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2017 CSA Spring April 29th Mint Julep

2017 CSA Spring April 29th Mint Julep

  • Cucumber
  • Baby Tatsoi
  • Field Mix
  • Watercress
  • Dill
  • Chives
  • Mint
  • Chard Bunch
  • Micro Mustard
  • Turmeric *
  • Ginger *

The Foxfield weekend is when we sell the most mint and we make emergency deliveries as the stores run out…and it is often times blamed on a classic mixed drink: the Mint Julep. The mint julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail made with bourbon whiskey, water, crushed or shaved ice, and fresh mint. The mint is “muddled” in the glass with a bit of water, which is just crushing the the mint to release the aromatic flavor of the herb. The ice is added and the glass filled with the bourbon, classically garnished with a sprig of mint. The mint, dill and chives can all be used to enhance a cucumber and yogurt salad, either separately or combined. The herbs can be added to couscous or rice to infuse the meal. We enjoy making minted teas, mint jelly, mint syrup for longer storage, mint crème pops as a summery treat and mint for chocolate cakes, cookies and gelato. With the heat starting to rise, adding mint to the mix can soothe and relax.  The mint can also be used to make a nice mist which can be spritzed about you when a hot day strikes or when a quick refresher is needed. Take a cup of mint leaves and cover with boiling water and let it sit overnight. Strain your mint infusion to remove leaves and pour some into a mist bottle which is often times found in stores where the travel size toiletries are. Store the rest of your brew in the fridge for longer life. For a seriously cool experience, chill the mist bottle too. A handful of leaves can be added to the day’s water bottle to lightly flavor it, even when refilled. To further store away mint, lay any remaining sprigs out on cookie sheets covered with wax paper, carefully paying attention to not piling it up so the air can dry it easily. These sheets can be stacked on the racks in your oven and dried. Break up dry mint into jars for months of storage and have instant access to a traditional calming antispasmodic herb used for thousands of years for upset stomach, nausea, headache, cramps and indigestion.

2017 CSA Spring April 22nd Earth Day

2017 CSA Spring April 22nd Earth Day

  • Baby Tatsoi
  • Tomatoes
  • Field Mix
  • Field Arugula
  • Dill
  • Chard Bunch
  • Pea Shoots
  • Micro Beets
  • Turmeric *
  • Ginger *

Earth Day: Most of you are familiar with our growing practices, compost making, certifications, awards, water and oil recycling, wetland reclaimation, etc. Most of you know that we will take back the packaging and cartons we use, that we switched to biodegradable straws at our markets. But did you know that we also recycle medium that has been used to grow mushrooms, thus innoculating our compost with helpful microbiological activity for creating nutrition at the root system? Did you know that our farm birds help in this cycle, eating up surplus greens and cuttings, also providing building blocks for nutrient rich soil that has been properly composted? This cycle is documented and inspected for our Good Agricultural Practices certification. Such attention to detail shines thru in the flavor and aroma. Recycling also won Michael an award in local farming for innovation in technology: before the water goes out to the water heater, it is piped in parallel to a heat exchange coil that is part of the refrigeration of our walk-in cooler, thus it gains heat, reducing the energy load on the water heater and by removing that heat from the refrigeration coil, reduces the demand for cooling. Heat from the refrigeration unit is recycled into hot water demands. A few ideas for easily helping the earth that don’t require a lot of effort: travel with your own containers for leftovers; carpool/walk/bike, etc.; your own metal or paper straws; and check out reusable utinsel sets to avoid plasticware. Carry your own water bottle. Stash a few of the compact, foldable shopping bags that can be machine washed to avoid plastic bags. Air dry laundry on a clothes line or drying rack. Just practical ideas! What are your suggestions? We’d love to know! Thanks for conserving petroleum and buying your food locally

 

 

2017CSA_Spring_Apr_15 Flower Salad

2017 CSA Spring April 15th Easter Flowers

2017 CSA Spring April 15th Easter Edible Flowers

  • Papaya
  • Baby Kale
  • Green Sorrel
  • Baby Red Sorrel
  • Field Mix
  • Field Arugula
  • Tatsoi
  • Spearmint
  • Mixed Edible Flowers
  • Micro Color Mix
  • Green Tomatoes
  • Parsley
  • Fresh Select Eggs
  • Turmeric *
  • Ginger *

So many suggestions for this week’s bountiful share: greens in a quiche or omelette that includes microgreen mix inside and more when plated, garnished with a few of the edible flowers. The eggs can also be blown out and used as ornaments. Try a creation with a dremel tool, carving out a design in the shell and painted with red sorrel juice for a fun project. The flowers can be pressed into service in between wax paper for lampshades, or try painting the violets with egg white and rolling it gently in a fine sugar for candied flowers. Of course, any salad you make can be garnished with both the microgreens and edible flowers for a bright and cheerful presentation. Papaya pie!Yeah, a little different, but I wanted to share my results: skinned, deseeded and chopped papaya was tossed with juice from 2 limes, !approximately ¾ cup of brown sugar, 2 tbs of honey, 1 ½  tbs of corn starch, plus healthy dashes of cinnamon and vanilla. This was poured into a prepared pie shell and baked on a jelly roll pan at 350F for 30 minutes. I thought it looked a little runny at end time so I dusted the top with some more corn starch, used a spoon to gently fold that into the papaya filling and baked it for at least another 20 minutes. See the results in the photos and please overlook the tell-tale dusting trail…we thought it turned out very yummy! Maybe you will try it? It was very hard to not be fooled into thinking that this was a peachy experience. Try your papaya as a replacement for peach in recipes, adding citrus to help cinch the deal 😉 Try with your green sorrel. Papaya cooked with ginger and turmeric makes a very nice jam/compote/chutney for the table from toast to curries. Have a marvelous week!