• 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!

• 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

• 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

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

• Arugula 10×10
• Mixed Salad 10×10
• Chervil
• Parsley
• Dill
• Basil Pesto *
• Red Sorrel Pesto*
• Citrus Selection
• Papaya
• Ginger*
• Turmeric*

And to top that off, papaya, turmeric and ginger..for fresh flavor and energy to face the chill of winter. Chervil I like to use fresh with veggies and salad as I find a bit of pain relief in its sweet aroma. Parsley, another nutrition rich green, can help relieve bloating, may fight kidney stones, gallbladder, and urinary tract infections. And it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial characteristics.

We made a Red Sorrel Pesto, among other flavors, in hopes to send you home with a red and a green version to use at your leisure. These store easily in the freezer, just let the container sit out for about 20 minutes during recipe prep and the outer edge with defrost making it easy to scrape a tablespoon or 2 out. Then the container can be popped back into the freezer. Woot! To your health and your pleasure, always, Leslie

• Calamondin Oranges
• Basil
• Thyme
• Dill
• Field Arugula
• Field Mix
• Green Sorrel
• Baby Kale
• Tatsoi
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Turmeric *
• Ginger *

Such a variety of combinations of flavor this week: ­­­­everything on this list would go well with each other, whether used as ingredients for drinks, dressings, salads, curries, soups, or desserts. A tea of boiled ginger and turmeric with a dash of pepper and a crushed calamondin oranges; cucumber pickled with calamondin …spruced with thyme and/or dill. Sorrel blanched and dressed with calamondin. Ginger and turmeric stir-fry with tatsoi and tomato, dressed in calamondin. Basil, thyme, and dill can all be combined with the calamondin, the tomatoes or the cucumber with delicious results…for a nutritious blend with a helping hand towards lung health (and to fight a cough), thyme, calamondin, and ginger would do well as a tea, syrup or marmalade to be integrated into meals. When I use the calamondin oranges, the whole fruit is involved. Smash them into a bowl so as to not lose the juice, fish out the seeds if you like, and finely cut up the skins: I like to use scissors. From there you can build into any direction, whether sweet or savory, in muffins or mixed drinks, as dressing or part of the main course…don’t be shy. Maybe a chutney for the table with the ginger and turmeric. A flavorful paste can be made by popping these into the Cuisinart and processing them…consider a paste for your next curry coming from your freezer made with calamondin, ginger, turmeric and coconut milk. An easy way to flavor your rice, just add a dollop! Enjoy

• Calmondin
• Kumquat
• Papaya
• Dill
• Bag of Arugula
• Bag of Field Mix
• Sorrel
• Rose Geranium
• Beet Greens
• Pepper Paste

Citrus: Note the difference between the kumquat (upper right) and the calmondin citrus (lower right). The kumquat is oval shaped, sweet and not much juice. The calmondin has juice, a thin skin and a very tangy taste. Both have seeds, which i eat, using together or separate in smoothies, cut over salads, into marmalade, over fish or chicken with your sorrel, or eaten as is, skin and all. Calmondins are great to flavor your water bottle, continuing to infuse after a refill. Try popping 1 calmondin, smashed, and 1 leaf of the rose geranium into your next water ration for the day. Michael found a papaya chutney recipe he wanted to share with you: fodmapliving.com/sample-page/appetizers/papaya-chutney/ which is simple and you can adjust the ingredients according to your likes, allergies and availability (recipes are malleable). Have a delicious and nutritious week, all!

• Fresh Dug Ginger
• Delicata Squash
• Field Arugula
• Tatsoi Heads
• Bay Laurel branches
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Pineapple Sage
• Lemon
• Kumquats
• Premium Tomatoes
• Arugula Pesto

2016 CSA Fall December 17th: Citrus! this week in your CSA share… when exploring your lemon, please consider using the peel as a zest touch on dishes and in tea. All of your herbs can be used to add a subtle nuance to your teapot and would combine just fine with the lemon, but i especially recommend it to enhance a tea made with the pineapple sage. The kumquats are traditionally eaten whole, peel included. The bay laurel branches can embellish your décor, be stored fresh in the fridge (covered) for weeks on end, or hung up to dry to keep for the next year. The leaf is used whole in cooking but removed before eating as it is not of a good texture. However, if ground into a fine powder, ingesting it is just fine! Bay Laurel is categorized as an Underutilized Species and is the distinguishing ingredient in Aleppo soap. A compound it contains inhibits human melanoma in vitro. And lastly, pesto! Besides tossing a tablespoon with fresh pasta and tomatoes or smearing it on pizza topped with your arugula greens, it makes a great dip and salad dressing. Try adding a dollop to plain unflavored yogurt for a ranch dressing replacement. Whip into some eggs for a quiche with chopped arugula and topped with thin slices of tomato…there is a Mom whose child likes to eat it straight from the container using tortilla chips!  You can pop your pesto container back into the freezer for super long term storage, just let it sit out for about 20 minutes to defrost a bit(warm water works, too) and scrape around the edge for your dish and return back to the freezer. To your health and your pleasure, always!