We are thinning and bunching beautiful young Red Russian kale that is tender enough for raw eating and does not need massaging, since it is neither bitter nor tough.

Massaging kale that is fibrous, strong and bitter may be called for with some, especially what may be found in the supermarket where it may have been sitting on a shelf a while, but we try to grow our kale that does not have these characteristics to begin with!

And by far, Red Russian kale is a superb variety with its sweet, tender and mild young leaves. You don’t even have to remove the thin, soft stems.

So, we say, eat it fresh and young when it is grown in hotter weather. Then wait for cooler fall and winter weather to eat full-sized leaves of this delicious “cool” weather vegetable.

And health benefits? Kale super-charges a diet with cancer-fighting, brain-boosting and vision-improving vitamins and antioxidants, as it is loaded with calcium, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K, along with phytonutrients such as sulforaphane and indoles.

We are also featuring more Fun Jen, young delicious Hakurei turnips with nice greens, and a great Japanese mustard green known as Kyona Mizuna which has a nice, mild flavor.

All of the young greens from Hattie’s Garden would also be delightful in any kind of mixture together. Enjoy them.

Hattie’s Garden is still harvesting cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, eggplants and peppers in limited quantities. As these items become more scarce, you may consider coming to the Garden on Thursday or Friday during our business hours to be sure you get what you would like. We will, of course, bring whatever we can to the Market.

What’s Available This Week

The following will be available from Hattie’s Garden on Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. or Friday from 1 – 5 p.m. and at the Historic Lewes Farmer’s Market (HLFM) on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon.

• Kyona Mizuna — These are all so young and fresh they can be eaten raw, or lightly cooked. When mizuna is sauteed, it retains its juiciness and sops up much of the flavoring liquid you may use, such as stock or soy sauce. Try it with a bit of ponzu sauce or lemon juice; both of which complement the slight bitterness of the leaves.

  Now while Hattie thinks the flavor comes out better with a light cooking; Jen thinks they are best raw. You decide.

• Red Russian Kale — This week’s selection will be very young and perfect for very quick cooking, or using in salads or juicing.
• Tomatoes — Our tomatoes are becoming limited, but we do have a few wonderful heirlooms, as well as beautiful cherry and grape tomatoes in many colors.



• Young Arugula — We have a large batch of beautiful, clean and very flavorful arugula to harvest this week.
• Loose Leaf Lettuce — We cut at a young and tender stage of growth and include a delightful variety of colors, shapes and textures.
• Romaine Lettuce — A crunchy and succulent long leafed lettuce that is a very versatile culinary green and multipurpose ingredient in the kitchen.
• Mesclun — A nice mixture of our young arugula, romaine and loose leaf lettuce.
• Fun Jen — Much lighter than a Napa Chinese Cabbage, this one can be eaten raw or slightly cooked, especially in a quick stir-fry.



• Hakurei Turnips — These “salad” turnips do not taste anything like the turnip you may know. They are sweet and wonderful and the greens are not hairy, but smooth and delicious, either raw or cooked.
• Eggplant — Asian and Italian varieties available in limited quantity.
• Peppers — We have a limited supply of sweet and hot peppers.



• Flowers — Stop by the Garden for best selection since our flowers are becoming limited. You can let Hattie know by email you would like to have some set aside, and we will do our best to do so.

  We expect to have Double-click Cosmos, Benary Giant Zinnias, Tall Blue Ageratum and Lisianthus, which are beginning to “flush” again! The second growth in late summer on our Lisianthus is always a welcome surprise. Though somewhat shorter than the first flush, they are no less spectacular.

  We can make you a custom bouquet to order, or choose from our prepared bouquets. All of our bouquets comes with a packet of flower food. These bouquets should last at least a full week for you as we cut and condition them professionally.

Yours at the market and garden…