What on earth can I do with this stuff?

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Arugula - A spicy green; use young leaves raw in salad, or in stirfries.

Basil - We grow a number of different varieties of basil including Thai, lemon, sweet, and spicy bush. For tomato sauce, use sweet basil. Any variety can be used fresh in salads, or for pasta or pesto sauces.

Beets - This sweet root crop tastes best when steamed or boiled. The greens can be steamed or stir-fried.

Butternut squash - a winter squash with a sweet, nutty taste similar to pumpkin or sweet potato. It has yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp. When ripe, it becomes increasingly deeper orange, and becomes sweeter and richer. Butternut squash can be roasted and toasted, or can be pureed and mashed into soups, casseroles, breads, and muffins. It is a good source of fiber, vitamins A & C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium.

Catnip - A perennial herb which can be used in tea (blends well with chamomile and lemonbalm), planted in gardens to deter flea beetles, or given dried to cats for playing.

Chives - Hardy perennial herb, use raw in salads or as a topping, or slightly cooked with egg dishes, potato dishes, or soups.

Chard - Closely related to beets, chard leaves can be used raw or cooked, and have a taste similar to spinach. Rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C.

Collards - Chop leaves and sauté, stirfry, or steam. Tastes great with onions, cumin, or ginger.

Cutting (or leaf) celery - This herb could be mistaken for flat-leafed parsley, but the flavor gives it away. Cutting celery has a more pungent flavor than grocery-store celery, and can be substituted for regular celery in most recipes. A few sprigs can replace one large celery stalk.

Eggplant - We grow both traditional dusky eggplant, and a longer, slender variety called "Ping Tung Long". Both are great stirfried, baked, or grilled.

Garlic Tops (Scapes) - This is the top of the garlic plant, cut and used in dishes prior to flowering. When they are young and tender, you can chop them and use them on salads. Longer scapes are tougher, and can be peeled, chopped and cooked gently (as you would garlic) in stirfries or soups.

Ground Cherries - Orange fruits, smaller than cherry tomatoes, with a papery husk like a tomatillo. The flavor is a unique tomato/pineapple like blend, and can be sweet or slightly sour. They can be eaten raw, used in salads, desserts, jams and jellies, or can be dried and eaten.

Kale - We grow both a green variety and an heirloom red variety. Kale tends to be bitter when raw, so it is best cooked at high heat in stirfries, or steamed.

Lamb's Quarters - A common "weed" and close relative of spinach, use raw or cooked as you would spinach.

Lemonbalm - Also called "Melissa", it is a perennial herb that tastes best fresh and raw with fish or mushroom dishes, or boiled as tea. The tea is said to relieve tension and stimulate memory.

Lemon grass - widely used as a herb in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. It is sometimes bruised to release the aromatic oils, and added whole to dishes. Lemon grass is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, and seafood.

Muskmelon - cantaloupe by a different name. Slice and enjoy.

Mustard - A spicy green that adds a little bite to salads or stirfries.

Oregano - Leaves can be used fresh, dried, or frozen, and combine well with pizza, vegetables, and tomato dishes. Oregano oil is a powerful antiseptic, and can be used to relieve toothache and many infections.

Parsley - A biennial herb with impressive nutritional content, parsley is often added to fish, soups, egg dishes, or eaten raw in salads. It is a strong diuretic, breath freshener, and antiseptic.

Peppers - use hot peppers fresh, dried, or canned. Use sweet peppers for frying, pickling, or in salads.

Purslane - another "Weed of the Week". A succulent plant rich in essential fatty acids; tastes great in salads or pickled.

Radish - A little spicy. Chop or slice this root crop and use raw in salads, for dips, or try in a stirfry.

Sage - Hardy evergreen perennial herb with a strong flavor - use small amounts of fresh sage to flavor meats or soups and casseroles. Sage is a strong antiseptic and sage tea can be combined with cider vinegar to make a gargle for sore throats and laryngitis.

Salad Burnet - This herb can be plucked whole and sprinkled on salads, or try chopping the leaves and sprinkling them over fresh steamed veggies to add some zip. Salad Burnet also adds interest when used in vinegars, cheese spreads, in sauces for fish, salad dressings, and in combination with other herbs in casseroles and creamy soups. It blends well with tarragon and rosemary. Try adding whole leaves to iced drinks and punches for a decorative look and cooling taste.

Scallions - Chop these small onions and use raw or cooked. Use the white stalk as well as the green leaves.

Shallots - Similar to garlic and onions, shallots are often used cooked in many dishes. The pale pink bulb/stalk is the tastiest part!

Sorrel - A sour, citrusy perennial herb that is best used sparingly due to a high content of oxalic acid. Use to flavor soups, salads, and meats. Can also be useful as a meat tenderizer (especially with fish or poultry).

Spaghetti squash - when cooked, the flesh falls away from the skin in strands like spaghetti. It can be steamed, baked, or boiled, and served with sauce (like pasta) or used as a vegetable base for macaroni and cheese. Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients, including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. It averages 75 calories in 8 cooked ounces.

Tatsoi - A yummy Asian green that is delicious in stirfries, but also works well raw.

Thyme - Hardy evergreen perennial, best used in stews and sauces. Use fresh or dried.

Tomatillos - peel and use for salsa verde

Torazoi - Similar taste to bok choy; use in stirfries, soups, or raw.

Turnips - Taste great boiled and mashed like potatoes, or in stirfries or stews. Cook the greens as you would spinach for a tasty and nutritious addition to your meal. Young, small white turnips are very mild and can be sliced and added to salads.