Fruit News

Rhubarb and Strawberries

‘Tis the season for rhubarb. You’ll see many recipes for strawberries and rhubarb because the end of the rhubarb season runs right into the first of the strawberry season. For the early rhubarb we need the California berry crop – unless you froze berries last summer!

You’ll find California strawberries in our boxes this week. Local farmers have been saying that the cold first half of May has slowed things down considerably so we are not expecting any quantity of strawberries until mid June.

Rhubarb also goes very nicely with Mango!

Here is how to cut a mango:

The pit is almond shaped so hold it upright on the thin edge and slice off the sides lengthwise as close as you can to the pit. Run the knife around the edge of the mango. Take the side and score it in a cross hatched pattern, turn inside out.

Here is Colleen and Stan showing off the end product of this mango cutting technique at our most recent warehouse get-together, Quatro de Mayo (the day before Cinco de Mayo).

Cut the pieces off as close to the skin as you can get. There will be two strips still attached to the seed. Remove the peel and cut those bits off or just slurp and gnaw them off!!

Here is a link to a youtube video showing this technique.

The Mexican mango season is just getting going so case-lot prices will keep getting better over the next month. Mango freezes well for use in crumbles and smoothies.

Apple Update

We are experiencing a big jump in the price of BC and Washington apples. Last season’s crop numbers were way down and the last of the BC crop has already been released from storage. The final release out of Washington is next week – Fuji and Galas.

New Farm Video

Ever wonder how an organic greenhouse works? Find out what’s happening down on the farm in our new video.

Special thanks to Darin Steinkey for producing this video!

See where this week’s basil and cucumbers are coming from!

Mushroom Pocket

Makes 1 pocket (or roll) to serve 2 or 3 hungry souls.

Steam and drain:

• 1/3 LB Oyster Mushrooms

Cut into hot mushrooms:

• 4 oz cream cheese or goat chevre

Toss until cheese melts and then add:

• Freshly grated pepper
• 1 Tbsp dill
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 minced scallion
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Melt:

• 2-3 Tbsp butter

On a cookie sheet lay out one sheet of Phyllo. Brush with melted butter.
Add next sheet (and brush) until you have 5 layers total. Spoon mushroom mixture along the long side of Phyllo.

Roll half way and fold both edges in and finish the roll. Turn seam down on a buttered pan. Brush outside with butter. Bake at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Some Phyllo Pastry Tips from Susan…

Phyllo pastry is found in the frozen food section of your neighbourhood grocery store. It is quite easy to use once you get the hang of it! Phyllo pastry will thaw in about 2 hours or in fridge overnight. (which is why we’ve decided not to offer phyllo pastry on the website!)

One package makes more than one dish. Carefully rewrap and refrigerate leftover phyllo and use within a week or so. Butter the layers as above and fill with fruit – mango and rhubarb is good!

Ice Pack Season

Welcome to ice pack season! This is the time of year we add an ice pack to every bin we deliver. The atmosphere in the bins is helped A LOT (a lot, a lot, a lot) with the addition of the ice pack.

Your veggies will thank you by returning the ice pack right away with your empty bin. Don’t even bother removing the ice pack when you’re unpacking your order!

Thanks so much, everyone!

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Green Bunching Onions

Farmer Dave was away when the first set of bunching onions were harvested a few weeks ago. They were smaller and not as easily removed from their natural packaging (the bulb casing) than I had anticipated. As you can see from Dave’s report below this experiment to get a head start on spring was not a success. However we absolutely appreciate the effort!!

“I heard the hard tale of the onion disaster. Those onions were from in the green house with plans for an earlier crop. Thinking we would be like French farmers, we mulched about a foot thick hoping the result would be nice long blanched onions. The results were not as anticipated! The hearty mulch actually took too much energy from the onions and made them thin and spindly and not all there!

This week’s crop is grown as outdoor planted bulbs the way we usually grow them. They will be ready for delivery Tuesday am: 8-12 onions thick healthy and green uniform.”

How to “Shuck” a Green Onion

Please Release Me…

Here is how to get bunching onions out of their natural packaging:

1. Hold onion greens (down close to the bulb) in one hand
2. Hold the bulb in other hand
3. Pull in opposite directions and the whole casing slides off

It’s Rhubarb Time!

So far we have heard from 3 farmers with rhubarb for us this year! We have been encouraging growers for the past few years with only small results so looking forward to harvesting the rewards this season! We are planning to rotate rhubarb into all our boxes over the next few weeks.

No luck finding a savory recipe for this sour vegetable. Rhubarb is usually paired with fruits in a compote, or pie (apples, berries, mangoes). This is a new version of my standard recipe for rhubarb loaf with the spice modified from the more usual vanilla and cinnamon to cardamom. I have also used honey instead of sugar.

Honey metabolizes in our system much slower than sugar and is therefore less addictive.
To sub honey in your own recipes:

• Sub 3/4 cup honey for 1 cup sugar
• Lower the liquid or increase the flour to make up for the liquidity of the honey
• Add a bit more leavening agent (1/2 tsp baking soda or extra baking powder or an extra egg)
• Cook at 25 degree lower temperature

Rhubarb Loaf

Yields one small loaf (with huge flavour…)

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg

Add to egg mixture:

• 3/4 cup liquid honey

Beat until smooth. Combine together the dry ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp Cardamom
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Add 1/2 the dry ingredients, mix together.

Then add:

• 1/2 cup almond milk

Continue mixing as you add the remainder of the dry ingredients.

Fold in:

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced rhubarb

Pour batter into a buttered and floured small loaf pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn oven down to 325. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

– If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Making Food Matter

Making Food Matter is the CRFAIR’s (Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable) newsletter.

To check out what is happening around Food Security in our region get on the subscriber list! This month there is on interesting report on “The Cost of Eating in British Columbia”

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=c5601f2bc10730e27ae138607&id=e868e30a4b&e=ea57273564

Crops from Local Farmers

We have a number of local farmers with products this week:

• Leeks and Eggs from Terra Nossa in Mill Bay
• Spinach and Salad from Dragonfly Farms
• Radish from Seabluff Farm
• Sorrel, Braising, parsnips from Madrona Farm
• Cucumber and sprouts from Sun Trio
• Crunchy Bean Mix from Saltspring Sprouts

Fences for Food

The Mason Street City Farm is in need of a new perimeter fence. This is the first stage of development in creating a Farm School in the City! Live electronic music, Flamenco dance, super djs, and silent auction. Come on down and dance your face off in support of everybody’s favourite “F” word…FARM!

Victoria Event Centre

1415 Broad Street

Thursday, May 3rd — this week!

$15 at the door

More information is on the Facebook Event Page here.

More info about Mason Street City Farm here.

Enchanted Broccoli

I enjoyed this dish at a potluck last night. It is the title recipe from Mollie Katzen’s book, “The Enchanted Broccoli Forest”.

• 2 cups brown or white rice
• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• pepper to taste
• cayenne to taste

Options:

• 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/4 pound Swiss or cheddar cheese, grated
• a little extra butter for the top

Directions:

1. Trim the tough bottoms from the broccoli stalks and cut the tops into smallish spears of whatever size suits you.
2. Preheat oven to 325 F.
3. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.
4. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and salt and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and the lemon juice and sauté for about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the rice, some black pepper and cayenne to taste along with the optional ingredients. Taste to correct salt, if necessary, and spread in the prepared pan.
5. Now the fun part. Arrange the broccoli upright in the rice, and, if desired, drizzle with melted butter. Cover loosely with foil and bake just until heated through (15 -20 minutes). Serve right away.

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Farm News – Transport delays and gratitude to local farmers

Colleen made it home from Mexico safe and sound and we hope to hear more of her adventures this coming week. We had offered you beets from the Ejido she was working, she might have picked these beets for us, but… the transport truck broke down and did not make it to Vancouver today. We should have had Colleen bring them in her carry-on!

When ordering the freshest possible produce transportation delays can cause problems. One of the factors we think of in food security is how far away the food comes from. Most often we think of fuel costs but there is also an increased potential for delay or inability to deliver at all. Yikes!

When we think of purchasing from Mexico or California we need to consider how the food is transported and also watering practises. Mexican farmers have always had less access to water than their California peers and have learned to grow with limited water. California farmers are learning this fast as the state cuts back on water to this business sector as well many others.

Meanwhile, back at home, we are not forced to eat skunk cabbage – known as famine food – yet! It is edible and local but we won’t be adding it to our local produce list anytime soon. Not when we have a bounty of local greens this spring! Thanks to all those farmers that have been planning ahead! Interestingly the local spring crops all seem to contain oxalic acid which is not so good for us raw in large quantities but is fine in small amounts and also cooked.

Skunk Cabbage or Swamp Lantern, if you prefer.

Young Sorrel

Young sorrel may be harvested in the spring when it is small and tender and when it has a fruitier and less acidic taste. This lemony flavour is a valuable addition to salads, soups or stews. Sorrel does not keep well so use it up first!

Fresh Sorrel

Sorrel and Goat Cheese Quiche

• 2-3 cups sorrel, coarsely chopped
• a few scallions, chopped
• 3-4 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread goat cheese (or any strong flavored cheese) in the bottom of a piecrust. Cover with chopped sorrel and scallions.

Beat eggs, salt and milk together. Pour over greens. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Mashed Potato Pie Crust

Peel and chop:

• 1 lb potatoes

Cover with water and bring to boil. Cook until tender.

Mash the potatoes with:

• 1/4 cup milk or stock from the potatoes (for a vegan option)

Brush a 9 inch pie dish with olive oil and press the potatoes in. Brush with remaining olive oil.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Farm News – Colleen Reports from Mexico

It’s going great down here! There have been some last minute changes and bumps in the road but I learned to set my watch to Mexican time and surrender to whatever comes our way. Apparently it’s Semana Santa/Easter and this is a really big deal so we are all off the farm from Fri to Sun or Mon. We are getting to visit some of the other farms that Liz and Rafael (the project owners/farm directors) partner with as well as getting some sightseeing in.

I learned that we will be harvesting chard and red/gold beets next week for shipment to Discovery Organics. So if you see anything that is labelled Leyes de Reforma then those are the crops that I got to work on. So far we have seeded corn and done some irrigation maintenance.

We are working on an Ejido Benito Juarez Leyes de Reforma. There are many Ejidos in Mexico, the word refers to land that was allocated back to the people who lived on it after Mexican Idepencia. Not everyone who lives there is involved with the farm. The ejido has a population of about 80 and 37 are involved with the farm. Liz and Rafa run the business and planning of the farm as well as pay the workers by salary. Liz and Rafa approached the Ejido and presented their business plan, the people accepted. So now the people work their own land with the investment of Liz and Rafa and Baja Organic Agriculture (BOA).

There are no real means to make a living on the ejido so the people have worked out a way to make money off of their own land without having to sell it to Dole or some other American mega company that wouldn’t necessarily hire them and if they did would exploit the low Mexican wages, take all the food out of the country and sell it a marked up in the states. In other words a project like this really feeds the local economy as well as enfranchises the people/grants them the means to support themselves without having to “sell out”.

More information on Ejido Benito Juarez Leyes de Reforma here.

Permaculture Design Certificate

Experience all Four Seasons in this Part-Time Permaculture Design Course in Victoria, BC!

When: Starts with a 2 day introductory weekend on April 21-22nd (Earth Day!), 2012 and continues one Sunday per month until March 2013.

Where: Various Locations in Greater Victoria

Tuition: $960 + HST ($250 deposit to secure a spot)

Instructors: Blake Hunter, founder of Good Seed Hemp and Good Land Permaculture (for more information, see About Us on the website), as well as several guest instructors.

For more information please contact us by email at goodlandpermaculture@gmail.com or by phone at 250-385-4367.

Nettles

Nettles: Handle with love and care

Yes, these are stinging nettles – sting-y but terribly good for you! Use gloves or tongs to handle raw nettles. Once immersed in hot water, blanched or dried, the sting is gone. Nettle Tea is an excellent source of minerals and calcium. Dry for use next winter!

ORDER IN BULK – 1/2 LB BAGS by email only

PLEASE ORDER BY SUNDAY FOR DELIVERY NEXT WEEK!

Celeriac

This gnarly veg makes a wonderful addition to mashed potatoes. Jamie Oliver says: “…everyone seems to be completely baffled by celeriac, but it’s beautiful in soups or thinly sliced into salads. When roasted it goes sweet and when mixed with potato and mashed it’s a complete joy.”

Joyous Mashed Potatoes and Celeriac

Peel, dice, and stick in a pot:

• 1 Celeriac, 1 inch dice
• 2 LBS potatoes, larger pieces
• Pinch of salt

Cover with water and bring to boil. Drain and mash with butter and a little cream. Makes a delicious potato layer for Shepherd’s Pie!

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Ejido Benito Juarez

Our own Colleen is heading off to work on a Mexican cooperative farm next week. Her trip is arranged and airfare paid for by Discovery Organics, our wholesaler on the mainland. We’ll soon be hearing about her adventures in the sun!

She is headed to:

Ejido Benito Juarez Leyes de Reforma

- Excerpts From Discovery Organics’ Blog

“The citizens (approx. 50 families) have turned down every ‘offer’ to take over their land (ejido), since 1937 – when the previous ‘tenants’, (large U.S. farming corporations) were evicted. But they have always wanted to farm their own land – they just needed the skills and financing.

After many trips to this area, we (Discovery Organics) were lucky to be introduced to these Ejidotarios, and through an 18 month process, we have, together with a great team in Mexico, dug wells, leveled land, planted out 150 acres, received our organic certification and food safety permits from Primus Labs, and are starting the harvest.

This is the only Ejido in this huge growing area that is operating as a cooperative, with the villagers farming on their own land – instead of watching wealthy landowners till what used to be their soil. The younger generation who left for city jobs are returning. Already, one in four families has someone working and learning the land – harvesting, weeding, seeding and moving pipe.

This cooperative effort with Baja Organics – a highly skilled management team with decades and decades of agricultural experience – has been a long, hard row to hoe, but all our work is now paying off.

While not certified in the Fair Trade system, yet, we are treating this as if it were, until our audits are finished. That means that $1 of every box we sell will be returned to the cooperative to be used for community projects. We have a few target areas we have discussed with the community for these. The first is to bring electricity to 1/2 of the houses that currently don’t have it. The second is to re-open a school that closed years ago. Down the road, the community is looking at installing a solar array that would power the entire Ejido. Another commitment has also been to pay nearly double the average farm wages in the area, pay for every worker to be enrolled in the public health care system, and also provide private medical and dental insurance for each person.”

Meet Dave Chambers

Dave of Madrona Farm gives an interview on the joys of Winter Farmering.

It explains all the mud on delivery days…

Local Spinach is On!

Spinach is in the box from Dragonfly Farm in Glenora. Spinach can be eaten raw or cooked. It does contain oxalic acid but unless you are predisposed to kidney disorders, gout, rheumatoid arthritis it would be extremely difficult to eat enough to cause problems.

It has been awhile since we have had local spinach as Farmer Dan has had difficulties with seeding these past few times. The smaller spinach leaves are found in the winter salad greens he’s offered. I love to have a spinach salad combining the leaves with a fruit and nut… think pear and hazelnut or apple and walnut?

More Spinach Tips

Spinach does not need to be cooked very long. In fact it is often served as a wilted salad which basically means served raw under a hot food like scallops! Another favourite of mine is Eggs Florentine – poach eggs on a bed of spinach and topped with Mournay Sauce (cream sauce with nutmeg and parmesan).

Curried Spinach Salad Dressing

Simple.

Whisk together:

• 1/4 cup white wine or cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped chutney
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. Tabasco

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Crystal Ball Crop Predictions

The weather remains cold (have you noticed?) and the salad greens are growing very. slowly. We love having the cold-friendly braising greens again this week.

This week’s braising mix… glamourous, n’est pas?

Looking into the future, using our crystal ball:

We hope to see nettle greens in the boxes the first three weeks of April. We will also offer nettles in 1/2 LB bulk bags. Try drying it for a winter tea!

Nettles are an important source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, C and E, iron, calcium, phosphates and minerals. I just finishing the last of my nettle rose mint tea. Eric at Untamed Feast who is picking the nettles for us from his own wild patch says to “boil fresh nettles for a bit (just to take the sting out…), drain, and freeze for adding to cleansing/building spring smoothies, tastes great in a banana smoothie.”

We also might see some overwintering cauliflower in mid-April. Island garlic is all done for the season but we can expect garlic greens soon.

Crop planning continues. We’ve begun working with Ian King from Seabluff Farm in Metchosin. Ian is interested in extending the growing seasons with us. Perhaps you met Ian at the Downtown Winter Markets?

Meet Dave Chambers

Dave of Madrona Farm gives an interview on the joys of Winter Farmering.

It explains all the mud on delivery days…

Join our Team!

We are looking for a back-up production person to assist with packing our beautiful veggie boxes. Production days are:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

We can offer one regular shift a week plus backup. Must love veggies and be available on our production days!

Being able to drive standard transmission is an asset and a reason to boast… a little.

Email a resume!

susan(at)shareorganics.bc.ca

Italian Pear Pie with Hazelnut Crust

For crust, grease a pie plate with:

• 1 Tbsp butter

Grind in a processor or coffee mill:

• 2 cups hazelnuts

Combine with:

• 1/2 cup pastry flour
• 3 Tbsp Cane sugar
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 TBS water

Mix all crust ingredients together with a fork and press into 9 inch pie plate.

For filling, combine the following:

• 4 to 6 juicy pears, peeled and sliced
• 3/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp cane sugar
• Rind and juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

What to Make with This Week’s
Bio-Regional Box

• Roasted Rutabaga and Beets
• Braised Greens with Balsamic Vinegar
• Pear Pie
• Blueberry Smoothie
• Baby Carrots for a snack
• Salad Greens with Apple and Hazelnuts

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Winter Apples

We tried a new variety of apple San Rose from Washington last week and loved it. They are the pink-er ones in the box this week next to the red Empires.

Apples are coming out of controlled atmosphere storage now. These special sealed coolers that control humidity and temperature. BC and Washington apples are released from storage in batches between February and June. They have that fresh-off-the-tree taste and crispness but do not keep as long as the fresh fall crops.

Update from Dave of Madrona Farm

“Our Braising Mix is a beautiful medley of new shoots and greens from our winter Brassicas. Over the next eight weeks we get a bonus crop for having a diverse range of brassicas in the winter gardens. The mix includes red, savoy and green cabbage shoots and baby leaves, Russian and Lacinato kale and shoots, rutabaga and turnip green tips, Brussels sprouts shoots and various Asian greens. It braises well with garlic and a little Szechuan sauce.

P.S. Yesterday we got 1,000lb of Warba seed into beautifully prepared sandy soil to be ready for harvest the beginning of June.”
(Warbas are tasty tasty potatoes!!)

Braised Winter Greens with Beans

Stem rinse and drain:

• 1 bag greens OR bunch of chard

Heat skillet or wok to medium heat and add:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup kidney or pinto beans

Sauté until garlic is golden. Then add:

• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes

Add the greens and cover to cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and toss until wilted.

Add:

• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

Serve over quinoa or rice.

What to make with this week’s Best of the Bio-Region Box

• Potato and Leek Soup
• Braised Greens with Beans
• Blackberry Apple Crumble
• Omelet with Oyster Mushrooms
• Parsnip and Potato or Carrot Latkes
• Poached Pears

Leeks are coming from Seabluff Farm in Metchosin thanks to Farmer Ian King!

Introduction to Home-Scale Permaculture

With Elaine Codling

Saturday, March 24th

12:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Whatever size yard or garden you have to work with, applying basic permaculture principles will reduce the maintenance and increase the productivity. Learn practical strategies and techniques for creating a productive ecological yard and garden.

Permaculture design can give you more variety, more beauty, and more time to enjoy it. There will be hands-on activity at Spring Ridge Commons to apply techniques learned in class.

To register, please contact Pooyan Najafi at pnajafi@gmail.com or (250)858-5256.

Where: Fernwood Community Centre, 1240 Gladstone Avenue

Course Fee: $40.00

Here’s the website for more info!

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Climate Smart Program

Share Organics is involved in the Climate Smart program sponsored by Saanich and the City of Victoria. We are mapping and tracking our C0₂ emissions. This involves tracking our vehicle fuel consumption, paper use, refrigerant use for coolers, energy use and garbage. We will estimate using records for the last fiscal year. After crunching numbers we will work to determine areas where we can improve and more accurately track our emissions! We were surprised to find that when we were asked to weigh our garbage each week that we produce as little as 1 – 3 LBS! We do a lot of recycling!

Other things are harder to track. We can see how much it costs in fuel to deliver to your door but not quite how to factor in the fuel we save because you folks do not have to drive to the store. Similarly we cannot track how much we save by choosing local over BC produce or produce shipped by tanker versus trucked. We know these things matter and make our choices accordingly but putting numbers to it is a different story. We can tell you that the bike delivery mileage was 2769 km last year and we hope to be able to report what is referred to as “avoided emissions” soon.

Who’s Your Farmer

Join Heather Stretch, Robin Tunnicliffe, Rachel Fisher, Saanich MLA Lana Popham, and Mary Alice Johnson for an evening discussion on local organic farming and learn more about the growers in your neighbourhood.

Tuesday, February 28 – 7:00pm

Cadboro Bay Books

3840 Cadboro Bay Road

Victoria, BC

Shiitake Mushrooms from Salt Spring Exotic Mushrooms

Click here for more info on the farm:
saltspringexoticmushrooms.com/farm

Shiitake is touted as Asia’s most famous mushroom: the tastiest, healthiest and most popular cultivated variety. On the Salt Spring farm it is grown on BC Red Alder. These mushrooms are harvested bi-weekly so they have higher moisture and flavor content than other sources. They are high in protein, anti-oxidants and Vitamins B, C & D. Shiitakes have a more robust flavor than the standard button mushrooms, which makes them go a little farther: by using only half the amount of mushrooms the recipe requires, they can be used in most any recipe!

Since Shiitakes are a nutritional powerhouse, they make a great meat substitute. They are a healthy alternative to meat for people trying to cut back on fat.

Here is a short video Susan did with Adam Gold of Salt Spring Exotic Mushrooms last March. Perhaps some of you recognize him from the markets?

Shiitake and Wild Rice Pilaf

Shiitake and Wild Rice Pilaf

• 4 oz. Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. minced onion or leeks
• 1 cup snow peas or thinly sliced kale
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnut pieces
• 1 dash of Tamari

In broad skillet, saute shiitake mushrooms, onions and garlic in oil until tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add rice, walnuts, onions and Tamari, mixing to blend. Heat to warm through.

Makes 4 servings

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!

Farm News – A Global Perspective

It is always interesting to see our food in the global perspective. Here is the latest from our mainland supplier on the veggie scene:

“There is little change on the veg front with continuing tight supply across the board, with the occasional window of good supply and more seasonal pricing opening and closing. Unfortunately, after a week of warmer weather, cold nights and frost are now looming for the desert growing areas again this weekend, which isn’t going to help. … Slicer cuke pricing continues to be out of this world, but tomato pricing is crumbling across the board affecting all growers in Sinnaloa – a nice stretch of hot weather has helped there. It was about this time a couple of years ago when we had that deadly freeze and temps of -9 C there – totally the opposite this year.”

- Discovery Organics, January 25

All the cooking greens are at very high prices this week especially the kales!! The California crop is dwindling and the Mexican crop is still at least a week away.

On the home front

We have small savoy cabbage and cauliflower in the fields at Madrona Farm. Dave is also planting a few beds of oriental greens which will fill in the gaps in the early spring for fresh local greens. Potatoes are almost sold out but rutabaga and turnips remain strong. The Brussels Sprout patch continues to produce!

We are involved in the crop planning stage of the cycle speaking with farmers about what they want to grow for Share next year. This gives them a better idea of what to plant when. Farming is a chancy business and so farmers are glad we are here and ready to eat what they grow!

Baby Cauliflower photographed at Madrona Farm, Oct 2011

Islands Agricultural Show

The Islands’ largest agricultural event of the year! Featuring a trade show with more than sixty exhibitors:

• February 3-4, 2012
• Cowichan Exhibition Park
  District of North Cowichan
  (5 kilometers North of Duncan)

The Islands Agriculture Show provides a unique opportunity to showcase, celebrate and grow the agriculture industry on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Visitors to the trade show can expect to see the latest and most innovative equipment and technology for the agriculture industry.
http://iashow.ca/

Ginger Rutabaga Vegetable Soup

Melt in a soup pot:

• 1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

Add and sauté over low heat for 7 minutes:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 3 Tbsp. minced ginger

Peel and dice and then stir in the following and sauté another 10 minutes:

• 1 LB Rutabaga
• 1 medium sweet potato or parsnip
• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 large carrots

Add and bring to boil:

• 6 cups water
• 1 stick cinnamon

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove cinnamon stick and continue simmering until tender. Remove 1/4 of the vegetables to your blender and puree. Return to soup pot.

Serves 6 to 8.

If you would like to view or add to your order please click here!