So What's the Difference?

When it comes to greens, what's the difference?

Greens offer a variety of tastes to suit any palate!

Mustards have a softer texture and more peppery taste.

Collards allow other flavors to be easily appreciated.

Turnips are a tiny bit bitter in comparison, with more texture.

Try them all in a variety of dishes!

When Greens are in season, be sure to plan ahead, and freeze for enjoyment during the summer months.

• Greens may be prepared ahead of time and frozen for quick, easy meals during the year on those days where there is no time to cook! 
• Greens may also be washed, and torn, then placed in freezer baggies for future use. 
• Because Greens tend to do well in winter (being chemically enhanced naturally by cold weather changes), it's the perfect time to purchase our reasonably-priced, pesticide-free Greens (collards, mustards, turnips) to freeze for use later in the year.
• Greens are delicious in soups, stews, casseroles, with pasta - just about any side dish can be enhanced with nutritious, colorful, greens!

Greens are excellent sources of soluble and insoluble fiber, assisting in LDL cholesterol levels, and protecting against constipation, colon issues, and hemorrhoids.

They are high in folates, Vitamin C, A, K and B complex. The leaves and stems are excellent sources of copper, manganese, zinc, calcium and selenium.

Mercola.com says:

Beet Greens: contain notable amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. They also contain vitamins A, B-complex and C.

Kale: eases lung congestion and is beneficial to the stomach, liver and immune system. It contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect the eyes from macular degeneration; indole-3-carbinol, which may protect against colon cancer; and is an excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A and C, and chlorophyll.

Mustard greens are an excellent anticancer vegetable. They may also be beneficial for colds, arthritis or depression. While mustard greens sold in the United States are relatively mild in flavor, some mustard green varieties, especially those in Asia, can be as hot as a jalapeno pepper depending on their mustard oil content.

Black Forest Cookies

Black Forest Cookies

courtesy of Susan's Daily Dose

3/4 cup cherry preserves
1 tbls cherry-flavored brandy (Optional)
10-12 large soft chocolate, chocolate chip or sugar cookies
1 - 16 oz can chocolate frosting
10-12 maraschino cherries w/stems (optional)

In a small bowl combine cherry preserves and, if desired, 

1 tablespoon cherry-flavored brandy. Spread 1 tablespoon 

of the cherry mixture on each of 10 to 12 cookies; set aside. 

In a medium bowl combine chocolate frosting and 1 

tablespoon cherry-flavored brandy. Spoon frosting into 

a decorating bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 

frosting in concentric circles to cover each cookie. 

If desired, top each cookie with a maraschino cherry.

Note: Sprinkle green decorative sprinkles
on icing as well to get the red/green
effect just perfect for the Christmas holiday.

Traditional Simple Collard Greens

(large soup pot or crock pot)

1 "mess" of collards, rinsed and torn

  

Place in pot. Add water about half way up, and cover.

  

Cook until tender, adding water if necessary.

Serve with corn bread or freshly-baked whole wheat bread.

Was that too easy?

Be sure to add your favorite seasonings, oils, and meats for customizing to your family's tastes!

Traditionalists enjoy ham bones, ham hocks, bacon and/or bacon grease in their greens.

NOTE: Vegans use Kelp or Sea Weed and Olive Oil

(left: shown without seasonings so that they may be added to assorted soups, stews, pasta, etc.)

_________________________________________________

**Southern-Style Collard Greens**

From Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern Food.

INGREDIENTS:

    * 2 pounds of collard greens

    * 1 ham hock or 6 slices of cooked bacon

    * 1 medium onion, sliced or chopped

    * 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

    * 2 to 3 teaspoons Kosher salt

PREPARATION:

Clean and wash greens well; remove tough stems and ribs. Cut them up and place in a deep pot; add onion. Wash off ham hock and add to the pot. Add red pepper and salt. Add enough water to cover greens and cook until tender, about 1 hour.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with sliced tomato and corn bread.

Serves 4 to 6.

Pesticide Free per FDACS!

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services treated us to an unexpected visit on October 5, 2011, to test for 179 different chemical residues including hazardous pesticides, trace pesticides and other harmful residues. We are happy to announce that once again our Chemical Residue Analysis Report confirmed the following:  "in compliance with Florida Statute chapter 500,  no pesticides detected." It's always a pleasure sharing our happy news with you!

For more information about the farming practices we employ,

just click here!

Happiness is a healthy farm!

Congratulations, Joann and Rolo!

Courtesy of Family Kitchen

Healthy Mac and Cheese with Sneaky Greens
For a video tutorial of Tastebudding founder, Jonathon Yeatman, preparing Mac ‘N Greens on live T.V., CLICK HERE.

With cold weather on the way, 

1 pkg. egg noodles
3 c. fresh spinach, diced
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth (vegetable broth is a good substitute if you want to make this vegetarian)
1 c. cheddar cheese
1 c. asiago cheese (or another sharp cheese of your choice)
1/2 c. diced ham
1 c. green peas, frozen

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions.

While noodles are cooking, melt butter in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Stir flour into melted butter then slowly add the broth and whisk until flour & butter are completely dissolved. Cook just until mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.

Three to four minutes before the noodles are finished, add the peas to the pot of water. One minute before noodles are finished, add spinach and diced ham to the pot of water. Drain noodles, peas, & spinach, then transfer to a large serving bowl. Pour cheese mixture atop and stir. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

You can find this recipe and many other kid-friendly meals featured on Tastebudding, a website dedicated to providing  simple, whole food recipes to nutrition-minded parents.  

This Week's Specials

Greetings! We have some great specials for you this week-end!

While the rest of us were still snoozing, or preparing for the day, Joann and Rolo were busy at the Farmers Market in Plant City, searching for fresh produce which is grown as close to Hernando County as possible. They strive to purchase from Florida Farmers before obtaining produce from other regions.

Just a reminder that when words are shown in that "purple" color, it means a link has been created for you to conveniently click and see the recipe or additional information. :-) The recipes in the right column under the word LABELS are also clickable.

WHERE WE WILL BE: We've added and changed a few of our regular satellite locations. Please visit the Calendar Page to see how this affects you in the Cloverleaf and Spring Hill Drive locations for the month of November.

With over 70 vendors participating, have you visited the exciting Hernando County Farmers Market yet? Click here to see our experience, complete with photos.

Recently added for your convenience, just click on the recipe links below:

Okra Nutritional information

Grilled Okra (no slime!)

Squash Medley

Cheesy Squash Casserole (great for Thanksgiving - try it with zucchini, too!)

Sauteed Red Skin Potatoes

Boston Butt Roast and Veggies

and to leave room for dessert, a fun family recipe:

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (yummy!)

And here is one you'll enjoy -- ALLIGATOR PEARS!

Other treasures found at the Farmers Market are:

Gorgeous, Firm Poblano Peppers

Red and Green Bell Peppers

Eggplant

Pesticide-free Zucchini and Squash

Purple and Green Cabbage

Beets

Pesticide-free Bok Choy
Carrots

Tomatoes

Radishes

Cucumbers

Romaine Lettuce

Sweet Potatoes

Bakers

Red Potatoes

Red and Yellow Onions

Scallions

Butternut and Acorn Squash

Avocados (aka alligator pears!)

Pinke Grapefruit

Bananas

Lemons

Limes

Plums

Red Navel Oranges
Tangerines
Fuji Apples

**SPECIAL** Red Bell Peppers - while quantities last - Red Bell Peppers - 25 to a box for $8. These are peppers which should be used right away in your cooking, stir-fried, roasted and stored in freezer or olive oil, or may be cut and frozen for future use in stews, soups, etc. Feel free to phone Rolo or Joann at 352-799-6752, 352-232-3381 or 352-232-0294 to reserve a box or obtain more information. 


Check out the Nutritional information for RED Bell Peppers (click to make the graph larger)

How about peppers, onion, and sausage for dinner - enjoy those red bell peppers to add a special sweetness to your dinner!

Our pesticide-free green beans and okra are finished. Soon our turnips will be ready for harvest!

FARM SPECIAL THIS WEEK-END:
We will harvest fresh pesticide-free bok choy and squash for you this week-end!

Have you seen our calendar for who? what? when? and where?

Just click here, or click on the tab at the top of this page. The tab will be updated every month to let you know about our exact dates and times for our satellite locations. This month, we have extra days to be out and about in order to accommodate Thanksgiving. 

Our quote for the week is:

Life is a great big canvas, 

and you should throw all the 

paint on it you can.  

~Danny Kaye

Hope your week-end is fantastic! As always, thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement so we may continue bringing good-value to your family's table.

Veggie hugs,