Week 38

The average (whatever that means) American I’m told eats about 15 different produce items in a year. Potatoes, carrots, onions, bagged salad, bananas, apples… you get the idea. BOOORIIING!!! No wonder folks get tired of eating at home. We’re doing almost that many any given week. Variety as they say, but variety not only to keep things interesting, but because each plant delivers different nutritional values. We need to be eating a varied diet of nutrient dense food, a portion of that raw in order to thrive.
Speaking of thriving, I put half of our home ranch chickens on a probiotic this flock as an experiment to see what would happen. Wow. Better livability, color, less odor because the droppings are firmer. Coincidently, I just visited a couple hours ago with Dr. Stephen Gorton whose company manufactures a probiotic (good micro-organisms) product that we’ve used to combat fungal problems in our fruit. He told me that he had developed this product we’re using on fruit initially for an unnamed meat packer. He was getting the same results I’m seeing in chickens from this other product 30 years ago in the hog business. So I asked him how come nobody’s using it?
“It cost $2.00/ pig which was less than the antibiotics they were using, but the independent vets would lose their kick-back from the pharmaceutical companies” Stephen stood right on my farm and told me that story 2 hours ago. Sounds like some conspiracy malarkey, but he’s an honest guy, and follow the money. There’s sure a lot we just don’t know, but the little we do know is probably enough. More real stuff. Less fake stuff = better health in all areas. It’s truly amazing the connectedness between micro-organisms and plants and people
Our local leafy guys got nuked by the heat last week.
Nectarines are Zee Fire from our Nomura farm and peaches are Zee Diamond from right here in front of the house. We’ve decided to just do “field run” in the box which will mean less volume, but truer to the stated guidelines when you signed- up. I really only had one complaint, but what we’ll do is continue to offer the #2 cosmetically challenged stuff at a real cheap rate for those who want to make smoothies or just have for snacking and sharing. EAT HEALTHY

BELL PEPPERS
Ever wonder where some of our vegetables originated? It is hard to imagine that some of the things we eat have been around for centuries. Such is the bell pepper. Peppers, of various varieties, actually date back to 1492, when Columbus and his explorers discovered sweet and hot peppers in the West Indies and took samples back to Europe. The Europeans quickly made peppers a popular food, spice, and condiment. Just twenty years later travelers throughout the West Indies, Central America, Mexico, Peru and Chili found varieties of bell peppers growing in those areas. Most Americans still prefer the sweet peppers.
The most common varieties of bell peppers turn from green to red and as they mature on the vine they become sweeter. The bell pepper is eaten raw, cooked, roasted, or in vegetable platters.
A medium bell pepper contains only 30 calories and no fat but has 2g of dietary fiber and 150% of the recommended vitamin C intake.

ROASTING A BELL PEPPER
To roast a bell pepper place the whole pepper on a foil lined baking sheet under the broiler. Broil until the skin has blistered completely, turning often. Place the pepper in a brown paper bag, close tightly for 15 minutes until the charred skin steams loose from the flesh. Remove from the bag and cut lengthwise so the stem, seeds and membrane can be removed. Cut the pepper into quarters, peel and discard the skin.

RUSSET POTATOES
The potato is often known as the world’s most important vegetable. In many countries it is the staple of the diet. The potato was long ago adopted as the primary food crop in Ireland. Potatoes are a healthy choice because they are fat free, very low sodium and a high source of fiber and vitamin C. Russets, however, do have high sugar content.
Do not wash raw Russet potatoes before storing them. If you do so it will speed development of decay. Russet potatoes should be stored in a cool 40-50º environment that is well ventilated and dark. This will inhibit quick sprouts from growing. If your potatoes do begin to sprout or grow, cut off the sprouts.
Do not refrigerate or freeze uncooked potatoes as this changes the potatoes’ starch into sugar which will change the taste of the potato and darken the flesh when it is cooked. Prolonged exposure to light causes greening of potatoes and may make them taste bitter. If this occurs peel or pare the green area from the potato before you use it.
Bar-B-Que’d Vegetables
Cut squash into wedges or pieces, depending on variety, and place on a piece of aluminum foil with onions, bell peppers, and carrots. Drizzle with olive oil, seal foil into a pouch and put on the grill while grilling your meat. The vegetables will be cooked but still a bit firm, not over cooked. Try the squash and onion alone or add other firm vegetables to the mix.

WHO GREW THIS?
Here is what you will find in this week’s box.
-Seasonal Stone Fruit
The Peterson Family, Kingsburg
-Squash
Ginger Balakian, Reedley
-Carrots
-Celery
-Russet Potatoes
-Green Bell Peppers
-Dill*
California Organics, Lamont
-Lettuce
-Cucumbers*
T & D Willey, Madera
*Denotes Large Box Only
Contents may vary due to availability on date of delivery.

IS SOMETHING MISSING?
All of your boxes are packed by human hands and as we all know “to error is human”. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but if you get your box and an item has been omitted please let your host know right away and we will make every attempt to get you a replacement of that item the following week, or replace it with something else, if that item is no longer available.

Scrumptious Squash Casserole
4 medium squash, sliced ¼” thick 3 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped 1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream 1 cup seasoned croutons
Butter
Boil squash until tender. Sauté carrots and onion in butter until limp. Add soup and cream, mix. Add ¾ cup of the croutons and squash, stirring gently. Pour into greased casserole. Put remaining croutons in 1 Tbsp. butter and heat until coated. Sprinkle over top of casserole.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes

Bar-B-Que’d Vegetables
Cut squash into wedges or pieces, depending on variety, and place on a piece of aluminum foil with onions, bell peppers, and carrots. Drizzle with olive oil, seal foil into a pouch and put on the grill while grilling your meat. The vegetables will be cooked but still a bit firm, not over cooked. Try the squash and onion alone or add other firm vegetables to the mix.

Fruit Ice Cream
4 cups mashed fruit 4 cups sugar
4 Tbsp lemon juice 1 pt whipping cream
Stir together and put into ice cream freezer. Fill with milk(any percent you wish) and freeze, according to freezer directions