Private: Blog & Recipes Archive

Farmers’ Markets are essential. We have known this for some time already (if not always!) but even we needed to remind ourselves of just how important farmers’ markets are for our food systems, local economies, our earth, and our bellies of course! London has just moved into the red colour zone this week and with talk of another lockdown coming soon, don’t forget that while you might see some small changes, we will still be here! Veg, fruits, eggs, bread, meats, wine, treats, syrup – you name it, we’ll have it!

And Farmers’ Markets are a safe place to shop! The products our vendors sell are made, grown, raised, baked – by them! And they are often the only ones to have contact with that item. Like you, they do their best to stay safe to keep their product safe.

Now that the Farmers’ Market is ON again, we’re also back with “What’s That Veg? Wednesdays!” Today’s feature is Kale Raab. If you follow along with Orchard Hill Farm’s Instagram, you might have seen Ellen chewing on a stalk of this sweet stuff just this past week!

We know what kale is, but what is raab? Raab is the loosely used term for the flowering stalks of kale, collards, turnips and Brussels sprouts that appear in winter and early spring bunches as the plants go to seed. We talked about “going to seed” before with arugula and while it sometimes is interpreted as the veg no longer being usable, this doesn’t have to be the case!

So, then what is kale raab? Essentially, the flowering stalk of kale. In the case of Orchard Hill Farm, the kale that’s been overwintered in their hoop house!

Many people don’t know that kale raab is fit to eat, let alone delicious, but it’s actually sweeter and more delicate than actual kale leaves!

Fun Fact! The reason it’s sweeter is because the plant produces sugars to protect itself over the winter.

How to Eat: You can eat Kale Raab in a lot of different ways! Raw, stir-fried, blanched, sautéed, braised, steamed, pureed… The leaves, buds, and stems are all edible and can be lightly chopped for a more tender texture, and the bottoms of the stems may need to be blanched prior to cooking to help soften.

Here are a few recipes to get you started, and find the kale raab you will need at this weekend’s farmers’ market!

Savoury Breakfast Bowl with Wild Rice, Kale Raab, and Boiled Eggs

Garlic Sautéed Kale Raab

Frittata with Kale Raab

This is the list, folks! See who you can find at the Farmers’ Market this Saturday, April 3rd, our Easter Market! Click on their names to find information on pre-orders and to learn more about their farms and businesses!

• Greystead Gardens, fresh produce
• Orchard Hill Farm, fresh produce
• Blanbrook Bison Farm, bison products
• Den Besten’s Rainbow Trout Farm, fresh smoked trout products, and fresh eggs
• Carver’s Natural Farms, chicken products and gourmet garlic
• Dave’s Beef & Lamb, beef and lamb products
• Wandering Bee Flowers, fresh cut flowers
• Lynch Maple Farm, maple syrup and products
• Morsels, fresh baked goods
• The Whole Grain Hearth, fresh baked goods
• La Houlette de Vie, fresh baked goods
• Helm Baked, gluten free baked goods
• International Bakery, fresh baked goods
• Bakes By Lily J, fresh baked goods
• Arise N’ Go, popped water lily seeds
• Vaka Chocolate, small batch crafted and ethically sourced chocolate
• Da Costa, handmade jewelry 
• Harvest Moon Trading Co., preserves, granola, mustards, and more
• Pillitteri Estates Winery, VQA Ontario Wines
• Elgin Harvest, woodfired pizzas, frozen for your convenience

Check out their websites for more information about their products and to see what’s in season/currently available!