Pictured above: Charleston Wakefield Cabbage in all of its glory.
Hey chefs! This week is a beautiful one for our farm. We’re bringing in our spring crop of Charleston Wakefield cabbage, pointy headed, buttery, silky vegetable which is delicious and tender from tip to stalk. A flavor treasure that’s been excavated from southern history and brought back into professional kitchens for the first time in decades. Maybe even centuries. Read about it at the top of the highlights section!
We’re also roping in some more partner farm specialties - starting with Fry Farm’s Lancelot Leeks: Matt harvests them young, when the sugars are forward and the whole plant is tender, juicy and a little less pronounced than a mature leek. As the season progresses they will take on a little more size. Wild Hope is providing you guys with some sweet and delicious white salad turnips and a limited amount of fresh fennel! We only have 10 cases (50lbs) of fennel available this week so if you are a lover of fennel, snag a case or two and let us know what you think of their crop.
Bradford okra is just 2 weeks away! We hope you’re ready to start serving wonderful okra dishes to your patrons just ahead of summer.
Looking ahead over the next few weeks… On the mend are Matt Fry’s badger flame beets and rhubarb, Dorr Farms’ dried and bagged Santee sweet onions, patty pan squash and zucchini, Clem’s carrots and heirloom tomatoes, and Wild Hope’s carrots.
UPDATE Wednesday 5/6
- Matt Fry’s Wild red kale added
- Matt Fry’s mixed kale added
This is the very best kale we’ve ever offered to our chefs.
SPECIAL REQUEST: We kindly urge you to consider adding at least one of our own Bradford Farm grown crops to your weekly orders. We are working with quite a number of other farms to bring you the best access to regional flavor that we possibly can, but the heartbeat of our farm is our homegrown crops. We can’t exist without moving our own crops too. So please review the crops we offer under Bradford Farm Crops below and consider adding one or more of them. It helps us a ton.
Important Info
- NEW! Charleston Wakefield Cabbage - Bradford Farm
- NEW! White salad turnips - Wild Hope
- NEW! Fennel, preludio - Wild Hope (extremely limited)
- NEW! Lancelot Leeks, young - Fry Farm
- New! Green curly kale (loose leaf) - Fry Farm
- Matt Fry’s Mixed kale (loose) - Fry Farm
- Matt Fry’s wild red kale
- Italian Torpedo Spring Onions (nickel/dime diameter) - Fry Farm
- Yellow bulb spring onions (Vidalia variety) - Fry Farm
- Red candy apple spring onions - Fry Farm
- NEW! Sweet corn - FL
- Hanson lettuce, heirloom - Bradford Farm *OUT 1-2 weeks
⚠️ **Highlights of the week**⚠️
NEW! Charleston Wakefield Cabbage - Bradford Farm
This Charleston Wakefield cabbage is back in the field — an 1800s heirloom that not only defined coastal South Carolina cooking, but also served as the progenitor to the modern Caraflex cabbage. In simple terms, Wakefield is the lineage Caraflex came from — the original expression. Not a variation of it, but the foundation it was bred from.
Developed in the Lowcountry and originating from a grower at Martin’s Point on Wadmalaw Island, Wakefield became the dominant cabbage across the region in the late 1800s. It was especially prized for sauerkraut because of its tenderness and fine texture.
Like many older open-pollinated varieties, it fell out of favor not for lack of quality, but because it didn’t handle long-distance shipping. Too tender. Too delicate. That same fragility is exactly what makes it exceptional in the kitchen today. It has taken several years and a lot of effort to establish this crop again at Bradford Farm, but we are thrilled that it is back — and it’s quickly becoming a chef favorite.
Why It Stands Out
The pointed head isn’t just visual — it’s functional. Leaves run tender from tip to core, with no thick, rubbery midrib to work around. You can break it down quickly, shave it thin without a mandoline, and cook it fast without losing structure.
This cabbage cooks in minutes, not tens of minutes.
Flavor & Texture
- Exceptionally tender throughout
- Clean, buttery sweetness
- Light, almost fresh-herb finish when lightly cooked
- Develops deeper, nutty notes under high heat
It behaves differently than standard green cabbage — softer, more responsive, and more nuanced.
Pictured above - Heirloom Charleston Wakefield cabbage with a chicken thigh from Chef Eli Hayes at Jolie - Raleigh, NC
For the Kitchen
Raw:
- Finely shaved slaws and salads
- Cabbage ribbons with citrus and olive oil
- Base for fish crudo
- Pairing with seafood — oysters, scallops, crab
Cooked:
- Split and charred with brown butter or chicken fat
- Braised in white wine or cider until silky
- Folded into dumpling or pasta fillings
- Fermented — excellent for kraut or kimchi with a softer acidity
- Added at the end of broths for a gentle, sweet lift
This is a cabbage grown for eating, not shipping. It’s tender, fast-cooking, and consistent — a product that rewards attention and technique.
A piece of Lowcountry history — and the original line behind modern pointed cabbages — back in the field and performing exactly as it was meant to.
NEW! White Salad Turnips, Organic (no tops) - Wild Hope Farm
Wild Hope’s white salad turnips are harvested young and sent cleaned and cut (tops removed) — ready to go straight into prep. These are not like your storage turnips. They’re pulled early, when the roots are still small, hydrated, and naturally sweet.
The texture is where they stand out: crisp, juicy, and smooth, with none of the fibrous density you get from mature turnips. The flavor is mild — lightly sweet with a faint, clean earthiness and almost no bite.
Flavor & Texture
- Subtle sweetness with a clean finish
- Crisp, high-moisture flesh
- No harshness or lingering bitterness
- Smooth, uniform interior
For the Kitchen
- Raw: Slice or shave for salads, crudo, or garnish — clean crunch without overpowering
- Roasted: Brings out natural sugars while keeping structure
- Pickled: Holds texture and takes on acid quickly
- Light sauté: Softens just enough while staying intact
- Butter-glazed: Simple prep highlights their sweetness
With the tops removed, you’re getting a zero-waste, high-efficiency product — consistent sizing, easy handling, and immediate usability.
A straightforward, well-grown root that leans fresh, clean, and versatile — built for kitchens that value precision and speed.
NEW! Lancelot Leeks, small/young - Fry Farm
Matt Fry’s Lancelot leeks are coming in small and young this week, harvested before full size when the texture is most tender and the flavor is at its cleanest. As the season matures, the leeks will gradually take on more and more size, though never reaching full maturity and size. This variety is known for its mild, sweet profile and strong field performance, but at this stage, it’s really about being intentional at harvest — less fiber, more balance.
The shanks are slender and well-blanched, with tight layers and a high moisture content. You get a soft, onion-like sweetness without the heaviness or sulfur edge of more mature leeks.
Flavor & Texture
- Mild, sweet, and clean
- Very low bite
- Tender layers that break down quickly
- Balanced from white through light green
For the Kitchen
- Whole or halved: Roast or grill — cooks quickly and evenly
- Sauté: Melts into a soft, sweet base in minutes
- Soups & broths: Clean flavor that won’t overpower
- Confit: Holds structure while becoming silky
- Full use: Young enough to incorporate more of the green tops
Because they’re harvested early, these leeks require less trimming and less cooking time, making them efficient and consistent in service.
A refined, young allium — clean flavor, fast cooking, and highly usable across applications.
NEW! Matt Fry’s Wild Red Kale (also included in Matt’s Mixed kale) - Fry Farm
This is the very best kale we sell. Matt Fry’s Wild Red kale is an excellent example of what happens when a grower pays attention to timing. He harvests this kale before full maturity — late enough for the leaves to develop real structure and depth, early enough to preserve tenderness and sweetness. That balance is what makes this crop special.
Visually, it’s striking but not over the top: mostly deep green leaves with a dark red flare along the edges and a soft pink blush running through the stems. The leaves are heavily textured and crisp, but once you bite into them, they soften almost immediately — structured at first, then surprisingly succulent.
The flavor is what separates it. There’s a mild earthiness and a gentle nutty note, but the bitterness most people expect from kale is almost entirely absent. Even the stems are tender — juicy, crisp, and light enough to use without trimming away half the plant.
Flavor & Texture
• Subtly sweet with almost no bitterness
• Crisp leaves that soften quickly on the palate
• Light earthy depth with a restrained nuttiness
• Tender, juicy stems fully usable in prep
For the Kitchen
• Raw salads: Strong enough to hold vinaigrette, tender enough to eat without aggressive massaging
• Quick sauté: Maintains color and texture while softening fast
• Charred or blistered: Edges crisp beautifully without becoming leathery
• Warm grain or bean dishes: Adds structure and depth without dominating
• Braised lightly: Retains integrity while becoming silky
This is kale with refinement — full flavor, clean finish, and texture that works both raw and cooked. A thoughtful crop from a grower who understands that with greens, harvest timing is everything.
Key:
** - limited availability
*OUT- currently out of stock
*OFS- out for season
NEW- recent addition
(SlowFood AOT)- appears on the SlowFood Ark of Taste for its exceptional qualities, flavor, story, and historical significance and/or usage.
✅ Bradford Farm Crops: ✅
-Bradford collards bagged/chopped (spring crop)
-Bradford collards whole plant (spring crop)
-NEW! Spring Charleston Wakefield cabbage (SlowFood AOT)
-Lettuce, Hanson - heirloom *OUT (returns ~ 2 weeks)
-Hybrid green cabbage
-Purple cabbage
-Shredded hybrid cabbage
-Shredded purple cabbage
🤝 Partner Farms: 🤝
-NEW! Spring Onions, Italian Torpedo (nickel/dime diameter) - Fry Farm
-NEW! Spring Onions, Yellow bulb (Vidalia variety) - Fry Farm
-NEW! Spring Onions, Red candy apple - Fry Farm
-NEW! Matt Fry’s mixed kale (loose leaf) - Fry Farm
-NEW! Kale, Matt Fry’s curly green (loose leaf) - Fry Farm
-NEW! Kale, Matt Fry’s wild red (loose leaf) - Fry Farm
-Blueberries - Mob ties
-NEW! Leeks, Lancelot - young/small - Fry Farm
-Watermelon
——red seedless
-Tomatoes, heirloom
-Green garlic - Wild Hope Farm *limited stock
-Farm eggs, organic - Wild Hope
-Strawberries - Dorr Farms & Hickory Bluff Berry Farm
-Cantaloupe
-New potatoes
——Red (sizes: A, B, C)
——White (A, B, C)
——Red & white mix (A, B, C)
-Turnips, purple top (heirloom, SlowFood AOT)
-NEW! Turnips, White Salad - Wild Hope
-Stampede Sunchokes - Clem’s Organic Gardens
-Broccoli - Southeast (SC, GA, FL)
-Daikon radishes, rainbow - Clem’s
-Watermelon radishes - Clem’s
-Pecans (fresh, shelled, halved) - Johnny McNair
-Jalapeños - FL
-NEW! Sweet corn - FL
-Blue Lake Pole Snap Beans
-NEW! Zucchini - Dorr Farm and others
-NEW! Yellow Squash - Dorr Farm and others
-NEW! Gray Zucchini - Dorr Farm
-NEW! Patty pan squash - Dorr Farm
-Italian purple eggplant
-Green Bell peppers
-Red Bell peppers
-Banana peppers
-Grape tomatoes
-Red round tomatoes
-Gold
-Roma tomatoes
-Tomatillos
-Pee Dee sweet potatoes - Dixon Farms
-Beets, Golden
-Beets, Red
Coming soon:
- 1st week of May: Santee Sweet Onions (Dorr)
- Beets, badger flame - 1 week
- Carrots - 2-3 weeks
- Hakurei turnips - 2 weeks
- Appalachain tomatoes - June
- Heirloom cherry tomatoes
- Rhubarb - early-mid May
- Bradford Okra - 2 weeks!
MORE COMING SOON
….let us know if there is something else you are interested in that isn’t on our list