Casalegno Family Farm Weekly
Week of June 12-18, 2011
This week brought some unexpected, but welcome additions to the farm. A neighbor with quite a large berry patch offered us all of the raspberry suckers that have shot up and spread their way far beyond the designated berry area in her back yard. We spent a lovely morning on her beautiful property digging out all the canes and loaded the prickly suckers into the truck to bring back to our place and plant. The area had already been well prepped so they were put into their home that same afternoon. They won’t fruit this year since they were dug up and transplanted so late, but this is an exciting step in the right direction toward that berry patch we have been wanting to put in! We are so grateful fo the help and support of our neighbors, and this wonderful community we are proud to be a part of!
IN THIS WEEKS FULL SHARE BOX:
beets
lettuce
carrots
chard
kale
sugar peas
basil
green onions
garlic scapes
lemons
rosemary
a jar of local honey from Bee in Harmony Farms
Rosemary Beet Roesti
An almost unbelievably sweet and wonderful side dish. The sugar in the beets caramelizes, and the flavors of the rosemary, beets, and butter meld beautifully.
· 1 to 1 1/2 pounds beets
· 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/4 cup flour
· 2 tablespoons butter
1. Trim the beets and peel them as you would potatoes; grate them in a food processor or by hand. Begin preheating a medium to large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
2. Toss the grated beets in a bowl with the rosemary and salt, then add about half the flour; toss well, add the rest of the flour, then toss again.
3. Place the butter in the skillet and heat until it begins to turn nut-brown. Scrape the beet mixture into the skillet, shape it into a nice flat pancake-like circle, and press it down with a spatula. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the bottom of the beet cake is nicely crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Slide the cake out onto a plate, top with another plate, invert the two plates, and slide the cake back into the pan (I just used a big spatula and flipped it). Continue to cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the second side is browned. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
BEE IN HARMONY FARMS
If you have been receiving flowers, they have come from this lovely little farm, and this week you all have a jar of their amazing local honey in your box to enjoy.
Located in the hills of Soquel, Bee in Harmony Farms specializes in distinctive fresh cut flowers and beekeeping. The flowers are grown with an organic mindset and from a true labor of love. These beautiful blooms add another layer of flavor to the honey produced from the beehives. Through the creation of Bee in Harmony Farms two passions for gardening and beekeeping have come to fruition.
RAW KALE SALAD
This is a Whole Foods Market recipe – it’s a great way to get more raw food into your diet. The key to this salad is finely chopping the kale leaves.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt to taste
2 bunches kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves very finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt to taste
2 bunches kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves very finely chopped
In a large bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, chili powder and salt. Add kale, toss to combine and serve.
RAINBOW CARROTS
You may wonder if these lovely colorful carrots are a new thing, but in truth people have been eating these tasty yellow, white and purple roots for close to 1000 years. The more commonplace orange carrots that we are used to seeing today may have been popularized to increase beta-carotene consumption, the pigment that gives them their orange hue. The body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A. Although rare in the United States, Vitamin A deficiency poses a major public health problem in developing countries second only to protein malnutrition. The good news is that each different pigment offers it’s own particular health benefits - Red carrots derive their color mainly from lycopene, a type of carotene believed to guard against heart disease and some cancers. Yellow carrots accumulate xanthophylls, pigments similar to beta-carotene that support good eye health. Purple carrots possess an entirely different class of pigments—anthocyanins—which act as powerful antioxidants. Remove tops (and compost!) and wrap in plastic before storing in the fridge.
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