Kohlrabi, Lemon, Caper Salad and Roast Ham

This Sunday's Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market you can look forward to the following offerings from Sweetwater Farm and Fair Valley Farm:

• variety of tomatoes including 10 lb flats of San Marzano romas for $15
• Akane apples and Asian pears from SLO Farm (time for roasted apple sauce)
• Italian prune plums (try some pickled)
• cantaloupe and honeydew mellons
• kohlrabi, baby carrots, cabbage, and celery (great in Pad Thai)
• kale and collards (try as a kale version of saag paneer)
• globe and Japanese eggplants
• bargain bags of broccoli and red bell peppers
• lettuces and baby lettuce salad mix
• cucumbers, zucchini and summer squash
• a variety of potatoes including bargain bags of red potatoes (try fried wedges)
• sweet onions, garlic, leeks, and fennel
• fresh herbs, including basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, oregano, and sage
• tomato sauce and pesto
• naturally fermented pickles, dilly beans, and sauerkraut
• homemade jams (delicious in crepes)
• Scottish oats (make this teff oatmeal)
• a selection of dried beans and grains from Camas Country Mill
• pastured chicken (try roasted with five spices)
• pastured pork: pork chops, shoulder roasts, and 10% discount on ham roasts
• pastured lamb: ground, rib chops, and 10% discount on leg roasts

There's a definite chill in the air these mornings and it's time to start turning our attention to some of the heftier fall vegetables. I want to make a plug for the kohlrabi, which can make a nice transition from summer to fall in this tangy salad. Kohlrabi are knobby and awkward-looking, but once you slice off their outsides (and do so generously to remove any woody parts), then they have a deliciously crunchy white interior with just a hint of sharpness to them. I found that they pair beautifully with a briny lemon and caper dressing.

This salad would make a perfect first course for a hearty meal of baked beans and roast ham, which we enjoyed recently with Farimount Neighborhood Farmers Market-sourced heirloom dried beans (King of the Early Beans variety) and Fair Valley Farm's pastured ham. You'll want to stock up on these ham roasts this Sunday, on sale at a 10% discount. Not only do they make a delicious meal, but the leftovers have infinite uses in stir fries, salads, crepes, stuffings, and soups.

Kohlrabi and Caper Salad

makes four small dinner salads

1 small kohlrabi
~16 tender lettuce leaves 

lemon caper dressing
1 Tbsp capers
zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 heaping tsp mustard
1/4 cup olive oil

1. You can prepare the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a miniprocessor, or chop the capers by hand and whisk in the other ingredients. I like to zest the lemon with a microplane grater.

2. Cut the kohlrabi in half and peel very generously with a paring knife to remove any woody parts. Cut the peeled kohlrabi halves into very thin slices (or use a mandoline).

3. Wash the lettuce leaves and arrange on four salad plates. Spread over the kohlrabi slices. Pour a generous amount of the lemon caper dressing over the sliced kohlrabi. Enjoy.

Ham Roast

One ham roast (about 5 lb)
1 tsp whole cloves
1/2 cup mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Mix together the mustard and brown sugar and slather it over the ham. Stud the ham with whole cloves. Place in a baking pan and roast at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes per pound of ham. At the same time you can cook these baked beans.