Linda Scharko refers to herself and husband, Tony, as “a couple of old hippies who farm for pleasure and sustainability.” That farm is just a few blocks from historic downtown Fairburn.
“We have a small 4-acre vegetable, cut flower and herb farm with a roadside stand. It’s our way of letting folks in on our enjoyment of the earth,” she said.
The Scharkos sell their produce at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market on Thursday afternoons and through their community supported agriculture program with pick up on the farm, at the East Atlanta market and near Candler Park.
“We feel local has become the new organic,” Scharko said. “The consumer is talking directly to the person who’s grown the food and they can find out how it was grown and how they feel about it, and interact directly with the farmer. They’re not buying things that have been shipped from California, picked two weeks before they got their hands on it.”
One of the things you can buy from the Scharkos right now is mizuna, a green you’re not going to find at your neighborhood supermarket, and one that can be difficult to find at ethnic markets as well.
“We started growing mesclun, which is a mix of many different lettuces and greens. I realized that I really liked one of the components of mesclun, a feathery looking green called mizuna, and so we started growing that in the spring and fall. Now we’ve figured out that it will do well in summer heat, and we’re growing it in three seasons,” Scharko said.
Mizuna is a welcome addition to summer’s bounty of vegetables. Lettuce won’t do well in our hot humid summers, so mild-tasting mizuna can substitute for it in sandwiches and salads. A versatile green, it’s as good cooked as it is raw. In Japan, mizuna is pickled in salt brine and cooked into soups.
Mizuna is a great crop for succession planting. Seeds will germinate in 3 or 4 days when the weather is right, and harvesting can begin as early as 2 weeks later. The Scharkos do repeat cuttings so the plants keep bearing for many weeks.
Selling mizuna has required a bit of education on the part of the Scharkos. Samples are freely offered.
“We find that many of our customers, like me, like mizuna as much or more than they do arugula. It’s in the mustard family so it has a little bit of pungency, but it’s just not as bitter,” Scharko said.
Her favorite way to serve mizuna? Raw in salads or in sandwiches. When she does cook it, she sautés it with a little garlic and serves it as a vegetable dish or over pasta. At the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market, the folks from H&F Bakery have used it to make luscious BMTs – bacon, mizuna and tomato sandwiches.
If you decide to try mizuna, take it home and refrigerate it loosely wrapped. If you bought a bunch, untie it and spread out the leaves for storage. It should keep for up to a week. If the leaves are large, you may want to trim the bottoms before using, otherwise, just give it a good rinse and spin it dry.
At local farmers markets
Cooking demos:
6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8. Chef Seth Freedman, Ruby Root Connections. East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
9:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Chef Ian Winslade of Murphy’s. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10. Chef Todd Ginsberg of Bocado. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11. Chef Evan Cordes of H. Harper Station. Grant Park Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.grantparkmarket.org
For sale
Vegetables and fruit: acorn squash, arugula, Asian greens, beans, beets, butternut squash, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, field peas, figs, garlic, herbs, lettuce, mizuna, muscadines, okra, onions, pea shoots, pears, peppers, potatoes, radishes, spaghetti squash, squash blossoms, summer squash, tomatoes, watermelon
From local reports
Mizuna-Chicken Club Sandwich
Hands on: 5 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Makes 1 sandwich
I haven’t thought about club sandwiches in years, and until now had never made one at home, but what a great variation on the ubiquitous BLT. A club sandwich just seems more like dinner and it’s one more delicious way to enjoy luscious summer tomatoes along with a green that can stand up to our Georgia heat.
1 slice low-sodium bacon, cut in half
3 slices thinly sliced whole wheat or white sandwich bread
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise
10 leaves mizuna
2 thin slices tomato
1 ounce poached chicken breast, thinly sliced
In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain. Discard fat or reserve for another use.
Arrange bread slices on working surface. Spread one side of each slice with 1 teaspoon mayonnaise. On one slice, arrange bacon, mizuna and tomato. Season tomato with salt and pepper if desired. Place one slice of bread, mayonnaise-side down, on the tomato. Spread that bread slice with remaining mayonnaise, top with chicken and place last slice of bread, mayonnaise-side down on top. It’s traditional to secure the layers with a toothpick.
If not serving immediately, arrange on plate and cover with very lightly dampened paper towel. Wrap securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. May be made up to 3 hours in advance.
Per sandwich: 254 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 14 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 10 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 489 milligrams sodium.
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