Early Spring Crops: Fresh Flavor For Eaters and Essential Income for Growers
Spring has arrived and with it a burst of color, flavor and essential income for growers. The seasonal bridge between slim winter months, and the harvest bounty of summer, spring offers some of the most exciting eating of the year!
Tender, fresh and often here-and-gone before you know it, spring varieties are fantastic for awakening shoppers' curiosity in the kitchen as they explore lighter meals featuring flavors coaxed out of hibernation by longer, sunnier days.
Here are a few seasonal crops available now!
Radishes
Spring vegetables bring a fresh burst of flavor and color, and few with such range as organic radishes! From deeply saturated Red Globe to the elegantly shaped white-tipped pink French Breakfast and cheerful bunches of pink, red, purple and cream-colored Easter Egg, there’s plenty of options to offer shoppers! Delicious from their crisp and tender root to the top of their peppery-flavored greens, radishes are sure to spark eaters’ kitchen creativity this season!
Raab
Raab is all the rage this season! Tender, flowering tops of familiar crops like kale and some less familiar winter salad crops and Asian greens like Komatsuna pack both nutrients and flavor. Entirely edible from their slim, tender stalks to their succulent leaves and even their dainty flowers make these bunches a great pick for shoppers short on time! Currently available are organic Komatsuna, Red Choi, and Arugula Raab and brightly colored Hon Tsai Tai that boasts pink and purple stalks and a mild mustard flavor!
Click here to learn more about why we love Raab from our friends at Groundwork Organics.
Green Garlic
Similar in appearance to green onions, the flavor of organic Green Garlic is milder than a mature bulb of garlic and is tender enough to eat raw! Cooks can use this spring treat in place of either scallions or garlic cloves. It’s delicious tossed on the grill for a smokey char, and can even be sliced and pickled for a zingy addition to salads, tacos and soups. Garlic flavor without the peeling, Green Garlic is easy to use!
NW Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Organic Purple Sprouting Broccoli (PSB) has won over the hearts of growers, chefs and eaters alike. Tender from the top of its brilliantly-colored florets to its verdant stalks and leaves, PSB is a versatile ingredient that shoppers can find myriad uses for in the kitchen. Available now from OGC’s Ladybug Brand, PSB is a phenomenal way to add interest to your merchandising while also supporting farms in the Pacific Northwest!
Spring Bunch Onions
Edible from the bottom of their bulb to the tip of their green tops, organic Spring Onions are a delicious sign that winter is on its way out! Tasty and tender, these fresh onions are a welcome alternative to their heartier storage counterparts. Encourage shoppers to try Spring Onions caramelized or even raw, as their sweet, mild flavor is delicious in salads or sprinkled over tacos and last of the season hot soups. Don’t toss those tops! They add color and flavor used as scallions sprinkled atop seasonal meals!
Little Gem Lettuce
These gorgeous mini heads of green and red lettuce are crisp, colorful and offer a refreshing flavor. Perfectly sized for single-serve salads, their leaf size is also ideal for piling inside sandwiches. Pair with other fresh spring treats like radishes and peas for a salad that celebrates this season's incredible eating.
Belgian Endive
A chicory family member, organic Belgian Endive, has a white and sunny-yellow torpedo-shaped, tightly wrapped head with a satisfying crunch and slightly bitter flavor. Originating in France and the Netherlands, Belgian Endive is gaining popularity in the US alongside radicchios and escarole. Delicious braised or eaten raw in salads, and its leaves are also perfect vehicles for scooping up dips as a healthy alternative to chips.
Incredibly labor intensive, click here to read how our friends at Commonplace Farm grow this delicious variety.
Stay tuned as we celebrate more of the varieties from our well-loved growers that make this season so special!
Be sure to contact your Account Representative to place your order!