This Weeks Share Includes:
Sweet Baby Carrots-People often ask me what my favorite vegetable is that we grow here at Frog Song.. My answer? Carrots- and now you will know why. These are hands down the most colorful, sweet and tender carrots i have ever tasted and i think you will agree. These carrots are the first harvest of our fall season, they are young and tender so don’t waste your time peeling them just a soft scrub to remove any dirt will suffice. In the springtime we grow a variety of different colors such as yellow and purple.. You can pretty much guarantee carrots in almost every weekly share. I just know you will love them so much you’ll sign up for our Spring CSA Season. That’s the hope.
Watermelon Radish- A bright and colorful red center makes this radish a beautiful addition to any crudite plate. Serve it raw with your favorite dipping sauce or cook it in a stew. Sautee them in a stirfry or slice and bake them, there is no wrong way to eat this beautiful radish however if you want to savor the color try pickling them.
Bok Choy- It’s not just a stir fry vegetable, add it to a homemade vegetable or chicken soup just in time for this chilly Florida “winter” weather. Follow this simple recipe from allrecipes.com, Chicken and Bok Choy Soup
Red Russian Kale- This purple stemmed variety has more tender leaves compared to other kales and offers a mild nutty flavor that is slightly sweet and earthy. It’s best in salads or for light cooking. It is a cool weather vegetable that produces more vibrantly colored leaves as the temperature drops. No amount of cooking will soften the stems so it is best to use only the leaves.
Romaine Lettuce- Chop this brilliantly green head lettuce variety to use as a base for your mixed green salad along with some Red Russian Kale and Mizuna from your share, or try something new- Grilled Romaine. I tried this recipe a few years back and although i was quite unfamiliar with the notion of grilled lettuce it was a delicious treat and i urge you to try it. Don’t like Blue cheese? -substitute feta or goat cheese.
Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese and Bacon
Yams- What is the difference between our Sweet Potatoes and Yams you ask?? Nothing at all, just depends on what we feel like calling it that day. Here’s a little interesting fact i bet you didn’t know…Most people think that long, red-skinned sweet potatoes are yams but in actuality they really are just one of many varieties of sweet potatoes. Depending on the variety, sweet potato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple. The orange-fleshed variety was introduced to the United States several decades ago. In order to distinguish it from the white variety everyone was accustomed to, producers and shippers chose the English form of the African word “nyami” and labeled them “yams.” Fortunately we didn’t lose a whole lot with that last frost. We did however lose our sweet potato greens which means now that the leafy greens are dead the plant will stop growing and all their roots (potatoes) must be harvested from the ground before they rot. Enjoy them now, they won’t last long.
Cilantro- I learn something new everyday in this job and today i learned that Cilantro is the Spanish word for coriander, i had no idea that they were the same plant. Ground coriander is traditional in South American, Indian, Mediterranean and African cuisines particularly in curries, meat and seafood dishes. Cilantro or chinese parsley, are the leaves of the coriander plant. The leaves have a different taste from the seeds which some people find to have unpleasant soapy taste while others love the taste of fresh cilantro. Use your fresh cilantro to:
- Rev up your rice.
- Give salad dressing a kick.
- Add flavor to your stir-fry.
- Spice up pasta salads.
- Flavor your oils.
Mizuna- Traditional mustard green of japanese origin. It’s peppery flavor is much like that of arugula but milder. A little interesting fact about this little green.. Mizuna continues to produce for several weeks from one planting as a “cut and come again” product. These vegetables will re-sprout when cut at the top, most likely you received this same mizuna planting in your shares a few weeks back. Toss some in a mixed green salad with some chopped romaine and kale.
Turmeric- Possibly the most powerful herb out on the market today however it’s health benefits are nothing new… This so-called “superfood” has been around for thousands of years in ancient medicinal practices and cuisine all over the world. Turmeric helps beat inflammation and aids in the treatment of inflammatory ailments like cancer and arthritis the list goes on and on. If i should write everything i learned about turmeric this blog would turn into a novel so check it out yourself.
25 Best Benefits of Turmeric (Haldi) for Skin, Hair, and Health.
Looking for a way to use the raw turmeric from your share? Simply use a spoons edge to peel off the older layers of the root revealing the bright orange flesh (be careful, this root will stain anything remotely porous). Dice it up real fine or put it through a hand held garlic press. The general rule of thumb for converting dried herbs or spices to fresh in a recipe is 1-to-3, so 1 teaspoon of dried spice is equal to 3 teaspoons(1 tablespoon) of fresh. Roughly 2 inches of fresh turmeric root will yield 1 tablespoon of the dried spice. Try some grated turmeric when cooking rice. It gives rice a nice golden color. Add it to hot water with lemon and honey, or try this delicious Ancient Golden Milk Recipe, using honey and almond milk- a great bedtime relaxer.