Share Organics Fresh News

Farm News

The weather has been so warm lately that we have an abundance of greens this week,  baby kale from Madrona and spinach from Dragonfly!  That said it was snowing outside this Monday morning!  The cold could slow the growth of crops coming on in the next few weeks depending if this weather lasts.  Dave at Madrona Farm reports that he has “planted radishes and arugula under cover. They have come in very well. I foresee radishes in three weeks as well as arugula.  The overwintered cauliflower have made it through winter wonderfully and are starting to grow again. We can look for great big “sea pearls” around the beginning of April.”

Donate to Save Madrona Farm! https://secure1.conservancy.bc.ca/donate/appeals/donate.asp?id=W-00017D

Kale Chips (video recipe! Small kale doesn’t need to be de-stemmed)
http://www.danispies.com/archives/howto_video/kale_chips_-_video.php

LASAGNA – just layer it up!

Lasagna is not really a hard thing to make. Use different fillings as they appear in the garden/box.  It is basically four layers.
Sauce, filling, noodles, cheese.
Layer up in that order!  Veggie Lasagna most often has a green layer as one level of filling so that could be a 5th layer. This winter version is filled with local squash and hazelnuts and a sage cream sauce. This time of year squash is hard to peel so I tend to bake it first! Squash can be baked the night before.  If sage is not easily available then leave it out.  Lasagna noodles are easily cooked in a large fry pan filled with boiling water.  If using precooked ones make sure you have extra sauce.  Single cooks can make ½ recipe in a bread pan and still have some to freeze.  Or invite someone over!

Squash& Hazelnut Lasagna with Greens

Cut in half a remove seeds from:
1 Acorn Squash
Roast squash at 375 on top shelf of oven until tender/firm (about ½ hour).
Cool, remove skin and chop into 1 inch pieces.  Sauté with the following:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Black pepper

Remove from heat and stir in:
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh Sage or Thyme
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, loose skins rubbed off and coarsely chopped.

Make sauce while squash cooks:
Sauté for one minute in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat
1 clove Garlic minced
2 Tbsp butter
Whisk in:
3 Tbsp flour
Cook, whisking, 3 minutes.
Add in a stream, whisking:
2 1/2 cups milk
Add:
1 bay leaf
Grating of Nutmeg
Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally until it thickens.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss cheese together:
150g fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated (1 cup)
150g finely grated Parmesan

Cook noodles in boiling water:
8 (7- by 3 1/2-inch) sheets lasagna
Layer up in an 8 x 8 in baking dish.
2 Squash layers of filling and one green layer:
2 cups chopped Kale, Spinach or Nettles
Sauce, noodles, filling, cheese and again!

Tent dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. Let lasagna stand 15 minutes before serving.

LOCAL AND ORGANIC

With all the financial pressures and insecurities on families today we all have to make some hard choices.  One choice that may seem simple, Local OR Organic, has future ramifications that are not always easy to see.  I was cycling with my dog this past sunny Sunday on the Lochside Trail between Island View Road and Matticks’ Farm.  It’s a lovely agricultural area.  Piper was thirsty and drank out of a puddle on the roadside.I felt okay with this as I know she prefers rainwater to tap water.  However when she went to drink out of the ditch beside the field all I could think of was the run off of agricultural inputs.  Particularly at this time of year when herbicides are being sprayed and fertilizers applied to the soil.
Soil is the future of farming.  The science is showing us the importance and sensitivity of microorganisms in the soil.  Choose local and organic!

This week! Delicata Squash from Saanich Organics

Miso Mugi, Barley 400g……………$6.60
from Amano Miso in Richmond
ingredients: Organic Barley, Organic Whole Soy Beans, Sea Salt, Filtered Water, Culture (Aspergillus Oryzae).

Avalon Organic Butter 1 LB
Salted……………………………….$8.60
Unsalted……………………………$8.85

ROOT VEGETABLE CROPS

This time of year we are still sending storage onions and garlic.  We are checking on production to make sure we cull out those that are not useable.  Please let us know if we overlook something.  The product at this time of year may not be quite as pristine as it once was but should be delicious and will not be from China!  We still have local garlic from Madrona Farm so we are feeling very pleased with ourselves and with Madrona!!
Remember to support Madrona Farm one last time with a few dollars as we are very close to the final goal for the final fundraising drive! https://secure1.conservancy.bc.ca/donate/appeals/donate.asp?id=W-00017D

Squash with Miso Glaze

Cut in half a remove seeds from:
1 Delicata Squash

Roast squash at 375 on top shelf of oven for ½ hour.

Meanwhile cream together:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Miso
½ tsp hot chili paste like Harrissa
(Or more!!)

Spread the glaze over the inside of the partially cooked squash.  Return to oven and continue cooking until soft, about 20 minutes.

Farm News

Island Organic Producers Association

IOPA is the local organic certifying group on the island. We attended IOPA’s annual meeting this past weekend in Glenora.  This group has been meeting and setting standards for organics for over 20 years.  Now the Canadian national organic standards are coming into effect and our local certifying organization will be looking to see where their standards differ.  On the whole the IOPA standards have been higher than other groups which is why Share Organics feels so comfortable supporting them.  Certified Organic is our guarantee for tasty clean food and as guardians of the soil, our guarantee for the future of food!

Our local farms are small, mostly under 5 acres.  There are larger organic farms of 400 acres just across the Salish Sea in the Port Townsend area.  If we could directly access this regional produce it would make more environmental sense than bringing it from the mainland.  If it could be delivered without the use of any fossil fuels it would be a dream come true.

Enter Dave Reid of SailTransport.  He has been sailing produce from Port Townsend to Seattle over the past few summers.  When approached by Share Organics about a trip to Victoria he was eager to do a demonstration run.  Dave sailed into Oak Bay marina from Port Townsend last Thursday morning.  It was a twelve hour sail powered solely by wind.  Dave in fact does not even have a motor on this boat.  Our follow-up trip would include bringing some produce along to ensure he fits the Canada customs requirements.  One step at a time!

Warm Jerusalem Artichoke and Potato Salad

Boil in a pot of water:
½ lb Jerusalem Artichokes, chopped
¾ lb potatoes, chopped
Drain and toss with dressing

Dressing – mix:
Minced garlic clove
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp warm water
¼ cup flax oil
½ tsp dill weed
1 tsp pepper

La Molisana Red Wine Vinegar – certified organic, 500 mL  $5.99

Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) in this week’s box are from Kingcott Farm in Ladysmith!

CRUNCHY BEAN MIX

This product makes a yummy quick and nutritious snack eaten right out of the bag!
It also goes well in a salad, on bread or in a stir fry!
Grown on Salt Spring Island by:
Salt Spring Sprouts and Exotic Mushrooms
This SSI farm has been supplying us with organic bean mix, pea shoots and shitake mushrooms since late summer 2009!  They even sprouted us some mung beans for Chinese New Year.

Check out their fabulous tinctures made from Shitake and Reishi Mushrooms on our website!

MADE LOCALLY AND SO GOOD FOR YOU!

Farm News

Greens Again!
With the early spring we are starting to see the quick growing greens again! Last week was spinach from Dragonfly Farm. This week we have baby salad greens from Kildara Farm.

DRAGONFLY FARM IN GLENORA – A FAMILY FARM

Micheal Pollan’s New “Food Rules” – 64 Steps to Better Health

excerpt from http://www.alternet.org/health/145012?obref=obnetwork

Make no mistake: our health care crisis is in large part a crisis of the American diet — roughly three quarters of the two-trillion plus we spend on health care in this country goes to treat chronic diseases, most of which can be prevented by a change in lifestyle, especially diet. And a healthy diet is a whole lot simpler than the food industry and many nutritional scientists — what I call the Nutritional Industrial Complex — would have us believe. After spending several years trying to answer the supposedly incredibly complicated question of how we should eat in order to be maximally healthy, I discovered the answer was shockingly simple: eat real food, not too much of it, and more plants than meat. Or, put another way, get off the modern western diet, with its abundance of processed food, refined grains and sugars, and its sore lack of vegetables, whole grains and fruit.
Food Rule #11
Avoid foods you see advertised on television.
Food Rule #39
Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it
See more food rules and their brief explanations in Micheal Pollan’s article

17th Annual Seedy Saturday

Sat Feb 20th

Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St

10am – 4pm

Start planning your garden at this premier seed networking and educational event for both the novice and the expert! Features open-pollinated, organic and heritage seeds available direct from the growers.
Take in one of the free speaker sessions –
Brian Minter is this year’s keynote – schedule at www.jamesbaymarket.com.  Admission $7, under 12 free. Information: 381.5323, info@jamesbaymarket.com.

**While at Seedy Saturday meet the folks behind the Islands Grain Project and sign up as a CSA member
www.islandgrains.com/csa.htm

Warm Jerusalem Artichoke and Potato Salad

Boil in a pot of water:
½ lb Jerusalem Artichokes, chopped
¾ lb potatoes, chopped

Drain and toss with dressing

Dressing – mix:
Minced garlic clove
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp warm water
¼ cup flax oil
½ tsp dill weed
1 tsp pepper

La Molisana Red Wine Vinegar – certified organic, 500 mL  $5.99

Farm News

GRAIN CSA

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  The community supports the farmer by pre-purchasing the crop before it is planted. Heather and Brock at Makaria Farm are beginning their second year of the Island Grains project offering shares in a grain harvest for those looking to obtain local organic grain while learning how to grow it yourself. Each share (equivalent to 875 square feet of growing space) should yield approximately 40 pounds of grain.

Makaria Farm will be responsible for the sowing, weeding, watering and cutting for efficiency and weed control in 2010.
“Once we’ve done all the sowing and weeding, it’s your turn: we’ll be threshing and cleaning the grain together at harvest! We plan to beg, borrow or build a threshing machine so that this step is not labour intensive, though we will still demonstrate and provide the opportunity to do it the old-fashioned way (Farmer Brock’s “shoe and pillow case” method) for those looking for an authentic experience and sore muscles.”
Interested? Ready to learn more about this unique opportunity for Vancouver Island foodies? Visit Island Grains’ website for the nitty gritty details of our 2010 Grain CSA: www.islandgrains.com/csa.htm

GUNG HEY FAT CHOY!

Chinese New Year
welcomes the
Year of the Tiger on February 14

Thanks to Saltspring Sprouts for the special order of mung bean sprouts!

DECONSTRUCTING DINNER
Jon Steinman creator and presenter of the radio show Deconstructing Dinner will be on the Island.  Jon will be speaking on how Canadian communities have become dependent on an unreliable and unsustainable food system.
Muse Gallery 11195 Chalet Rd
2 to 4 pm, Sunday Feb 14
Call Diana to reserve tickets 250 656-9633
Did you know Share Organics sponsors Deconstructing Dinner on Village 900?
Listen on Sunday or Monday at 6:30 pm.

17th Annual Seedy Saturday

Sat Feb 20th
Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St
10am – 4pm
Start planning your garden at this premier seed networking and educational event for both the novice and the expert! Features open-pollinated, organic and heritage seeds available direct from the growers.
Take in one of the free speaker sessions –
Brian Minter is this year’s keynote – schedule at www.jamesbaymarket.com.  Admission $7, under 12 free. Information: 381.5323, info@jamesbaymarket.com.

Egg Fu Yung

Sauté until soft.

1 Tsp. butter

1/2 red onion diced

1 small clove garlic minced

Beat together :

4 eggs
1 Tsp. Tamari
Add to onion mixture:
1 cup bean sprouts
Pour egg mixture over vegetables.

Cook over low heat until firm.

Celery or mushrooms can also be added to the sauté mixture.

Madrona Farm

In case you have not heard, Madrona Farm received two $200,000 donation to put their current and final fundraising efforts in the reasonable realm of $250,000.  We the Victoria community have already raised over $2 million dollars to save this precious urban farm in the Belnkinsop Valley.  Next deadline is March 15.  Donate even just a dollar and we can do it!    https://secure1.conservancy.bc.ca/donate/appeals/donate.asp?id=W-00017D

Sailing Produce around the Salish Sea

We have been looking into bringing produce from some large farms in the Port Townsend area by sailboat.  Dave Reid at Sailtransport has been sailing produce down to Seattle this past summer.  We agreed to give it a try this winter when local island root crops are used up.  We are now out of Island organic potatoes, beets, and squash.
However there is not much produce left on the Washington Penninsula either.  This says something about our lack of food security!
Dave is going to try to schedule a development run this winter so you may hear more about this down the line.  If we can get our island farmers to grow more, that, of course, is all to the good.  In the meanwhile trading partners are important!  And getting it here with no carbon footprint is even better.

BACK IN STOCK — Avalon organic yogurt in 175 g lunch box sizing.
-Mixed 4 pack (at least two flavours) $7.49
-Individual flavours: blueberry, peach, raspberry, strawberry and NEW vanilla  $1.95 each

EMPLOYEE WANTED
Share Organics has a part time position available in their production area (primarily bin packing).  If you love veggies, are available Thursday afternoons on a regular basis, and have a flexible schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday as a back up person, Send us a resume! shareorganics@gmail.com

17th Annual Seedy Saturday

Sat Feb 20th
Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St
10am – 4pm
Start planning your garden at this premier seed networking and educational event for both the novice and the expert! Features open-pollinated, organic and heritage seeds available direct from the growers.
Take in one of the free speaker sessions –
Brian Minter is this year’s keynote – schedule at www.jamesbaymarket.com.  Admission $7, under 12 free. Information: 381.5323, info@jamesbaymarket.com.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Combine the following:
2 cups cooked black beans
1 red pepper diced
1/3 cup red onion chopped
1/2-cup fresh cilantro minced
1 hot pepper diced
1 1/2 cup kernel corn – frozen

Whisk the dressing together and pour over salad:
1/4-cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 clove minced garlic

Add:
2 ripe tomatoes, chunked, or 8 cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Farm News

What to do with apples at this time of year – especially those one in the bottom of the crisper that are past their best.  Try out this Apple Cake recipe from Chef Sonja Limberger of Five Elements Cooking.

Apple Cake

½ lb. Butter
1½ cups honey or maple syrup
5 eggs beaten
3 Tbs. vanilla
1 cup yoghurt  (or buttermilk)
Rind and juice of 2 limes (optional)
4 ½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour or light spelt flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
4 tsp. cinnamon
3 ½ cups finely chopped apples
Cream butter and honey together. Add beaten eggs, vanilla and yoghurt.
Combine flour, powder, soda and spices in a separate large bowl. Add the wet ingredients and the apples and stir in. Pour into greased 2 x 9 inch round pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until a tooth pick or knife comes out clean. Let cool, ice with a cream cheese icing.
Taken from Uprising cookbook and modified by Sonja www.five-elements-cooking.com

TURNIP Cole Slaw

Grate:
1 medium purple turnips
1 apple
Dress with:
2 Tbsp Flax Oil
1 Tbsp Apple cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Add:
½ cup dried cranberries
1/ toasted sesame seeds

To jump start 2010 LifeCycles Project Society would like to invite you to:

GRUB

A mix and mingle event for people interested in local food and urban agriculture.

When? Thursday, January 28th 2010
from 5 pm to 8 pm
Where? Garry Oak Room, Fairfield Community Association (1335 Thurlow Road)

Tickets are $10.00 (kids under 5 free) and the night includes free snacks and cash bar.
Tickets are available at Village Family Marketplace (920 Pandora).
For more updates on LifeCycles and information on our programs – or how to become a member – check us out online at www.lifecyclesproject.ca
We hope to celebrate a new year of great community work with you on January 28th!

17th Annual Seedy Saturday

Sat Feb 20th

Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas Street
10am – 4pm

Start planning your garden at this premier seed networking and educational event for both the novice and the expert! Hosted by the James Bay Market Society, Victoria’s community seed and garden show features open-pollinated, organic and heritage seeds available direct from the growers.
Take in one of the free speaker sessions –
Brian Minter is this year’s keynote – schedule at www.jamesbaymarket.com.  Admission $7, under 12 free. Information: 381.5323, info@jamesbaymarket.com.

Global Weather Today Affects Produce Availability and Pricing  Down the Line

This report on weather came in from my organic produce supplier.  Weather is changing and supplies are affected.  Another reason to get on board with local food security.

JANUARY 18, 2010

SNOW IN MEXICAN FIELDS

“Thousands of acres of organic produce we receive in the winter            comes from Northern Mexico, packed for California companies.  This year we set up a direct contract with Nature’s Way brand in Nueva Leone.  Our first shipments have been lovely.  But last week, tragedy struck, with temperatures in their area dropping well below freezing.  They were relatively spared compared to growers farther inland in Chihuahua state (south of Arizona and Texas), where growing areas were hit with harsh winds and temperatures of -11C.
These growers are used to a little frost higher up once or twice a year, but this record cold blast was the coldest in recorded history – the same storm dropped up to 5cm in downtown Mexico City, where snow is usually only seen a thousand metres up the hillsides and on the volcanoes.

Please make sure your staff are aware of these situations, because you are going to get questioned about shortages and prices, and they should all be made aware of the reasons.  The same conditions are also going to affect conventional pricing over the next 12 weeks.

• *Temperatures have been unseasonably cold across the deserts of California, Sonora and Sinaloa, slowing production of peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, green onions.
• * Major growing areas in  Northern Mexico have been frozen out with huge losses of field crops including celery, red and green cabbage, broccoli, parsley, cilantro.
• * Two weeks ago temperatures in the major growing areas of Florida centered around Talahassee had overnight lows of -10C and they had frost as far south as West Palm Beach.  Production losses were drastic, forcing eastern wholesalers to increase demand on Western producers.
• * California is under emergency flood watches and storm warnings for this entire week.  The first of 5 storms hit yesterday.  Long range predictions show that for the next 19 days California will likely see a 200 year storm event (the type of storm that would normally happen every 200 years), with up to 600 mm (20 inches) of rain, high winds, and massive flooding.  Winds gusted to 130km last night as the first of the storms hit, affecting Monterey Bay north to southwestern B.C.
• * Winds hit hurricane force over the Metro Vancouver last night and many major streets are closed, and thousands without power, and we are at the very top end of what is a parade of huge violent storms, each of which will extend from Baja to Vancouver.

Less than 50% of North Americans believe that humans are impacting the environment, and that global climate change is unproven.
Thanks
Randy Hooper
Managing Director
Discovery Organics
Vancouver Canada

Farm News

Our frozen local blueberries are from Ruby Red Farms in North Saanich, a certified organic grower of blueberries. The farm is family owned and operated by Ruby, Ivan, Robert, Kira, Nina and many extended family members who have made great contributions to starting the farm.
Ruby Red Farms grew from Ruby’s and Ivan’s deep desire to grow healthy foods based on organic principles of sustainable farming. After many years of research, the perfect location was found and purchased in 1999; a beautiful 20 acre property located on the Saanich Penninsula. Located in Deep Cove in North Saanich, much of the land had been cleared by an early settler almost 100 years ago and left fallow. During that time, the land built up incredibly rich and fertile soil creating ideal conditions for our organic blueberry farm. The land features a natural thick buffer of trees and brush sheltering the farm land from other properties. Fortunately, there is no intense conventional farm activity near the farm. In fact, one neighbour grows beneficial insects such as ladybugs for sale to other farmers. Some of the “escapees” come to our blueberry bushes to hunt aphids.
Today the farm has almost 12,000 blueberry bushes. Two varieties are grown on the farm, Duke and Reka. Both varieties are excellent with medium to large berries eaten fresh or frozen for later use. www.rubyredfarms.com

GRUB

To jump start 2010 we would like to invite you to our next GRUB fundraising and social event hosted by LifeCycles Project.

When? Thursday, January 28^th 2010 from 5 pm to 8 pm

Where? Garry Oak Room at the Fairfield Community Association

Tickets are $10.00 and the night includes free snacks and cash bar.

Interested in tickets? Call us at 250-383-5800.

For more updates on LIfeCycles and information on our program – or how to become a member – check us out online at www.lifecyclesproject.ca

We hope to celebrate a new year of great community work with you on January 28^th!

The LifeCycles Team

Cashew Vegetables

Veggies in this type of stir fry can be switched up for whatever is in the box or fridge!

The main thing is to add the longer cooking veg with first batch of vegetables (turnips perhaps?) and faster cooking with the second set (greens, mushrooms).

Cut veggies like onions and peppers to a larger size as this also impacts cooking time and a crisp cooked veg is the ideal.

Having a nice variety of colour is important.

Use a high heat, cook it quickly and serve immediately for best results!
Sauté:
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp Olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 thumb size piece of ginger minced (grated)
Add to the stir-fry:
1 medium onion chopped into large pieces
1 or 2 medium carrots in rounds
1 or 2 stalks of broccoli (peel and use the stem)
Cook covered 5 minutes, then add and stir in:
1 bunch bok choy sliced crosswise
1 red pepper in 1 inch pieces
1 cup greens chopped
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1 Tbsp. tamari
Cook covered for 5 more minutes. YUM!

Farm News

We have local mixed bean sprouts from Adam on Salt Spring Island this week.  They are great to snack on or add to a salad or stir fry.  We plan to offer Adam’s pea shoots – a favourite- every week as winter greens are hard to find and these are particularly nutritious.  If you do not find them in your box you will be able to sub them in for another product.  Eat them raw in sandwiches and salads!  Local kiwi are in the boxes this week.  They are from an orchard in central Saanich that has not been tended for many years.  As the owners could not look after the crop, Brian and the folks at the Village Family Market took on the task of testing the fruit for sugar content, picking and ripening the fruit.  We are supporting the process of trying to save this orchard by purchasing the fruit.  Here at Share Organics we do this on occasion in the interest of general food security.  We also make it known that we will continue to buy and support a product if it is naturally grown according to BC certified organic standard and encourage the grower to officially certify as this is the consumer’s guarantee of a pure product.  We also have the California certified organic kiwi available.
Local beets are our third Vancouver Island product this week from Kingcott farm in Ladysmith.  Farmer Joe had hoped to dig into the Chioggia (striped) beets this week but unfortunately they succumbed to the frost so he has sent the last of the red beets.  This type of frost damage was unexpected as the frost was not really deep enough to harm the beets.  Joe’s best guess is that the frost came in cold and fast and uprooted the beets leaving them vulnerable to damage.  In farming there always seems to be unexpected weather incidents.  Thank goodness farmers are perennial optimists!!

Tomato Tip!

Last fall I had some extra tomatoes and froze them whole on a tray.  This winter I have been adding them frozen to recipes that call for one or two fresh ones.  Could anything be simpler?

BC organic greenhouses are shut down for a month or two so no BC tomatoes, peppers or cucumbers for awhile.  Most of these products are now coming from Mexico.  We will offer single tomatoes most weeks as a sub.  We have found the cherry tomatoes and roma hold and taste the best so may offer these in the box on occasion.  We encourage you to use grated beets and red cabbage to liven up salads.  Nuts, seeds and dried fruits are also great addition to greens.  Peppers travel well but cucumbers are less reliable at this time of year and we do not offer them unless we hear about a batch with exceptional quality.

Cauliflower Cumin Soup

Steam together until just tender:
2 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower
1 cup carrot rounds
Sauté for a few minutes:
2 Tbsp. butter:
1 medium onion chopped
Add and continue sautéing for another minute:
2 tsp. Cumin seeds (whole… ground is ok)
Transfer all ingredients to a blender including the vegetable water, and puree until smooth. Return to pot and heat gently with:
1 to 2 cups of vegetable stock
Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley or minced scallions.
Serve with a Cheese and Garlic Baguette from Wild Fire Bakery!

Lentils

Lentils are the quick and easy “bean” to cook up.  I have used them when camping to make a “Boston Baked” bean dish to save on camp fuel as well as time.  Brown and green lentils cook up in about ½ an hour where as a navy bean could take up to 2 hours.  There are many types of lentils and they are all part of legume family called pulses.  In Canada we are mostly familiar with green, brown and red lentils.  I was inspired to write about lentils last week when I was using brown lentils in my Shepherds Pie.  Thanks to Margaret Hantiuk for the idea of using a squash topping instead of potatoes!

Red lentils are the smallest and quickest cooking.  They are called Split Red lentils and are made from splitting a whole lentil by removing the skin and letting the seed split into two halves.  Split Red lentils can cook up in 10 minutes for a firm whole addition to a soup or longer if you want them softer for a dhal – 15 minutes.  Useful info if you are in a rush and subbing them for other lentils or beans! Here is a dhal like red lentil salad that is a hit at potlucks!  Thanks to Dana Davis for this recipe.

Red Lentil Salad

Sauté until soft:

1 cup diced onions

1 tbsp olive oil

Add 250 gram (1/2 LB) Red lentil

16 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/3 cup each of olive oil

½ cup water or more as needed

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp each Oregano, Basil, Thyme

1 Bay leaf

Bring to a boil and cook over a low heat for 1 hour.  Transfer the hot mixture to a serving dish and add:

More garlic

1 ½ Tbsp Lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste.

Chill for a few hours and then adjust lemon and spices to taste.  Serve at room temperature.

Lentil Nutrition

Lentils are a great protein source and make a complete protein when served with grains.  Lentils are also very high in iron!

Lentils Down on the Farm

Legume including lentils are used by organic farmers to enrich the soil with nitrogen so a common part of the crop rotation for healthy soil.  And we do grow lentils in Canada!  Saskatchewan is the largest exporter or lentils in the world!!  Eastern Washington is the largest US growing area. India produces over half the world’s lentils but use most domestically.   I understand we can grow them here on our Island but I wonder what kind of harvesting and processing equipment might be needed?  I know we have a local farmer/ entrepreneur who is growing hemp seed on the Island and has invested in a harvester.  Could it be used for lentils too?  What about flax and sunflower seed?  Other beans?

This veggie burger recipe pairs lentils with Hazelnuts – a great local combination.

Lentil Hazelnut Burgers

• 1 ½  cups dry green lentils
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2  cup bread crumbs or more
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted hazelnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Bring lentils and 3 cups water to a boil, simmer for ½ hour, drain and cool.

Combine lentils, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, and hazelnuts.   Stir in spices and salt, and pepper. Mold into 8 burger-sized patties. They should be slightly sticky and hold together well so add more breadcrumbs (dry) or oil (wet)as needed

You can halve the recipe to make 4 patties.  Freeze the patties before baking for another dinner if there are too many.

Patties can be fried over medium-high heat in olive oil but I always prefer to bake veggie burgers.  Preheat oven to 425.  Place patties on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes – until browned on the bottom.  Flip over and continue cooking for another 5 to 8 minutes.

Yield: 8 patties

Some lentil numbers:

Note 500g bag is just over a pound.

• 1 cup dry lentils = 2 to 2-1/2 cups cooked
• 1 pound dried lentils = 2-1/4 cups dry
• 1 pound dried lentils = 4 servings
• 1 pound dried lentils = 5 cups cooked

Farm News

We have been planning with Adam of Saltspring Sprouts and Exotic Mushrooms to arrange for one of his fine products to be available every week in our boxes over the winter!  You may have met Adam at the Moss Street market or the Saltspring Market.  His fresh pea shoots and crunchy bean mix are wonderfully nutritious and a delicious addition to our winter salads.  The mushrooms will provide us with a tasty addition to stir frys and casseroles!  We are also carrying Adam’s fabulous mushroom tinctures! Check them out on the website!
We are planning to have 2 local products in every box this winter.  This may not sound like much but believe me, it is progress.  Last year we had at least one local (and that means Vancouver and the Gulf islands) in every box and filled the Local Only Box!  So with two in each box we are doubling up!  The hardest time is yet to come and that is the early spring!
I was on the blog yesterday mentioning my Lentil Shepherd Pie and will have more info about lentils there later in the week.
Here is the revised recipe.  After having it for dinner last night I decided it would be even better with the addition of a few nuts!

Last fall I had some extra tomatoes and froze them whole on a tray.  This winter I have been adding them frozen to recipes such as the one above.  Could anything be simpler?

Curried Lentil Shepherd Pie

Bake covered in 325 degree oven for 1 hour:
1 delicata or acorn squash quartered and seeds removed
½ cup water
When soft remove from skin and mash.
Add a little butter and maple syrup to taste.
In a skillet sauté until soft:
1 large onion diced
1 large garlic clove minced
1 ½ inch piece of ginger minced
Add:
¾ cup brown lentil
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp curried powder
Mix together and add:
2 diced tomatoes
OR ½ cup canned tomatoes
½ cup water
1 cup rutabaga diced small
2 carrots diced small
Simmer covered until veggies are soft @1/2 hour.
Mix in the following:
½ cup raisins
1 cup chopped almonds or cashews
In a casserole or large pie plate spread the veggie mix.  Top with the mashed squash.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Serves 4.

Grand Old Shindig:

a Madrona Farm Benefit – Co-sponsored by Share Organics.

When: Saturday, Jan 9th  7pm

Where: the Orange Hall 1620 Fernwood Rd Price: $20 regular / $15 for the underemployed.
All proceeds donated to Madrona Farm and the B.C. Land Conservancy.
Arrive early.  We have fewer than 100 seats!
Doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7:00.
Performers:
- Poets Lorna Crozier, Tim Lilburn, Carla Funk, and Melanie Seibert;
- Flamenco Guitarist Gareth Owen & Alma de España;
- Island Thyme Morris;
- The Rabbleberries;
- The Great Giffoni, Magician.
also a CASH ONLY SILENT AUCTION

A FEW WORDS FROM FARMER DAVE AT MADRONA FARM

Farmer Dave asks for a dollar video

HAPPY NEW YEAR .  Welcome 2010!

This time of year the days are growing longer but fresh local crops are a long way off.  We are in the root veggie season!   White turnips, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, Sunchokes, beets, celeriac and rutabaga.  The challenge is to eat them up in as many different, delicious ways as possible.

Last year I experimented with some great new dishes with beets – borscht, roasted beets, and cooked or raw beets on salads!  Greens topped with roasted beets, feta and  a raspberry vinaigrette!  Yum!

This year my first challenge is rutabaga!  Some people like their ‘big turnips’ straight up – boil, mash with a little butter, maple syrup, ginger?  I do like rutabaga raw and cut them into match stick and serve on a veggie tray with dip!  My Mom always made a soup she called Scotch Broth – a beef base and cabbage and rutabaga and barley. That was good, hearty and not to rutabaga-y.  I have made a vegetarian version.  Still rutabaga is not my favourite.  I was never a big fan of yams either but now I love them now so there is hope.  And just when I though yams would not grow on Vancouver Island and began substituting squash instead someone tells me they bought yams from a farmer at Moss Street Market who  grew them as an experiment last season!  Thanks to all those farmers that are trying with new varieties and extending the seasons!  We’ll be sure to support you by buying your unique produce!

But back to rutabaga!  Today I have made a Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with a squash rather than potato topping.  I cooked the lentils with curry spices and added 2 diced carrots and 1 cup diced rutabaga as the veggies.  I added some raisins to the veggies as they go well with anything curried.  The acorn squash as a topping is quite sweet all on its own.  I may top it off with a few chopped cashews or almonds.  I’ll let you know how it tasted tomorrow and publish the adjusted version!!

Other Lentil Shepherd’s Pie versions I had thought of were:

Lentils spiced Texmex (chili powder and cumin) with mushrooms, rutabaga and leeks. The squash topping is a natural in Mexican cuisine.

Lentils mushrooms Sunchokes in a Miso-Almond butter gravy with a Creamy Yukon Gold mashed potato topping.  Oops no rutabaga!

More about lentils next time.

And remember rutabaga is a great addition to stews!  I have asked a number of people for their stew recipes but they say they don’t really use a recipe, they just make it!  Would you have a recipe for me?

Who knew rutabagas could be a sport!

Ithaca, UNITED STATES: A sign at the 9th Annual Rutabaga Curling World Championship, 23 December 2006, at the Ithaca Farmer’s Market in Ithaca, New York. The event, held at the end of the season for the farmer’s market, has contestants rolling rutabagas towards a target. The root vegetable name is from the Swedish ‘rotabagge’ and is the result of a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. The sport of Rutabaga Curling was born on a cold December 1996 Market day, the last market day of the season.

Community Partnership
Here at Share Organics we have always donated excess useable produce to various groups involved in re-distribution of food to the needing in Victoria.  In the past it has been sent to Mustard Seed and Food Not Bombs who serve vegetartian meals to hungry folks every weekend.
Now we have a new relationship with a  neighbourhood group!  Blanchard Community Association distribute produce in their neighbourhood every week.  They have a community kitchen where they cook and serve lunch each week day.  Recipes are included with the produce redistribution to help people serve up the veggies.  Organic and local food are valued by this group.  Their other food security initiatives include a community garden and in the future they hope to have classes where people can come and learn how to cook local produce!
Share Organics produce will now be a part of the food security plan for the community.  Food security is about making sure everyone has enough to eat!

Share Organics
will be closed for holidays
12 noon on December 24th
through to
December 30

Butter Tart Squares
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8-inch square pan. For pastry layer combine:
1-cup wheat or rice flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup soft butter
Press into pan and bake for 15 minutes.

For filling beat together:
2 eggs
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 cup butter
Stir in
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup organic Thompson raisins
Pour into partly baked base and bake another 25 to 30 minutes. Filling will firm up when cooled.

Blessings of the Season
from all of us at Share Organics

To Warm The Winter’s Night
Is there a moment quite as keen
Or memory as bright
As light and fire and music sweet
To Warm the Winter’s Night

- Adam Victor Christianson

Wild Fire Bakery will remain closed through our first week of deliveries in January.

Their breads will be available AFTER Thursday, Jan 7th.

FARM NEWS

The fields are still pretty frozen but farmers have been digging root crops for us!  We have our own Island Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) from Kingcott Farm in Ladysmith.  We also have the last of the green cabbage from Alderlea Farm in Duncan.  Dan at Dragonfly still has spinach and will have more next week if it does not get too cold.  He also hopes to have the last of the salad mix for us – the last until spring!

Here is a Sunchoke recipe from our archive sent to us by Caroline Stengl last year.  It’s one of the best recipes we’ve tried.

Roasted Sunchokes
1 Lb Sunchokes
1 tsp peppercorn
1 tsp Sage
1 tsp Rosemary
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cumin
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic crushed
1) Cut Jerusalem artichokes into small chunks and put in a large bowl.
2) In mortar and pestle grind into a fine powder fresh peppercorns, Whole rosemary, sage, Oregano and cumin seed
3) Pour olive oil over the artichokes
4) Combine ground spices garlic and a dash of salt in a bowl.
5) Toss the artichokes with the oil and spices until they are thoroughly coated.
6) Pour everything into a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap up the package.
7) Put it on the BBQ or in the oven at 375 for 25 minutes until soft.
Unwrap and serve with protein dish and a green salad.

Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke Dip
Scrub and dry:
1lb Sunchokes
Rub with olive oil and bake in a casserole at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes. Steam:
1 bunch chard (stems removed, or spinach)
In a food processor or blender, blend artichokes and chard with the following:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 bunch parsley or cilantro (optional)
Serve as a dip, spread or on pasta in place of pesto.

Share Organics

will be closed for holidays
December 24 to January 1
Orders for the of week of

December 22, 23, 24 will ALL be delivered on

Tuesday & Wednesday

Deadline for changes for all days will be Sunday, 9 am.

Your day of delivery may not be the usual day.  Details at the bottom of your email invoice.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT SHARE ORGANICS