Transplanting the Last of the Winter Vegetables

Village Farm Team,

Our harvesting list will be mighty green this week as we add the following: Minuet cabbage (a mini Napa variety), Scallions, Coastal Star lettuce (a type of romaine), and a baby spinach and baby kale mix. We’re most excited about our baby spinach and kale mix because it will be the first spinach harvest the farm has seen in quite some time! This mix will be ideal for salads but can also be lightly steamed or sautéed. Scallions, commonly referred to as green onions, will lend their delicate onion flavor to our vegetable lineup. Scallions can be enjoyed raw (try adding thin slices to salads or slaws) or cooked. We think a pairing of scallions, cabbage, and carrots would make for a delicious dumpling filling.

The combination of rain-free days and wind over the past week helped to dry out our fields enough to allow us to prepare our remaining beds. These beds will be planted with a last succession of winter crops like broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy before the rain returns later this week. We’ll also be planting another succession of Song cauliflower at some point as this variety is supposed to tolerate warmer weather. We’re eager to see how it does in our erratic spring weather!

We filled one of our planter boxes with fennel transplants last week in anticipation of spring. Fennel is part of the Apiaceae Family along with carrots, dill, cilantro, and parsley. The bulb, feathery leaves, and seeds of fennel are edible and have a mild licorice flavor. Though these fennel plants look unassuming now, in about 2 months they will have produced bulbs and be ready for harvesting.