Greentree Naturals CSA Newsletter - July 2, 2014

Fresh from the Garden News

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."
- Rachel Carson

We are happy to have this opportunity to share the bounty of our gardens with you. We've been working long days since the first of May getting all of the crops planted, weeded, and mulched. This is a huge and time consuming process that thankfully results in some delicious, farm fresh goodness that is packed full of vitamins and minerals.

If you haven't taken the opportunity to visit our Facebook page for Greentree Naturals, you can link to it from the home page on our website. I know that Facebook isn't for everyone, but it is a user friendly, and an easy way for me to post photos and updates of what's happening on the farm on a regular basis if you are interested in seeing the farm in real time day-to-day.

We have two apprentices this year. Linda is a local person who wanted to learn how to grow vegetables. She was already an avid gardener and we are grateful to have someone that knows as much as she does. Griffin came to us from Washington DC and is a young novice who has much to learn about gardening.

Right now in the gardens, there are flowers on the peas, squash, tomatoes and peppers, which mean it won't be too long before we get the first taste of these delightful vegetables. The garlic crop is phenomenal and lots of it; things are growing and the hot days ahead will hasten growth. Feel free to email me any comments, suggestions, or recipes you may want to share. Be well and eat your vegetables!

What's in the Bag:

Kale– It is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet with numerous health benefits including antioxidants, lowers blood cholesterol level, high in vitamin A, C, and K– and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

Salad Mix—We will try to provide some salad mix weekly.

Rhubarb-Cut up in 1" pieces and freeze if you don't use right away. Check out recipe for Rhubarb custard pie by going to our website Newsletters pages for June 15, 2005. I added 2 cups of apples to this recipe & used half as much rhubarb. You can cut the sugar in half if you like and even omit the crust and just make it into a custard. I just used the last of rhubarb that I froze from last year to make yummy rhubarb bread.

Garlic Scapes are the curled flower from the top of a garlic plant. Use them just as you would garlic, but consider making pesto and freezing for later. The pesto is good on bread or crackers, put on pasta, eaten with fish, and as a substitute for garlic, onion, or scallions.

Swiss Chard— Sauté with scapes, add eggs, make a scramble! Good rolled up in a tortilla ,frittata or quiche. Chop up the stems and sauté before adding the sliced leaf.

Black Beans—From 2013 Greentree harvest.

Recipes:

Diane's Favorite Kale Salad

• 2 TBS lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS honey
• 1 tsp salt + tsp pepper
• 1 pound kale (mixed or solo kind)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds (roughly chopped and roasted)

Tear or chop leaf from stems into small pieces into a bowl; set aside nuts; mix the rest of ingredients well and pour over chopped kale and mix to coat the kale completely. Let stand 20 minutes for flavors to mingle and kale to tenderize. Salt & pepper to taste. Nice additions: Parmesan cheese, feta, toasted tofu, apples, tangerine slices. Mixing tall three nuts is also nice.

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 pound garlic scapes, cut into 2" pieces; 1+`/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup olive oil, 1 TBS lemon juice, tsp pepper. Blend all together in food processor till smooth. This freezes well or will keep in the fridge for about a month. Good on sandwiches, with pasta, on pizza, with crackers…..

KALE CHIPS

1. Remove stems and tear leaves into large pieces (about the size of a saltine cracker).

2. Wash and thoroughly dry the leaves before beginning.

3. Don't skip the oil, but don't drench it in oil either. A little bit goes a long way. Use about TBS of oil per baking sheet of kale chips. "Massage" the oil into the leaves to coast leaves. If you want to add seasoning, this is the time to do it. Try garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, cayenne, nutritional yeast…just a light sprinkle of each.

4. Spread kale into a single layer on a baking sheet. Spread them out and rotate the baking sheet half-way through baking. There's no real need to flip the chips.

5. It's all about the low-heat for even baking. Bake at 300F for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15 minutes.

6. Cool for just a few minutes on the baking sheet. They will firm up as they cool. Store in zip lock bag once cooled.

All of your produce has been washed, but you may want to rinse it again.