Thursday, January 10, 2013

Tasty and Healthy - January 10, 2013

Bringing you sweet wishes for an enjoyable week. Hope you and yours are doing well and taking pleasure in the little things.

Photo to left is fresh salad without lettuce. Recipe shown below. Try spritzing salads with a little lemon to add zest and healthier nutrients, even if it is in addition to your regular seasonings and dressings.

Recap from last week: One of the healthiest additions to our diets is to add lemon. Very easy to do, just by drinking lemon water all day. Lemons have been used medicinally for thousands of years, and they taste good. Here are a few reasons for incorporating lemons into one's daily life:

Balances pH (contains citric acid but is one of the most alkaline foods available. Once the citric acid is digested, it does not create further acid in the bod, but reduces the body's acidity.

Help with weight loss Lemons are rich in pectin fiber with alkaline properties which helps negate hunger cravings. Lemons replace essential nutrients helpful to maintaining a healthy weight.

Aids in digestion and waste excretion by flushing out toxins. It is liver's helpful partner and a natural diuretic, assisting the body's purification process and cleansing the urinary tract. Lemon's natural citrate helps prevent and break down kidney stones.

Supports healthy immune system, circulatory system and digestive system.

Rich in vitamin C, helping us fight off germs and promotes healthy skin through the circulatory system by decreasing wrinkles and blemishes. When our bodies and minds are "stressed", Vitamin C is one of the body's warriors, and is the first to be depleted. Replenish it regularly.

Rich in beneficial minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium and potassium. Potassium assists with brain and nerve function, helps regulate blood pressure, and can even help with stress and resulting moodiness. Most of the essential minerals needed by our bodies are found in lemon juice.

Dental Hygiene - Lemons' analgesic properties can help relieve toothaches, gum bleeding and even control halitosis.

Add fresh lemon juice to water, tea, coffee, salads, and on top of fruits, veggies and protein sources. For more details about lemons and their healthful benefits, please read our web page here.

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

How about freezing our pesticide-free greens while they are in season so they can be enjoyed all year long? See our web page for more information on how to freeze greens.

Because Mustards (shown below) and Collards (shown above) belong to the Cruciferous Family, they are extremely healthful and versatile, full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Please click here for information about Greens.

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

Red and White Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Spinach
Beets

If interested in fresh-frozen SHELLED black-eye peas please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

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 Turnips

Pesticide-Free Mustard Greens

Pesticide-Free Collard Greens

Pesticide-Free Kale

Phone for fresh-frozen Black Eye Peas

Winter Salads are delicious! I've been enjoying salads consisting of romaine and kale, and all the accompanying goodies. Add a little Feta or Goat cheese, olives and olive oil - mmmm! Yummy!

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.

From the Farmers Market:

Florida Tomatoes

Florida Green Tomatoes
Florida Grape Tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers

Green and Red Bell Peppers

Cubanella Sweet Peppers
Poblano Peppers

Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)
Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes

White Skin Potatoes

Yellow Onions

Purple Onions

Red Radish

Beets

Green Beans

Green Cabbage
Purple Cabbage
Baby Bok Choy

Florida Romaine

Florida Head Lettuce

Lemons

Limes (recipe below)

Bananas
Mangos

Tangelos
Fuji Apples
Red Delicious Apples

Florida Avocados
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Mint

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

Monday - 9AM - 2PM 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!

For our Calendar of Locations please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

(links are in the words under the photos)

Braised Chicken and Vegetables

Sautéed Cabbage

Corn and Poblano Lasagna

Cucumber ONion Salad

Quotes for this week:

There is not a fragment in all nature,

for every relative fragment of one thing

is a full harmonious unit in itself.
- John Muir -

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
- Emily Dickinson -

We can't say enough how much your encouragement and support mean. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Beasley Farm

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order GREENS or Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Tasty and Healthy - January 3, 2013

Is it really 2013?

Today we bring you Lemony Greetings and Our Wishes for a safe, healthy year, with plenty of take-time-to-smell-the-roses moments.

Why Lemony Greetings? It's a new year, time to start some new, inexpensive, healthy habits!

Have you noticed how unusual our weather has been? Warm muggy days and frost-covered mornings. Still, the best part is living without the drudgeries of clearing snow from walks and driveways. But it's wreaking havoc with farmers throughout the state. The crops don't know whether to bloom or hibernate.

One of the healthiest additions to our diets is to add lemon. Very easy to do, just by drinking lemon water all day. We started a regimen several months ago involving a morning elixir of lemon, hot sauce and warm water (Dr. Oz website). But more than that: lemons have been used medicinally for thousands of years, and they taste good. Here are a few reasons for incorporating lemons into one's daily life:

Balances pH (contains citric acid but is one of the most alkaline foods available. Once the citric acid is digested, it does not create further acid in the bod, but reduces the body's acidity.

Help with weight loss Lemons are rich in pectin fiber with alkaline properties which helps negate hunger cravings. Lemons replace essential nutrients helpful to maintaining a healthy weight.

Supports healthy immune system, circulatory system and digestive system.

Rich in vitamin C, helping us fight off germs and promotes healthy skin through the circulatory system by decreasing wrinkles and blemishes. When our bodies and minds are "stressed", Vitamin C is one of the body's warriors, and is the first to be depleted. Replenish it regularly.
Rich in beneficial minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium and potassium. Potassium assists with brain and nerve function, helps regulate blood pressure, and can even help with stress and resulting moodiness. Most of the essential minerals needed by our bodies are found in lemon juice.
Dental Hygiene - Lemons' analgesic properties can help relieve toothaches, gum bleeding and even control halitosis.

Add fresh lemon juice to water, tea, coffee, salads, and on top of fruits, veggies and protein sources. For more details about lemons and their healthful benefits, please read our web page here.

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

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

Red and White Swiss Chard
Broccoli
Spinach
Beets

We have ONE box of fresh frozen black-eye peas left. If interested in SHELLED black-eye peas please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

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

Support Our Troops

Being Harvested on the Farm:

Pesticide-Free Turnips

Pesticide-Free Mustard Greens

Pesticide-Free Collard Greens

Pesticide-Free Kale

Phone for fresh-frozen Black Eye Peas

Winter Salads are delicious! I've been enjoying salads consisting of romaine and kale, and all the accompanying goodies. Add a little Feta or Goat cheese, olives and olive oil - mmmm! Yummy!

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.

From the Farmers Market:

Florida Tomatoes

Florida Green Tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers

Green and Red Bell Peppers

Cubanella Sweet Peppers
Poblano Peppers

Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)
Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes

White Skin Potatoes

Yellow Onions

Scallion Onions

Purple Onions

Red Radish

Beets

Green Cabbage
Purple Cabbage

Florida Romaine

Florida Head Lettuce

Lemons

Limes (recipe below)

Bananas

Tangelos
White seedless Navels

Fuji Apples

Florida Avocados
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Mint

Where we will be this week:

Please note: we will not be at Clover Leaf this Monday, January 7

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

Monday - Please note: we will not be at Clover Leaf this Monday, January 7 9AM - 2PM 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!

For our Calendar of Locations please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

(links are in the words under the photos)

Baked Kale Chips

Collards - Southern Style

Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake

Grilled Tomatoes

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

Quotes for this week:

If you fill your heart with regrets

of yesterday

and the worries of tomorrow,

you have no today

to be thankful for.

unknown author

When you let go of trying to get more of what you don't really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have. When you make a difference with what you have it expands.
- Lynn Twist -

As always, thank you for your encouragement and support. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Beasley Farm

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order GREENS or Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake

This flavorful recipe is courtesy of Epicurious Food Recipes.

If you're looking to provide dessert for 12 hefty adults, this is a perfect solution. The servings are huge! The recipe makes two loaf pans.

Jack added a lemon-zest, lemon juice glaze, but I preferred it without.

Very moist and lots of flavor.

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 cup sour cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap out excess flour.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Using rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan. Turn out cake.
Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

Lemons and Lemon Water

Lemon Water is one inexpensive, easy, enjoyable way of incorporating many health-full nutrients in our daily lives.

The benefits of lemons are:

Balances pH (contains citric acid but is one of the most alkaline foods available. Once the citric acid is digested, it does not create further acid in the bod, but reduces the body's acidity.
Help with weight loss Lemons are rich in pectin fiber with alkaline properties which helps negate hunger cravings. Lemons replace essential nutrients helpful to maintaining a healthy weight.
Aids in digestion and waste excretion by flushing out toxins. It is liver's helpful partner and a natural diuretic, assisting the body's purification process and cleansing the urinary tract. Lemon's natural citrate helps prevent and break down kidney stones.
Supports healthy immune system, circulatory system and digestive system.
Rich in vitamin C, helping us fight off germs and promotes healthy skin through the circulatory system by decreasing wrinkles and blemishes. When our bodies and minds are "stressed", Vitamin C is one of the body's warriors, and is the first to be depleted. Replenish it regularly.
Rich in beneficial minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium and potassium. Potassium assists with brain and nerve function, helps regulate blood pressure, and can even help with stress and resulting moodiness. Most of the essential minerals needed by our bodies are found in lemon juice.
Dental Hygiene - Lemons' analgesic properties can help relieve toothaches, gum bleeding and even control halitosis.

Free Drinking Water aka WATER HEALTH recommends squeezing one lemon in six ounces of water for the following reasons:

When life gives you a lemon... as the traditional saying goes, you're supposed to make lemonade. But perhaps, as modern research is proving... you should squeeze that lemon and mix it with six ounces ofpurified water and drink twice daily.

Unlike coffee or tea which contains caffeine that can lead to dehydration, warm lemon water serves as the perfect good morning drink, as it aids the digestive system and makes the process of eliminating the waste products from the body easier. It prevents the problem of constipation and diarrhea from taking place, by ensuring smooth bowel functions. Lemon, a fruit popular for its therapeutic properties, helps promote your immune system and thus, protects you from the clutches of most types of infections. It also plays the role of blood purifier. Lemon is a fabulous antiseptic bestowed on us by Mother Nature.

Lemon juice works wonders for people having heart problems, owing to its high potassiumcontent. So, make it a part of your daily routine to drink a glass of warm lemon water in the morning and then open your gateway to enjoy its health benefits. "The medicinal value of the lemon is as follows: It is an antiseptic, or is an agent that prevents sepsis [the presence of pathogenic bacteria] or putrefaction [decomposition of tissue]. It is also anti-scorbutic, a term meaning a remedy which will prevent disease and assist in cleansing the system of impurities."

Due to the digestive qualities of lemon juice, symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn,bloating and belching can be relieved by having lemon juice. By drinking lemon juice regularly, the bowels are aided in eliminating waste more efficiently thus controlling constipation and diarrhea. "The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile, and is very good in cases of malaria. Sufferers of chronic rheumatism and gout will benefit by taking lemon juice, also those who have a tendency to bleed, uterine hemorrhages, etc.; rickets andtuberculosis. In pregnancy, drinking lemon juice regularly will help to build bone in the child. We find that the lemon contains certain elements, which will build up a healthy system and keep that system healthy and well.

As a food, we find, owing to its potassium content, it will nourish the brain and nerve cells. Its calcium builds up the bony structure and makes healthy teeth. Magnesium, in conjunction with calcium, has an important part to play in the formation ofalbumin in the blood. The lemon contains potassium 48.3, calcium 29.9, phosphorus 11.1, and magnesium 4.4. Lemons are useful in treating asthma, biliousness, colds, coughs, sore throat, diphtheria, la grippe [flu or influenza], heartburn, liver complaint[s], scurvy, fevers and rheumatism.

Who Can Benefit From Lemon Water? Dr. Beddoe, a leading researcher of the properties of lemons, states "Lemon water can be beneficial to every person that can tolerate it. That is, if there is no allergy to lemons (a very few have a true allergy to lemons) and no active ulcers, then all adults and most children should consider drinking lemon water.

Primary article from Free Drinking Water

Other Sources:

LaJolla Mom

Free Drinking Water "Detox and Weight Loss with Lemons"

Free Drinking Water "Prevent Kidney Stones with Lemonade"

Free Drinking Water "5 Surprising Health Benefits of Lemon Juice"

FitDay "The Nutrition of Lemon Juice"