Blog

By: Bethany Prekopa, Direct Marketing Program Manager

Currently, farmers markets are flooded with all of the freshest produce and one vegetable in particular is one I am most excited for—zucchini, zucchini, zucchini. A vegetable that is so versatile that the health industry has made it into an alternative for noodles….bold move in the carb world, am I right? Whether you’ve had a zoodle (zucchini noodle!) or you like your zucchini simple, there is a host of recipes out there to appeal to every eater. Did you know that zucchini was first brought to the United States in the 1920s? You can find the squash in a number of Italian and Italian-American dishes, which makes sense since ‘zucca’ means squash in Italian! One of my favorite zucchini dishes is ‘fiori di zucca’, which is made with the zucchini flower. The flower is cleaned, stuffed with a ricotta/mozzarella mixture, then fried in a light batter. So scrumptious!

Besides being delicious, zucchini contains a host of vitamins and minerals. Packed with zeaxanthin, a compound that helps with preventing oxidative stress, this summer squash can aid in limiting the likelihood of developing cancer (zeaxanthin also helps protect eye cells i.e. prevents cataracts and other eye problems). It is also rich in vitamin B6, which helps with regulating blood sugar and thus, can help protect against diabetes.

Zucchini season typically runs from June-September in Kentucky. The plants have to wait to be seeded until the danger of frost has passed. Many farmers use black plastic on raised beds and trickle irrigation to warm soil temperatures faster and protect the plants against a late, unexpected frost. It is ready to harvest 2-5 days after flowering, which means harvest may be every day or every other day. Bountiful harvests are wonderful, but sometimes farmers have to get creative with extra produce. Aside from selling the zucchini or blossoms, many farmers markets boast zucchini value-added products. Zucchini bread and relish are just two products I see every single week at the markets!

Already love zucchini, but want to try something new? Not sure how to cook zucchini or just plain don’t like it? Give these recipes below a try!

Zucchini Fries with Garlic Scape Aioli

These can be baked in the oven as listed below or shallow fried in about 2 inches of oil in a saucepan. It depends on the level of crispiness you’d like. I prefer the crunch of the shallow fry, but when looking for a healthier option, the baked is just as good. You can also add in your favorite seasoning to the panko mixture—we used a little bit of Lowry’s seasoning salt and it was perfection! Check out our Facebook page for our recent video making this recipe!

• Zucchini Fries Ingredients
• 3 small zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 1 pinch salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Slice the zucchinis into 3-inch length by ½-inch thick strips. In a bowl, add the pinch of salt and 3 dashed of ground black pepper to the eggs. Beat well until combined. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a big plate or container, mix together the panko and Parmesan cheese. Start dropping the zucchini strips into the beaten eggs. Then take the strips out of the egg mixture, shaking off the excess before rolling with the panko mixture, pressing gently to coat well. Transfer the zucchini strips to the baking sheet and repeat until all the strips are coated.
3. Bake in the oven, turning the fries halfway through, until golden brown and crispy, about 20-25 minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice—we recommend the aioli below!

Recipe by: https://rasamalaysia.com/parmesan-zucchini-fries/#mv-creation-457

Aioli Ingredients:

Make this aioli first or even the night before so that the flavors can develop in the fridge!

• 1 large egg, a room temperature
• 2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup neutral flavored oil
• ¼ cup finely minced garlic scapes
• 1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
• Pinch of salt

1. Separate the room temperature egg and place the egg yolk in a small bowl with high sides. Discard of use the egg white for another purpose. Whisk in the fresh squeezed lemon juice.
2. Slowly, a few drops at a time, whisk in the oil. Once the aioli starts to thicken you can begin the pour the oil in a little faster. If the oil starts to build up at all stop pouring and whisk briskly to incorporate it. Continue until all the oil has been incorporated and the aioli is nice and thick.
3. Add the garlic scapes and finely minced garlic and stir together well. Season to taste with sea salt.

Recipe by: https://www.theendlessmeal.com/green-beans-with-garlic-scapes-aioli/

Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles)

Zoodles are some of the easiest “pasta” to make! You don’t want to boil them or you’ll get very, very mushy vegetables. The best & tastiest way to prepare zoodles is to saute them for about a minute in a saute pan with the sauce of your choice or simply olive oil and garlic. Also, you don’t have to have a spiralizer to enjoy zoodles, although we do recommend it! You can find pre-spiralized zoodles at many grocery stores or pick up a hand spiralizer and get the kids involved—it can be quite fun and you can spiralize a number of different vegetables!

Example Zoodles:

1. Wash your zucchini and dry it so you have a good grip for the spiralizer. Using a hand spiralizer, twist your zucchini into spaghetti spirals! These can be very long so make sure to cut them in half to make sure they are manageable to eat.
2. Once your spirals are ready to go, heat up some olive oil on medium-high heat. Add in some minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Let sauté for about a minute—don’t let the garlic burn!
3. After about a minute, add in the zoodles and let them sauté with the garlic oil for a minute. Turn the heat off, add some grated Parmesan, and enjoy!

Strawberries are my absolute FAVORITE fruit.  So much so that when I was studying abroad in Ecuador, they used to call me “fresa” (Spanish for strawberry) because I ate them so often.  Local strawberries are even better because they are ripened on the plant and so fresh.  Did you know that strawberries do not ripen after they are picked?  Strawberries will not ripen off the plant because their ethylene production (ethylene is a ripening hormone) is reduced to a minimum after they are off the plant.  This is different from fruits like apples and bananas, which continue to produce ethylene and ripen after they are picked.  This is one of the reasons why your local strawberries taste so much sweeter and better than the strawberries you might buy at the store; they are more likely to be picked closer to when they are ripe.  There are also other factors to why store-bought strawberries might taste more bland/less sweet including the variety. 

Strawberries are grown commercially in Kentucky in a way you might not expect if you are unfamiliar with strawberry production.  You have probably heard that strawberry plants do not produce much in their first year and like me, you may have assumed that commercial growers plant strawberry fields and can harvest from them for years.  However, an increasingly common commercial production system involves annual fall planting for spring harvest!  

The annual plasticulture strawberry production system in Kentucky generally works like this: 

Strawberry production is labor intensive, each acre requiring 300-500 hours of labor from planting to harvesting.  The annual plasticulture system may seem wasteful for what can be a perennial crop; however, it offers benefits over the traditional matted row growing method including: strawberries are ready for harvest about a month earlier; yields can often be much higher; fruit is cleaner because it does not come into contact with the soil; and quality is usually improved because fruit dries more quickly which prevents fruit rots. 

There are so many ways to enjoy strawberries – from strawberry shortcake to smoothies to topping a salad.  Strawberries should be stored in the refrigerator to make them last longer, but strawberries at room temperature tend to have a better flavor; so, take out the berries you’re going to eat an hour before doing so, but keep the rest in the fridge to preserve them.  Leaving the caps on and washing just before eating will also extend the storage life.  I just recently made strawberry freezer jam and it was so easy, I wanted to share!  See below for the recipe. 

Strawberry Jam (no pectin recipe) 

From: Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom 

Instructions: 

Note: the USDA recommends home processed products be used within one year. Discard immediately if you see or smell any signs of mold or spoilage. 

In whatever manner you enjoy your strawberries this season, remember to buy local and support your local farmer.  Not only are you purchasing a better tasting berry, you are supporting another community member and your local economy at the same time!   

When you hear the word “greens,” what comes to mind?  Lettuce?  Spinach?  Maybe kale?  When I think of greens, my first thought is the delicious salad mixes I buy from the farmers market.  My partner, Joe, is not a huge fan of salads (or any vegetables, for that matter), but when I brought home some salad mix from a good farmer friend, Joe told me it was the best salad he had ever tasted.  And just like that, we were hooked!  Now, we almost exclusively purchase and eat local greens or greens that we grow in our own garden.    

Greens are nutritionally dense, rich in vitamins A, C, E and K.  According to the USDA Agriculture Research Service, greens also have high levels of antioxidants, which may decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease.  The USDA recommends adults eat 2-3 servings of vegetables a day, and 2 cups of raw greens make up one serving (Harvard Health Publishing) – that’s probably more than you thought!  However, it’s easy to throw greens into just about anything – add it to a smoothie, mix it in your eggs, place a layer of spinach on your pizza.  Kale is one of the most nutrient dense greens because one cup of raw kale contains 684% of the daily value for vitamin K, 206% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin A, and 134% of the recommended vitamin C (Healthline).  With an even more impressive amount of vitamin K, one cup of cooked collard greens contains 1045% of your daily value (Healthline)!  However, not all greens are created equal (Harvard Health Publishing).  Iceberg lettuce is the least nutrient-dense salad green as it is made up mostly of water, so make sure to focus on the dark leafy greens which contain more nutrients.   

Greens grown in Kentucky include mustard greens, napa (Chinese) cabbage, swiss chard, collards, bok choy, arugula, and numerous varieties of lettuce and kale.  Some greens are better cooked like napa cabbage and collards.  Lettuce is best eaten raw, and kale and spinach are tasty raw or cooked.  All of this talk of greens is making me hungry…so, let’s dive into some of our favorite ways to eat greens! 

Spinach

Spinach is a very versatile green and I enjoy it in salads, in wraps/on sandwiches, and cooked in omelets or quiches.  If you have an overabundance of spinach (which I often do), you can chop it up and freeze it in ice cube trays to make it easy to sneak some greens into a smoothie!  You can also replace some of the basil in your homemade pesto with spinach, or other greens. 

Kale

I’ll be one of the first to say that chomping into a raw leaf of kale is not what I would describe as delicious.  However, I love kale chips.  They are one of my all-time favorite vegetable snacks and I have to admit that I’ve eaten wayyyy more kale as kale chips than I have in salads or anything else.  And the best part is, they’re super easy!  Follow the steps below to create amazing and crunchy kale chips! 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

2. Remove the rib from the kale leaves and rip into small bite-sized pieces. 

3. Wash the kale in a colander and then put it through a salad spinner to remove as much water from the leaves as possible.  I’d even suggest patting the leaves dry with paper towel after you have put them through the salad spinner, particularly if it’s curly kale, because water can get stuck in the “curls.”  This is a super important step because if you do not properly dry the kale, it will not be as crispy. 

4. Toss the kale lightly in olive oil.  Don’t go heavy on the olive oil because again, the chips will not be crispy if you douse them in oil.  Lay the pieces out on a baking tray and sprinkle salt (and/or other spices) over them; again, go light on the salt & spices.  

5. Cook in oven for 25-40 minutes, until crispy.  About halfway through, flip the kale with a spatula. 

6. Remove the kale from the oven and allow to cool (it shouldn’t take long).  Enjoy!  I’ve found these are best enjoyed the day of. 

Another way I’ve learned to enjoy kale is “massaged” kale salads.  It may sound like a strange idea, but “massaging” the kale takes away some of the toughness and chewiness that comes with kale’s fibrous make-up.  All you have to do is remove the ribs from the kale and rip it into bite-sized pieces.  Then, place the kale in a bowl, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.  With your hands, work the lemon juice and oil into the kale, “massaging” it for 2-3 min.  Take a taste test to see if you’ve done enough; you might just be surprised!  Serve it in a salad with your desired toppings. 

Swiss Chard

I had never had swiss chard until I moved to Kentucky.  One day, while working at the Franklin County Farmers Market, a farmer offered me a bunch of chard, and of course I took it because who can turn down fresh free veggies?  Having no idea what to do with it, I went to my most trusted source for recipes…Pinterest!  I found a wonderful recipe for greens and quinoa patties and both Joe and I enjoyed them!  It is tasty and nutritious and can be used as a side for a meat, or as the main dish! 

Quinoa and Greens Patties 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups cooked quinoa 
• 2 cups chard, finely chopped (can also use spinach or kale) 
• Large handful of parsley, finely chopped 
• ¼ cup chickpea flour  
• 3 large eggs 
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• Zest of a lemon 
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice 
• 2 tbsp. olive oil + more for cooking 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon black pepper 
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 
• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional) 

Instructions: 

1. Add the quinoa, greens, parsley, chickpea flour, eggs, onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard, and pepper flakes into a large mixing bowl. 

2. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix very well, making sure no clumps of chickpea flour remain. 

3. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.  Once the pan is hot, coat the base with a thin layer of oil. 

4. Scoop portions of the quinoa mixture into the frying pan, about 2 tbsp. for each patty.  It will be loose, but the eggs will hold it together.  Use a spoon to shape the patties into rounder shapes, if desired (before flipping). 

5. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, until golden brown.  Flip the patties and press down lightly with the spatula.  Cook the second side again for 2-3 minutes, until golden.  Repeat until all of the mixture has been cooked. 

6. Keep the patties in a warm oven before serving, if you’d like.  Serve with avocado or any dips/sauces you like. 

7. These will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator in an airtight container and freeze well.  They are excellent both hot and cold. 

Recipe from Occasionally Eggs. 

Napa Cabbage

Check out this recipe from KHC staff member, Bethany, using Napa cabbage (also known as Chinese Cabbage)!  

Curtido (Salvadoran Slaw) 

 This is basically Salvadoran fermented slaw. It is fresh and crunchy and perfect for tacos and quesadillas! 

Ingredients: 

• ½ head napa cabbage, shredded 
• ½ head red cabbage, shredded 
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced 
• 2 carrots, shredded 
• 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced 
• ½ tsp dried oregano 
• Salt 

Instructions: 

1. After washing the cabbage, remove a few outer layers of the cabbage and add it to your discard bowl. Grate or finely chop the remaining cabbage and place to the side. 

2. Thinly slice the onion and add it to the bowl of shredded cabbage. Grate the two washed carrots and add to the bowl of cabbage and onions. 

3. In a large bowl, place half of the cabbage mixture and add in a two big pinches of salt. Place the remaining cabbage mixture on top and give it another big pinch of salt. Using your hands, rub the salt into the mixture, crunching it in your hands and incorporating the salt throughout. Let sit for 20 minutes to exude water. 

4. Once the cabbage mixture has given off some liquid, slice the serrano pepper and add it in. Mix to combine. 

5. In a mason jar or sealed container, pack in the cabbage mixture, leaving 1 or 2 inches of space at the top. Pour the liquid over the cabbage mixture, making sure that it is completely covered with liquid*. 

6. Cover the top with cheesecloth and place on top of your fridge or leave on the counter. This will ferment for about 3-5 days. Be sure to check the liquid level and push the cabbage down to stay submerged. 

7. Once it has fermented, refrigerate the curtido. It will keep for many months and will continue to develop flavor. 

*If you are out of liquid, you can add a brine to the curtido. This is 1 tsp salt per cup of water. 

Recipe adapted from Feasting at Home. 

We hope you enjoy these recipes using delicious and fresh local greens.  If you make one of these recipes (or any recipe featuring local food), post it on social media and use the hashtag #KHClocal to be entered into our monthly contest for a chance to win $25 towards your favorite farm.  Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

About two weeks ago, KHC, along with many partners, hosted the 2021 Agriculture Direct Marketing Summit.  The Summit consisted of webinars over three nights that garnered over 660+ registrant interest.

Night one consisted of social media & marketing strategies by Amanda Kelly and Julie Fritsch.  First up was Amanda with a deep dive into social media analytics, tips & tricks, and the do’s & don’ts of each platform.  Amanda developed SKED’s Be Boss Online digital marketing program and has worked with a number of small businesses.  Immediately after, Julie presented on marketing strategies, content creation, and whether you should consider hiring a specialist for your business.  Julie is a marketing professional in Kentucky agriculture and specializes in creating marketing pieces for agriculture businesses.  Her wealth of knowledge shed light on different organization tools, planning, and all things marketing strategy.

Night two was just as well-attended with sessions on value-added products and customer retention by Megan Bruch Leffew and Emily Spencer.  Megan started with a session about getting into value-added (VA) products, how to price your VA products, and how to be market your VA products to be profitable.  Megan is from the University of Tennessee Extension Center for Profitable Agriculture and has been in the field for over 17 years!  While you may be thinking, “Tennessee isn’t Kentucky!”, our friends to the south have just as amazing input in direct marketing!  Megan had many real-life examples to share and helped some attendees with deciding whether VA products were an opportunity they should pursue.  After Megan’s session, Emily Spencer, Extension Associate from the University of Kentucky’s Agriculture Economics department, covered customer retention in the time of COVID-19.  Emily’s presentation and check-list of “to-do’s” helped attendees learn how to deal with difficult customers, communicate effectively, and retain customers.  She helped attendees understand why it is better to focus on keeping customers rather than focusing on getting new ones (hint: it is much more expensive to market to new customers than to keep current ones!).

After two nights of informative sessions, creative ideas, and Q&A’s, we ended this 3-night mini-summit with a producer panel with farmers from around the state.  Producers detailed the adaptations they’ve made due to COVID-19 and their intentions for continuing them into 2021.  While things are looking brighter for the year, life and business aren’t back to normal just yet.  Producers were honest in what did and did not work for them and shared lessons they learned.  This was the perfect end to our first annual Agriculture Direct Marketing Summit.

So far, we’ve had great responses from those that attended and shared their experience at the summit.  We are already working on ideas for next year (we have so many we didn’t get to include!) and would love your feedback if you attended (see survey below).  

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021DMSummit

Thank you to everyone who attended, supported the summit, and of course, to our amazing speakers.  Thank you as well to our partners—Kentucky Farm Bureau, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Center for Ag & Rural Development, University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification, University of Kentucky Department of Ag Economics, & UT Center for Profitable Agriculture.

Be on the lookout for more information about the 2022 Agriculture Direct Marketing Summit coming later this year!