Winter CSA # 2 2013

Winter CSA #2 November 6

Hello CSA members

I am finding it particularly difficult to believe that it is Christmas time, we have our Advent calendars up and should be getting our tree this weekend but it all seems out of place this year.  When we are driving around, I see the houses all decorated and it confirms that it is indeed that time but it just doesn't feel like it. It may be that we just don’t leave the farm much and that we are still growing and harvesting daily compared to last year and all previous years when our greenhouse wasn't complete.    Another explanation would be that we haven’t really started our shopping yet something I find harder and harder as the years go by I would much prefer shopping online from authentically green sites offering sustainable and organic products.  We have done our share of thoughtless consuming  and wasting and i find it difficult to see my children getting caught up in it all and i never want to force our ways of thinking upon them but i do hope to build an awareness in them that will help them navigate in a world that fosters endless spending on useless junk that is purposely not meant to last.

In our greenhouse, away from it all is where I love to be and this week we harvested for your baskets:

1 bag of Chez Nous Mix ( yummy pea shoots in it this week)

1 bag of Brussels Sprouts Greens (this are still from outside)

1 bag of Spinach

1 bag of Hakurei Turnips

celeriac

leeks

Beira Cabbage ( a.k.a. Portuguese Kale)

Thyme

If you have never used Celeriac before, it is a wonderful root vegetable that is mildly flavored like celery. It needs to be peeled and can then be boiled and added to your mashed potatoes or mashed on their own with butter and salt.

The the far left you can see some of the Portuguese Kale the leaves are large and the stocks can be used as in the same way as celery. It is the classic ingredient in Portuguese Kale Soup. The leaves have some yellowing at outer edges, guess i should have picked them earlier. 

Here’s a recipe that i make with pretty much any green and last night it was the Brussels Sprout Greens with the midribs cut out.  We also always have frozen cooked chicken and broth available from our stew hens makes quick suppers so much easier. In this recipe you can use some of your greens and your Turnips.

Thai Chicken Curry

The Book of Kale by Sharon Hanna

Ingredients:

2 tsp coconut oil

3 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp of fresh grated ginger

2 Tbsp of red curry paste

3 dried Kaffir lime leaves ( I usually don’t have these but they do add such an authenticity to the dish and i have previously purchased them at Thai Binh Variety on Drummond Road in Niagara Falls.  

1 can of coconut milk

2 tsp brown sugar ( coconut palm)

2 cups of chicken stock

2 chicken breast cut up in bite-sized chunks

6 cups of Kale sliced thinly ( or whatever cooking greens you have)

fresh or frozen green beans

1 sweet red pepper ( or other veggie last night i added Hakurei turnips)

Jasmine rice

Melt coconut oil and sauté garlic, ginger , Kaffir Lime leaves and red curry paste for about 5 minutes.

Add coconut milk and chicken stalk mixing all well and cooking another 5 minutes.

Add chicken and Kale and beans and simmer 5 min or till chicken is cooked.

Add peppers and cook 2 min.

Serve with Jasmine rice.

My children's advent calenders, son has a doorway and daughter has the staircase. This year we added a new element of one antique or secondhand item...to teach them about re-using and sparing the landfills.

Enjoy your basket and see you next week!