Weekly Farm Notes :: December 14th, 2016

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Hello,

Our fall CSA has ended (unless you received a text from us with details on an extension) – however, we will still be at market and will have a weekly share available for only $25/week! This will make your market shopping fast and easy! Contact us by Tuesday morning to reserve your share.

Still looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of health with a CSA share! Stop by our booth or call us at 423-637-9793 to purchase.

Also, don’t forgot we will be attending the Nutrition World Farmers Market every Saturday from 11am-1pm. Stop by and say hey!

See you at market!

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December 14th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix {M/CSA}: if you haven’t tried our Cumin Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Avocado Salad, now is the time while you can still find sweet potatoes at the market! It is one of my favorite salads as of late – I hope you try it!
  • Variety of Kale {M/CSA}: the combination of eggs, greens and cheese is one I fall back on time and time again. Combine those three ingredients and you have a satisfying main meal in no time. This Kale & Goat Cheese Frittata looks like a great place to start if you want to play around with these ingredients!
  • Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: while you can use just about any green in our latest recipe – Millet Pie with Greens & Feta – I like how quick Swiss chard cooks down. Thinly slicing the stems and cooking them with the onions is an added bonus!
  • Summerfest & Hon Tsai Tai Asian Greens {M/CSA}: these mild, tender greens would be a great addition to our Vegan Pho soup. Toss them in right at the end as they only take a minute or so to cook.
  • Bold & Peppery Arugula {M/CSA}: this arugula is great sauteed and could be paired with just about anything. If you are looking for a quick and healthy recipe, try this Arugula Wilted with Mushrooms & Onions.
  • Red Butter Lettuce {CSA}: I love to use butter lettuce for wraps. There are endless recipes you can find online but I love this Quinoa & Chickpea Lettuce Cup recipe. You can adjust the recipe in numerous ways and make a version you love.
  • Pak Choi Leaves {CSA}: have you checked out our Edamame & Pak Choi Salad yet? It is a great way to get a healthy dose of raw greens and protein along with lots of flavor. We hope you like it!
  • Dragon Tongue Spicy Asian Mustard Greens {M}: did you know mustard greens are linked to cancer prevention? They are also touted as cholesterol lowering machines, along with kale and collards, so be sure to get your daily dose of these greens!
  • Tender Collards {M}: you may not think of collards as a festive food, but it can be with our Collard Green Relish! Make a batch now to serve over the holidays.
  • Red Kitten Spinach {M}: if you need a quick breakfast you can take on the road, try our Greens & Cheese Frittata Muffins. Make a big batch to enjoy throughout the week!
  • Organic, Range Free, Soy Free Eggs {M}: here is another muffin-type meal that would be great with any number of our greens – Quinoa Kale Bites. A few eggs bind together quinoa, kale (or other greens) and cheese to make a healthy on-the-run meal.
  • Wasabi Arugula {M}: this arugula has a bite so I like to pair it with something sweet. Try our Wasabi Arugula Rice Bowl with Miso-Ginger Dressing or just simply toss the dressing with the greens for a yummy salad!

Millet Pie with Greens & Feta

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Hello,

Here is a quick way to make a festive, vegetarian friendly meal with little more than greens and pantry staples. The recipe is based on one from Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way, which is a great resource for those who wish to incorporate more grains in your diet.

Millet is a small, typically golden colored grain that you can usually find in the bulk section of the grocery store. It is known widely in the US as bird food but the cooking properties and health benefits make it great for us, too. Check out this site to learn more about the heart-protective benefits and more that make this a great grain to integrate into your meals.

You can switch this recipe up in any number of ways: use various types of greens, use a different type of cheese, add more spices or different herbs, or use roasted red peppers instead of sun-dried tomatoes. Play around and have fun!

Millet Pie with Greens & Feta
serves 4-6

Recipe notes: 1) you can use a different sized container depending on how thick you would like it to be; the end result is about an inch or so thick in a 9×13 baking dish. 2) use any type of green you have on hand but I would recommend pre-cooking sturdier greens as they may not cook down enough to be done when the millet is finished.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, cut into a small dice
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup hulled millet, rinsed
  • 6 ounces Swiss chard (about 12 medium leaves), de-stemmed and chopped (see recipe note)
  • 4 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
  • 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and dried if packed in oil, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped freshly parsley
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

  • Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown and soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 3-1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.
  • Stir in the millet, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and boil the mixture, stirring occasionally, until most of the remaining water evaporates, 5-8 minutes.
  • Continue cooking over low heat until the millet becomes very soft and the mixture is thick and porridgy, about 5 minutes more. Add the Swiss chard and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are wilted and soft, another couple of minutes. If the mixture becomes dry before the millet is tender, add 1/4 cup boiling water at a time.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the feta, sun-dried tomatoes and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth surface. Set aside to cool until set, about 1 hour.
  • To serve, cut into squares and serve at room temperature. For a bit more flavor and texture, pan fry the squares in a little oil until browned and slightly crispy on each side. Enjoy.

Weekly Farm Notes :: December 7th, 2016

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Hello,

This is the last week of this season’s CSA. We will be in contact via email for those that need an extension. We have plenty of preservation recipes below if you want to extend your bounty for the weeks and months to come!

Still looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of health with a CSA share! Stop by our booth or call us at 423-637-9796 to purchase. For other ideas, Alice O’Dea has a wonderful list you can find here.

Also, don’t forgot we will be attending the Nutrition World Farmers Market every Saturday from 11am-1pm. Stop by and say hey!

See you at market!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 7th Produce

Here are the items you can expect at Market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

  • Red Butter Lettuce {M/CSA}: there aren’t many ways (that I know of, at least!) to preserve lettuce but here is a great soup that you can make and then freeze for later – Lettuce Soup with Fontina Gratin.
  • Jerusalem Artichokes {M/CSA}: if you aren’t familiar with these tubers (which are also called Sunchokes), check out all of the recipe ideas at this link. In addition, I have thinly sliced, dehydrated and then ground these up to make a powder. I then added it to mashed potatoes and other starchy dishes for an extra flavor boost.
  • Awesome Asian & Lettuce Mix {M/CSA}: back to preserving lettuce – some people actually freeze it raw and then use it later. The leaves will definitely loose their crunch when thawed but they can be used for soups or casseroles. To learn more, read this post: How to Freeze Lettuce Leaves.
  • Variety of Kale {M/CSA}: no food preservation list is complete without a pesto recipe. I particularly love our Super Greens & Sunflower Seed Pesto recipe. You can use just about any greens you have on hand or use a variety for a more complex flavor.
  • Rainbow & Giant Food Hook Swiss Chard {M/CSA}: while we don’t have pak choi this week, our Swiss chard would be a great substitute in our Edamame & Pak Choi Salad. You can thinly slice the stems and add them along with the greens. As an added bonus, you can toss in some of our green onions as well.
  • Dragon Tongue, Spicy Asian & Giant Red Mustard Greens {M/CSA}: have you ever tried Pickled Mustard Greens? We have a recipe for Quick Pickled Radish Leaves that you could try as well.
  • Kohlrabi {CSA}: I have two preservation thoughts for kohlrabi: 1) you could make a batch of our Sauerruben if you like to ferment or 2) you could try our Miso Pickles. You will get a very different end result depending on which you chose but you can’t go wrong.
  • Green Onions {CSA}: one way to preserve green onions is to use them in our Green Onion Yogurt Flatbread and then freeze the bread. Be sure to freeze each piece individually and then stack them in a ziplock bag to store.
  • Tender Collards {M}: these “Cheesy” Collard Green Chips don’t last longer than an hour in our house. Similar to store bought chips, these keep you coming back for more (but you don’t feel guilty in the process)!
  • Summerfest Asian Greens {M}: here is a fun post on Asian Greens in which the author provides a Garlic Buttermilk Dressing at the end that would go great with these or any number of our other greens.
  • Organic, Range Free, Soy Free Eggs {M}: I gotta admit, the sound of pickled eggs has never appealed to me. I can just find so many other ways to use farm fresh eggs! But…if you find yourself with an oversupply, this recipe might be a good one to try.
  • Bold & Peppery Arugula {M}: pureed soups are great for the freezer. I think this Creamy Vegan Arugula Soup sounds like a great way to preserve arugula!
  • Wasabi Arugula {M}: while this isn’t technically “pesto”, you can use the sauce in a similar fashion. I think you could substitute some of the herbs with our wasabi arugula and leave out one or both of the jalapenos (sine the greens will give it some spice). Yum!

Edamame & Pak Choi Salad

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Hello,

This salad could take on many different names depending on the greens you have available: “Edamame & Kale Salad”, “Edamame & Swiss Chard Salad”, “Edamame & Arugula Salad”. I do like that you get the crunch from the stalks along with the tender greens when using pak choi, however. It is easy to toss together and can be altered in so many ways. If I had avocado on hand, I would have added it to the salad. I also think some shavings of Parmesan or other aged cheese would be great too.

We hope you enjoy it!

Edamame & Pak Choi Salad
makes 2 large or 4 small servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
  • 1 small head of pak choi, thinly sliced, cleaned and drained well
  • 1 scarlet salad turnip, cut into quarters and thinly sliced
  • 1 medium scallion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds plus more for garnish
  • Splash of rice vinegar and vegetable oil
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper

Direction:

  • Toss together the edamame, pak choi, salad turnip, scallion and hemp seeds. Dress with a little rice vinegar and oil and salt and pepper to taste. Toss again and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed. Divide between plates and garnish with additional hemp seeds.