Eat A Rainbow

If I remember anything from all of the healthy food initiatives I have heard over the years, it is to try and eat a rainbow.  No, they aren't talking about a bag of Skittles, as my children once suggested.  However, Summer time is the perfect time to eat a rainbow!  It becomes that much easier when you have your own farmer, who grows you a rainbow! 

This week's distribution had many colors.  We had a surprise visit from the Watermelon Fairy again, so there is a lovely watermelon that my kids can't wait to cut open.  There is corn...in case you missed it...LOTS of corn.  A whole crate of it in fact.  Something like 3 1/2 to 4 dozen ears can fit in that crate.  Yum!!!  Green Cabbage is winding down for the summer, but there is still one head of that in there (It will return again again in the Fall, along with its friends Red Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower) along with onions, banana peppers, zucchini, yellow summer squash, green peppers, cucumbers, onions, heirloom tomatoes and green beans.  And don't forget farm fresh brown eggs.

 If that list doesn't have you eating a rainbow, no much else will.  So many possibilities with all of those wonderful fruits and veggies that I will share a little of what I am looking forward to this week.

FRESH SALSA!!!

Chopping up some tomatoes, green pepper, onion and a little banana pepper for heat.  Salt, a little cilantro if you like, and my favorite for this time of year, some raw corn, right off the cob, adds a great taste and texture to the salsa. 

100 WAYS TO COOK CORN

Well, maybe it is actually only 5, but if you get bored of boiling pots of corn on the cob, here are some other fun things I have done with it. 

Quick corn - if you want an ear, but don't have time to boil water, peel an ear of corn, wrap it in a wet paper towel, and stick it in the microwave for 2 minutes (thanks Tom!)

Corn for Winter - Peel corn, scrape corn from cob, put it in a freezer bag, label and store for later.  When you want to use it, I just take it out of the freezer, pop it into a microwave steamer (not with the bag!) and it is better than any of the frozen veggies you can buy at the store. 

Corn Chowder - Here is my favorite Corn Chowder Recipe and if you don't like soup in the Summer, freeze the corn for later, and use this in the Fall or Winter.  But, I like soup year round. 

Cornbread - pick a recipe and get to work on some yummy cornbread

Corn Salad - fresh corn off the cob, tossed with diced sweet peppers (green works, or use any color you like) a can or two (depending on how much you are making) of black beans, drained, some diced onion, cilantro, olive oil, cumin and other spices to taste. 

SAUERKRAUT!

I got a lot of cabbage last year, and wasn't sure exactly where to go with it.  But, it lasts almost forever in the back of the fridge, and also it can be turned into Alton Brown's Sauerkraut Recipe which can then be canned and used through winter, or used as a topping for your summer grilled hot dogs. 

SUMMER SALAD

I don't know if that is its real name, but that is what my mom always called it, and we have the ingredients for it in the distribution this week.  Chop up some tomatoes, some of the sweet onion, and cucumbers.  Toss it all with your favorite Italian dressing, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simple, fresh, delicious!

There are many, many more possibilities of things to do with your veggies.  Share some ideas in comments if you like. 

I'm hungry now, how about you?

Veggies galore!!!

It is finally here!  Full swing harvest season!  If you are a member of the CSA at farmthisway you are in for some pretty great eating! 

This week the basket was BOUNTIFUL.  Zucchini and Summer Squash, onions, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, green beans, CORN, farm fresh eggs and hot banana peppers.  Did I miss anything?  Probably, the distribution boxes were brimming with good stuff and that came with a large potted Citronella Geranium to keep those bugs away! 

Last night's dinner was all farmthisway!!  We had fresh corn (some of us cooked it (the boys) and some ate it fresh/raw (the girls)) steamed green beans and egg salad made from our farm fresh eggs.  It was delicious!  My 7 year old son cleared his whole plate, which almost never happens.

More farmthisway for lunch today.  I boiled some pasta, and while that was cooking, I tossed some summer squash and zucchini, onions, tomatoes from my farmthisway patio planter, with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.  Topped it with Parmesan and had my sister in law and one of my daughter's friends over for lunch, and everyone ate it up.  My sister in law pointed out to my kids that they are very lucky, because most kids are eating a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, while they're getting the really good stuff.  Again, my son cleared his plate. 

Later in the week, I will stuff some of those hot banana peppers with cream cheese, shredded cheddar, and some panko bread crumbs for a late night snack while watching the Tour de France on the DVR in the evening with my husband. 

Need any ideas for your veggies?  Just leave a comment below and I can get you some recipe ideas! 

For now...here is something fun to try with your cauliflower.  Being from Buffalo, I can't say it is as good as wings, but it is a fun and healthier snack for sure, and also works if you are having guests who don't eat meat, or you yourself do not..  Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Let me know what you think! 

A sneak peak

As you may or may not know, the way a CSA program works is you get what is ready to harvest and what the farm has enough to share with you that week.  Different years yield different weather and growing conditions, and some weeks, even the farmer's themselves don't know exactly what will be in the distribution until they are finished packing them up.  So, while the website may list what members got last year for each week, it may differ greatly to this year's harvest.  But it is fun to get an idea of what you might get.  Almost like hints of a Christmas present.  But even better because you get a distribution every week for the length of your membership!

That being said, I would like to offer you a sneak peek at what you will likely see tomorrow, whether you pick up your distribution at The Blasdell Farmer's Market or directly at the farm at farmthisway.  The chickens are still laying, despite a skunk in the chicken tractor incident, so there will be eggs.  Farm fresh brown eggs!  So many ways to use these.  We usually do a breakfast for dinner night once every week or two.  Over easy, scrambles, omelets, or in crepe batter, these eggs are tasty, healthy and just plain wonderful!  This week it looks like we will be getting some green peppers in the mix, so these may favor strongly into an omelet station for breakfast for dinner night this week!

Also in the mix for this week is some more cabbage (see my early post about cabbage if you are looking for something new to try with cabbage), beets (YAY!  These are one of my favorites!) , heirloom tomatoes and a special surprise item....Don't worry, you won't need any recipe for this surprise item, you will know just what to do with it!

I will re-visit my favorite beet recipe for you, as I know some folks are a little beet opposed.  This is a recipe my whole family loves, it is easy and delicious, and I stole it from my chef brother....

Roasted Beets

First, wash your beets.  Spread out a small sheet of aluminum foil for each beet (enough to wrap around with a little extra room).  Put one beet on each piece of foil.  Sprinkle each with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and pepper (and any other herbs/spices you like) and wrap tightly.  Place all of the beet packages in a roasting pan and cover.  Cook at 350 degrees until tender, this will depend on the size of the beet.  Usually anywhere from 30 minutes for smaller beets to an hour for the really big ones.  You will notice that you have not peeled your beets yet.  That's ok.  They are FAR easier to peel after they've been cooked!  After they are taken from the oven and cool a bit, so they can be handled, grab a couple of paper towels, and basically just peel off the skin in a turning motion.  You can do this bare handed if you don't mind stained hands for a few days...Slice the beets and arrange either plain on a platter, or on top of a bed of spinach or arugula, and then top with crumbled Feta, and splash with your favorite balsamic vinegar.  One of our favorite salads ever.

Running out of ideas for your heirloom tomatoes?  They can be tossed with olive oil and whatever herbs you have and put on the grill as well.  Last week, we did these tossed with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary and used them as a side with our steaks on the grill, along with some portabella mushrooms.  MMMMM.....

Happy, Healthy Eating my friends!

A broccoli conundrum

Hey, just a quick note.  As some of you may have noticed, it was HOT Wednesday.  The broccoli that you got as part of you distribution, may have turned a bit yellow in the heat.  It was pretty and green when picked and early in the day, but as the day went on, it got a little yellow.  We ate ours that way, and it tasted just fine, we LOVE broccoli at our house.  (I also froze some to use for cream of broccoli soup when the weather cools). 

HOWEVER....I spoke to Carolyn at the Hamburg Farmer's Market today and she said that if anyone would like some replacement broccoli, just give them a jingle and head out to the farm to get some fresh cut green broccoli.  Marty and Carolyn want to make sure everyone is happy.  Just another reason I love our CSA membership at www.farmthisway.com

Enjoy your weekend!

An Egg-ceptional Project

When Marty tweeted at me and asked if we wanted to borrow some chickens for a week or two, I thought he was joking.  As it turns out...he was, by all means, serious...

A couple of hours later, these two ladies showed up in our yard...

They are part of a new experiment Marty thought of.  Since he was a little boy, Marty always wanted to have chickens.  His mom told him it was against regulations where they lived, but he could call the town and ask.  His mother, as often mothers are, was right, he was told they were against ordinance.  After a Summer full of a young boy rechecking the rules over and over, the town officer told him, that he thought actually, it would be OK, but if anyone complained, the chickens would have to go.  That wasn't enough for Marty, so he gave up on the chicken project until he was an adult himself.  Now, if you pay a visit to his farm, you will see an elaborate system of chicken runs all surround by some safeguards to keep the coyotes and other such creatures from having chicken for dinner, and many very happy chickens.  Marty and Carolyn raise the laying hens for eggs for themselves and for their CSA Members.  As a member I can tell you, this is one of our favorite parts of our weekly distributions.  We love the produce, flowers, etc., but there is no egg, like a farm fresh egg. 

Back to yesterday, and Marty's new idea.  Since they aren't selling these eggs, and are primarily doing this egg business to provide eggs in their distributions, Marty thought, "Why not loan out the chickens".  Apparently a couple of the girls had a vacation to Lackawanna recently.  This week there are a couple in Orchard Park.  We put their mini-chicken tractor in the back yard near the pond, so they could get to know their cousins, the ducks and geese who frequent our lawn. The kids are thrilled!!! 

Maybe we should make the chickens a little travel journal, a passport of where they've been?  Or compile a book of pictures of their adventures?  An AFS program of chicken exchange....

The next question is, after their vacation with the Gilmartin Family, who would like to get a chicken visit next?  Let us know!  Seriously.  Project Chicken is in full swing, and could be coming to a yard near you!