Winter CSA # 5
Friday December 27th
The holidays which seem to have an overabundance of treats, meats and drinks leave me craving greens more than ever! Over the holidays we needed to squeeze in some work time here and there to keep things running well and to have our weekly baskets ready. I am grateful that it’s not a chore though and that some time outback feels good. I hope you also take some time to yourself during these sometimes busy and hectic days!
Inspiration for this week’s baskets were soup…in case you have made some broth with your turkey carcass, or need a nice comforting light healthy meal!
In your baskets this week:
1 Bag of Chez Nous Salad Mix
1 Bag of Kale Mix
1 Bag of Mustard Greens
1 small bag of Flower Sprouts (cook like Brussels, also good in soup!)
1 Bag of Red Cranberry Heirloom Dry Beans
1 small but mighty container of Spice Mix
The spice mix which seems so small, is pure ground farm grown garlic, paprika peppers, smoked paprika peppers, chipotle peppers (smoked jalapeno), other peppers and a very small amount of Real Salt. It is delicious on garlic bread, deviled eggs or egg salad sandwich, potatoes, chicken etc…. The time that goes into making such an ingredient is quite ridiculous but it’s something I like to play around with and maybe one day make it profitable but for now I just like to share!
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| Whole pepper plants harvested |
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| Some peppers were dried in the dehydrator and others in the smoker. |
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| Dried garlic being ground into garlic powder. |
The dry beans which I left in there pods are ready to be shelled and I thought would be a fun thing for kids to do! The beans need to be soaked overnight or even longer but make sure to change the water. Once soaked they could be added to your favorite soup or chili in which they will still require and good amount of cooking to tenderness. You can even save them for planting in a pot or garden along a fence or trellis as they are pole beans.
The mustard greens many of you have already had in the spring baskets, are good cooked like any Kale but with a pronounced mustardy flavor. The stems are good also. If you want to cut down on the flavor, many recipes suggest boiling them a little first and cooking them in your recipe later. They can even be prepped by boiling the previous day. Added to soup and cooked over a longer period will take away all bitterness. I usually cook mustard greens with the traditional bacon and broth and i am including a recipe for that. I like the mustard taste! I also came across an interesting recipe where mustard greens were substituted for spinach in a dip-I am going to try this one!
Thanks everyone!
Till next week
Shirley and Rick
Chez Nous Farms
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