We harvested the first kale and bok choy of the season this week! Both of these crops are members of the vast Brassica family along with other cool season favorites like broccoli and cabbage. Kale (above) is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed raw in salads, smoothies, and juices but it’s also just as delicious in soups, stir-fries, and pasta dishes. Boy choy (below) has tender leaves and crunchy stems that are perfect for stir-fries, soups, and grilling. You can find both of these leafy greens in the Grab-and-Go coolers! 

It’s an exciting time on the farm as we’re harvesting something new nearly every week. In the next week or two, we’ll be harvesting the first heads of Chinese (Napa) cabbage! As you can see below, our plants are huge and have already started to form heads. Once the heads size up to harvesting size over the next couple of weeks, you’ll start to see them trickle into the Farm Stand. We can’t wait to share them with you! 

With the arrival of cooler weather, our remaining summer crops will start to slow down and eventually be completely phased out. While okra can grow until the first frost, our peppers are more sensitive to cold weather along with basil and a lot of our flowers. We highly recommend taking advantage of our Italian basil and flower bouquets because they won’t be around much longer! Make sure to snag a bouquet this weekend to add a little seasonal farm beauty to your home. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kale (limited), Bok Choy, Lettuce Heads (limited), Swiss Chard, Arugula, Hakurei Turnips, Amara Mustard Greens, Wasabina Mustard Greens, Radishes, Scallions, Okra, Lunchbox Peppers, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Basil, and Flower Bouquets

Two new veggies are making their way to the farm stand this week: Hon Tsai Tai (pictured above) and Bok Choy (pictured below). Hon Tsai Tai, also called Kailaan, has striking purple stems and tender green leaves. It has a flavor similar to broccoli raab but is a bit sweeter and more delicate. Bok Choy has spoon-shaped green leaves with thick white stems. It has a flavor similar to spinach but more nutty and a bit peppery. Farmer Anna loves to braise either of these leafy greens in a miso broth with soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger. Yum!

Are you curious where our extra produce goes? When we have surplus produce that we’re not able to sell at the farm stand or to local restaurants like Nancy’s Hustle, we donate it to Katy Christian Ministries. This is a great way to help those in need in our community while reducing waste on the farm! If you’d like to learn more or donate your time to this non-profit organization, head over to their website.

We have a special pop-up farm stand coming up on Sunday, December 11th! We’ll be at The Heights Mercantile Farmers Market from 9am-1pm with our beautiful farm-fresh produce. This market is hosted by The Informal Grub and is located at 714 Yale Street in Houston. In addition to our produce you’ll be able to shop from a curated selection of local vendors while enjoying live music. We hope to see you there!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Beets, Radishes, Hakurei Turnips, Scallions, Collard Greens, Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy, Hon Tsai Tai, Salad Mix, Kale, Mustard Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cilantro, Dill, Sweet Peppers, and Eggplant.

We’re harvesting a new squash variety for you on the farm: tromboncino! This Italian heirloom can be harvested young as a summer squash or mature as a winter squash. We’re harvesting it young which means you can use it just like a zucchini. As you can see in the photo above, tromboncino squashes have a long neck that is often curved with a bulbous blossom end similar to a butternut. Farmer Alex’s grandmother loves to use tromboncino to make zucchini parmesan. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to try it out! Simply substitute our tromboncino for the zucchini that is called for.

You enjoyed our roselle greens during the summer and now it’s almost time to enjoy their tart and tangy calyces! Our roselle plants have just started to bloom (pictured above) and once those flowers drop, they begin to form the ruby red pods you see in the photo below. The outer red part of the pod is called the calyx. Roselle calyces have a tart flavor similar to cranberries that can be used in jams, syrups, or teas. To use the calyces, you’ll peel the red parts away from the interior green seed pod. Here’s a recipe for a roselle ginger syrup if you’d like to try it.

We’re slowly clearing out the remaining summer crops in the high tunnel to make way for delicious cool season veggies. Last week we planted both bok choy and hon tsai tai (also called Kailaan). Both of these leafy Asian greens are in the brassica family along with crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and kale. We currently have them under a protective netting to keep the local rabbits from having a feast! Keep an eye out because these leafy greens will be making their way to the farm stand within the month.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Radishes, Beets, Tromboncino Squash, Scallions, Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Arugula, Kale, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Okra, Eggplant, Sweet Peppers, Cilantro, and Dill.

Bok choy is officially back in season! We’ll have the first heads of it available for you at the farm stand this Saturday. Bok choy is a member of the extensive brassica family that has tender leaves and crunchy stems. Both the stems and leaves are edible and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Here are a few different ways you can enjoy bok choy: stir-fried with other seasonal vegetables like broccoli and spring onions, sauteed with garlic and soy sauce, added to a batch of vegetable soup, and used in place of Napa cabbage for a batch of kimchi.

In addition to bok choy, we’re harvesting a delicious variety of late winter and early spring produce on the farm! Since we love eating the farm’s vegetables just as much as we love growing them, we’re always experimenting with simple and delicious recipes at home. Alex has been loving cooking with cabbage because it works in both simple and more complex dishes. If you’re going for a simple recipe, she recommends roasting it. If you want to put in a little more effort, stir fry it with other seasonal vegetables and serve it with soba noodles, peanut sauce, and the protein of your choice. Yum!

As for Caitlin, she loves the versatility of kale. This leafy green can be added to so many different dishes from salads to soups to pastas and beyond. Her favorite way to enjoy it is to sauté it with lemon juice, salt, and pepper and top it with some cooked chicken. She recently added it to a batch of fried rice with carrots and snap peas and highly recommends it! If you’d like to try making your own version at home, make sure to pop by the farm stand to stock up on supplies. To see what else we have in season, check out the list below.

In Season: Bok Choy, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Shelling Peas, Salad Mix, Spring Onions, Spinach, Beets, Kale, and Radishes along with Tomato Transplants and Cabbage Transplants for your garden

November 18th, 2021

We’re adding three more leafy greens to our verdant lineup this week: curly kale, Lacinato kale, and rainbow chard. And, we hope to harvest the first Napa cabbages next week! We’ve been working hard to increase the diversity of crops on the farm so it feels great to be able to harvest twelve different varieties of greens. Each leafy green variety differs in terms of taste and texture. We hope you’ll try them all so that you can expand your palate and perhaps find a new favorite! Here’s a handy guide featuring all of the varieties we’re currently harvesting:

• Kales (Lacinato, Curly, & Red Russian) -- earthy and vegetal taste; baby leaves are tender and perfect for salads; adult leaves are sturdier and perfect for sautéeing.
• Rainbow Chard -- mildly sweet and earthy taste; the soft-textured leaves and crunchy stems are great for sautéeing and adding to soups.
• Tokyo Bekana -- mild cabbage-like flavor; the buttery soft leaves can be used as a salad green or added to soups and stir-fries
• Arugula -- mild peppery flavor; the tender leaves are great for adding to salads, sandwiches, or a batch of pesto.
• Lettuces -- mild vegetal flavor; the tender leaves are great for adding to salads and sandwiches.
• Gai Lan -- earthy and sweet taste; both the leaves and stems are great for adding to stir-fries and soups. 
• Tatsoi -- mild spinach-like flavor; the tender leaves can be added to a salad mix or sautéed.
• Bok Choy -- fresh and grassy flavor; the leaves and stems can be added to stir-fries, soups, or used for a batch of kimchi.
• Collard Greens -- earthy and alkaline flavor; the leaves and stems are great for braising, adding to soups, and as a wrap for sandwiches and burgers. 
• Mustard Greens -- sharp and peppery flavor (this mellows when cooked); the leaves are great for braising, sautéeing, and adding to soups. 

It’s hard to tell who likes our flower rows more, us or the pollinators! These flowers serve a dual purpose: they provide a source of food for our local pollinators and they bring a bit of farm beauty to your home in the form of cut flower bouquets. In addition to all of the delicious veggies we’ll have at the farm stand this weekend (list below), we’ll also have the following cut flowers for you to craft your own bouquets: marigolds, zinnias, and sunflowers.

As a reminder, our farm stand takes place on the farm every Saturday from 10am-noon and every Wednesday from 4-6pm. We’re the perfect option for your holiday meal-planning and shopping and would love to see you there!

Currently In Season: Cherry Tomatoes, Slicer Tomatoes, Kale, Rainbow Chard, Tokyo Bekana, Arugula, Lettuce Mix, Tatsoi, Baby Bok Choy, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Gai Lan, Hakurei Turnips, White Icicle Radishes, Shishito Peppers, and Eggplant.