Raabs from Groundwork Organics Signal Spring
The Willamette Valley is home to many phenomenal organic growers, and one that is well-known by chefs and local farmers market-goers alike for quality and variety is Groundwork Organics. A long-time partner with OGC, Groundwork Organics’ gorgeous produce is available at grocers around the Pacific Northwest.
Located just north of Eugene, OR, Groundwork Organics has provided the region with delicious, high-quality, and often experimental varieties of produce since 2001. They’re a grower that OGC looks to for sourcing incredible staple items and also specialty varieties.
Owners Gabe Cox and Sophie Bello, along with their exceptional team of workers, harvest a bountiful array of produce from their 147 acres, including organic berries, tomatoes, greens, herbs, eggplant, peppers, citrus, melons and more. Groundwork Organics boasts a full line-up of produce during each of the region’s four unique seasons, made possible in part by their use of hoop houses and a thoughtful selection of varieties and expertise that ensures their success.
“I look forward to working with Groundwork each year,” OGC buyer Matt Visser shares, “because they constantly push the envelope of what is seasonally possible in our region.”
One such crop in which Groundwork Organics has found success is growing numerous varieties of Raab.
Raab, the tender, flowering tops of brassicas, are harbingers of Spring in the valley. Gabe describes them as “the icing on the cake” to growing kale, cabbage and winter salad greens. Not just great for the eaters that look forward to these tasty greens each year, their flowers also present pollinators with some much-needed sustenance as Mother Nature shakes the final weeks of winter off her shoulders!
Matt also points out that “a Raab crop provides our Northwest growers with income and work for their crews in an otherwise lean part of the year.”
Raabs are also incredibly nutrient-dense. As plants bolt and flower, they send energy up into these stalks, resulting in an antioxidant-packed tasty product! They’re the perfect veg for providing our bodies extra fuel as we begin moving into fair-weather outdoor activities!
Now and in the coming weeks is the perfect time to add interest to your wet rack with bunches of Raabs in various colors and textures.
Here are three of our favorite varieties available to order from Groundwork Organics this week!
Komatsuna Raab
New to OGC this season, Komatsuna Raab is a gorgeous addition to the line-up! This variety has tender green leaves and stems, which are delicious eaten raw or cooked. With a pleasant flavor reminiscent of turnip greens, it’s a little punchy and a bit peppery. Add flavor, color and texture to a bowl of steamy miso soup, or brighten up stir-fries with Komatsuna Raab!
Green Mizuna Raab
The tops of Mizuna’s pointed, feathery green leaves are familiar to many eaters as this variety is frequently found in Spring Mix salad greens. Bunches of Mizuna Raab include lengths of its tender but toothsome stem and a spray of tightly clustered flowers. Mizuna Raab’s flavor is mild, a bit tangy, and is enhanced when steamed, sauteed or grilled!
Green Tatsoi Raab
This versatile member of the mustard family boasts juicy, crunchy leaves and stems, lovely little yellow blossoms and a mild, sweet flavor! Its rounded, spoon-shaped leaves have a buttery texture that makes Tatsoi Raab the perfect green for a quick sauté in a piping hot pan to brighten its color and coax out its sugars. Eaten as a side dish or chopped up for a tasty pizza topping, shoppers will find myriad uses for this delicious green!
Keep an eye out for these varieties of Raab and others from Groundwork Organics and other Northwest growers, and be sure to contact your Representative to place your order!