Are you excited to see the crocuses, the daffodils, the tulips? Me too. I am also excited to see the sprouting lacinato kale.
“…think little baby flowers with your greens!” said a Taproot Farm email.
In my ten-plus years of shopping at the Taproot Farm stand, I don’t recall ever before seeing sprouting kale on their tables. It would be unlike me to forget something like that, but it’s a possibility nonetheless. What I do know about Taproot Farm is that they always keep things interesting. New items I’ve never heard of, and new variations of familiar items (such as the kale above), continually show up under their tent, delighting curious shoppers who also have a wide selection of traditional favorites to choose from. Taproot knows how to keep the spark alive in a person’s relationship with their vegetables, while also maintaining the stability of familiar offerings as well.
So often, in my reading, the stated source for an unusual produce item will be “your farmers’ market”— as if most people are as lucky as I am to to have the offerings from a farm like Taproot so accessible. In a perfect world, it would be so. I am a considerably more diverse eater than I ever would have been without my weekly farmers’ market visits—and it’s so much fun.
Adapting October Ingredients for a March Meal
Last autumn, Taproot sold sprouting broccoli, which is not the same as sprouting kale but, perhaps because they are both brassicas, is not substantially different either. They look like relatives.
This week, I tried cooking sprouting kale the way, back then, I’d cooked up sprouting broccoli.
I don’t know about other people but, so often, I put X in my market basket simply because it looks gorgeous, appealing, interesting, and so forth. And then I also toss in Y for the same impulsive reasons. It rarely ends there. So much is irresistible to me, especially during peak market season. The hangover hits when I get home and see all my peak-season purchases spread out and piled high on our dining room table. I still admire it all but…Oh, what have I done? Now what? This stuff is perishable. I need to find space for it all. I need to start using it. The time pressure is on.
Somehow, most weeks, I make it work; rarely anything rots.
The following concoction emerged one Saturday afternoon, after bringing home a haul that included sprouting broccoli, with its enticing lanky stems, and also some richly hued late-season tomatoes.
At that time I used fresh chopped tomatoes for this dish but, below, I substituted Taproot tomato puree—grateful for this option until tomatoes are back in season.
I cut off the toughest bits of stem from the bottom of each piece, then laid everything, stems and all, into a pan with ghee (my preference, but regular butter would probably work too. I haven’t tried olive oil; it may be just as good.)
After coating the sprouting kale in the ghee, I poured in about half a jar—roughly equivalent to one cup—of tomato puree. Note: Taproot’s puree is thicker, less watery, than the puree typically found in grocery stores. And now here, perhaps, is where I get strange: I added in 4-6 squirts of dijon mustard. I don’t remember how I got the idea to do this except that, generally, I like mustard with broccoli.
I crumbled in about this much of a Market Day Canelé cucaracha. This is maybe the equivalent of a heaping 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper. I might have added more for myself, but I know Anna liked this dish when she tried it, so I didn’t want to give it too much heat in case she wanted a bite. She enjoys a little heat, not a lot.
Finally, with a lid on, I simmered everything together for about 45 minutes, until the stems were soft and tender. A sprinkle of grated romano is a nice finishing touch. Since I don’t have spaghetti because of the SCD, my inner child is so happy with almost any dish I twirl on a fork. This is one such dish.
The Chestnut Hill Farmers’ Market in Edible Philly, Spring 2024
When I replied to an Edible Philly Instagram post asking people to tell them about their favorite farmers’ market, I had no idea it would end up being all this. What a wonderful surprise! And it was so nice of them to include mention of My Farmers’ Market Basket. If you are in the Philly area, be sure to pick up a copy wherever they are distributed. I always look forward to the next issue of Edible Philly. And, when traveling in the US, I always seek out the local Edible. Whether learning about your own hometown, or a place you are visiting, Edible offers an engaging, aesthetic perusal of the local food scene.
Gems from the Farms
Taproot Farm: Swiss chard, dandelion greens, collard greens, spinach, flowering lacinato kale, curly kale, parsley, pea shoots, shallots, onions, tomato puree.
Primordia Mushroom Farm: Trumpets and creminis.
(Indirectly from the farm) Market Day Canelé: Cauliflower and caramelized onion savory tart for Lena. The cream, eggs and onions were sourced from local farms. And customers had the option of purchasing the tart without, or with, bacon jowl from Taproot Farm. Like I said in another post: I just love when market vendors cross-reference.
“We believe that food and water is a universal human right. Everybody and anybody needs to be eating at all times.—José Andrés.
The Pleasures of Food, the Suffering of Hunger, the Outrage of Famine
How do we reconcile our enjoyment of food when there are those who lack basic food access? Tamar Adler shares her thoughts on the issue here in her latest The Kitchen Shrink Substack. At the end of her article, she writes:
Dear cook, I will now try, myself: I believe that living with the knowledge of hardship is the wellspring of mercy. If you cooked before in ignorance of people starving, cook now in awareness of it. If the awareness changes the peace you find in cooking, allow it to. Be clear that it isn’t cooking to which the change inheres, but injustice. Do not give up what you love. That is despair. It is your duty to keep singing. And if darkness or absence or a new awareness arises in you, as you sing, or as you cook, invite it in. It may be the ingredient your sauce demands.
These are some of the many organizations working to address food insecurity. Please feel free to name any additional organizations in the comments.
Mighty Writers (food distribution, local for the greater Philadelphia area, is just one component of the many things they do)
Philabundance (local for the greater Philadelphia area)
Share Food Program (local for the greater Philadelphia area)
World Central Kitchen (global)
As if the drenching Saturday morning rain wasn’t enough of a challenge this week, the city began major roadwork, significantly impacting market setup. Nobody likes when roadwork disrupts their lives, but this roadwork threatens to disrupt livelihoods. The farmers and producers rely heavily on the income they earn at the market. This is an uneasy situation, to say the least, that could be a Chestnut Hill Farmers’ market hurdle for several Saturdays to come. That said, I have good reason to be optimistic that the complicated logistics will be worked out in a way that keeps everything running smoothly if, perhaps, a little differently.
Love love love your market story! Congratulations! And I also LOVE when greens flower! My favorites is Chinese broccoli-it's hard to even get them into the cooking pot before I minch the flowers!