2016 CSA Winter February 13

• Mixed Field Greens
• Baby Tatsoi 8×8
• Baby Arugula 8×8
• Baby Green Sorrel
• Flat Parsley
• Dill
• Cilantro
• Thai Basil
• Mint
• Butternut Squash
• Basil Pesto

2016 CSA Winter for  February 13 Switching you back to the heavy lifter, basil pesto, this week. Even though the sun has turned around the clock to longer days, we are now in the coldest month for our region. The days may sometimes be long and dark but basil lightens and brightens the way. The best anti-depressant in my book, in the form of good food.

There are many greens in this week’s offering that are good and nutritious additions to the likes of stir-fry, quiche, omlettes, heck! just a quick scramble of eggs with your handful of baby arugula and you have yourself a delicious hot breakfast…Baby arugula is another heavy lifter: “ARUGULA!” we say sometimes like tugboats in a fog…pushing onward, it knows the way. Flavor, sure it is yummy! But the benefits…it just makes itself so easy to munch on whether in a salad, a steak dinner, a lasagna, or a quick egg dish. Sprinkle fresh leaves on top as a garnish so as to appreciate the velvet of the leaf and fresh flavor. Another classic you have this week is the Baby Tatsoi. It is a shell-like dish in shape, and we like in fast, stir-fry situations also. Having it in noodles and pasta is a must as the heat from the other veggies and noodles gives it a steamy wilt. And the leaves will shine . This method of adding it at the last minute works well with Thai and Vietnamese style noodle soups. By itself, just heat up a skillet on medium, add oil or butter, garlic or fresh grated ginger, and toast that up a bit…add your tatsoi at the last moments for that shiny wilt and then slide onto a plate as a side dish or garnish. It is sweet in the end. Herbs for your health also!

Mint this week to warm as digestive tea, and consider drying any unused portion for a jar presentation on the shelf. Cilantro, from mental health to physical well being, this would pair nicely in a Thai noodle soup as a topping at the end. Consider the power punch of parsley: i read somewhere that parsley is the highest vitamin C containing herb. And some dill fronds to sweeten your meals.

To your health & pleasure, always, love, leslie.

Chocolate Mint In Greenhouse

Baby Arugula

Baby Tatsoi

2016 CSA Winter February 6 Planet Earth Diversified

• Mixed Field Greens
• Baby Salad Mix
• Baby Arugula
• Baby Red Sorrel
• Baby Green Sorrel
• Dill
• Chervil
• Cilantro
• Lemongrass
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Watercress pesto

Watercress

Pesto

Special for you! Fresh ground watercress pesto…try this as a dollop in the middle of a pureed sorrel soup (add sauté onion) and dab at it with hot toasty French bread (with butter)…um, yum! Will give a nice tone to the crisp flavor of the sorrel by deepening it with earth and pepper textures. Use the tang of the sorrel to your advantage and serve with a side of chopped garden greens…the pesto can shine here, too, just add olive oil or yogurt to create a salad dressing to match. Garnish the soup with your best health oil, i use flax for my mental health, and serve it hot.
Watercress pesto is one of the world’s healthiest foods…from the way we grow the watercress to the way we hand-grind each batch, great care is given to create the most potentiality for taste and nutrition. Known for being a peppery, dark, leafy green that grows with a wet foot along creeks and ditches, we bring it up off the ground and grow it on benches…it cascades over the sides, looking for more footing. This herb brought a happy smile to my face whilst i was hiking high in Western New Mexico…the excruciating altitude change had brought on a massive headache and i sought comfort in shaded wet rocks along a creek run. There, nestled calmly and absolutely was the watercress. What a relief to see such a welcome plant from home! I checked up stream and around about, found the land to be in use for cattle, probably a land management deal, and set about getting a clean cut. That cut was just magnificent. With time, water, watercress and rest, i was able to move onward. We hope that if you find yourself in a place of need or hunger, you will turn to the watercress pesto as a spread for tortillas or pizza instead of store-bought snacks and see how quickly your outlook turns around! To your health and pleasure, always, love, leslie.