Fourth Week of Harvest

It is Tuesday again, and we are ready to harvest. The following items are what will be offered this week:

Beets - Large, round and red. Perfect for salads, pickling, and making cake (see below).
Turnips - Purple top variety given with the greens. The root can be eaten raw or cooked, and the greens are good for stir-fries or soups.
Garlic (Spanish Red Roja and Polish White) - This garlic was just harvested yesterday and is fresh. It should be used soon or dried for 2 weeks for longer storage.
Swiss Chard - Beautiful red, yellow and white ribbed leaves. Great for soups or braising.
Collards - Don't you love these greens?!?! They are chock full of vitamins.
Parsley - A clean tasting herb, good for freshening your breath.

Lavender Bouquet - Our lavender is in full bloom and makes a nice addition to your table. Hang upside-down for drying.

And the recipes are....

Coconut Milk and Greens
4 cups greens (kale, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip, collards) 
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup coconut milk
A bit of fresh basil
Sauté the chopped onion in the oil, then add the basil, coconut milk and greens. Let steam until mixture comes to a soft boil. Serve over rice or pasta.

Grated Beet Salad (Moosewood variation!) 

2 to 3 Raw Beets, peeled or not - but grated like cheese

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Tb. Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tb. Olive Oil

Chopped Parsley

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper to taste

Stir all this up in a bowl and serve cold. This excellent recipe uses three of the items from your basket. 

Beet Cake by Pearl Whitley

This is a wonderful recipe for using the superfood beet. It is also a sugar-free recipe for those of us who would like a healthy cake we know is great for us. Carrots can be substituted in the same volume for a fantastic carrot cake. Serves 4

Ingredients:

1/2 pound raw beets

one 2-in. piece ginger, finely chopped

1 egg

3 fluid oz. honey

1/4 cup olive oil

seeds from a vanilla bean or 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup polenta

zest and juice of one orange

pinch each of salt, allspice, ground cinnamon

3/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

Boil the beets until soft, allow to cool a little then remove the skin. Mash them until smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10 in. cake pan. Place mashed beets, ginger, honey, olive oil, egg yolk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk together. Then add baking powder, polenta, orange zest and juice, salt, allspice, cinnamon and flour. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture. Pour mixture into the cake pan and bake until spongy, about 35 min. Sitck a toothpick in and when it comes out clean the cake is done. Allow to cool.