Brussel sprout tops. Why do we have them? The "Brussel Sprouts" themselves emerge where the leaves meet the stems along the main stalk. To encourage those to grow a little bigger, we "top" the plants. For us this means snapping off the growing points right at the top when the main stalk is long enough to produce a decent number of sprouts. But do we discard the tops? NO! We eat them! As much a delicacy as garlic scapes, another top we snap to encourage growth, these brussel tops have an excellent texture raw and cook up deliciously too. (And to give credit where credit is due, we just picked up this tip from Jeremy Moghtader, the knowledgeable and friendly farm manager from U of M Campus Farm).

Sauteed Brussel Sprout tops with Onion and Garlic!

​INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil in the pan
• Onions, chopped
• Garlic minced
• Brussel Sprout tops, chopped- include the stem!
• Broth or water
• Lemon, salt, pepper to taste, herbs your like, red pepper flakes or a hot pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat oil in pan and toss in onions and garlic, herb you like (oregano anyone?!) and hot pepper if using. Cook until onions are soft.
• Stir in water or broth and then toss in the tops! Cook with lid on until they are the texture that you like. Anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. 
• Toss with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. 

Great with bacon.
Great with rice.
Great with eggs.
Great in a bowl.
Great with beans.

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup capers
• ½ medium celery root (celeriac), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline (this is equivalent to one bunch of our roots) 
• 5 celery stalks, thinly sliced into long ribbons on a mandoline (You could also just use the stalks from our uber fresh celery root)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Whisk oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and capers.
• Add celery root and celery to dressing; toss to coat. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 or 5 tomatoes (depending on size). Get some juicy ones and some firm ones.
• 1-3 cloves garlic (depending on tastebuds)
• 1 green bell pepper
• Some diced onion (one or two)
• Lime or lemon juice- just a splash!
• Optional- cumin, chilli powder, cilantro, 1 hot pepper of your choice (jalepeno, hot wax, or poblanos all work)
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONSChop and toss, splash in the lime, and sprinkle in the other ingredients. It really is that simple! If you let it sit for a touch, the flavors will meld together even further.

Another cabbage recipe, another joyous day. I made this with one of our amazing red cabbages and loved it so much, I made it again in a few nights time. 

INGREDIENTS

• Oil of choice for sautee
• 1 cabbage (or half a large cabbage)
• 2 bell peppers (at least!)
• 1 hot pepper of your choice (jalepeno, hot wax, or poblanos all work)
• Some diced onion
• A few cloves of garlic
• Optional- a tomato or two, tossed in early
• 2 generous tablespoons of peanut butter
• 2-4 tablespoons of applecider vinegar
• A handful of peanuts
• Additional hot pepper if desired
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in skillet
2. Chop cabbage, onion, peppers, and hot pepper and cook in oil until the cabbage is almost soft
3. Mince garlic and add to pan
4. Add peanuts, apple cider vinegar, and peanut butter, along with salt, pepper, and hot pepper, give the concoction a stir to melt and incorporate the peanut butter and a cover on it.
5. Allow the ingredients to mingle and remove from heat when the cabbage holds the desired texture

I love to eat this with hunk of bread, a pile of potatoes, or some other grain, but I must say, it holds its own, on its own. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds small-to-medium red or yellow potatoes
• 1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, chives and/or green onion

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To prepare the potatoes, scrub them clean if dirty and rinse under running water. Remove and discard any nubby sprouting areas. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven or soup pot.
2. Fill the pot with water until the potatoes are submerged and covered by 1 inch of additional water. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and continue cooking until the potatoes are very easily pierced through by a fork (smaller potatoes are done around 20 minutes, and medium around 25 minutes).
3. While the potatoes cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over a large, rimmed baking sheet. Brush the oil so it’s evenly distributed over the sheet.
4. When the potatoes are done, drain them in a large colander and let them cool for about 5 minutes, until they can be handled safely.
5. Evenly distribute the potatoes over the prepared baking sheet, and use a potato masher or a serving fork to gently smash each potato to a height of about ½ inch. (Thinner potatoes are more crispy.)
6. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the smashed potatoes. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt over the potatoes. Finally, sprinkle them lightly with freshly ground black pepper.
7. Bake until the potatoes are nice and golden on the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle them with chopped fresh herbs, and serve hot.

NotesStorage Suggestions: These potatoes are best served fresh, but can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. To reheat, bake them in the oven at 425 until warmed through.

Recipe: 
Fennel Fronds. What gives? We all eat the sweet licorice bulbs but what about those gorgeous green tops? EAT THEM!! Yay! I use them like celery in soups and simmers. They also make an awesome pesto. A kind soul at the Royal Oak market passed me this recipe and another kind soul passed me a sample. Both amazing. Since I misplaced the recipe handed to me at market, here is one retrieved from the infinite informational wealth of the the internet

Fennel Frond Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• 3 cups loosely packed fennel fronds (probably about from  1 bulb)
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup olive oil (plus extra)

Instructions

1. Toast the walnuts over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until they start to turn a nice golden brown color. Set aside to cool.
   
2. Add the walnuts, fennel fronds, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a food processor. Add in half of the olive oil and pulse or blend until incorporated. Continue blending while slowly pouring in the rest of the olive oil and desired consistency is reached (you may need to add in a little more olive oil or water 1 tsp at a time if you prefer it thinner)
   
3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze for later use
   

Recipe NotesThis freezes really well. Just pop it in a small airtight container (I use mini mason jars for perfect portioning) and pop in the freezer until ready to use. Let thaw overnight in the fridge. 
Recipe from Whole Food Bellies

Napa cabbage. What is that frilly looking brassica afterall? A tender leaved cabbage oft used in kimchi, as you may know. But it can be used for so much more! It can be eaten raw or cooked, used as a main course or a side, leaves peeled for wraps or chopped. Here is a straightforward stir-fry that I think we would all enjoy trying.  Note that I copied this recipe verbatim from Food and Wine. I encourage you to liberally substitute what you have for what you don't and add things you like. ​

• 4 cloves garlic—two chopped and two minced
• Kosher salt
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon coarse Korean hot red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• One 1 1/2-pound head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, toasted

Step 1    Mince and mash the chopped garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Stir together the scallions, minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, water, hot red-pepper flakes and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the cabbage, season with a pinch of salt, and stir-fry, using tongs to stir, until the cabbage is just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the toasted sesame seeds.
Make AheadThe sauce can be made 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.NotesKorean hot red-pepper flakes are available at Korean markets. Store any leftover flakes, tightly sealed, in the freezer.
Recipe from Food and Wine