Share Organics Fresh News

What’s Fresh News – April 5th, 2011

What comes of Sitting Down and Eating Together?

The Slow Food movement talks about the importance and conviviality of sitting down and eating together, as a family and as a community!

My mother would agree. She felt it was very important that we all sit down once a day and share a meal. As a mom in the fifties it was perhaps easier to do but by the nineteen seventies she was a working widowed Mom and still held fast to this rule.

From my childhood I remember ordinary dinners as well as larger family celebrations where we all shared what was happening in our day or life. It was a time to connect with each other and to laugh together. I can remember as a young teen sitting around after supper over pots of tea discussing everything from fashion to politics.

This family tradition was something I continued with my own children – except during baseball season when we all had to be at a different field by 5:30! It’s hard to keep it going BUT it is so valuable. It provides a regular time to gather and a forum for sharing in an amicable setting.

Cooking together or learning to cook together can be another important time to share. For the larger community this is a time honoured way to get together from medieval feast days to church suppers to community and school potlucks today.

Last night the Share Organics staff gathered for a potluck to look at our company’s vision statement. Three key values emerged:

• supporting local farmers
• supporting sustainable practices (walking the sustainable-talk!)
• supporting food security in our greater community

We did not manage to create the final vision statement but we did a lot of sharing and ate very, very well!

Share Organics Staff, January 2011

What to Make from This Week’s LOCAL ONLY Box

• Scalloped Potatoes
• Blueberry Pie
• Portobello Mushroom Burgers
• Hot Beans and Braising Mix over Rice
• Cucumber Curry Wrap with Salad Mix

“HOT” Beans and Greens

Cook over low heat until tender:

• 1 cup pinto or navy beans
• 1 bay leaf

Sauté:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups cooked beans
• 1 dried hot red pepper minced

Add and steam for 5-10 minutes until tender:

• 1 bag braising greens, chard or spinach chopped
• black pepper
• Cayenne to taste

Serve over rice for a quick supper.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

Cook in boiling water for 8 minutes:

• 2 cups Rotini (or other small pasta)

In steamer on top, steam until tender:

• 1/2 LB Asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

Run both under cold water to stop the cooking.

Dice a combination of vegetables:

• Tomatoes, Cucumber, Carrots
  (Use whatever is in your fridge but also think about colour combinations!)

Toss in serving bowl with pasta and add:

• 1 small jar Marinated Artichokes, cut
• Black Olives, pitted and halved

Whisk together the dressing:

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 garlic clove minced, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard,
• 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Boost the protein with diced tofu or tuna.

Marinate for an hour or so.

www.shareorganics.bc.ca