Thursday, April 18, 2013

Tasty and Healthy - April 18, 2013

Welcome to this week's Tasty and Healthy newsletter. Such beautiful Florida Spring Time weather - and our crops like it, too!

(photo on left - Sautéed Sweet Potatoes, Poblano Peppers and Red Onions)

To see which Winter Crops are currently being harvested on Beasley Farm, please see the highlighted areas below.

BIG QUESTION PLEASE: A few customers have asked us about CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA's are weekly produce "basket"programs. It is where a variety of vegetables and produce become available in predetermined "baskets" each week to a group of individuals who have planned ahead of time to purchase the baskets. If this appeals to you, or you'd be interested in more information, will you please advise Joann on Saturday or by phoning 352-232-3381. Thank you!

Gorgeous Red Swiss Chard - freshly harvested!

Wanna see more?

How about some beautiful White Swiss Chard?

Both are pesticide-free.

Swiss Chard may be used just like spinach - raw, cooked, or juiced, as a side dish, in salads, on sandwiches.

Did you know Swiss Chard can be frozen? Perfect for soups and stews.

More about Swiss Chard here.

Swiss Chard - I'm on a roll with this fabulous vegetable, and can't seem to get enough.

You've probably heard of Swiss Chard, and seen it in the stores, but wondered what it is, and what it might taste like. I've been enjoying the pesticide-free Swiss Chard tremendously this year! Mostly, I've eaten it raw, in salads and on sandwiches. But it's also great wilted and put in soups and stews. The flavor of the green Chard is very much like Spinach. It's a little stronger flavored. Don't be afraid if it is a tad wilty. It comes back after being put in water. Usually, I bring it straight home, clean it, cut off the stems (used in soups appearing similar to celery but tasting much spinach-i-er), and store the Chard in one of those Green Bags which keeps produce fresh for long periods of time. The Red Swiss Chard is much milder. In fact, after informing my husband that it almost tastes sweet like beets, and incurring a facial expression which basically said "yeah, right", Jack looked up the Chard in our little Burpee Catalog to learn that The Green is a cross between Spinach and Romaine, and the Red is between Spinach and Beets. Maybe they meant that the flavor is like that, because it certainly tastes that way to me.

I've read the internet about Chard, and apparently nearly no one eats it raw. But I do! It's delicious! Much more body and flavor than Spinach. Chard is very high in potassium, and helps regular blood pressure.

Swiss Chard may be washed and torn into bite size pieces, combined with a little cream and parmesan cheese, and baked. It may be thrown into soups for the last few minutes of before serving, used on sandwiches in place of lettuce, and microwaved briefly (no more than two minutes) and added to any dish. Try making quiche with it. These greens are wonderful for the non Collard/Mustard eater (that would be me). Another delicious way of preparing it is by sautéing with olive oil, or stir frying with other veggies.

Over on the JoyFul Abode website Emily creates a wonderful sautéed recipe using Chard, Onions, Walnuts, and more. Take a look!

For Gorgeous Kale or Beautiful Swiss Chard, please phone the farm. We will cut it especially for you to keep it at its freshest.

Because Greens are extremely perishable, we ask our customers to special order them if picking up at a satellite location. At the farm, we keep them in children's swimming pools of water.

Our fields are planted with three varieties of beans in preparation for the Big U-Pick in May! More details to follow in coming weeks.

Currently planted on the farm, but not yet ready for harvest:

Beets
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Scallop Squash
Yellow Zucchini
Okra
Green Beans
Pole Beans
Yellow Beans
Spinach - new crop
White and Red Radishes
Black-eye Peas
Conk Peas
Pink-eye Peas

As always, please feel free to phone the farm for special requests or special orders. We'll do everything we can to accommodate you. If you need something from the Farmers Market in Plant City, it is best to phone by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services visits to our farm regularly to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques,

and the testing we undergo, please click here.

A big thanks from Gran'ma Angie for recycling your shopping bags with us. Please keep them coming!

We Support Our Troops

Being Harvested on the Farm:

Pesticide-Free Kale
Pesticide-Free Red and White Swiss Chard (phone to reserve for satellite locations)
Pesticide-Free Red and White radishes
Pesticide-free Bunched Beets with tops

From the Farmers Market:

Mushrooms

Florida Tomatoes
Florida Cherry Tomatoes
Green Tomatoes

Eggplant
Florida Celery

Florida Green and Red Bell Peppers
Cubanella Peppers
Poblano Peppers, Red and Green!

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes

Gold Skin Potatoes

Spanish Sweet Onions
Florida Sweet Purple Onions

Scallions

Green Cabbage

Florida Bi-Color Sweet Corn

Cucumber
Pickle cucumbers

Zucchini

Yellow Squash

Butternut Squash

Florida Romaine
Head Lettuce

Lemons
Bananas

Valencia Oranges - Beautiful!

Pineapple
fresh herbs - nice variety - basil, mint, oregano, parsley

As of February 1, 2013, we are no longer accepting checks unless prior arrangements have been made. "Bad Checks" have become a burdensome business expense.

We appreciate your understanding.

On June 8 The Food Truck Rally

will return to the Hernando County Farmers Market!

Everyday - until 6PM Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will man the Produce Barn.

Monday - 9AM - 1PM We are now serving our north Brooksville customers in the Cloverleaf Farm Mobile Home Park - just off Hwy 41, across from the Hernando County School Compound and south of Croom Road in North Brooksville. Turn into Cloverleaf Farm's main entrance, on the right side by the golf driving range.

Friday - 7:30AM - 5PM Rolo will be at our Spring Hill Drive location next to the Chevron location. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

Saturday - 10AM-3PM Joann and Rolo will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Enjoy live entertainment, wonderful food, 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. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

Sunday - 9AM-2PM Rolo will be at The Tarpon Springs Sunday Morning Farmers Market in downtown Tarpon Springs (Corner of Alt 19 and Tarpon Ave). A great Pinellas County addition to our satellite locations. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

(links are in the words under the photos)

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes, Poblano Peppers and Red Onions

Baked Kale Chips

Zucchini Waffles courtesy of The Perfect Pantry

Quotes for this week:

Do more than belong: participate.

Do more than care: help.

Do more than believe: practice.

Do more than be fair: be kind.

Do more than forgive: forget.

Do more than dream: work.
- William Arthur Ward -

Consider how much more you often suffer from your anger and grief, than from those very things for which you are angry and grieved.
- Marcus Antonius -