Category Archives: citrus

nasturtium

2018 CSA Winter March 24th Citrus Nasturtium

2018 CSA Winter March 24th Citrus Nasturtium

  • Kumquats
  • Calamondin Oranges
  • Nasturtium Flowers
  • Nasturtium Leaves
  • Salad Mix 10×10
  • Chervil Chef Box
  • Micro Collard Greens
  • Papaya
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • 2 Dozen Eggs

It is a real joy to share with you all every week a nice selection of the bounty here at the farm. This time, I would like to highlight that the microgreens selected are my favorite. Certainly other microgreens are delicious, nutritious and beautiful but none shocked me as much with regard to my expectation of how I thought they would taste. Being raised in the south, I was introduced to collard greens early and my experience into adulthood was a tough green cooked for a very long time, regularly prepared with or dressed with a splash of vinegar even if pork/bacon/ham hock, onions, etc were added. Sufficed to say, the end result did not exactly highlight what collards taste like, but rather smothered it. I do enjoy mature collard greens and will scissor cut the tough spine out before dashing them in a hot skillet, making quick work of wilting them just until they are bright green. Well, this week’s collards require no cooking and come in the power packed form of microgreens. Try eating a pinch right out of the box to get a sense of what I’m saying…sweetish, nutty, and satisfying. The first time I tried them, I was blown away. Another fun twist for this week’s menu, the lovely nasturtium. There are leaves which can be a doily by which to pick up the serving or used as a dainty wrap. I have also shredded them for use in salads and egg dishes, like omelettes and quiches. The flowers are lovely in a salad or as a garnish. Mike really likes these both savory or sweet, either stuffed with a crab dip or with a sweet cream (as shown) for desert. There is a nice spicy kick in flavor, but be sure to smell the fragrance for a delightful surprise. To your health and your pleasure!

 

2018 CSA Winter March 17th Orange Leaves

2018 CSA Winter March 17th Orange Leaves

  • Kale 10×10
  • Salad Mix 10×10
  • Dill
  • Poultry Herb Mix
  • Micro Mix
  • Papaya
  • Orange Leaves
  • Papaya
  • Eggs

A new idea to add to the menu this week: Orange leaves! My only experience with using a type of citrus leaf in preparing food was with the Thai lime leaf (Makrut) which I like in stir-fry dishes, curries, beverages and to use as a dental application against streptococcus mutans, which I had read about years ago of a traditional use in Thailand. Of course, it serves to reason that other types of citrus leaves are useful and delicious! The most common recipes I found on this topic were for tea, made with either fresh or crushed dried leaves, alone or added to black tea. James Wong at the Guardian blogged about enjoying them in mulled wine and cider. Elsewhere it is mentioned as a wrap for food and marinade in some Mediterranean recipes. There is one recipe idea from Brisbane of a beef and green bean stir-fry with garlic and soy sauce, which I would substitute the Thai lime leaf with the orange leaf. It can be used similarly to bay laurel leaves, leaving whole while adding to simmering foods or rice pot and then removed before serving. But it can also be sprinkled in as thin slivers to your dish, being sure to cook well. For best effect, scissor cut finely across the leaf, ensuring the minimal amount of spine and maximizing the softening of it. You can store your leaves in the fridge to use fresh, pop them into the freezer or dry and crumble them for the tea and spice cabinet. Hope you have fun with this different take on the orange tree! Enjoy

 

2018 CSA Winter February 24th Citrus

2018 CSA Winter February 24th Citrus

  • Eggs
  • Mix of Citrus
  • Salad Mix 10×10
  • Baby Salad Mix
  • Dill
  • Pesto
  • Microgreens
  • Poultry Herb Blend

A mix of citrus, eggs and a container of freshly made pesto this week along with your greens and herbs in your CSA share this week! Pictured at right above are Calamondin oranges, and in the bowl here to the right are those plus a few Thai limes. Below left are kumquats still on the tree. These are an almost egg-shaped citrus which we usually eat whole, raw, or sliced up to garnish a salad or dish. These have a mild and sweet flavor, in contrast to the Calamondin which are thin skinned and very tart. Those I like to scissor cut broadly over a salad, including the skin, or adding to a homemade dressing. These are great for accentuating the cooking of meats, stir-fry, sweet and sours, curries, deserts, especially fruit pies. Makes for a great marmalade or syrup for the table. For a quick, on-the-go energizer try scissor cutting into your cup of tea or your water bottle. The rind will continue to release some flavor for a refill. The Thai (or Makrut) limes are larger, have a more bumpy look to the thick skin, and have a raised neck where it was attached. Although there is a bit of flesh and juice in the center, it is the skin that is most often used in cooking to impart its flavor to the likes of Pan-Pacific foods by way of a dash of zest. I store mine in the freezer, taking it out to grate a bit and returning for long term storage! Enjoy!

Citrus

Kumquats and Calamondin

Kumquats and Calamondin

Thai Lime PonderosaThai Lime- Ponderosa lemon- Kumquat- Calamondin

Thai Lime- Ponderosa lemon- Kumquat- Calamondin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Calamondin

    – tart seeded completely edible skin – crush into drinks use in extracts and cooking squat or dimpled fruit

  • Kumquat

    – sweet no or few seeds and completely edible peel – consume whole like candy slick firm oval fruits

  • Thai lime

    – 1000x the potentcyof Lime Leaf – little juice zest of peel powerfull in curries, green teardrop shape

  • Ponderosa Lemon

    – thick skin huge lemons