maturity, peas produce a pod of legumes, however when harvested at a very early stage of growth in their life cycle prior to flowering they’re known as pea shoots. These shoots are typically ready in the summer in the Northeast and have delicate leaves on them.

The pea plant itself has origins in the Mediterranean and Southwest Asia where they’ve grown for thousands of years. However, Indigenous Hmong people of Southwest and East Asia are known as being the first to cook with and introduce pea shoots to other ethnic groups across Southeast Asia as well as some parts of Africa, where they’re typically eaten as a salad or quickly stir-fried green. Only in past two decades has it become a popular specialty food in the United States.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and stems

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Pea shoots are rich in vitamins E, C and A; and provide a significant source of fiber and potassium.

  • Storage: Place your pea shoots inside a brown paper bag, or wrap them with a paper towel and place them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. They should last a week. Do not freeze them. 

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: The taste of pea shoots is sweet, grassy, and fresh. They’re typically eaten raw, in salads, and as a garnish for your favorite grain or vegetable bowl.

  • COOKED: These light sprouts can be stir fried, steamed, and sauteed.

Recipes

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri.

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Broccoli and Broccoli Greens

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What’s Below:

About Broccoli

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT broccoli

Broccoli is a plant in the brassica family that has origins in Italy, Greece and Turkey where it was first cultivated over 4,000 years ago. The part of the plant that’s the most popular to cook with are its bushy flowers which are known as florets which make up the “crown” or “head” of broccoli. The broccoli variety most folks are familiar with due to its signature full, bushy head are native to the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Although most broccoli plants only produce one head of florets, the leaves surrounding the head are also edible and can be cooked like collards or kale. Broccoli and its greens are available all year round.

Although calabrese broccoli is the most well known type, other varieties of broccoli include romanesco, broccolini, and broccoli rabe. Several East Asian cuisines, particularly Chinese and Korean, have adopted and transformed broccoli into their foodways with the use of rich soy and fish based sauces, as well as in stir-fries and soups.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Floret heads, stems, and leaves

  • Medicine and Nutrients: All types of broccoli can be delicious sources of vitamins and minerals like iron, Vitamin K and C.

  • Storage for Broccoli Heads: To store it, mist the unwashed heads, wrap loosely in damp paper towels, and refrigerate. Use within 2 to 3 days. Do not store broccoli in a sealed container or plastic bag. Raw broccoli requires air circulation. 

    Storage for Broccoli Greens: Store unwashed broccoli greens in  a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. The leaves are hardy and can last for up to 2 weeks. If they wilt a little, trim the stems and stick them in a glass of water in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the stems and rinse the leaves just before eating.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: Broccoli leaves can be chopped fine for salads and slaws.

  • COOKED: Broccoli can be sauteed, braised, steamed, baked, stir fried, and used in soups/stews. Their greens are very similar to collard greens, and should be treated as such. This is a very neglected part of the broccoli plant, most folks are not aware that such big hearty leaves can come from broccoli. Broccoli greens can be sauteed, braised, steamed, baked, stir fried, and in soups and stews. They can be used interchangeably in recipes that call for kale or collard greens. 

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi.jpg

What’s Below:

About Kohlrabi

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a plant with origins in Northwestern Europe, particularly Germany which is also where it got its name, meaning “cabbage turnip”. While kohlrabi is popular in North and Western European cuisine, its also popular in Kashmiri Indian and Vietnamese cuisines where its typically stir-fried or added to soups.

Kohlrabi’s peak season is spring through fall. The taste of it is almost like a mildly sweet spicy cabbage. The texture of it when it’s raw is crunchy but not tough. That’s what makes it popular to have in salads. However, Kohlrabi can be roasted, raw, pureed into soup, steamed, stir fried, and even deep fried. 

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Bulb, stems, and leaves

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Rich in potassium, fiber, and vitamin C.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: To store it, remove any leaves (and reserve them for later, those can be used) and keep the bulb in the fridge, wrapped in a moist kitchen towel or in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer. This will keep your kohlrabi crunchy for about a week.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: The bulb and leaves of kohlrabi can be shredded into a salad dressed with a punchy vinaigrette, or made into a slaw as a side dish or to top your favorite sandwich.

  • COOKED: Kohlrabi bulbs can be can be roasted, pureed into soup, steamed, stir fried, and even deep fried. The leaves are best sauteed or braised.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

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Dandelion Greens

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Dandelion greens are at their peak in the spring to very early summer, before the flowers begin to bloom. They are known for a slight bitter taste, which is more notable in mature dandelion greens. However, that bitter taste can be removed by blanching or steaming them! Young dandelion greens are milder, which makes them appropriate to eat raw in salads. Other ways of cooking dandelion greens are sauteing, braising and putting in soups in place of spinach.

Storage: Store dandelion greens wrapped in a damp paper towel in an open ziploc bag in your crisper drawer for up to a week.

Recipes and Ideas: 

  1. 10 Recipes Using Dandelion Greens

  2. Dandelion Greens With a Kick!

  3. Dandelion Greens and Beans Skillet

Bok Choy

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What’s Below:

About Bok Choy

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Bok Choy (Choi or Pak Choi)

Bok choy is a petit, juicy green in the mustard/cabbage family that has origins in China where its been cultivated for over 3,500 years. From China bok choy migrated to other East Asian countries like Korea, Japan, and the Philippines where it is still an important crop in their respective cuisines and diasporas. Their light stalks have a nice fresh crunch, and their leaves have a spinach-like taste with a very mild bitterness.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and bulby stems.

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Bok choy provide a great source of vitamins and minerals like potassium, Vitamins C, K, A and B6.

  • Storage: Store bok choy in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator in a paper or perforated plastic bag. Do not wash your bok choy until you are ready to use it. It can last about a week. 

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: Chop up bok choy bulbs or leaves to to enjoy in a salad or to top a brothy soup.

  • COOKED: Due to its lightness bok choy doesn’t need very heavy, long cooking preparations and can be quickly braised, blanched, steamed, sautéd, stir-fried, and grilled.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

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Radishes

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Radishes.jpg

What’s Below:

About Radishes

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT radisheS

Radish are root vegetables that pack a little kick and have grown wild in China for at least 2,500 years and are also believed to have origins in Egypt where they’ve been cultivated for at least 5,000 years. From China their cultivation spread to Egypt, Greece, and Iraq where they’ve long been valued for their roots and leaves for food and medicine.

Radishes are one of the most popular crops at Rock Steady. We grow a variety of radishes including Crunchy King (small red), Watermelon (pink inside) and Daikon (white). Their taste can be described as crisp with a subtle spiciness. Radishes can be eaten raw, pickled, braised, grilled, roasted, and in salads. Soaking your radishes in water before eating will increase their crispiness! 

Red Radish (Photo Source: Jo lanta)

Daikon hugs (Photo Source: He Zhu)

Watermelon Radish (Photo Source: Michelle Blackwell)

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Roots and Leaves

  • Nutrients: Radish are packed with vitamin C.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: To store them, a mason jar with cold water should keep them hydrated. Watermelon radishes store well for at least a month. Partially used roots will store for several days in a plastic bag or reusable container in the refrigerator.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: Radish make for great punchy pickles or simply sliced up and eaten in a salad with their tops or other leafy greens.

  • COOKED: Radishes can be eaten braised, grilled, roasted, and in salads.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Swiss Chard

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What’s Below:

About Chard

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Chard

A cool season crop, chard is a leafy green that has a mild earthy flavor similar to beets. It has origins in the Mediterranean, specifically Sicily, Italy and Greece where its grown for at least 2,000 years. These nutrient rich leaves are used largely in the cuisines of those regions as well as in North African and Middle Eastern cuisines. Chard is also know as Swiss chard, and that is largely due to Swiss producers wanting to distinguish their chard from French chard in the late 1700s, but there’s no significant difference between the two.

Here at Rock Steady, we have rainbow chard, which means that the colors of the stems can range from pink, yellow, red, and white!

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Leaves and stems

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Chard is packed with minerals like iron and magnesium as well as vitamins A, C, and K which make it an excellent plant buddy when it comes to maintaining the overall health of your digestion, immunity, sight, skin, and blood.

  • Storage: Raw chard should be kept in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week. Rinse well in water just before using. Cooked chard will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 12 months.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: When eating chard raw in salads, it’s best to remove the bitter stems from the leaves and either chop the stems finely so they better absorb whatever salad dressing you might be using, or discard them into a compost pile.

  • COOKED: Chard can also be sautéed, added to soups and chilis, and stir fried. The stems add incredible flavor to a broth or stock.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri.

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Fennel

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Photo Source: FoodPrint.org

What’s Below:

About Fennel

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT FENNEL

Fennel is a completely edible bulb vegetable that is in season from early July to early fall here in the Northeast. It has origins in the Mediterranean, specifically Greece where its grown wild and been cultivated for centuries. There are lots of Southern European and Western Asian superstitions about fennel’s protective energies, and it’s believed that hanging them over a door or placing fronds in a key hole can prevent malignant spirits from entering and causing harm. The plant is also believed to be connected with the Greek town Marathon (Μαραθών or “place of fennel”) where fennel has grown prolifically for centuries, and became associated with the area that is the origin of the concept of marathons. These days the plant is used throughout several cuisines, but is especially loved in Greek and Italian cuisines.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Bulb, stems, leaves/fronds, and seeds

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Fennel is a great source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C. The fronds or seeds can be made into a tea that can support with any digestion issues.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: To store fennel, trim the fronds to two or three inches above the bulb (if not already done). Wrap loosely in a plastic bag and store in the fridge for 5 days or 10 days. 

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: When eaten raw fennel is crisp like onion and has a slightly sweet taste that is refreshing either shredded or sliced. The fronds are great to eat as a tasty little breath freshener or to season salads or as a garnish.

  • COOKED: When fennel is cooked, the flavor becomes more delicate and the texture softens. The bulbs taste great roasted or grilled either alone or alongside other vegetables, and also tastes excellent in soups and stews. It can also be sauteed, braised, and pan-fried. The fronds can be used as an herb to marinate meats or season other vegetables.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

Lettuce

Lettuce introduce you to this world famous crisp, sweet and juicy green! Just kidding, we are sure you are already very familiar with this popular salad ingredient. At Rock Steady we grow almost ten varieties of lettuce reminding us that lettuce does not have to be a boring salad green. Since lettuce is 95% water, it’s best eaten fresh. However some lettuce can even be grilled!

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Scallions/Green Onions

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What’s Below:

About Scallions

Cooking & Storage

Recipes

ABOUT Scallions

Scallions (or green onions) are flavorful plants from the Allium family alongside garlic and bulbing onions. They have origins across Central and South West Asia where they’ve been cultivated for over 5,000 years and valued for both their culinary and medicinal uses. Scallions have long been used in cuisines across the Asian diaspora in dishes like phở and cong you bing (scallion pancakes).

Scallions are in season from late spring through the fall. Scallions smell and taste like onions, but have a milder taste than pearl or red bulb onions. The white and green parts are both meant for cooking. The green tops are sweet and the white ends are on the crunchier side.

COOKING & STORAGE

  • Edible parts: Bulb and stems

  • Medicine and Nutrients: Chinese herbalists were one of the first to record the medicinal uses of scallions, and they can be ground up to make a poultice for cleaning wounds or eaten regularly to support a healthy urinary and immune system. They’re also a source of vitamin C, iron, and potassium.

  • Storing and Shelf Stability: You can store them in a plastic bag in the high humidity drawer of your fridge.

Ways to Prepare 

  • RAW: Chopped scallions can be used as flavorful garnish for salads, soups, meats, and sandwiches. 

  • COOKED: Scallions can be braised, roasted, sauteed, grilled, and stir fried.

RECIPES

Authored and compiled by Maya Marie of Deep Routes, Ayllen Kocher, and Amara Ullauri

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