2010 CSA Week 2 Newsletter
June 1, 2 and 5The weather's sure heating up at the farm! Our tomatoes, beets, and garden herbs are loving these sunny 90-ish days; the spring greens, not so much. Thanks to smart planting (greens near and in-between pea rows), though, we still have spinach, and some arugula hanging in there, too.
Potato and onion plants are growing strong these days, but we really could use a few more hands to catch up on weeding around them while they're still young! Work trade, anyone?? Also, if you have skills in the art of rain-dancing, now's the time to put those to use-- for the sake of the brassicas (broccolini and kale) and lettuce, we implore you! Just a wee shower daily (or a bit of cloud cover) would be very nice.
In your box this week:
- Salad mix. Add some fruit to your salads this week. Lettuce, strawberries, chevre and walnuts or pecans, doused with a simple balsamic vinaigrette-- mm...
- Head lettuce.
- Radish. These are starting to get spicy!
- Asparagus. Makes its last appearance for the season.
- Baby bok choy. Crisp and refreshing.
- Arugula.
- Green garlic. Scapes on the garlic plants are growing tall now, and we'll start harvesting them soon.
- Shallot. Shallots make sauces and dressings divine. Try out the below recipe, for drizzling over stir-fried veggies and rice, smothering baked tofu pieces, or coating lightly steamed asparagus spears.
- Broccolini.
- Spinach. We love spinach and fruit smoothies! Find one of Mandy's favorite smoothie recipes below.
Pretty pea blossom***
Health-related tidbits:
Lettuce. Did you know that lettuce contains more silica than most other common veggies? Silica is essential to the body, as it helps us utilize calcium and is key to the health and regeneration of bone and connective tissues.
Radishes. Eating radishes regularly is one strategy for preventing viral infections like the flu and the common cold. They also help in clearing the sinuses and pleghm. And they relieve indigestion.
Spinach. Spinach is rich in iron and chlorophyll, and builds the blood. For maximum iron absorption from spinach, eat along with vitamin C-rich foods.
-excerpted/paraphrased from Paul Pitchford's Healing with Whole Foods, 3rd ed.
Uri harvests lettuce.***
Roasted Shallot Peanut Sauce
3 medium shallots, unpeeled
1" cube of fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 C smooth peanut butter
3 tsp honey
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or freshly squeezed lemon juice)
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 T shoyu
1/4 C boiling water
Roast the shallots in their skins on a lightly oiled cookie sheet in a 375-degree oven, until the shallots are just beginning to ooze. Put aside to cool (about 10 minutes), then peel shallots and chop in a food processor with the ginger. Add the rest of the ingredients, and process until smooth. This makes a light sauce for drizzling. For a creamier sauce, substitute a few tablespoons flax oil or coconut milk for the boiling water.
Spinach-Strawberry-Avocado Smoothie
6-8 plump ripe strawberries
2 handfuls washed spinach
the flesh of 1 ripe avocado
the juice of 1 lemon
the juice and flesh of a young coconut (see co-op produce isle)
2 C water
2-3 T honey or agave nectar (depending on ripeness of berries)
Crack the young coconut, pour off the coconut juice into a blender, and then split the coconut in half to scoop out the white flesh. Add this flesh, along with the rest of the smoothie ingredients, to the blender, and let 'er rip. Blend until the spinach and coconut are well incorporated (no small pieces noticeable). Add a bit more water if you like a looser consistency. Young coconut flesh varies in texture, so vary the water component of the recipe according to the thickness of the coconut flesh. This recipe makes between 4 and 6 8 oz. smoothies.
6-8 plump ripe strawberries
2 handfuls washed spinach
the flesh of 1 ripe avocado
the juice of 1 lemon
the juice and flesh of a young coconut (see co-op produce isle)
2 C water
2-3 T honey or agave nectar (depending on ripeness of berries)
Crack the young coconut, pour off the coconut juice into a blender, and then split the coconut in half to scoop out the white flesh. Add this flesh, along with the rest of the smoothie ingredients, to the blender, and let 'er rip. Blend until the spinach and coconut are well incorporated (no small pieces noticeable). Add a bit more water if you like a looser consistency. Young coconut flesh varies in texture, so vary the water component of the recipe according to the thickness of the coconut flesh. This recipe makes between 4 and 6 8 oz. smoothies.
***
echocsa@gmail.com
(319)325-3910
(319)325-3910
0 comments:
Post a Comment