Tasty and Healthy, January 12, 2012

Hello! We're so glad to see you again, and hope that all is going well for you and your families. 


As mentioned in last week's edition of Tasty and Healthy, we are sliding into our routines, but are saddened that we lost all our crops to the two-day-freeze 2 weeks ago. 

We hope to replant soon, but most items take 60-90 days before they may be harvested. We're sad for you, too, because these were specially grown for our local community for maximum flavor and nutritive value.

Though our farm was hit hard, as were others, we still went to the Plant City Farmers Market and picked up some spectacular veggies and fruits for your family's eating pleasure. We invite you to try new ways of preparing vegetables to suit your own tastes and styles. Be innovative and enjoy Mother Nature's Bounty! Incorporate vegetables into main dishes, or a few sides, so your family enjoys the maximum benefit of fat-free, vitamin-packed flavorful food. 


Our pesticide-free turnip roots are still available. These are great to use served alone (in steamed cubes, or mashed in place of potatoes). Dice or rough chop to add to any other vegetable side dishes for interesting taste and color contrast.

It will be great seeing you all at our satellite locations as well as at the Product Barn:

Monday - we will be at the Cloverleaf location. If you would like any of the pesticide-free greens, please phone to reserve them, so that we know to bring them with us.

Friday - Rolo will be at the Spring Hill location. If you would like any of the pesticide-free greens, please phone to reserve them, so that we know to bring them with him.

Saturday - Rolo and Joann will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with nearly 80 other vendors! Come browse, shop, and visit with your neighbors - it's an all 'round enjoyable time. You'll also be supporting local businesses by visiting their booths. If you would like any of the pesticide-free greens, please phone to reserve them, so that we know to bring them with us.

Saturday and everyday - Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will be at the Produce Barn until 6PM. Fresh Cut Pesticide-free Greens will be eagerly awaiting you in their little wading pool.

For our Calendar of Locations, and special times and dates for January, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

Items we found at the Farmers Market:

Herbs - mint and oregano

Squashes:

•     Beautiful, large Butternut Squash! (perfect for stuffing, steaming, microwaving, or in casseroles) See recipes below.
•    Large Yellow Squash (perfect for slicing, stuffing, and frying!)
•    Large Zucchini (peel and use in Breads, Cakes, Muffins, or slice and fry. Great in casseroles and salads. For fun, slice it lengthwise and create "boats" to hold rice, meat or cheese!

Lovely firm Tomatoes - Red and Green (Fried Green Tomatoes are a great southern tradition)

Purple Eggplant

Bell Peppers:

• Red
• Green
• Bi-color

Cucumbers

Gorgeous Green Cabbage

•    Perfect for steaming, cole slaw, or stuffing! (recipe below)
•    (Cabbage is so reasonably priced at this time of year, making it possible to use often. This vitamin rich vegetable is extremely versatile)

Lettuce:

• Ice Berg
• Romaine Lettuce
• Bok Choy (may be used hot or cold, steamed or raw, boiled or sliced/diced)

Wonderful celery from Florida - crying out to be added as a complementary flavor to salads, soups, jello, stews, roasted or steamed. For snacks, spread peanut butter in the hollow instead of using sandwiches or cookies as the snack.

Onions:

• White
• Red
• Scallions - with luscious long greens! (be sure to use those greens on potatoes, as garnish, or atop soups, and vegetable sides.

Fruit: (make a fruit blend for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dessert)

• Pineapple (fresh)
• Mutshu Apples (sort of a wonderful combination of Granny Smith and Fuji)
• Rome Apples (try a blend and make an apple crisp)
• Lemons
• Strawberries
• Pineapple-Orange Naval Oranges (yum!)
• Bananas
• Mangos
• Avocados

Roots:

• Our pesticide-free turnips
• Beets
• Baking Potatoes
• Gold Yukon Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Beautiful Red Radishes with green tops
• Awesome Carrots (great for soups, snacks, stews, steaming and juicing)

This week's recipes:

(just click on the name or check out the recipes in the right column)

Mashed Butternut Squash

Roasted Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash with Apples

Stuffed Cabbage

Our quotes today are:

The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?
- Jack Kornfield -

I have loved the stars too fondly to be

fearful of the night.

~ Sarah Williams

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement. Gran'ma Angie, Rolo, Joann, Nana Phyllis, Chef Jack and I love our customers, and appreciate you very much. Thank you for making our farm possible.

Veggie Hugs,