THE GUEST CORNER
When you look at the “Who Grew This?” section of the newsletter you may wonder who some of these people are. This week we asked Mark Nakata of M & K, the grower of the Satusuma and Navel oranges we have been enjoying the last few weeks, to tell us a little about himself. As it turns out Mark goes far beyond being an organic farmer.
Mark writes: I am a principal in Beyond Organix. Beyond Organix (BYO), is a grower service organization that provides interested growers with the advice and information necessary to grow nutrient dense fruit. One of our principals, Dr. Arden Anderson, is one of the world’s leading authorities on the relationship between plant health, and human health. He has written several books on the subject, and spends several months of the year traveling the globe, speaking about nutrient density. What we at BYO do is bring to the growers the technical knowledge of how to do nutrient density. We will also publish a nutrient density standard this year. We are currently undergoing, “third party” testing to verify that our fruit meets or exceeds the levels we expect to establish as the standard. By growing nutrient dense fruit, we will be able to provide to our customers the flavorful, life-enriching, nutrient packed fruit our grandparents told us about.
As you can see Mark is one of the farmers that take seriously the nutritional quality of the fruit he grows and provides to other families. One of the founders of BYO, Mr. Stanley Kadota, has written an article which is titled “What is the BYO Seamless Growing Approach?” The last sentence of the article pretty much says it all. “Consumer satisfaction will reward the farmer’s extraordinary efforts.” The efforts of organic farmers are indeed extraordinary, and they do it with us in mind.
RAW MILK
We are happy to announce that you can now purchase not only raw milk, but many other products offered by Organic Pastures as an add-on to your weekly subscription. This will include whole and skim raw milk, raw cheddar cheese, and raw butter. Organic Pastures also offers truly raw almonds which we will carry in 1 and 5 pound weights. If you are not familiar with how to order add-ons we are sure you will find it to be a simple process. Once you have logged in you will see your Subscription Dashboard. Locate the bar “EDIT THIS WEEK/ADDONS”. When you select that bar you will be taken to a new window where you will see the list of add-ons that are available. Simply enter the quantity you want of any given item. The deadline to order is Monday at 9:00 am and you will be charged at the time you are charged for your box.
TELL A FRIEND
In case you haven’t noticed it there is now a “Tell A Friend About Us” button on the lower right hand side of the screen when you are on line. This is a great way to let a friend, or five, know about Abundant Harvest Organics. If you are logged in all you have to do is enter your friends email address. We have prepared an email message that contains a link to the subscriber sign up page and you may send it just as it is, or you have the option to enter a personal message. Just click on SEND EMAIL TO YOUR FRIEND and you are done. You can “Tell A Friend About Us” without even logging in, but when you are not logged in you will have to enter your zip code and personal email address. Still simple, just a couple of extra steps.
We hope, if you are loving your produce, that you will help spread the word about Abundant Harvest Organics. This is just a tool to help you do so.
RECIPES
It is obvious that some of you are having a great time finding new ways to prepare old favorites, or learning what to do with brand new favorites. Thank you to those of you who have shared recipes that you have found. Perhaps you will see them in the newsletter, but for sure on the website. Recipes on the website are categorized by the fruits and vegetables that are ingredients in the recipe. So if you are looking for something to do with cabbage, for instance, select Recipes from the menu at the top of your page and look for “Cabbage”. There will be a list of the recipes you can access that contain cabbage. All of the recipes that have been on newsletters are now on the site, in addition to a few others. We will continue to build this “Recipe Book” and hope you will find it to be useful .
RECIPE BOOK
Speaking of recipe books, we have a recommendation for you. It’s a great fruit and vegetable recipe book. The title is “Simply In Season” World Community Cookbook by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert. It is published by Herald Press. It is available on Amazon.com for $11.19 new. The book is divided by season, gives information about various fruits and vegetables, and recipes by season. If you enjoy knowing about what you are eating, and like cookbooks we think you will appreciate this book.
“It’s the kiss of frost that puts the flavor in root vegetables.”
Tom Willey
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box.
-Navel Oranges
-Satsuma Mandarin Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Butternut Squash
-Shallots
John Tobias, Hollister
-Yams
Doreva Produce, Livingston
-Red Oakleaf Lettuce*
-Yukon Gold Potatoes*
-Nantes Carrots
-Red Butterhead Lettuce*
-Red Beets
-Escarole
-Parsnips
-Bloomsdale Spinach
T & D Willey, Madera
*Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
SHALLOTS
Shallots do not give bad breath like garlic and onion and are more easily digestible
Roast shallots in their skins until soft and serve as a side dish or puree to use in sauces or soups
Recipe
Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Shallots
Preheat Oven to 400º
6 Tbsp minced shallots 2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup low fat, low sodium chicken broth Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp fresh minced thyme (dried may be substituted)
Place all ingredients in a small casserole, cover and put in the oven to roast for approximately 40 minutes.
Clean 3-4 Yukon Gold potatoes and cut into 2” chunks boil for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain potatoes and put back in the pot, over low heat to dry.
Heat ½ cup evaporated skim milk over medium low heat, add the potatoes and beat with a mixer. Add the roasted shallots from the oven and beat again until potatoes are smooth.
Recipe
Rich Chocolate Beet Muffins
Preheat Oven to 350º
2 ½ cups beets, pureed ½ cup water or reserved beet juice
1 ½ cups sugar 3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ cup cocoa powder 1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup nuts (optional)
Quarter or halve beets depending on size, steam, rub peels off, slice and puree. Line muffin tins with paper or grease them. In a large bowl, combine beet puree, beets juice or water, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the beet mixture, chocolate chips and nuts to the flour mixture. The batter will be maroon in color but the cooked product will be dark fudgey brown. Fill muffin tins ¾ full and bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. You may use 2 loaf pans as an alternative and make sweet bread instead of muffins.
January 26, 2008
January 18, 2008
Week 20
VERNON’S CORNER
Listen! Do you hear it? Look outside! Maybe going out to an orchard would help. It’s faint and distant but sure none the less. It’s a huge mighty rumble that ready or not is thundering our way. The desire for another month is like mom and dad on Christmas morning, but the kids know. They’ve been waiting and now it’s here with all it’s anticipated hope and promise.
I saw my first nectarine flower today in Paul Muradian’s EarliGlo’s. A bit later than normal actually thanks to the wonderful cold weather we’ve had this winter. Our stone fruit requires something called “dormancy”, measured as hours below 45 degrees. The more hours you get the longer the dormancy and the better the crop. Our San Joaquin valley here is unique in all the world. The wonderful Tule fog blocks the sun and keeps the cold in like a blanket, allowing the “chill hours” to rack up. We usually get adequate chilling without a killing frost. Water is stored in the Sierras as snow, and comes down to us when we need it during our fabulous HOT, DRY summer. Hot and dry makes sweet and sound peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
If you didn’t already, now you know why us farmers are smiling in the winter when it’s really cold for an extended period of time and worried when December’s warm. Happy when the summer’s 100 degrees and dry. Sad when it rains in July because rain rots fruit. Weird aren’t we?
Well, buds are swelling with optimism. Bees are waiting in anticipation and shortly off in late April earshot there’s a mighty rumble coming this way. Can you hear it?
Tal Tartaglia who you know from the delivery truck has been a part of this little dream since I laid it out in his Snow Fall peach patch 16 months ago. The concept resonated because of his own experience and he just wanted to be a part. The truck and his back just couldn’t get along so sadly he’s had to bow out. Our son Erik will be taking over that task. You can check Erik out on the “meet the farmers” section of the website. Give him a hard time. It will make him feel at home.
There’s just a joy about this adventure. I see it in your faces when you come for the weekly surprise. It’s not confined to just the fresh produce. Eating healthy of course is most pleasurable but this is a catalyst for so much more. I get reports about “eating your stuff made me feel so good, I joined a gym and feel even better!”
And “we’re actually cooking and eating together as a family again”
Your encouragement is really valuable right now as we flesh this whole thing out.
Eat Healthy! Vernon
WHITE CARROTS?
They may resemble an over-grown, ivory skinned carrot, but they are parsnips. Parsnips are actually cousins to the carrot. They are starchy like a potato, but are considered to be nutritionally superior. These days the potato has pretty much taken over as the source of starch in our diets. Believe it or not, long ago potatoes were thought to be inedible. The parsnip was the favored vegetable for several reasons. It had long shelf life; it had a sweet, nutty flavor, and high nutritional value. In fact in ancient Europe parsnips were considered a luxury item for the aristocracy in Rome. They were usually served sweetened with honey or in fruited cakes.
Parsnips should be stored, unwashed, in a cool dark place. If you wrap them in a paper towel and place them in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator they should last two weeks, or longer. Parsnips can also be frozen for later use. To do so cut the parsnips into ½ inch cubes and par-boil or steam them for 3 to 5 minutes. After cooling pack them into containers, seal and freeze for 8 to 10 months. If you cook your parsnips and then place them in the refrigerator they should be used within three days.
Parsnips can be roasted in the oven, steamed and mashed like potatoes, added to soups and stews, or grated raw into salads to name a few ways to use them. If you put them in soups or stews they should be added near the end of cooking or they may get mushy. They can be substituted for carrots in most recipes.
BABY ARTICHOKES
Although a baby artichoke may look like an artichoke that is simply not full grown that is not the case. Baby artichokes are a variety of chokes that mature in a smaller size.
There are benefits to the baby artichoke over its larger family members. Once you peel off the outer green layers of petals, the entire rest of the artichoke may be eaten. This is because the fuzzy choke part does not really develop.
When serving artichokes they go well with something acidic, like lemon or balsamic vinegar, and something creamy like mayonnaise or Parmesan cheese. Steaming isn’t the only way to cook these “babies”. If you look you will find recipes to prepare them sautéed, grilled, baked, roasted and marinated, to name a few. Here is another chance to try something new.
Don’t discard those leaves you peeled off before you cooked the artichokes. Simmer them in water for an hour to make an artichoke vegetable stock that you may use for soups, or other dishes. That way nothing is going to waste.
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box.
-Navel Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Kiwi
John Fagundes, Hanford
-Broccoli
Troy Huckabay, Kingsburg
-Red Onions
John Tobias, Hollister
-Yukon Gold Potatoes
-Tender Green Cabbage*
-Nantes Carrots
-Red Butterhead Lettuce*
-Baby Red Beets*
-Escarole
-Parsnips
-Baby Artichokes
-Bloomsdale Spinach
T & D Willey, Madera
*Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
ESCAROLE
For a little change try tossing a handful of chopped escarole in your favorite recipe during the last 10 15 minutes of cooking. It is a form of endive but is less bitter than other varieties. It is very high in dietary fiber, calcium and vitamins A & C, and iron.
Recipes
Honey Mustard Carrots
1 ¼ pound carrots, julienned 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp butter
1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp minced fresh parsley
To cook carrots bring them to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until just tender. In a small bowl combine honey, mustard, cumin and cinnamon. Drain carrots; add butter, salt and pepper. Stir in honey mixture and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.
Carrot Parsnip Stir-Fry
3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and julienned 2 Tbs butter 1
1 lb carrots, julienned 1 Tbs dried minced onion
In a skillet sauté parsnips in butter for 3-4 min. Add carrots and onion: cook and stir until vegetables are crisp tender, about 10 minutes
Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic Crumbs Serves 4
1 large bunch broccoli cut into florets 1 medium garlic clove, minced
7 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp minced lemon peel
1 ½ cups soft white breadcrumbs
Cook broccoli in boiling, salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl of ice water and cool. Drain and pat dry. Cover and refrigerate. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and sauté until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add 4 Tbsp butter, lemon peel and garlic to the skillet; cook until butter begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs; stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top broccoli with breadcrumbs and serve.
Listen! Do you hear it? Look outside! Maybe going out to an orchard would help. It’s faint and distant but sure none the less. It’s a huge mighty rumble that ready or not is thundering our way. The desire for another month is like mom and dad on Christmas morning, but the kids know. They’ve been waiting and now it’s here with all it’s anticipated hope and promise.
I saw my first nectarine flower today in Paul Muradian’s EarliGlo’s. A bit later than normal actually thanks to the wonderful cold weather we’ve had this winter. Our stone fruit requires something called “dormancy”, measured as hours below 45 degrees. The more hours you get the longer the dormancy and the better the crop. Our San Joaquin valley here is unique in all the world. The wonderful Tule fog blocks the sun and keeps the cold in like a blanket, allowing the “chill hours” to rack up. We usually get adequate chilling without a killing frost. Water is stored in the Sierras as snow, and comes down to us when we need it during our fabulous HOT, DRY summer. Hot and dry makes sweet and sound peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
If you didn’t already, now you know why us farmers are smiling in the winter when it’s really cold for an extended period of time and worried when December’s warm. Happy when the summer’s 100 degrees and dry. Sad when it rains in July because rain rots fruit. Weird aren’t we?
Well, buds are swelling with optimism. Bees are waiting in anticipation and shortly off in late April earshot there’s a mighty rumble coming this way. Can you hear it?
Tal Tartaglia who you know from the delivery truck has been a part of this little dream since I laid it out in his Snow Fall peach patch 16 months ago. The concept resonated because of his own experience and he just wanted to be a part. The truck and his back just couldn’t get along so sadly he’s had to bow out. Our son Erik will be taking over that task. You can check Erik out on the “meet the farmers” section of the website. Give him a hard time. It will make him feel at home.
There’s just a joy about this adventure. I see it in your faces when you come for the weekly surprise. It’s not confined to just the fresh produce. Eating healthy of course is most pleasurable but this is a catalyst for so much more. I get reports about “eating your stuff made me feel so good, I joined a gym and feel even better!”
And “we’re actually cooking and eating together as a family again”
Your encouragement is really valuable right now as we flesh this whole thing out.
Eat Healthy! Vernon
WHITE CARROTS?
They may resemble an over-grown, ivory skinned carrot, but they are parsnips. Parsnips are actually cousins to the carrot. They are starchy like a potato, but are considered to be nutritionally superior. These days the potato has pretty much taken over as the source of starch in our diets. Believe it or not, long ago potatoes were thought to be inedible. The parsnip was the favored vegetable for several reasons. It had long shelf life; it had a sweet, nutty flavor, and high nutritional value. In fact in ancient Europe parsnips were considered a luxury item for the aristocracy in Rome. They were usually served sweetened with honey or in fruited cakes.
Parsnips should be stored, unwashed, in a cool dark place. If you wrap them in a paper towel and place them in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator they should last two weeks, or longer. Parsnips can also be frozen for later use. To do so cut the parsnips into ½ inch cubes and par-boil or steam them for 3 to 5 minutes. After cooling pack them into containers, seal and freeze for 8 to 10 months. If you cook your parsnips and then place them in the refrigerator they should be used within three days.
Parsnips can be roasted in the oven, steamed and mashed like potatoes, added to soups and stews, or grated raw into salads to name a few ways to use them. If you put them in soups or stews they should be added near the end of cooking or they may get mushy. They can be substituted for carrots in most recipes.
BABY ARTICHOKES
Although a baby artichoke may look like an artichoke that is simply not full grown that is not the case. Baby artichokes are a variety of chokes that mature in a smaller size.
There are benefits to the baby artichoke over its larger family members. Once you peel off the outer green layers of petals, the entire rest of the artichoke may be eaten. This is because the fuzzy choke part does not really develop.
When serving artichokes they go well with something acidic, like lemon or balsamic vinegar, and something creamy like mayonnaise or Parmesan cheese. Steaming isn’t the only way to cook these “babies”. If you look you will find recipes to prepare them sautéed, grilled, baked, roasted and marinated, to name a few. Here is another chance to try something new.
Don’t discard those leaves you peeled off before you cooked the artichokes. Simmer them in water for an hour to make an artichoke vegetable stock that you may use for soups, or other dishes. That way nothing is going to waste.
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box.
-Navel Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Kiwi
John Fagundes, Hanford
-Broccoli
Troy Huckabay, Kingsburg
-Red Onions
John Tobias, Hollister
-Yukon Gold Potatoes
-Tender Green Cabbage*
-Nantes Carrots
-Red Butterhead Lettuce*
-Baby Red Beets*
-Escarole
-Parsnips
-Baby Artichokes
-Bloomsdale Spinach
T & D Willey, Madera
*Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
ESCAROLE
For a little change try tossing a handful of chopped escarole in your favorite recipe during the last 10 15 minutes of cooking. It is a form of endive but is less bitter than other varieties. It is very high in dietary fiber, calcium and vitamins A & C, and iron.
Recipes
Honey Mustard Carrots
1 ¼ pound carrots, julienned 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp butter
1/8 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper
2 tsp minced fresh parsley
To cook carrots bring them to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until just tender. In a small bowl combine honey, mustard, cumin and cinnamon. Drain carrots; add butter, salt and pepper. Stir in honey mixture and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley.
Carrot Parsnip Stir-Fry
3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and julienned 2 Tbs butter 1
1 lb carrots, julienned 1 Tbs dried minced onion
In a skillet sauté parsnips in butter for 3-4 min. Add carrots and onion: cook and stir until vegetables are crisp tender, about 10 minutes
Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic Crumbs Serves 4
1 large bunch broccoli cut into florets 1 medium garlic clove, minced
7 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp minced lemon peel
1 ½ cups soft white breadcrumbs
Cook broccoli in boiling, salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl of ice water and cool. Drain and pat dry. Cover and refrigerate. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and sauté until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Add 4 Tbsp butter, lemon peel and garlic to the skillet; cook until butter begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs; stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top broccoli with breadcrumbs and serve.
January 12, 2008
Week 19
Our guest columnist this week is Tom Willey who, with his wife Denesse, provides many of the beautiful vegetables we enjoy. Together they own and operate the T & D Willey Farm in Madera.
TOM WILLEY WRITES
The gift for which I’m most grateful these holidays is the belated start of a wet season we pray adds up to something near normal, come spring. It’s time to hold the annual “yard stick” up to our soil building program but I’m not going to pull samples just yet in hopes of more rain soon. Salt management on our arid, irrigated soil depends on adequate winter precipitation to refresh and revive, driving accumulated sodium and other potentially harmful elements below the root zone. Salts, actually earth metals in solution, are also the very elements of fertility, enriching soil’s ability to nourish plant life when present in adequate quantities and in proper balance with each other. The same potassium, sodium, magnesium or calcium in excess or improper ratio can become toxic to our crops. When we receive less than the average eight inches of winter rain, sodium and potassium begin to creep above desirable levels. At the time we acquired this farm, a dozen years ago, magnesium was characteristically in excess, sealing the soil, impeding water penetration and reducing oxygen to the detriment of soil microbes and plant roots. Copious applications of calcium in the form of limestone, over several years drove enough magnesium out, finally achieving the near perfect balance of major minerals we sought. San Joaquin Valley soils owe their parentage to a previous, more ancient Sierra Nevada’s eroded granites spread out from the east in stream deposited alluvial fans. More coarse materials sorted out earlier, laying down the sandy soils nearer foothills, fine silts and clays were carried farther towards the valley’s trough or center. Finer soils are naturally more fertile but sand tills easily and blended loams are near the ideal. Our fine sandy loam, profiting from additions of quality compost and building humus, tests nearly twice as fertile (as measured by Cat-ion Exchange Capacity, CEC) as it did twelve years ago.
I am sobered, reading Jared Diamond’s “Collapse” and understanding how the success and failure of past societies hinged mightily on the care or neglect paid to soil resources. The annual soil sampling ritual on the eight plots representing our farm is an eagerly and nervously awaited measure of my stewardship.
Tom Willey
RECIPES
Recipes are now available on the website. We hope, as we continue to add recipes, this will be a helpful tool. Check it out!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
It is no surprise that Brussels sprouts look like mini cabbages, they are closely related. Although the butt of many jokes, this little vegetable packs quite a punch. They contain high quantities of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid just to name a few of their highly beneficial attributes. Brussels sprouts are also high in fiber. A cup of Brussels sprouts contains more than 4 grams of fiber and soluble and insoluble fiber are present in roughly equal amounts.
Perhaps the reason many people say they do not like Brussels sprouts is because they have been served over-cooked. Over cooking releases sulphur compounds in the vegetables that give it a smell that is often found unpleasant. If properly cooked the unpleasant smell is avoided and the vegetable will have a delicate nutty flavor. The typical method of cooking this vegetable is to boil or steam it, but try it roasted, stir fried, or even micro-waved for different tastes.
Unwashed and untrimmed Brussels sprouts should be kept in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. Stored in a plastic bag they can be kept for about 10 days. If you want to freeze your sprouts they should be blanched first for between three to five minutes. They will keep in the freezer for up to one year.
Before washing your sprouts, cut off the base with the remaining stem and then peel away the surface leaves that are loosened by this cut. Wash them under running water or soak them in a bowl of water to remove any insects that may have taken up residence there. When cooking the Brussels sprouts whole cut an “X” in the bottom of the stem area. This will allow the heat to permeate throughout all of the leaves to ensure even texture.
GRAINS
You will now find, as an add-on, Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat. The Hard Red Winter Wheat is available in 2 pound and 5 pound bags. This is only the beginning and in coming weeks you can look forward to Hard White and Soft White Wheat, Rolled Oats, Long Grain Brown Rice, Black Beans and Pinto Beans, Green and Red Lentils, and Green and Yellow Split Peas. All Organic and all delivered to you with your box of fresh produce. We will keep you updated.
Robert Jackson, whose family is packaging these products, has provided another website to peak your interest in freshly ground flour. This write-up is found at:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Grind-flour
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box
-Satsuma Mandarin Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Apples*
Ridder & Son, Watsonville
-Kiwi
John Fagundes, Hanford
-Broccoli
Troy Huckabay, Kingsburg
-Russet Potatoes
Family Farm, Madera
-Garlic*
Christopher Ranch, Gilroy
-Red Onions
John Tobias, Hollister
-Red Butterhead Lettuce
-Brussels Sprouts
-Nantes Carrots
-Junior Turnips*
-Red Oakleaf Lettuce*
-Red Beets*
-Arugula
T & D Willey, Madera
* Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
Don’t forget to log on and tell us how we are doing. Your comments are appreciated.
RECIPES
Rustic Winter Vegetable Tarts
7 ½ cups of winter vegetables (such as Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Turnips, Red Onion, Sweet Potatoes, Rutabegas, Leeks, Butternut Squash)
4 slices of bacon 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp thyme
1 pkg refrigerated (15 oz) unbaked pie crust, or make your own
1 cup crumbled goat cheese (4 oz) 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced Rosemary (optional)Peel and seed your vegetables as necessary and cut into bite size chunks. Toss prepared vegetables with bacon, olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly on 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan. Roast vegetables at 425º for about 35 minutes. Roll out each pie crust and divide into four individual squares. Remove vegetables from oven and stir in ¾ cup of the goat cheese, the vinegar and garlic. Set aside. Divide vegetable mixture among dough squares leaving enough of a border to form edge for tart. Sprinkle veges with remaining goat cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 375º or until tarts are golden brown.
Beets and Red Onions
½ cup cider vinegar ¼ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 large red onion cut in wedges ¼ cup water
½ tsp salt 4-8 small beets
Cut tops off of beets, wash and steam the beets until tender. After they have cooled the skins will slide right off. If beets are small they may be left whole, or slice and quarter. Place in a bowl that can be sealed. In saucepan combine vinegar, sugar, water and remaining spices. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. Stir in onion. Return to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until tender. Pour onion mixture over beets and let stand covered for 30 minutes. Seal bowl and refrigerate overnight before serving. Can be sliced and served over salad or by itself with feta cheese sprinkled on top.
TOM WILLEY WRITES
The gift for which I’m most grateful these holidays is the belated start of a wet season we pray adds up to something near normal, come spring. It’s time to hold the annual “yard stick” up to our soil building program but I’m not going to pull samples just yet in hopes of more rain soon. Salt management on our arid, irrigated soil depends on adequate winter precipitation to refresh and revive, driving accumulated sodium and other potentially harmful elements below the root zone. Salts, actually earth metals in solution, are also the very elements of fertility, enriching soil’s ability to nourish plant life when present in adequate quantities and in proper balance with each other. The same potassium, sodium, magnesium or calcium in excess or improper ratio can become toxic to our crops. When we receive less than the average eight inches of winter rain, sodium and potassium begin to creep above desirable levels. At the time we acquired this farm, a dozen years ago, magnesium was characteristically in excess, sealing the soil, impeding water penetration and reducing oxygen to the detriment of soil microbes and plant roots. Copious applications of calcium in the form of limestone, over several years drove enough magnesium out, finally achieving the near perfect balance of major minerals we sought. San Joaquin Valley soils owe their parentage to a previous, more ancient Sierra Nevada’s eroded granites spread out from the east in stream deposited alluvial fans. More coarse materials sorted out earlier, laying down the sandy soils nearer foothills, fine silts and clays were carried farther towards the valley’s trough or center. Finer soils are naturally more fertile but sand tills easily and blended loams are near the ideal. Our fine sandy loam, profiting from additions of quality compost and building humus, tests nearly twice as fertile (as measured by Cat-ion Exchange Capacity, CEC) as it did twelve years ago.
I am sobered, reading Jared Diamond’s “Collapse” and understanding how the success and failure of past societies hinged mightily on the care or neglect paid to soil resources. The annual soil sampling ritual on the eight plots representing our farm is an eagerly and nervously awaited measure of my stewardship.
Tom Willey
RECIPES
Recipes are now available on the website. We hope, as we continue to add recipes, this will be a helpful tool. Check it out!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
It is no surprise that Brussels sprouts look like mini cabbages, they are closely related. Although the butt of many jokes, this little vegetable packs quite a punch. They contain high quantities of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folic acid just to name a few of their highly beneficial attributes. Brussels sprouts are also high in fiber. A cup of Brussels sprouts contains more than 4 grams of fiber and soluble and insoluble fiber are present in roughly equal amounts.
Perhaps the reason many people say they do not like Brussels sprouts is because they have been served over-cooked. Over cooking releases sulphur compounds in the vegetables that give it a smell that is often found unpleasant. If properly cooked the unpleasant smell is avoided and the vegetable will have a delicate nutty flavor. The typical method of cooking this vegetable is to boil or steam it, but try it roasted, stir fried, or even micro-waved for different tastes.
Unwashed and untrimmed Brussels sprouts should be kept in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. Stored in a plastic bag they can be kept for about 10 days. If you want to freeze your sprouts they should be blanched first for between three to five minutes. They will keep in the freezer for up to one year.
Before washing your sprouts, cut off the base with the remaining stem and then peel away the surface leaves that are loosened by this cut. Wash them under running water or soak them in a bowl of water to remove any insects that may have taken up residence there. When cooking the Brussels sprouts whole cut an “X” in the bottom of the stem area. This will allow the heat to permeate throughout all of the leaves to ensure even texture.
GRAINS
You will now find, as an add-on, Organic Hard Red Winter Wheat. The Hard Red Winter Wheat is available in 2 pound and 5 pound bags. This is only the beginning and in coming weeks you can look forward to Hard White and Soft White Wheat, Rolled Oats, Long Grain Brown Rice, Black Beans and Pinto Beans, Green and Red Lentils, and Green and Yellow Split Peas. All Organic and all delivered to you with your box of fresh produce. We will keep you updated.
Robert Jackson, whose family is packaging these products, has provided another website to peak your interest in freshly ground flour. This write-up is found at:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Grind-flour
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box
-Satsuma Mandarin Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Apples*
Ridder & Son, Watsonville
-Kiwi
John Fagundes, Hanford
-Broccoli
Troy Huckabay, Kingsburg
-Russet Potatoes
Family Farm, Madera
-Garlic*
Christopher Ranch, Gilroy
-Red Onions
John Tobias, Hollister
-Red Butterhead Lettuce
-Brussels Sprouts
-Nantes Carrots
-Junior Turnips*
-Red Oakleaf Lettuce*
-Red Beets*
-Arugula
T & D Willey, Madera
* Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
Don’t forget to log on and tell us how we are doing. Your comments are appreciated.
RECIPES
Rustic Winter Vegetable Tarts
7 ½ cups of winter vegetables (such as Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Turnips, Red Onion, Sweet Potatoes, Rutabegas, Leeks, Butternut Squash)
4 slices of bacon 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp thyme
1 pkg refrigerated (15 oz) unbaked pie crust, or make your own
1 cup crumbled goat cheese (4 oz) 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced Rosemary (optional)Peel and seed your vegetables as necessary and cut into bite size chunks. Toss prepared vegetables with bacon, olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly on 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan. Roast vegetables at 425º for about 35 minutes. Roll out each pie crust and divide into four individual squares. Remove vegetables from oven and stir in ¾ cup of the goat cheese, the vinegar and garlic. Set aside. Divide vegetable mixture among dough squares leaving enough of a border to form edge for tart. Sprinkle veges with remaining goat cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 375º or until tarts are golden brown.
Beets and Red Onions
½ cup cider vinegar ¼ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 large red onion cut in wedges ¼ cup water
½ tsp salt 4-8 small beets
Cut tops off of beets, wash and steam the beets until tender. After they have cooled the skins will slide right off. If beets are small they may be left whole, or slice and quarter. Place in a bowl that can be sealed. In saucepan combine vinegar, sugar, water and remaining spices. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. Stir in onion. Return to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes or until tender. Pour onion mixture over beets and let stand covered for 30 minutes. Seal bowl and refrigerate overnight before serving. Can be sliced and served over salad or by itself with feta cheese sprinkled on top.
January 5, 2008
Week 18
VERNON’S CORNER
SURPRISE, surprise, surprise.
Even the Milk tastes better. I got a gallon of the non-fat that tastes better than the 2% we were used to. Whooda thunked it???
Before we added milk to our add-ons, I looked around for who was doing organic dairy right. Hands down, it was Organic Valley. Let me tell you briefly about them. National Co-op/ Max 500 cows per dairy/ 1 out of every 10 organic farmers in America (not just dairy farmers) is a member/ all pasture is adjacent to the dairies. For more, they’re on the web.
I milked the family cow every morning before school (weird even 40 years ago) so I know the health benefits from Raw Milk. A personal goal for me with Abundant Harvest is to offer Raw Milk. I don’t know how many of you would be interested, but my guess is we’re going to need a much larger subscription base to justify it. Several of you have indicated the desire and your zeal is truly appreciated. As fast as we can find a supplier willing to work with our numbers, we’ll have it on the truck.
In the mean time, and for as long as they’ll keep bringing it to us, this Organic Valley stuff is off the charts good. Wow.
FOOD SAFETY POLITICS
Here’s the scoop. A year and a few months ago, there was an e- coli out break in spinach, remember? It was never traced back to any particular source, despite much conjecture. It wasn’t Organic spinach, but it was bagged by Earth Bound (the most cost efficient bagger) into various labels. Best guess is that some guy spread manure right before planting. The one common denominator through all of it was that it was “pre-cut, bagged”. In other words, the leafy salad stuff comes in, gets rinsed in recycled, chlorinated water, chopped up, often mixed with other greens and then bagged or clammed. These operations take huge capital investments and are thus the
domain of very large agri-businesses. I’m not one of those anti corporate farmer types. They have their place and have worked hard to get there. What I am is a huge personal responsibility guy. It’s none of my business whether you or your kids wear a helmet while snow skiing or riding a horse.
Cut to the chase. Hardly ever has e-coli been found on whole leafy greens. Never on whole Organic leafies to my knowledge. Whole uncut is the venue of small Organic farmers. The American public is about to spend untold billions on food safety when only a particular segment has a problem. By the way, precut leafy greens continue to be recalled despite the protocols. I could expound adnausium but bottom line … if I ski into a tree, you shouldn’t have to wear a helmet in your car. The consumer’s going to pay needlessly and many small farmers will be put out of business over a problem that’s never been associated with them. There, aren’t you glad I got that off my chest???
As promised, Noah’s organic grains will be available as an add on next week. They plan on offering 2 and 5 pound bags of several different types of grain. I just can’t wait to start this segment of the adventure. Don’t you think Carol would just love a flour mill for Valentines Day? Shhh, don’t tell and spoil the surprise. Romantic devil that I am, I got her a heart shaped garden hoe one year at the farm show, but this could even top that.
Seriously fresh milled flour is really where it’s at for flavor and nutrition. Now, if we all applaud real loud, I’ll bet we can get Noah’s mom Sarah to share some tips with us about milling and baking in next week’s news letter. Until then…
EAT HEALTHY! Vernon
I DON’T LIKE BROCOLLI!
Is that something you hear from your kids, or even your spouse? One of our subscribers came up with the idea of mincing the broccoli in a food processor and then adding it to spaghetti/pizza sauce, or meatloaf.
GIVE US YOUR IDEAS
If you have ideas, or unusual uses, for some of the winter vegetables that we are enjoying right now email them to us at kathy@abundantharvestorganics.com. They may be included in our newsletter, or on the recipe pages that will very soon be available on our website. What may be a common vegetable to you may be something unusual to others, and they are looking for different ways to cook them.
ARUGULA
The first time we had arugula someone wrote and asked “what do I do with arugula?” The obvious answer is “use it in your salad”, but oh there is so much more. Arugula is used often in Mediterranean cooking and has a nutty and peppery taste at the same time. It has a pleasant sharp flavor when mixed with raw ingredients but is equally tasty in cooked dishes. Because it has a pungent flavor, some prefer to mix it with milder greens for salad. It is also excellent on sandwiches or added to pizza, just as you pull it out of the oven.
Don’t let the great flavor fool you arugula is high in vitamins A and C, and has only 2 calories per half cup.
Here is one cook’s opinion on cooking arugula “Cooking arugula is really a matter of five seconds with some olive oil in a pan; any more than this and some of the peppery flavor will dissipate.” Cooked arugula is also delicious when added to fresh pasta. So don’t just toss it in your salad, try something new. Add it to your soups, put it on your pizza, sauté it, or if you want to be adventurous try making an arugula pesto.
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box.
-Satsuma Mandarin Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Fuji Apples
Ridder & Son, Watsonville
-Kiwi
John Fagundes, Hanford
-Broccoli
Troy Huckabay, Kingsburg
-Russet Potatoes
Family Farm, Madera
-Garlic
Christopher Ranch, Gilroy
-Red Onions
-Butternut Squash
John Tobias, Hollister
-Red Leaf Lettuce*
-Nantes Carrots
-Jr. Asian Turnips*
-Red Butterhead Lettuce
-Baby Red Beets*
-Arugula
T & D Willey, Madera
*Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
KEEP THEM RED
To maintain the deep red color of beets, when cooking, add lemon juice or vinegar. If you do not they will turn a more violet color.
Winter Minestrone Soup
2 tsp olive oil ½ cup chopped onion
½ tsp dried or fresh basil ½ tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 butternut squash cubed (1 ¼ cups)
¾ cup diced zucchini ½ cup chopped carrot
½ cup diced fennel (may substitute celery or leek)
1 cup water 14 oz chicken broth canned or homemade
5 Tbsp tomato paste 1 cup uncooked pasta
2 ½ cups chopped cabbage ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, basil, oregano and
Garlic to pan. Sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add squash and next 3
ingredients (through fennel), sauté an additional 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, broth and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in pasta; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage; cook 3 minutes. Stir in pepper. Cook until desired doneness. Serve with cheese Parmesan cheese on top.
Approximately 6 servings.
Optional: Meatballs or other meat may be added if desired.
SURPRISE, surprise, surprise.
Even the Milk tastes better. I got a gallon of the non-fat that tastes better than the 2% we were used to. Whooda thunked it???
Before we added milk to our add-ons, I looked around for who was doing organic dairy right. Hands down, it was Organic Valley. Let me tell you briefly about them. National Co-op/ Max 500 cows per dairy/ 1 out of every 10 organic farmers in America (not just dairy farmers) is a member/ all pasture is adjacent to the dairies. For more, they’re on the web.
I milked the family cow every morning before school (weird even 40 years ago) so I know the health benefits from Raw Milk. A personal goal for me with Abundant Harvest is to offer Raw Milk. I don’t know how many of you would be interested, but my guess is we’re going to need a much larger subscription base to justify it. Several of you have indicated the desire and your zeal is truly appreciated. As fast as we can find a supplier willing to work with our numbers, we’ll have it on the truck.
In the mean time, and for as long as they’ll keep bringing it to us, this Organic Valley stuff is off the charts good. Wow.
FOOD SAFETY POLITICS
Here’s the scoop. A year and a few months ago, there was an e- coli out break in spinach, remember? It was never traced back to any particular source, despite much conjecture. It wasn’t Organic spinach, but it was bagged by Earth Bound (the most cost efficient bagger) into various labels. Best guess is that some guy spread manure right before planting. The one common denominator through all of it was that it was “pre-cut, bagged”. In other words, the leafy salad stuff comes in, gets rinsed in recycled, chlorinated water, chopped up, often mixed with other greens and then bagged or clammed. These operations take huge capital investments and are thus the
domain of very large agri-businesses. I’m not one of those anti corporate farmer types. They have their place and have worked hard to get there. What I am is a huge personal responsibility guy. It’s none of my business whether you or your kids wear a helmet while snow skiing or riding a horse.
Cut to the chase. Hardly ever has e-coli been found on whole leafy greens. Never on whole Organic leafies to my knowledge. Whole uncut is the venue of small Organic farmers. The American public is about to spend untold billions on food safety when only a particular segment has a problem. By the way, precut leafy greens continue to be recalled despite the protocols. I could expound adnausium but bottom line … if I ski into a tree, you shouldn’t have to wear a helmet in your car. The consumer’s going to pay needlessly and many small farmers will be put out of business over a problem that’s never been associated with them. There, aren’t you glad I got that off my chest???
As promised, Noah’s organic grains will be available as an add on next week. They plan on offering 2 and 5 pound bags of several different types of grain. I just can’t wait to start this segment of the adventure. Don’t you think Carol would just love a flour mill for Valentines Day? Shhh, don’t tell and spoil the surprise. Romantic devil that I am, I got her a heart shaped garden hoe one year at the farm show, but this could even top that.
Seriously fresh milled flour is really where it’s at for flavor and nutrition. Now, if we all applaud real loud, I’ll bet we can get Noah’s mom Sarah to share some tips with us about milling and baking in next week’s news letter. Until then…
EAT HEALTHY! Vernon
I DON’T LIKE BROCOLLI!
Is that something you hear from your kids, or even your spouse? One of our subscribers came up with the idea of mincing the broccoli in a food processor and then adding it to spaghetti/pizza sauce, or meatloaf.
GIVE US YOUR IDEAS
If you have ideas, or unusual uses, for some of the winter vegetables that we are enjoying right now email them to us at kathy@abundantharvestorganics.com. They may be included in our newsletter, or on the recipe pages that will very soon be available on our website. What may be a common vegetable to you may be something unusual to others, and they are looking for different ways to cook them.
ARUGULA
The first time we had arugula someone wrote and asked “what do I do with arugula?” The obvious answer is “use it in your salad”, but oh there is so much more. Arugula is used often in Mediterranean cooking and has a nutty and peppery taste at the same time. It has a pleasant sharp flavor when mixed with raw ingredients but is equally tasty in cooked dishes. Because it has a pungent flavor, some prefer to mix it with milder greens for salad. It is also excellent on sandwiches or added to pizza, just as you pull it out of the oven.
Don’t let the great flavor fool you arugula is high in vitamins A and C, and has only 2 calories per half cup.
Here is one cook’s opinion on cooking arugula “Cooking arugula is really a matter of five seconds with some olive oil in a pan; any more than this and some of the peppery flavor will dissipate.” Cooked arugula is also delicious when added to fresh pasta. So don’t just toss it in your salad, try something new. Add it to your soups, put it on your pizza, sauté it, or if you want to be adventurous try making an arugula pesto.
WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box.
-Satsuma Mandarin Oranges
M & K, Caruthers
-Fuji Apples
Ridder & Son, Watsonville
-Kiwi
John Fagundes, Hanford
-Broccoli
Troy Huckabay, Kingsburg
-Russet Potatoes
Family Farm, Madera
-Garlic
Christopher Ranch, Gilroy
-Red Onions
-Butternut Squash
John Tobias, Hollister
-Red Leaf Lettuce*
-Nantes Carrots
-Jr. Asian Turnips*
-Red Butterhead Lettuce
-Baby Red Beets*
-Arugula
T & D Willey, Madera
*Denotes Abundant Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.
KEEP THEM RED
To maintain the deep red color of beets, when cooking, add lemon juice or vinegar. If you do not they will turn a more violet color.
Winter Minestrone Soup
2 tsp olive oil ½ cup chopped onion
½ tsp dried or fresh basil ½ tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 butternut squash cubed (1 ¼ cups)
¾ cup diced zucchini ½ cup chopped carrot
½ cup diced fennel (may substitute celery or leek)
1 cup water 14 oz chicken broth canned or homemade
5 Tbsp tomato paste 1 cup uncooked pasta
2 ½ cups chopped cabbage ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, basil, oregano and
Garlic to pan. Sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add squash and next 3
ingredients (through fennel), sauté an additional 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, broth and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in pasta; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage; cook 3 minutes. Stir in pepper. Cook until desired doneness. Serve with cheese Parmesan cheese on top.
Approximately 6 servings.
Optional: Meatballs or other meat may be added if desired.
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