BROCCOLINI
One of the earliest farm-fresh spring vegetables in our area is the cross of broccoli and Chinese broccoli (gai lan), which is known as broccolini or broccolette. The shoots are very tender and barely need to be cooked, so think gentle steaming or a quick stir-fry. If a sheet pan dinner is on the menu—for example, feta slabs with slices of red onion and lemon finished with olives and preserved tomatoes—broccolini dressed with olive oil will char nicely and still taste great.
To purchase locally, check the Bozeman Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturdays and the Gallatin Valley Botanical farm stand, which is open on Wednesday afternoons in April and May then shifts to Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday come summer.
PURPLE RADISH
I’m a big fan of vegetables that stay fresh in the refrigerator for weeks, providing relief when dinnertime pops up yet again and I haven’t had time to get to the store. “Locally grown” buys more time, so thank you to the farmers who brave our weirdest season with greenhouses, hoop houses, and tunnels, doing everything they can to shelter baby plants from inclement weather. Look for purple radishes in bunches or bulk bags—a wise purchase.
When you bring home a bunch with greens attached, dunk the whole bundle in a big bowl of water, swish the greens, and scrub the radishes to release any soil. The greens are perfectly edible; taste them and see if you like, otherwise compost them. Wrap a damp paper towel or reusable cloth around the roots and keep in the refrigerator crisper drawer. Use in slaws with cabbage and carrots, sliced and julienned for posole or tacos, or put them on a plate whole, with or without salad greens, for “hand salad”—great for pizza night with a side of ranch. Get radishes extra cold and crispy by storing them in a jar of water in the refrigerator.
ARTISAN BLEND ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Whole-wheat flours usually require specially formulated recipes or lots of trial and error to produce ideal results; not so with the artisan blend all-purpose flour offered by Highland Harmony Farm in Wilsall. Swap out the white flour in your favorite recipes and boost both taste and nutrition. Start with cookies and quick breads, which are pretty forgiving. Move into cakes with a bit more attention and experimentation, as the liquid and fat absorption may act differently and need some tweaking.
Highland Harmony grows, stone-mills, and hand-blends Hard White, Hard Red Spring, and Ancient Grain Khorasan wheats to make this special flour. Family-owned and -operated, Highland sells at local farmers markets, and the team is happy to ship through orders online at highlandharmonyfarm.com.
