• 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!

• Papaya
• Field Mix
• Field Arugula
• Beet Greens
• Collards
• Parsley
• Jalapeno peppers
• Green Tomatoes
• Sorrel
• Edible Flowers
• Flowering Herbs

Edible Flowers: Nasturtium flowers are a favorite of ours in the mixed edible flower boxes we make, having a bit of sweetness as well as a touch of piquancy.  They go well in salads, spring rolls and omelets.  Mike has stuffed them with crab dip for a savory presentation.  He has also filled them with whipped cream and dusted them with cocoa for a sweet treat.  For the longest time I believed that nasturtium is in the same family as watercress, but I was mistaken! These two do share a bit of a bite in flavor and the growing habit of liking “a wet foot”, or a regular source of water. We use them therapeutically for ear, nose, and throat.  “The flowers contain about 130 mg vitamin C per 100 grams (3.5 oz),   about the same amount as is contained in parsley.  Moreover, they contain up to 45 mg of lutein per 100 gr, which is the highest amount found in any edible plant”, please see wiki for reference on that quote about nasturtium. Sorrel is a leafy vegetable that is tart and tangy. This green can be eaten raw or cooked. Worldwide it can be found as the main ingredient in sorrel soups, served warm or chilled. There are curry recipes that include sorrel. It is very popular to combine with cream as a sauce.  A simple sauce can be made to top off fish, chicken, potatoes, and other veggies. Here is a simple recipe to make use of all of your sorrel and ½ a cup of cream. Heat a skillet and melt butter. Chop your sorrel as large or as fine as you like and add to heat, just wilting the leaves. Pour in your cream and when it approaches a boil, reduce until the cream sauce coats the back of a spoon. Slather this on your cooked meat or veggies. Sorrel makes a yummy pesto which is also great for fish, chicken, sandwiches, dip, pizza, pasta, sauces and soups. Next week our new season of shares can be picked up Saturday at the market <3 Hope to see you there!

• *Pineapple Sage blossoms
• *Thai Basil blossoms
• Potato Medley
• Orange and Purple Sweet Potatoes
• Whole Ginger
• Butternut Squash
• Specialty Cucumber
• Patty Pan Squash
• Field Arugula 10×10
• Field Tatsoi 10×10
• Poultry Herb Blend
• Chervil
• Sage
• Green Tomatoes

2016 CSA Fall Nov 26th: *The pineapple sage and Thai basil blossoms will be given to you upon pick-up. They do not like to be as cold in storage as your other items and i did not want to crush the bunches getting them into your case. We appreciate the request for more flowers and are happy to oblige! Glad you liked the suggestion of using the Thai basil flowers over vanilla ice cream. The pineapple sage is known for assisting in treatment for anxiety, high blood pressure, indigestion, heartburn/acidity, mental fatigue, depression and stress. The flowers and leaves can be eaten raw, but my favorite ways to use it are as an infusion for tea and foods. One chef explained they liked to use our pineapple sage around and inside of fish while baking it, garnishing it with raw flowers upon serving. The “Pineapple Sage Ginger-Aid” was a very popular tea amongst my market customers back when i was fortunate enough to have the time to brew big pots for the market. If you would like to try this combo, i suggest you brew your ginger first, bringing it to a boil, and then turn the heat off and allow it to sit for a minute or two and then add a hearty helping of the leaves and flowers to steep as it continues to cool. The flowers will become translucent and give a pink hue to the drink. If you like to use raw honey as a sweetener, add after the brew has cooled down a bit to preserve the enzymatic/theraputic properties in your honey. With the hustle and bustle of the holiday, with the generally large amounts of eating during Thanksgiving and stress of travel, a cup of pineapple sage ginger-aid might just do the trick! To your health and pleasure, always! Have a great week everybody

2015 CSA                Spring           May 9th                     Planet Earth Diversified

Nasturtium flowers, European cucumbers and some of the season’s first broccoli are all part of the CSA share this week.   Nasturtium flowers are a favorite of ours in the mixed edible flower boxes we make, having a bit of sweetness as well as a touch of piquancy. They go well in salads, spring rolls and omelettes. Mike has stuffed them with crab dip for a savory presentation. He has also filled them with whipped cream and dusted them with cocoa for a sweet treat. For the longest time I believed that nasturtium is in the same family as watercress, but I was mistaken! These two do share a bit of a bite in flavor and the growing habit of liking “a wet foot”, or a regular source of water. We use them therapeutically for ear, nose and throat. “The flowers contain about 130 mg vitamin C per 100 grams (3.5 oz), about the same amount as is contained in parsley. Moreover, they contain up to 45 mg of lutein per 100 gr, which is the highest amount found in any edible plant”, please see wiki for reference on that quote about nasturtium. Suggestion for this week: cut a cucumber, soak it in a light vinegar and garnish with the flowers of nasturtium for a palate pleaser.

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Nasturtium flowers, blossoming pineapple sage & thai basil, flowering thyme, rose geranium, shingiku flowers,  blossoming stems of kaffir lime, rose buds, chive blossoms…just what was perfect to pick at that moment.

The mixed edible flower boxes are filled with the most choice selections of the day.  If you would like a particular mix or focus, just give us a call: 877-ARUGULA, ext 1.

*UPDATE: check out this recent article by C-ville Weekly on Edible Flowers!   Click on image below to open article…

Roses in the Flower House