Grandma Comes to Visit and Rattatouli

This past week my grandma came to visit. She is retired now after many decades of hard work, so I invited her up for a relaxing week of hanging out with me. HA! She helped me out all week, harvesting garlic and melons, picking veggie boxes, feeding chickens, and everything in between. Here's the highlights.

The week she came it was hot! Like 95*+ kind of hot with 30% humidity to boot. She was a good sport, but it was a lot to ask. We went to the thrift store at the beginning of the week to pick her out a snazzy outfit for the farm. There is nothing more miserable than not being prepared with lightweight, light colored clothes that fit decently. Here she is demonstrating the side effect of silliness that the drudgery of digging garlic can induce. 

Here is half of our harvest; partially cured and re-stored in a watermelon tub. If we're lucky two of these tubs will last us through winter. 

This is our friend we made in the melons. I wanted a better picture but didn't want to pick it up because I was afraid of being bit. My grandma teased me and said "they don't bite, don't be a ninny. Just grab it behind the head!" Which she did, and of course got bitten. Miss mantis went on her merry way. 

Here my grandma is showing me her best melon toss. If you're looking for a good workout, come help us harvest melons! We pick and pile first, then toss as someone catches and loads on the tractor. (*note-do not throw a melon like this! This was a posed picture!)

My grandma helped me pick this bounty for the Sacramento Food Bank.  She helped me deliver them the next day too!

We did take the weekend off- and actually take it "off". No farm work, no thinking about farm work. God it was beautiful! I share these not to brag, but I suppose to remind you I am human and not a farming machine! My grandma had never been to Napa or gone wine tasting- so we took her to experience it all!

We went to one of our favorite wineries: Vincent Arroyo. Here is my lovely wife Tarra in the barrel room tasting a future. 

My grandma met "Nameless" the cat that belongs to the winery. They have a wine for his namesake. It's pretty delicious!

Tarra and I at Francis Ford Coppola winery for dinner. It's a great restaurant with an amazing view. 

My grandma was not super into wine tasting, but she really loved dinner. 

Tarra and I are in front of the Bale Grist Mill in Napa. Great tour and really great grain products.   I guess we didn't really stray too far from farming with all the wine "research" and touring of grist mills...I like what I like I guess! 

My grandma had also never been to San Francisco.  We did the normal touristy things like stop by Pier 39 to see Alcatraz, the seals, the Golden Gate and all the street performers. 

We marched uphill from the Warf all the way to Lombard Street. On the way we found this view.  I was thankful for my farm muscles!

We also made the obligatory sourdough stop. We needed fuel to make the walk up Lombard and then down, and then up again to China Town. Oh, and then the trek to the Embarcadero Theatre to see Boyhood. The theatre has individual leather La-Z-Boy recliners and a wine bar and real food- it's really the only way to watch a 3 hour movie. 

My grandma left satisfied with her trip, and probably really happy to get home so she could sleep. We kept her up all week with farm potlucks, Midtown Out Loud, movies, big dinners- all done after a days work on the farm. I suppose I'll sleep when I'm dead...

This week's recipe is a family favorite. I made it for my grandma along with cous cous and hummus, and she loved it! She's a notorious meat and potatoes kind of girl, so I took this as a vote of confidence for this recipe to be universally loved. Also, this is the official recipe from the movie- use of talking rat is optional.

Rattatouli

2 medium eggplant
3 summer squash
3 tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
4-7 cloves garlic
olive oil
fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375*. Slice all veggies as thin as possible- use a mandolin if possible, if you don't have one- get one- it'll change your life. Keep veggies stacked as you slice- it'll help during assembly. Get a baking dish and start assembling! Make any kind of pattern with your veggies, maybe: 3 slices eggplant, 3 summer squash, one slice onion, 1 slice bell pepper. When you've finished tucking veggies into amazing art, tuck thyme and garlic in between the folds and drizzle generously with olive oil. Bake until veggies are soft and begin to brown and wilt a bit.

Variations:
-Layer the bottom of the dish first with a partially cooked grain, then stack veggies on top
-Add some ricotta or mozzarella
-Serve with cheesy polenta
-Use flavored olive oil or nut oils
-Drizzle with balsamic reduction or pomegranate molasses

Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Summer Harvest and The Tale of Two Summer Salsas

This week we're harvesting garlic. I would love to have a picture to share, but between the weeds, the digging, the smoke from the Berreyessa fire, and the 20-30% humidity, I have managed to not remember to snap one. It's hot, dirty work. The nice thing about it though, once we have all 3 lines in the two beds dug, we'll have garlic enough for all our needs until January. The other really nice thing is I traded tomatoes in Tahoe a few weeks back with another vendor in exchange for the sea-sponges he sells; so at the end of the day, the dirt, sweat and grime has few defenses. Sometimes the only thing pulling me through is the thought of a shower and cold beer at the end of the day. It's the small things.

A large chunk of summer days are spent harvesting. It's pretty rewarding plucking the literal fruits of your labor from the vine and watching the boxes stack up. It's really the best part, plucking only the best fruits from the plants, ignoring all the sunburnt, blossom end rotted, mosaic virus stricken, bug eaten, squirrel eaten, rotten on the vine ones, and filling the box full of the ripest, most fragrant food the earth has to offer. It's beautiful from there on out: bound for market, the stand, or a veggie box to be presented, prepared, consumed, shared and enjoyed.

Here is a full box of the good tomatoes- golds and reds. Next to it are the not so nice ones I mentioned earlier. No sense leaving them; we collect them in a bucket once we're done picking and toss them to the chickens. Funniest thing in the world is watching the ducks go crazy eating tomatoes! Our feathered friends turn mush and bugs into eggs for us. It's a pretty good deal.

This is what happens when a tomato gets sunburned. Much like you or I, their flesh is tender and can't stand direct sun. It discolors and withers. It's fine for sauce-making as the really bad parts can just be cut off. Sunburn is common with most fruit. It can happen when a plant's canopy doesn't develop adequately, they didn't get staked and strung properly, or with peppers and eggplant, they weren't shaded.

We're moving on now to planting fall things. Today we planted 6 rows of butternut squash, and two "oddball" rows with things like acorn, spaghetti, hubbard, and the like. A few days back we put in our Jack-o'-lantern and pie pumpkins. Our last round of melons and tomatoes are in, and next year's strawberries are in a box and on their way! Here is Byron last week helping me finish up the dirt work in preparation for our fall planting:

Best floofy farm dog I've ever known.

This week's recipe(s) are aimed at keeping your stove off! This first one might be a bit of a stretch for some, but I promise it's delicious! It's versatile, so please improvise, but delicious as is, so give it a try!

Cucumber Salsa

1 extra large or 2 small cukes-diced

1 lb tomatoes, diced

1 C spring onion, minced

2 limes, juiced and zested

2 cloves garlic, minced

Herbs (cilantro, mint, etc.)

Salt

Drizzle of olive oil

Prep all veggies and mix in a bowl. Let salsa sit overnight…if you can help yourself. Serve with chips!

Variations:

-Add yogurt serve on gyros or Middle Eastern spiced chicken

-Substitute mango for tomatoes

-With mangos, add rose water and rose petals

-Add hot peppers

This next one is a staple in our household. It never lasts long, so be prepared.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1 lb tomatillos

10 dry chile arbol peppers

2 cloves garlic

Dry roast all of these. Get your cast iron good and hot- 5 minutes on medium high (no oil!). While the pan heats, husk and rinse the tomatillos. Toss them in and let them partially blacken on each side. Remove. Add in arbol peppers. Toast quick! Keep an open window and don't breathe heavily over pan! They will choke you if you aren't paying attention and burn them! Remove once lightly toasted. Add garlic cloves in paper and toast. Remove wrapping from garlic and stem from chilies. Place all ingredients in blender and GO! It's much better the next day, but get the chips ready! 

Variations-

-Use fresh hot peppers

-Add avocado

-Use as a cooking sauce for meats or on top of enchiladas

-Stir into tortilla soup 

Let me know how it all turns out!

Just a Note and Tender Heat Tabbouleh

We're out of the fire for the moment. Nothing is at risk of being completely lost. I feel almost like I can breathe...almost. Summer so far has been a hard grind. More sunlight hours means I can stay longer, and find myself doing just that. I've lost 15 pounds in two months. I just keep telling myself that this is the first year, the first full summer, it'll be easier next time. One can wish anyway.

Summer's bounty has started to pour in. Large colorful fruits are swelling on the vine, dragon flies are swarming, and the bunnies have taken their cue to begin mating like, well, bunnies. We've had some things work adequately, others not so much. It's an o.k. year so far, better than last, but I'm holding out hopes for next year.

In the meantime, here is this to entertain you:

I found this gopher snake trying to eat a chicken egg. It was obviously not going to happen for him. I wouldn't mind sharing an egg or two with beneficial snake friends, I just wish he would get to work on all the gophers...

This is what happens when you turn your back on summer squash for a few days. It becomes pretty inedible with thick, pithy flesh and hard seeds. Chickens loved it though!

The recipe this week is a creative take on tabbouleh. I personally hate parsley and find bulgar to be dry. This recipe allows for personal preferences and adds some more early summer veggies to the mix.

Tender Heart Tabbouleh

1-2 Cups cooked grain (I prefer quinoa)
1 lb tomatoes, diced
1/4 lb tomatillos, dry roasted* and quartered
1 small cabbage (~2-3C), shredded
1 Bunch green onions
1/2 Bunch basil
1 Bunch mint
Olive oil
2 lemons, juiced and zested

Prep all ingredients and toss together! Salad is better the next day! 
*Heat a cast iron skillet dry for 5 minutes on medium heat. Toss in husked and rinsed tomatillos. Cook on each side until partially blackened. Inside should be soft but not mush. Toast 'em hot and fast!

This salad is nothing but versatile. Here are some suggestions to shake things up:

-Add Aleppo pepper or Harissa
-Add roasted red pepper
-Serve on a bed of lettuce
-Use cherry tomatoes
-Add garbanzo beans and feta for a full meal
-Omit basil and mint and use cilantro and parsley
-Use flavored olive oils

Use what you have! Use what you like! Do anything- just keep adding more veggies!

Direct Seeding, Caprese, and Pho

Hey folks, you know what's up at this point. I'm totes busy, but this is important, so I am going to make the effort! This blog will be short, sweet, and educational. I am going to share 3, yes 3! recipes this blog. Things are changing quick as summer veggies are coming on! I want to make sure you're enjoying the bounties of summer! Please let me know if you try any and like (or hate) them!

But first, I'd like to share something about the farm first. I find food tastes better when it comes with a story!

There is a lot of direct seeding in the summer. There really isn't too much need for plants to be started in the green house and many summer plants, like the cucurbits, don't like their roots disturbed. Our seeding kit here has our high-tech seeder, a box we keep the seeds clean and organized to transport to the field, and some paper for a field map. The seeder is great for when you do amounts of small seed, say 10' of big seeds, that your other seeders won't even pick up. As a small farmer, you sometimes have to be clever; you're doing things on a bigger than garden scale so seed by seed crouched over isn't practical, but even small seeders aren't meant to handle such small amounts. This is where funnels duct taped to pvc pipe come in. Works like a charm!

I planted some amazing beans this summer. I tried some of these winged beans from a farmers market vendor last year and fell in love. I hope they work because I can't wait to share them with you!

Look how funny these guys are!

For big seeds, like squash here, scuffling a bit of dirt out of the way every two feed is perfect. The funnel planter allows you to do this with the pipe end, and drop seeds in without bending over. My knees are grateful. You'll notice we are planting into moist soil. Once the seeds are in I go back with a hoe and scratch about 1" of wet soil on top tamp it down, then scoot some dry soil on top for a dust mulch. The moist soil is for covering the seed to help it sprout, the patting down helps compact the soil so water will wick across, and the dust mulch helps keeps weeds down and crust away ( a bad crust will wick moisture away from the plant and up to the top where it is lost).

Here are squash "hills" ready to be covered! Who's excited for flying saucer squash? Patty pan? 8 ball?!

Here are the little beans just days later! Soon, they'll need to be trellised and will be making us dinner in no time at all! 

This week I want to share 3 recipes. Two are iterations of caprese, a summer staple in my house. It's magic to chop up dinner without lighting the stove! The third is Pho. It does require you to light a fire, but man, is it worth it! It is a slight interpretation of a recipe from My New Roots.

Caprese

Tomatoes- Sliced Thick

Fresh Mozzarella- Sliced

Basil- leaves and flowers

Olive oil

Assemble! Add toast and an egg for breakfast! Feel free to add: balsamic, onions, garlic,or  other herbs.

Eggplant Caprese

Grilled Eggplant

Dill

Ricotta Salata –or-

Feta

Olive oil

Grill Eggplant, assemble! Feel free to riff here too!  Smoke your eggplant! Change the herb, use minted yogurt! 

Pho

Broth:

2 lbs. / 1 kg onion (white, yellow, red…)

1.5 oz / 50g fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. fennel seeds

3 black cardamom pods (green cardamom also works)

3 star anise

5 whole cloves

½ tsp. black peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp. coriander seeds

Buckwheat Noodles
 

Boil in half a gallon of water with salt to taste. Strain after one hour of boiling. Add cooked Buckwheat noodles.

Add ins (chop and steam as desired):

Leafy greens (kale, spinach, chard, arugula, chois)

Crunchies (carrots, broccoli, kohlrabi, turnips, cabbage)

Soft Veg (tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms)

Green Onions (or spring onions, leek flowers)

Sprouts

Lime

Go to town! I like to cook my veggies first before adding, just to maintain the taste of the broth. Steam 'em, roast 'em, grill 'em, then toss 'em in! Feel free to add what you have on hand! For early summer try:

Basil, chard, spring onions, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes!

Falling with Style, Fried Peppers and Taters, and Late Spring Kale Salad

There's a quote on the bathroom mirror at the Ramming's: "We are confronted with insurmountable opportunities". It's sort of the farm's unofficial motto. We're working on trying to look at things in with the lens of, "Ooh, there is so much to do- so there is so much to choose from!" It seems to give my blood pressure a rest to see things that way anyway.

We've been dreaming of one of these future opportunities quite a lot lately! We've been mulling over the prospect of something akin to a beer CSA. Here is a picture from some "field research" we did with a local home-brewer.

We were told that drinking beer while making beer is a rule. The other rule was that you had to eat snacks. It was as awful as it sounds. In just a few weeks we'll have a strawberry blonde and apricot wheat ale made with our own fruit!

Even though summer isn't officially here, I am just a half a bed away from having the whole summer garden planted out. Our last round of tomatoes and melons are going out soon too. In no time at all winter squash is going out and the fall crop plan is tugging at the back of my mind. Which is all kinds of nonsense to my "normal-job"-oriented brain.

Speaking of not normal...This was left at the farm stand for us. Note the sticker. It starts with a PLU of 4, making it conventional, so-not ours (thank heavens). What on earth is this you ask? Good question. Looks to me like the seeds inside sprouted. Why? No clue. Freaky though!

Another thing to get used to- using a Carrolla to deliver produce. Or, driving a giant truck to the farmers market in Hello Kitty shoes, riding an ATV in a dress, having drip tape rolls on your kitchen floor, and harvest tubs in your living room. It comes with the territory I suppose. You make do with what you have though.

This is 200 pounds of tomatoes that I took into the Sacramento Food Bank this morning! Delivered like a boss.

It seems that a lot of farming is run by the seat of your pants and making do with what you have; Buzz Lightyear's "falling with style" methodology comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, there is planning. So, so much planning. I'll share a spreadsheet with you sometime. Though, the first casualty of the season is always the plan. Beds might not be the right length you had assumed, your germination might be terrible or better, the weather might conspire against you, bugs, family issues...life really. What makes you a good farmer though is your ability to adapt. Let's be honest, everyone can grow vegetables. Yes, even on this scale. I am sure I could even teach you to work a tractor in a weekend.

But, what makes you successful? At this scale, it's your personality. Sure, I am physically exchanging vegetables for money, but I am selling ideas, passions, ideals and the like. You have a lot to choose from in the veggie market, at least in Northern California. But, why did you choose me? We're most likely friends or acquaintances or you're my wife's co-worker...point is you met me somewhere and liked what I did and wanted to support me. You believe in what we're trying to do and you choose my stall at the market, my veggie box, my farm stand to visit out of the dozens of choices you have.

I am thankful to have the support of you all as customers. I do try to make a special effort to make sure that you are happy with your veggies, feel in the loop with what is going on at the farm, are learning new things all the time, and are making your way through your veggie box.

To help you find your way through this one, since it is starting to have more summer things that I haven't shared recipes for, I'll share two this week. The first is a copy cat recipe from Hook and Ladder in Sacramento. Tarra and I like to treat ourselves every blue moon to their delicious cocktails and tasty eats. They make the best fries and fried shishito plate that we can't bring ourselves to resist! They serve it with fries, but I think country potatoes are easier to pull off at home.

Peppers and Taters

3 potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 handfuls frying peppers
Lemon
Salt

Heat a cast iron skillet for several minutes on high. Add the oil and wait until it shimmers. Cube potatoes and chop onion. Add the two and fry until browned. Remove from the pan. Reheat the pan and add more oil. Fry peppers until ½ of their surface area is charred. Serve on top of potatoes. Spritz with lemon juice add salt!

Pepper and Tater Sauce

Mayo/Sour Cream/yogurt

Hot sauce

Use your condiment of choice or a mix- add hot sauce and dip your fried goodies. Fry an egg to top this off and BAM- dinner

This next recipe is one of my favorite ways to "enjoy" kale. I know it's terrific for you, but does it have to be so...green tasting? This salad will knock your socks off and make you forgive kale for the moment, or love it even more if you were already a convert to the ways of this superfood. 

Late Spring Kale Salad

1 bunch kale, massaged and torn into small pieces
1 bunch basil, chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1 small head cabbage (or 1/2 a medium one), shredded
2 medium tomatoes, diced
2 spring onions, diced
1 lemon
Salt

Massage kale with your fat of choice. Prep all veggies and toss into a bowl. Salt to taste and squeeze lemon over the whole shebang. Let sit for at least an hour to let flavors mingle (this is called maceration, look at you being all fancy!). Dress salad with your favorite dressing. I recommend:

Avocado Lime Dressing 
 
2 cloves garlic
3 limes, juiced
1/2 of a bunch of cilantro
1 avocado
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 jalapeno- optional



Toss everything in a blender and GO! Thin with milk if desired. Salt to taste.

Harvesting a Seed Crop and Purslane Salsa

It's been a long time since we've talked, I know.  People warned me farming was hard. Summer is the hardest part. Call it naivety, call it willful ignorance, call it a lack of imagination...whatever it was, I don't think I knew what was coming. It's here, it's really hard, and I am learning some important things about myself, my marriage, and my passion and what all of those are REALLY made out of. I try in this blog to include you in my experience without complaining. I am trying really hard to balance my narrative and keep it informative and entertaining. I feel like spring and summer are making that really hard. We'll make it through, I just need everyone's continuing support! Also lemonade, I wouldn't mind a kind face with a lemonade and a thank you for what you're doing. Anyone? Anyone? Bueler?


One of the things I have found hard to have good humor about lately is the heat. Yes, even when it is blisteringly hot, we have to be outside working. For us, our motivation is us being still a bit behind and trying to get caught back up. So what on earth is a crazy person like me doing in 100*+ heat? Well, one thing we've been up to lately is harvesting our seed crop. We grew some beautiful mizuna this past fall and winter and let it go to seed. The seed pods have only recently dried out and need to be harvested. It's a pretty cool process, hard to explain- so here are some pictures!

Here is a combine. Also, here is Robert driving it! It is a wonderful, terrifying machine.

This brown dry looking stuff is old mizuna that's gone to seed. Also weeds, the ever-present farm accessory. This will get harvested too, but because they're green, they aren't viable and will get sifted out when we sort out the seeds. Here you can see the front end of the combine cutting the stalks. Those fingers on the wheel turn and help scoop up the mizuna.

The cut mizuna stalks travel up that slanted arm out on the front of the combine. There is a belt that helps pull it up too.

Here is a buttload of mizuna getting pulled into what I understand to be something like a bill feeder on a vending machine. Although this one grinds the snot out of anything that comes through it.

This is the back of the combine. All the extra stalks, leaves, seed pods and other plant parts (called chaff) are blown out the back here. It gets pretty intense so I like to wear a mask to keep as much chaff out of my lungs as possible. This does not keep me from finding it in my pockets, shoes, down my shirt, or in my hair...

Once you have about half seeds and half chaff sorted out, the sifting and winnowing begins. That is a whole other process for a whole other day!

Today though, let's make salsa! Have you ever tried napoles salsa? Napoles are de-thorned cactus paddles that are sometimes cured and sold in a jar or used fresh in salsa. They're a bit like okra or purslane in their texture. I can't think of a nice way to say it...but they're slimy. This gave me the recipe for this week's recipe swapping out napoles for purslane. Nothing against napoles, I am sure they're nutritious, but purslane is out of this world nutritious! It is jam-packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins...oh my! Also, we don't have napoles yet, we have purslane. Let's use what we've got!

Purslane Salsa

Purslane Salsa

1 lb Purslane

1 Small Red Onion

2-3 Green Onions

2 Limes

2 Large Tomatoes

1 Small Bunch Cilantro

Hot Peppers and Salt as desired

Mince veggies, chop tomatoes, juice limes, and mix! BAM! Delicious! Serve with chips and a cold beer in the shade!

*Feel free to embellish!

-add avocado

-Roast your tomatoes

-Use different onions

-Use lemons instead of limes

-Add re-hydrated chilies

Let me know what you think!

My Favorite Things About Farming and Cabbage Wraps

I think today I have made it official: I hate spring. At least, at 9:30 tonight when I am still working and the amount of work that is at crisis level at the farm that needs attention like yesterday is piling up faster than I can even keep track of...I just can't. UGH!

But, I have spent many months writing about how hard farming is because I feel that people are largely ignorant, I know I certainly was before I got neck deep in it! I wanted to share all the hardships and nagging details of how something gets from seed to fruit to packing area to your table. I firmly believe we can create a better, more just, and more beautiful world by getting to know our food and where it comes from. But, I have realized that in trying to tell you all the details, I have done a lot of what sounds like complaining without paying enough attention to the good stuff. I didn't want to put stars in your eyes about how wonderful and romantic life in the countryside was at first, but I am tired of so much harsh reality. Let's talk about the really cool parts of farming!

I love that I am a business owner. I come from what most people would call a broken home and made some very poor choices in my teenage years. It is an after-school special kind of journey that brought me here and I am proud all the time that as a young, queer woman, that I am blazing my own trail now and not letting anyone tell me what I am worth. Also, I love that this operation is a family farm. My amazing wife is so supportive and I couldn't imagine taking this on without her.

Duck showers. Who'd have thought ducks just love showers from the hose in the afternoon? They run to the spray quacking and lift their bodies high to let the water hit them, drinking from the stream. It's pretty much my favorite part of the day.

I love watching things bloom and fruit. I know the science behind it, but I swear it's pure magic. 

I also love that our farm makes a point to sell to food banks and school districts- getting food to the people who need it the most. The way we choose to farm makes veggies super nutritious and it fills me with such satisfaction to know that this really good food is going to our youth and families that have fallen on hard times.

Watching my dog enjoy the farm. I mean except when he barks at people...we're still working on that...

The birds. I mean, seriously, why do people pay for cable? I should charge for chicken watching events. It has to be more quality entertainment than much of what's on T.V. Don't believe me? Come see for yourself!

Painting signs. I love taking a break after lunch and sitting down to stretch my creative muscles. They're no masterpieces, but they're nice little quick paintings for our road signs.

Finding little bits of magic like this.

Or this! If you look up drudgery in the dictionary, there is a picture of me hoeing. But, sometimes, you hoe old veggies down and discover that they were very busy making art.

Afternoon sits watching the chickens.

The firsts of the season. It is so satisfying to come peek at the literal fruits of your labor; watching them take shape, swell, and color up. Tarra and I have a tradition that we make a wish on the first taste of the first fruit or veggie of the season. 

Another of my most favorite things is getting to make really good food with what I grew. Especially when it is super healthy and super good for you at the same time. This recipe (well, guideline really) is one of Tarra's and my favorite go-to when our veggie drawers runneth over.

Cabbage Wraps

Large cabbage leaves- whole

Crunchy veggies- sliced, match sticks, or shredded

(Our favorites are: carrots, broccoli, radishes, par-boiled turnips, snap and snow peas, tender greens)

Sprouts

Herbs and Flowers
(Cilantro and green onions are really great)

Chop ‘em, slice ‘em grate ‘em and toss them into your cabbage leaves. THEN:

Spicy Peanut Butter Wrap Sauce

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 lime

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

OR

Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Wrap Sauce

 

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Measure and mix! Then slather it on your veggies!

 

You can also really kick things up a notch by marinating your veggies! Try a mixture of lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss your grated and sliced veggies in and let them sit for 20 minutes or overnight.