Salamander Springs Farm/Permaculture Organics

Here's what you'll find in your box this week:

BERRIES BERRIES BERRIES!  They’re so tasty they may be gone before you get home!   Do use your berries ASAP since they don’t last long (because they are not like commercial berries!).   See last week’s posting for our favorite super easy and quick cobbler (crisp) recipe.  Breakfast toppings and yogurt smoothies are other delicious ways to use them.  The stems are easily removed, but should be done shortly before use, since it bruises the fruit.  Bruised fruit is usable (and a bit sweeter!) but after couple of days it will begin to turn to wine!  We leave the stems on the mulberries to make cobbler--you don’t even notice the extra fiber when you eat it.
Berries also freeze well if you want to save for winter use (to prevent freezer burn, “vaccuum seal” your zip lock bag by sucking air out while closing it--or use a clean vaccuum nozzle)
As we posted last week, scientific studies have shown that these fresh berries protect against harmful effects of free radicals that play a role in aging & disease, helping fight cancer, neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and bacterial infections...  See last week’s posting on the supply of antioxidants, vitamins & & flavonoid phyto-nutrients they provide!

MULBERRIES see last week’s posting about this delicious tree berry...they contain high amounts of anthocyanins, lutein and zea-xanthin, a carotenoid antioxidant that helps protect the retina (macula lutea) from the harmful ultraviolet rays!

STRAWBERRIES really need no introduction...but look at their amazing benefits in the nutritional info below.

BUNCH of tasty tender KALE and/or RAINBOW CHARD!  

KALE -  Eat raw in salads (see yummy Kale Salad recipe below!) or stir-fry in olive oil with green onions & garlic; cook like other greens in sautes & soups, or steam with a dash of lemon juice and butter. You can even bake and dry into delicious kale chips.  Use in place of collards, chard, mustard spinach or other greens.  Kale is a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidant flavonoids--see nutritional info below.  We love to eat kale because it is delicious!

RAINBOW CHARD - another favorite green at Salamander Springs Farm. Smaller leaves can be prepared raw in a salad, and the larger leaves are delicious to steam or sauté.  Chard is tasty in quiches, frittatas, and soups too!  This colorful green is also nutrient rich (see nutritional benefits info below).

PAC CHOY (“Joi Choy”) finds its origins in China and is a staple in many Asian dishes.  It is a crunchy addition to a fresh salad, the stalks are delicious dipped in hummus or pesto.  It is really tasty in a stir fry with onions & garlic and other veggies.  Asians stir-fry garlic, onion & spices (and meat or tofu if you like) in oil first--use a wok if you have one, but a cast iron skillet works great too.  Then add stir-fry the greens & veggies & stir-fry less then a minute, so they’re still somewhat crunchy.  Serve over brown rice. Experiment with ginger,  lemongrass, curry & Asian spices!  ENJOY!  Nutrition info below.

LETTUCE MIX with edible flowers! For a week of fresh salads, store in a sealed bag (with as much air removed as possible). See postings from last few weeks for great ideas and homemade dressings.  Lettuces are bursting with Vitamins A, K and C.

HEAD LETTUCE!  a tender loose leaf variety that is great in sandwiches, chopped for salads, or even “wilted” in stir-fries!
Lettuces are bursting with Vitamins A, K and C!  To keep it up to a week, gently wrap in paper towels, place in a loosely sealed plastic bag, and store in the vegetable crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

"KNOB” GREEN ONIONS - they're getting bigger every week, with more onion bulb, but still have their nutritious green leaf stalk.  Use it all, except maybe area around the “neck” by the bulb  which is on it’s way to “drying up” to become a storage onion.  In case you thought that onions are just for flavor, we’ve posted their amazing nutritional benefits (below) this week!  Green onions can be used as a substitute for sweet onions in many recipes.  Because of their mild flavor, they work especially well for salads, sandwiches, soups, and stir fries.  

FRESH BASIL Keep that pesto coming!  Making a batch of Pesto to freeze is  a great way to preserve for a later day.   

FRESH BAKED BREAD & SPECIAL TREATS from Clementine’s Bakery.

P.S.  The first of the season’s GARLIC (heads) will be harvested later this week!
We’ll have plenty of TURNIP GREENS on the market today!  They are an awesome, nutrient-rich southern green with strong character. Add them to hot butter, oil or grease on the frying pan and allow to simmer until they are very soft.  Serve and enjoy!

Remember to bring your box Tuesday, as well as produce bags you’d like us to reuse for your produce (wash & write your is name on them).  Thanks for recycling!

If you'd like to see slides of farm practices (from Susana’s permaculture workshops) & photos of natural building workshops at Salamander Springs Farm:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/28998021@N02/sets/

U-PICK SATURDAY ANYONE? Give us a call 859-893-3360 if you'd like to come out to Salamander Springs this Saturday morning (9-11) and pick mulberries or goumi berries...

YOUR INVITED! Our annual Summer Solstice (longest day of the year) gathering at Salamander Springs Farm will be Saturday June 22.  Let us know if you didn’t receive the invitation/directions.  Hope to see you then!

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STORAGE & NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION!

KALE is best used fresh as its wonderful flavor can grow more bitter over time.  Store in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to a week (keep as much air as possible out of bag).  Kale dries and wilts easily: place it in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes to rehydrate.
To freeze for long-term use:  wash, chop (you can remove lowest part of stem if not as tender when chopped)   Blanch for 2 minutes (dip in boiling water using a colander; then dip in ice water 1 minute and put in (labeled & dated)freezer bags as airtight as possible.  You can use a straw to suck out any air--or a clean vacuum nozzle!  Thawed, kale will work best in soups and sautés.
Kale contains fiber and antioxidants, and are among the best sources of vitamin A, which promotes eye and skin health and may help strengthen your immune system. A one-cup serving has almost as much vitamin C as an orange and as much calcium as a cup of milk.  Kale is the richest of all greens in the phytochemical lutein which is helpful for the prevention of eye disease, and is now thought to be protective against cancer.  It is also one of the highest sources of antioxidant flavonoids – which help ward off heart disease and regulate blood pressure. Kale’s benefits specific to women include helping to regulate estrogen and its calcium is more absorb-able than the calcium in milk. Expectant mothers can enjoy kale’s important minerals like calcium and iron, as well as folic acid necessary for proper development of the baby’s nervous system. And while nursing, kale and other leafy greens increase breast milk supply.

CHARD  can be used interchangeably with spinach, kale or other greens in many recipes. While it can be eaten raw or cooked, larger leaves are usually sauteed or cooked. Boiling or sauteing chard removes some acidity and makes it sweeter.  Chard is great in sauteed recipes, quiches, omelettes, frittatas, and pastas and soups! Smaller, more tender leaves are great chopped in salads with lemon juice balsamic vinegar dressing to tenderize.   Store in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to a week.  Do not wash until ready to use as moisture will hasten spoilage.  If your chard wilts before you are able to use it, you can dunk it in cold (ice) water to help restore some crispness.
To freeze for long-term use:  blanch the chard by boiling for 2-3 minutes. Immediately rinse with cold water, then drain, and put in (labeled & dated) freezer bags of the size you’ll use.  Get as much air out of bags as possible (use a straw or vacuum nozzle)).  Frozen chard will taste best if used within a year.
One cup of CHARD contains 300% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin K! which strengthens bones and is essential for healthy nerve and brain function. This vitamin has been shown to help prevent and slow the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease. It also prevents calcium from forming in tissue helping fight heart disease and stroke.  A cup of chard has 44% of your suggested intake of Vitamin A - an important component in white blood cells, which prevent and fight infection.  It is also important for healthy skin by allowing for proper moisture retention and for eye & vision health.  Chard is a great source of beta-carotene, which promotes healthy vision, and lutein and zeaxanthin which are found in the lens and retina. These carotenoids prevent cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Vitamin C: 20% RDA per cup of chard - boosts the immune system and fights free radicals which can cause cancer in the body. Vitamin C also provides anti-inflammatory properties and helps protect against heart disease, arthritis, cataracts and high blood pressure.
One cup of chard also contains 7% RDA magnesium and 6% potassium. Magnesium is important for regulating muscle activity and nerve transmissions.  Potassium is important for fluid balance in your body’s cells, and maintaining healthy blood pressure.
 
PAC CHOY (JOI CHOI) Place in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag and store in the vegetable crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to 6 days. Do not wash until  ready to use.
To freeze (up to a year): Wash leaves and cut off stems. Blanch by boiling for 2 minutes, then plunge into ice water to quickly cool. Drain excess water and pack into freezer bags (label & date).    .
Pac Choy is rich in Vitamin A (63% RDA) to help strengthen your immune system, vision, bones and teeth.  Vitamin C, (52% RDA) help protect against free radicals. The potent antioxidant combination of Vitamin A and C make it great anti-cancer food.   Additional benefits to your bones and teeth are provided by Vitamin K  (40% RDA) which helps improve absorption of calcium by the bones.  Pac Choy is great source of Calcium for vegetarians and vegans - 2 cups contains the same amount as one cup of milk!

GREEN ONIONS!  one green onion stalk contains just 3 calories and no fat with 10% of your RDA of vitamins A & C and 1% of calcium and iron.  Most importantly they contain:
Organosulfur compounds - powerful anti-inflammatory compounds found in members of the Allium family (onions, green onions, leeks and garlic). They help protect the cartilage to help prevent osteoarthritis, a condition that causes the deterioration of cartilage in the joints..
Allyl propyl disulphide - lowers blood sugar levels.
Quercetin - flavonoid antixoidants help neutralize free radicals that can cause cancer. Studies suggest that they protect against LDL, or “bad” cholesterol and prevent heart disease.
Chromium - essential mineral  which regulates glucose, aids the metabolism and storage of macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates).
 
STRAWBERRIES - a one cup serving contains only 53 calories but over 100% of your recommended daily value of Vitamin C (more per weight than citrus fruit) which helps prevent illnesses from colds to cancer, boosts the body’s ability to absorb iron, and promotes healthy skin, teeth, and gums!
One serving also has 13% of your daily value of dietary fiber which helps to promote healthy digestion by preserving the population of good bacteria in the gut, which also lowers the risk of digestive problems, hemorrhoids, and stroke.
A serving will give you 21% of your daily value of Manganese, an essential nutrient which has antioxidant and anti-inflammitory benefits, and helps build and strengthen bones. Manganese can help reduce cellular inflammation and oxidative stress - both of which are contributing factors to cardiovascular disease.  Strawberries are rich in phenols - chemical compounds in the fruit that serve as free-radical fighting antioxidants and also reduce inflammation. The benefits here include prevention of osteoarthritis, asthma, and atherosclerosis.  These phenols have been shown ward off many types of cancer.
Strawberries, grapes, and cherries are all good sources of ellagic acid, a compound not found in many foods shown to prevent carcinogens from turning healthy cells into cancerous cells!

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YUMMY KALE SALAD!

Big bunch of Kale, chopped
Add any of these you enjoy or have (chopped or minced): 
other greens, radishes, turnip, apples, carrots, green onions, grated ginger..(for protein, you can also throw in some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, walnuts or other nuts).

Whisk together and mix with the chopped greens & veggies:
2 T apple cider vinegar  (balsamic is good too)
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality fresh organic olive oil- makes a big difference!)
salt & pepper to taste, a pinch thyme..
2 cloves garlic (minced)

Add if you like: 1 T lemon juice, 1 T honey

Let marinate for at least 20 minutes to allow the dressing to thoroughly saturate your greens.   Make ahead and keep in the refrigerator until mealtime (also stores up to a few days).  Sprouts & avocado on top are pretty yummy.

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