Category Archives: Peppers

2016CSA_Summer_August 27 on hydro house Mike

2016 CSA Summer August 27th

2016 CSA Summer  August 27th

  • Green Beans
  • Bell Peppers
  • Roasting Peppers
  • Baby Arugula Box
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Okra
  • Eggplant
  • Squash
  • Gourmet Cucumber

2016 CSA Summer August 27: Care and protection are reflected in the flavor and healthy benefits of what some have called “medicinal quality” products.  This mindfulness is also revealed in the distinctive methods used to tend the soil, via compost, some no-till, and an ecologically based focus all the way down to microscopic levels.  Michael picked up some spawn to set spores in his compost, courtesy of Sharondale farm’s Mark Jones.  They have long enjoyed sharing insights about permaculture and biology.  Both also explore the habitat and relationships of microbial action in their climates. The spawn to seed the compost was the “garden ally” stropharia rugoso-annulata which according to Mark’s website “attracts earthworms, captures phosphorus in the soil, and eats coliform bacteria”.  The journey began for this strain at another friend’s farm: Ted’s Last Stand.  They are just one aisle over from us at the Saturday market in Charlottesville.

This week’s tender baby arugula is an all time favorite for many.  The flavor does not have the big spicy bite of adult arugula, but rather a sweet nuttiness.  We hope you enjoy!

2016 CSA Summer August 20th okra beans

2016 CSA Summer  August 20th okra beans

• Green Beans
• Okra
• Chard
• Lacinato Kale
• Bell Peppers
• Specialty Peppers
• Eggplant
• Dill
• Thai Basil
• Yellow Squash
• Gold Bar Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers

Now into green bean land! There are so many ways to enjoy green beans from tempura (photo from recipegreat.com), casserole (photo preventcancer.aicr.org) to salad (photo delectablyfree.com), but i did not find any recipes using raw green beans, and we do enjoy them raw ourselves. All of the salad recipes called for the beans to be blanched, cooked to the tenderness of your liking.

2016CSA_Summer_Aug 20 green beans tempura

2016CSA_Summer_Aug 20 green beans tempura

But the recipe that really caught my eye was a homemade version of green bean casserole from scratch, from the previously mentioned preventcancer.aicr site, photo above left.  Ingredients: 1 lb of green beans, oil, ½ cup chopped onion, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 8 oz chopped mushrooms, 1 clove of chopped garlic, 2tbs of flour, 1 ½ cup milk, salt, pepper and pinch of cayenne. The recipe says to cook the green beans, 5 min, set in oiled baking dish; sauté the onion and mix with the breadcrumbs for topping; then cook the mushrooms 2-3 minutes before finishing with the garlic, add to the green beans in the baking dish; then add a bit of oil and the flour, scraping bits together from the pan and add the milk, stirring vigorously; simmer until thick enough to coat spoon, or until stirring with the spoon creates a wide swath, from 5-7 minutes, and add the seasonings. Mix this with green beans and mushrooms, spreading into an even layer.  Sprinkle with the topping and bake for about 10 minutes or until top is crunchy….Doesn’t that sound good! Much better than casserole from a can J.

 

2016CSA_Summer_Aug 20 green beans growing

2016CSA_Summer_Aug 20 green beans growing

 

2016CSA_Summer_Aug_6 Pepper bag

2016 CSA Summer August 6th- Peppers

2016 CSA Summer August 6th- Peppers

  • Field Arugula
  • Field Mix Greens
  • Chard
  • Lacinato Kale
  • Specialty Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Mint
  • Basil
  • Thai Basil
  • Yellow Squash
  • Gold Zucchini
  • Potatoes
  • Tomatoes
  • Gourmet Cucumber

What’s this bag of peppers? These are many of our specialty peppers, many of which come from the Chile Institute in New Mexico. Pictured below, right, is a lineup of the contents:

Peppers

Peppers

– padron (medium-hot)

– anaheim (mild green chile)

– serrano (hot)

– cubanelle (mild-sweet)

– anaheim (mild green chile)

– jalapeno (spicy-hot)

 

Peppers are a very healthy food and many places where the weather is hot, people consume hot peppers to cool off. There is also medicinal benefits plus the flavor added can give a dish a whole new dimension. Green chilies have twice the vitamin C by weight than citrus, and are a good source of potassium, iron and fiber. They are also rich in vitamin E and B-complex, which can aid in the prevention of cancer. Chile peppers in the diet can enhance the way in which cholesterol and fats are processed, decreasing cholesterol absorption so more is expelled from the body. Peppers can be dried or frozen for storage, or made into pepper jelly/jam or chutney to have as a handy condiment for the table.

 

The following chutney recipe is inspired by http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/three-pepper-chutney: de-seed and chop your peppers, chop a large onion and combine with a teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ cups of brown sugar and 2 cups of cider vinegar into a large pot. Boil and reduce to simmer, uncovered, for 1 ½ -2 hours, until thickened.  Pour into serving dish or jars and refrigerate until chilled. (Gloves can be used for hot peppers to avoid transferring the oils to your skin.)

To your health & pleasure, always!