Beans (including Green, Yellow, and Snap Peas)
Preparation: Cut off Stem Ends
Serving Ideas:
- Eat raw
- Steam and add to salads: tangy dressings work well
- Use in a stir fry.
- Blanch, add chickpeas, boiled potatoes and olives for salad nicoise.
Beets
Preparation: Cut off greens, scrub beet and rinse
Serving Ideas:
- Roast at 425°F for about an hour. When cool, peel the skin and cut into wedges.
- Boil 20-40 minutes until soft
- Salad ideas: add green beans, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Add pears, celery, pecans with a squeeze of lemon.
- Stir fry
- Greens are edible raw or cooked
Cabbages (including Bok Choy and Napa)
Preparation: Cut out heavy base and remove outer leaves, then slice or shred and rinse.
Serving Ideas:
- Braise with teriyaki sauce and vegetable stock.
- Use in a stir fry.
- Add to shredded carrots, red onion for a slaw.
Broccoli
Preparation: Peel or pare the tough skin of stalk. Separate the florets and slice the stalks.
Serving Ideas:
- Steam and add Asian style sauce.
- Use in a stir fry.
- Shred stalk for slaw.
Broccoli Leaves
Preparation: Remove thick stems, wash and chop.
Serving Ideas:
- Cook like any greens
- Stuff like stuffed cabbage
- Simmer and use as a base for broccoli soup
Brussels Sprouts
Preparation: Wash, then trim off brown stem ends, cut in half if large.
Serving Ideas:
- Coat in oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and/or brown sugar, roast until soft
Celeriac
Preparation: Peel or slice away rough skin.
Serving Ideas:
- Roast with root veggies
- Dice and use in soups
- Can replace celery for similar taste
- Mash with potatoes
Daikon Radish
Preparation: Scrub well, trim ends.
Serving Ideas:
- Add to slaw
- Add to soups and stir fries
- Has a peppery taste
Garlic
Preparation: Rub off loose white paper. Smash down the clove with the side of a heavy knife then cut.
Serving Ideas:
- Use as a base in just about any dish. If sautéing, garlic cooks quickly so watch it carefully.
- Roast – coat bulb in olive oil, roast 20 minutes @375 degrees
Garlic Scapes
Preparation: Wash and slice.
Serving Ideas:
- Use instead of garlic.
- Make into a pesto.
Greens (including Collard, Kale, Mustard Greens, Swiss Chard)
Preparation: Cut off stems. Wash by placing in a bowl and swishing around, lift greens out of the water then use.
Serving Ideas:
- Sauté with garlic- alone or add to pasta along with fresh cheese.
- Add to soups.
- Chard stems are edible, add to soup or stir fry.
- Dry roast raisins in a skillet, add swiss chard until wilted then add olives and a splash of vinegar.
Kohlrabi
Preparation: Remove the leaves, stems, tough ribs, and outer skin.
Serving Ideas:
- Shred and add to slaw.
- Slice and serve with dip.
- Sauté or stir fry.
- Add peeled kohlrabi to potatoes for any potato dish.
Lettuce (including Bibb, Red Leaf, Romaine, Boston)
Preparation: Wash thoroughly with a salad spinner but don’t let it soak. Drain completely and pat dry.
Serving Ideas:
- Add to salads of all types. You can get creative! For example:
- Bibb lettuce with grilled corn, radish, red pepper with a Ranch dressing
- Red leaf, roasted mushrooms and Asian pear with a sesame dressing
- Grill Romaine hearts.
Onion
Preparation: Peel away skin. Cut off end without root then slice, dice, or sliver.
Serving Ideas:
- Pickle onions
- Use as base along with garlic
- Roast onions with root vegetables
Parsnip
Preparation: Trim off ends. Peel skin then cut.
Serving Ideas:
- Roast chunks of parsnip with other root vegetables.
- Add to soups.
- Shred and add to slaw.
Potato
Preparation: Delicately scrub. Peel skin (if desired) then cut.
Serving Ideas:
- Bake and serve
- Add chunks to a curry.
- Boil then cool and make a potato salad- potatoes, capers, celery, red onion with mustard vinaigrette.
Spinach
Preparation: Cut off stems. Wash by placing in a bowl and swishing around, lift greens out of the water then use.
Serving Ideas:
- Use in salad.
- Braise with garlic and shallots.
- Shred and add to spaghetti sauce.
Turnip (also Rutabaga)
Preparation: Trim top and bottom, then peel.
Serving Ideas:
- Shred and add to slaw.
- Dice turnips and add to tomatoes, olives, and cheese chunks.
Salad Turnips
Preparation: Scrub and slice.
Serving Ideas:
- Eat raw with dips or in sandwiches and salads.
- Sauté or add to stir fry.
- Cut thin and bake like baked French fries.
Winter Squash (Butternut, Acorn, Delicata etc.)
Preparation: Trim top and bottom. Peel skin, cut down the middle and scoop out seeds.
Serving Ideas:
- Roast with maple syrup and cinnamon.
- Add to curry and/or soups.
- Add butternut squash to steamed lentils.
- Seeds are edible too – rinse and remove pulp, then bake or toast