Monday, June 8, 2009

First Week's Offerings...

It's almost time to begin harvesting! We'd like to give you an idea of the items you may find in your baskets as well as a recipe or two to go along with these items. You can check here the day before your pick up to find out what treasures await you! We hope you enjoy.

First weeks offerings....


*Buttercrunch Lettuce: leaf lettuce with a crisp, fresh taste and soft, bibb leaves given as a head.
*Easter Egg Radishes: small, spicy, round radishes which come in a bounty of colors. The tops are also great braised.
*Rhubarb: red stalks which are tart in flavor. Excellent stewed with a little sweetener.
*Mixed Greens: a variety of small leaves for salads or garnishing.
*Kale: a robust green with lots of vitamins and minerals.
*Collards: traditional southern green with a slight cabbage flavor.
*Strawberries: from a non-spraying Amish farm.





....and some recipes:


Everyone’s Favorite Superfood by Pearl Whitley

Of course , we’re talking about greens – kale, collards, swiss chard, spinach, and mustard greens. People may tend to shy away because they think they’re bitter. That’s only because they haven’t tasted them when they’ve been cooked right. It’s worth giving them another shot. They’re full of nutrients: They have calcium and vitamin K (for bones), lutein (for eyesight), beta-carotene and B vitamins (heart health), and iron (for energy).

· Braise, don’t steam & nbsp;them. Steaming makes them bitter. Braising mellows the flavor and tenderizes the leaves. Slice the greens into ribbons. Place them in a large pot with a splash of vegetable or chicken broth and a pinch of salt. Cover the pot and cook until wilted. This should only take 4-5 minutes.
· Add braised greens to whole grain pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with feta or goat cheese and toasted walnuts. Can also be layered in a lasagna.
· Braise with crushed garlic and a little liquid amino acids. Lovely with sauteed mushrooms and a little mozzarella on toast.


Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

INGREDIENTS
· 1 cup bread flour
· 1/3 cup amaranth flour
· 2/3 cup brown rice flour
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
· 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
· 1/2 cup water
· 1/4 cup honey
· 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
· 1 egg
· 1/2 cup chopped strawberries

DIRECTIONS
Place rhubarb and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Strain the rhubarb, and reserve the juice. Measure the juices, and if necessary, add a bit of water to make 3/4 cup liquid.
Whisk together rhubarb juice, honey, oil, and egg.
In a large bowl, mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, and allspice. Pour juice mixture into flour mixture, and stir briefly to combine. Do not overmix. Fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Spoon batter into 12 oiled or paper lined muffin cups.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 22 to 25 minutes.

2 comments:

  1. I am so excited. I will be making Roasted Kale, it is our favorite way to eat kale. Wash it; cut it in ribbons; blanch in a pot of boiling salted water, I take it out after about 4-5 minutes, while it is still bright green; drain it and then squeeze out the water; toss it well with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground pepper; spread it out on a tray and roast at 425 degrees. Check it occasionally, take it out when it is crispy and dark green, just don't burn it. I can hardly wait.
    Jenni P.

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  2. We are biodynamic piggies. We have eaten everything except the rhubarb, lavender and rose.
    Really, the flowers were too pretty to eat. We
    used Pearl's recipe for the greens..yum..and I've made a note of Jenni's recipe as well. We love greens but usually have them in soup. The butter lettuce and spinach were mixed with the strawberries and we added mandarins, onions and a light sweet & sour dressing..delicious. Thanks!

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