Recipes, produce information and forum for Zoe's Garden Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members. Zoe's Garden offers CSA subscriptions in the Park City, Heber, Salt Lake, Ogden & Lindon areas. Our purpose is to provide the freshest naturally grown produce possible by delivering it to our local members within a day of picking.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Real Food: what to do with the bugs, dirt and other residue

Photo Courtesy of Men's Journal


Hello There...

 As you read through the list, there are some things we won't need to worry about with our sustainably grown produce. However, it is a great guide for the bugs, dirt, and other organic residue.

How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables


•Start by keeping your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.
•Always wash your hands before preparing meals and handling fruits and vegetables.
•Keep fresh greens, fruits and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
•Choose healthy looking, ripe fruits and vegetables when you shop. Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.
•Wait until just before you eat or prepare your fruits and vegetables to wash them. Fruits and vegetables have natural coatings that keep moisture inside, and washing them will make them spoil sooner.
•Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.
•Wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables, even if you don't plan on eating them. Bacteria can live on the rind of an orange or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.
•Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don't use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals. These chemicals will leave a residue of their own on your produce.
•Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables really aren't any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so don't waste your money on them.
•Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush (buy direct) while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.
•Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
•Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Remember that the fruits and vegetables you buy may look clean when you pick them out at the grocery store, but you can't see bacteria or chemicals. Your fruits and vegetables still need to be washed before you eat them or serve them to guests or family members. This is especially important for produce and greens that are eaten raw.

Thank you About.com for this posting. Comments? Please email me at produce@zoegarden.com.

Jessica

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Fresh, delicious produce with a side of gratitude.


Good Evening,

I hope you are all enjoying your share thus far. As wishful thoughts of the autumn months creep into my head on days when the temperature is above 90 degrees, I quickly remind myself how appreciative I am for all that summer has to offer. I am also grateful to David for working in the hot sun to bring us so many delicious varieties of fresh produce. Each week I call, and each week he has already been working since before sunrise and well into the heat of each day. So with that, here is your weekly share list. Enjoy!

Small Share:
Garlic
White Onion
Yellow Potato Onion
Red Marble Onion
Kohlrabi
Early Flat Dutch Cabbage
Chinese Buttercruch Lettuce (small share will receive a smaller head of lettuce)
Garlic Chives
Small Tomato
Summer Squash
Chemainus Red Raspberry
Arapaho Blackberries

Medium Share:
All of the Small Share
Yellow Squash
Chinese Broccoli
Chinese Green Bean
Lambert Cherries
Buttercrunch Lettuce (medium share will receive a larger head of lettuce)

Large Share:
All of the Medium Share
Malabar Spinach
Baby Bok Choy
Snow Peas
Leeks
Italian Parsley
Eight-Ball Zucchini
Regular Zucchini
Papaya Squash
Sunburst Pattypan Squash
Extra Blackberries
Extra Raspberries
Extra Cherries

HAVING A HARD TIME IDENTIFYING WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE?
CLICK ABOVE TO ENLARGE IMAGE

WEEKLY UPDATE FROM DAVID:

CHERRIES: The cherries are very ripe this week, and are not fresh picked today. They were picked within the last week and refrigerated due to the heat.

CSA FARM TOUR: CSA Utah Tour 2010
Date: Monday, August 2nd
Fee: FREE! But please RSVP to Jeff at 801-557-0521 or jeff.williams@ut.usda.gov
Bus: There is room for approximately 45 people so “first come, first served”
Time: 8:30 to 3:00
Bring: water, sun screen, hiking boots, hat, camera, writing materials, networking information
Departure time and place: Fashion Place West Trax Stop on Park and Ride at Winchester (400 South and 222 West), bus leaves at 9 am
1st stop: Bell’s 9:30 to 10:30
2nd stop: East 11:00 to 12:00
Lunch: Please bring a brown bag lunch and drink
3rd stop: Zoe’s 1:00 to 2:00
Return time: about 3pm

NEXT WEEK: There is a possibility of peaches (medium share), beets and arugula in next weeks’ share.

From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Sweet and Savory


Good Evening,


This week’s share has a variety of items to fit right in to our summertime cuisine. From berries and arugula that can be eaten without preparation. Onions, zucchini, and kohlrabi that can complement any grilled meal. To cabbage and frisee, which are perfect for light meals in the summer heat.

Small Share:

Red Italian Dandelion Greens
Grey Zucchini
Great Lakes Lettuce
Early Flat Dutch Cabbage
Garlic
White Onions
Walla Walla Onions
Marble Onions
Dinkum Raspberries
Cilantro
White Venus Kohlrabi
Lambert Cherries.

Medium Share:

Red Leaf Lettuce
Arapaho Blackberries
Eight-Ball Zucchini

Large Share:

Arugula
Frisee
Mustard Greens
Brandywine Raspberries
Blackcap Raspberries
Crookneck Squash
Extra Eight-Ball Zucchini
Mixed Long Zucchini
Extra Dinkum Raspberries


HAVING A HARD TIME IDENTIFYING WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE?
CLICK ABOVE TO ENLARGE IMAGE

WEEKLY UPDATE FROM DAVID:
CHERRIES AND BLACK CAP RASPBERRIES: This is the last of the Cherries and Blackcap Raspberries.

FRUIT: David tries to bring us the ripest fruits so it is often important to eat the fruit in your share quickly or freeze it to preserve it for a later date.

NEXT WEEK: There is a possibility of apricots in next weeks’ share.

SAME BUT DIFFERENT: Special Note. The Arapaho Blackberries can quickly disguise the Blackcap Raspberries. Please see the tiles to see a comparison between the two berries. Also, the Mustard Greens and the Frisee were bagged together. Again, please see the picture tiles. The Mustard Greens have edges that are more loose, less crinkled.

I am excited to grate and cube some of the extra zucchini and freeze it. In winter I will add the cubes to soups and use the grated zucchini in breads. Also, I am going to make a salad with the frisee, arugula and berries for lunch tomorrow.

From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Kohlrabi Dishes


Kohlrabi Puree:

from the blog Foodie Farm Girl

Note: You can leave the mushrooms out if you don't have them handy.

Ingredients:
4 kohlrabi bulbs with leaves
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces cultivated mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas), quartered
3 Tablespoons cream (or milk, chicken stock, olive oil, or water)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Trim the kohlrabi bulbs, peeling them if the skins seem tough. Rinse the leaves (discarding any that are yellow) pat them dry, and coarsely chop. Set aside. But the bulbs into 1-inch chunks.
2. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil, and add the kohlrabi chunks. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, another 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let garlic brown.
4. Add the mushrooms and the reserved kohlrabi leaves to the skillet. Cover, and cook 5 minutes. Then uncover, and cook, stirring, until all the liquid has evaporated, 3 minutes. Set the skillet aside.
5. Drain the kohlrabi chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the mushroom mixture and all the remaining ingredients. Purée until smooth.
6. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and reheat over low heat, stirring, 2 minutes.


Roasted Kohlrabi
from the All Recipes Website

Ingredients:
4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each of the slices in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven to allow the Parmesan cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Thanks to Alissa for sharing. Let me know what you think of these recipes or tell me ways you've prepared your kohlrabi.

Jessica

Mystery Items In Your Share


If you are having a hard time identifying any of the 23+ varieties in your share this week...please click on this link or the image below. 









Have a great night,
Jessica

Getting Some Summer Color: Raspberries, Tomatoes and Lavender


Hi Everyone,

Hope you are enjoying the long summer days and colorful produce you picked up today.

Small Share:
Garlic
Walla Walla Onions
White Onion
Red Onion
Shingiku Greens
English Lavender
Sugar Snap Peas
Prelude Raspberry
Bing Cherries
Garlic Chives
Purple Venus Kohlrabi
Summer Squash-variety
Lettuce-variety
Turnip Greens

Medium Share:
All of Small Share
English Peas
White Venus Kohlrabi

Large Share:
All of Medium Share
Extra Bing Cherries
Extra Prelude Raspberries
Extra English Lavender
Extra Lettuce-variety
Red Leaf Lettuce
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Black Beauty Zucchini
Crookneck Squash
Yellow Eight-Ball Zucchini
Light Green Eight-Ball Zucchini
Amaranthus Leaf
Tomatoes


Weekly Update from David:

Lavender: Can be dried, use flowers in salad, cooked into pastries, added into ice cream, tea or coffee.

Zucchini: If the zucchini you received are more mature, David recommends stuffing them. The blog Fat Free Vegan has a recipe I am excited to try, Eight-Ball Zucchini stuffed with Rice, Basil and Sun Dried Tomatoes. I think I will be using a barbecue instead of an oven in order to keep my home cooler during the cooking process.

Garlic Chives: David recommends cooking them as a vegetable instead of as an herb.

Lettuce: If the leaves of your lettuce are wilting from the heat, soak them in cold water for 30-60 minutes, shake out water, dry with a towel or use a salad spinner and store in an airtight bag.

Raspberries: David recommends eating these right away since they are so ripe. If you want to use them at a later date he recommends freezing them.

Cherries: Enjoy, this is the last share of Bing Cherries we will be receiving.

Peas: David recommends cooking the English Peas since they are more mature at this point in the season. You can steam or add to a dish that you will be baking like a casserole or  a vegetables and rice dish.

Kohlrabi: If you have aphids on your kohlrabi, soak in cold water and then rinse while brushing the leaves with your fingers. I will be posting more information on aphids within a day or two.


I will be doing a follow-up post with the identification pictures shortly as well as including recipes that members have submitted and information on aphids.


From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica












Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Curry, Cherries and Chocolate Mint


Good Evening All,

This week there is a possibility of 15 varieties in your share.

Small Share:
Walla Walla Onions
Kohlrabi
Redbor Kale
Young Garlic
Bing Cherries
Fresh Curry
Chocolate Mint
Sugar Snap Peas
Salad Mix: (bitter)
    arugula
    mustard
    endive
Garlic Scapes

Medium Share:
All of Small Share
Broccoli Raab
Red Romaine Lettuce

Large Share:
All of Medium Share
English Peas
Extra Walla Walla Onions
Extra Bing Cherries
Extra Redbor Kale
Extra Garlic Scapes


HAVING A HARD TIME IDENTIFYING WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE?
CLICK ABOVE TO ENLARGE IMAGE

  ABOVE: CHOCOLATE MINT
 BELOW: FRESH CURRY

WEEKLY UPDATE FROM DAVID:

SHARE BOXES: Please be respectful of our drop-off sites and stack your returned boxes neatly. Also, please return your share box(es) each week when you pick up your new box. By not reusing your boxes, time, money and resources are lost.


CSA UTAH TOUR 2010:

Date: Monday, August 2nd

Fee: FREE! But please RSVP to Jeff at 801-557-0521 or jeff.williams@ut.usda.gov

Bus: There is room for approximately 45 people so “first come, first served”

Time: 8:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Bring: water, sun screen, hiking boots, hat, camera, writing materials, networking information

Departure time and place: Fashion Place West Trax Stop on Park and Ride at Winchester (6400 South and 222 West), bus leaves at 9 am

1st stop: Bell’s 9:30 to 10:30

2nd stop: East 11:00 to 12:00

Lunch: Please bring a brown bag lunch and drink

3rd stop: Zoe’s 1:00 to 2:00

Return time: about 3pm


Please email produce@zoegarden.com with any of your comments or questions.


From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica