There are many reasons that people join our Farm Share: access to the freshest, healthiest produce available; gorgeous seasonal color and flavor; participating in a vibrant community that values health and sustainability; supporting food justice and an ecological future.

It’s true that your Farm Share membership brings all these benefits and more. However, there’s one more benefit that you may not have realized when you signed up for your membership: the delight of discovering new flavors.

Every Harvest Box includes a share of seasonal surprises. Sometimes it might be a familiar vegetable in an unusual color, like red carrots, purple cauliflower, or black radishes. Other times, you might pull something from the box that you’ve heard of but never tried—perhaps tarragon, a classic French herb that is rarely found on American menus, or kohlrabi, a root vegetable that looks like a spaceship from the pages of a 1950s comic book. And sometimes, you’ll find something that is a true mystery. “Are these green leafy things herbs, or some kind of lettuce?” (Neither—they’re komatsuna, a Japanese braising green.) “Is this a really big carrot or a really long turnip?” (It’s actually a parsnip, and you’re going to love it.)

To help you with those mystery moments, we’ve created the Harvest Guide, a comprehensive guide to every fruit and vegetable we grow on the Farm. More than just a tool for identifying new kinds of produce, the Harvest Guide tells the story of each item in your box. You’ll find a short history of how the vegetable or fruit transformed from its wild origins to the beautiful, flavorful version you see today, as well as notes about the item’s nutrition and flavor profile. The Harvest Guide also offers guidance on how to store the item until you’re ready to use it, tips for cooking and preparing it, and suggestions for how to best bring out its unique taste and texture. You’ll also find links to special recipes created by our culinary team that combine each ingredient with other seasonal flavors.

From romanesco to radicchio, from sunchokes to celeriac, our Harvest Guide has all the information you need to get the most flavor and fun out of your Harvest Box.