Keen on Peaches

 by Kristine Paulus

The subject of still lifes by Cézanne, O’Keeffe and Gauguin, a revered novel by Roald Dahl and a popular song by Nat King Cole, peaches are a summertime favorite. A relative of the flowering cherry, Prunus persica (commonly known as peach tree) bears one of the juiciest and fuzziest fruits in agriculture. Originally native to China, peaches have long been cultivated and were introduced to North America in the 1500s by Spanish monks near St. Augustine, Florida. Known for its popularity in the state of Georgia, it is hardy to USDA growing zone 5 so it can even be grown in our area.  

Perfectly ripe peaches make a great standalone snack but will pretty much go with just about anything, whether your preferred palate is savory or sweet. They make a nice tangy addition to salsas and salads while their sugariness is ideal for pies, cobblers, ice cream and cocktails. Comment below to share your favorite peach picks!

Wondering what to do with your CSA peaches? Check out this Food and Wine piece for some inspiring ideas: https://www.foodandwine.com/fruits/peach/peaches

Pictured: Prunus persica (peach tree) growing in a New York City park.

Photo by Kristine Paulus

Thyme Roasted Potatoes

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

This is such a quick recipe to prepare I feel like I should include rollerblades as an ingredient.  However, there are only 5 ingredients needed to make this tasty side dish: potatoes, onions, thyme, sea salt and olive or avocado oil----that’s it.  

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the following ingredients: 2 cups of chopped potatoes;1 large onion; 2-3 tablespoons of oil (I prefer avocado oil); and sprinkle with thyme and sea salt.  Place the items in a heat-resistant pan (like Pyrex) and let the oven do the rest of the work.  Cook for about 30-45 minutes and periodically stir.  

Optional:  Add chopped fennel

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Carrot Juice Rocks!

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

If Bugs Bunny owned a Vitamix (or a juicer), I know he would’ve juiced his carrots.  Bugs showed us that carrots are good for you.  We know that carrots are a powerful antioxidant; rich in beta carotene; and loaded with nutrients like Vitamins A, B and C.  Juicing carrots is a great way to get those nutrients quickly into your body.  I juice regularly and carrots are one of my favorite veggies to use.  

To make a cup of juice, use about 4-6 medium carrots (sans carrot tops). Make sure you clean and peel the carrots before juicing them.  Generally, fresh juice is most potent immediately after making it, so try to drink it ASAP.  If not, aim to drink it within 24 hours to avoid losing the nutrients.

I have one caveat: don’t overdo it!  Drinking too much carrot juice may turn your skin yellow or orange. ;-)

Three Cheers for Tomatoes!

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

My hubby absolutely LOVES tomatoes. He eats them year round and, like most people, enjoys eating them raw either in a salad or sprinkled with sea salt.  

Before becoming a CSA member, hubby and I would trek off to Whole Foods or Trader Joes to buy organic tomatoes. But, for the past three weeks we were delighted to receive freshly picked tomatoes sans the middle man.

I know that I don’t need to get atop my soap box to extol the benefits of tomatoes. But, I can’t resist a quick pitch: Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants; good for your heart; and may help reduce your risk for cancer.  Booyah! 

Below is a salad that I make daily for hubby’s lunch.  I used 4 veggies (tomatoes, carrots, and beets, parsley) from this week’s food share and a leftover radish from a prior week’s share. 

Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce 
2 tomatoes
1 beet (not shown)
2-3 carrots
1 radish
A handful of parsley
1 tablespoon golden flaxseeds 
4-5 slices of Applegate organic honey maple ham (Optional: chickpeas, tuna and/or salmon)
Any salad dressing that you like (hubby likes Italian; I like apple cider vinegar & EVOO)

Optional ingredients:  Avocados, feta, fresh ginger, and olives, turkey bacon and/or falafel.  

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Italian Chicken & Eggplant à la Kathi

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

I’m a newbie and this is my first time joining a summer CSA. So far, it’s been an exciting
culinary adventure and I’ve discovered new veggies like amaranth and Romano beans. But, it
has also been daunting because each week I’m met with a challenge to whipped a box full of
veggies into delicious meals that hubby and I will enjoy. Creativity, flexibility and a willingness
to have fun are the three main “ingredients” needed to pull this off successfully each week.

Since we’re just getting over our fourth heatwave for the summer, turning on the oven to cook is
a serious faux pas in the Carter/Rodriguez household. So, thus far, my dishes have been
stovetop creations. My latest creation was a quick chicken dish combining 4 veggies (eggplant,
onions, peppers & parsley) from this week’s food share. I call it Italian Chicken & Eggplant à la Kathi and it was a super hit with hubby. ;-)

Ingredients:
2 Tbs of avocado oil
1-2 diced onion
2-3 sliced peppers
8 pieces of chicken (we prefer thighs and drumsticks)
2 chopped eggplants
1 cup of tomato sauce (we love Rao’s)
1 Tbs of apple cider vinegar (we love Braggs!)
A handful of Kalamata pitted olives (chopped)
A handful of chopped parsley (not shown)

In a medium heated frying pan, add avocado oil (FYI: avocado has a high cooking point); Sauté
onions for 1-2 minutes. Add peppers and sauté for 1 -2 minutes. Add chicken parts and cover
pan. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until almost fully cooked. Add eggplants and cook for
additional 5- 7 mins. Add tomato sauce and stir in a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Simmer
for another few minutes. You’re done! Stir in Kalamata olives and garnish with parsley.

Optional: add rice cauliflower to bulk up the dish.

Bon appétit!

Ode to the Globe Artichoke

by Kristine Paulus

The Chilean poet Pablo Neruda wrote about a peculiar “armed vegetable” in one of his elemental odes, Ode to the Artichoke. In the piece, the artichoke is personified as a hardened soldier. While the poem can be interpreted several ways, on the surface the verse is dedicated to the delicious Mediterranean vegetable that has delightfully appeared in our recent CSA shares. 

This spiny vegetable comes from a plant species scientifically known as Cynara cardunculus (Scolymus Group) and commonly called globe artichoke. The edible part is the young flower head. When full open, the large and showy tubular flowers look familiarly like a thistle, and in fact, it is a type of thistle. Plants cultivated for food are rarely allowed to reach the flowering phase and when they do, the open flowers aren’t particularly edible – but they are quite ornamental. Species grown purely for ornamental purposes are known as cardoons. Both are adored by pollinators and are often buzzing with bees (there is a cardoon growing in Bainbridge Avenue Garden – check it out the next time you pick up your CSA!).

The spiny outer scales are known as bracts and are modified leaves (they are sometimes erroneously described as petals). The bracts and tender inner heart are a delectable delicacy. The armor of outer bracts acts to protect the heart and flower buds. These make them rather intimidating the kitchen! I like growing and eating them far more than I like preparing them. I find that steaming is the easiest way to cook them and follow these steps on Simply Recipes:

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cook_and_eat_an_artichoke/

Photos (all by Kristine Paulus):

Cynara cardunculus (Scolymus Group) growing outside the Edible Academy at the New York Botanical Garden

Beans and Greens

Want a recipe that calls for lots of greens and takes no more than 10 minutes to throw together? This magical “beans and greens” recipe is highly versatile, and has become my #1 go-to meal. For the base of this recipe, you’ll need some kind of white bean (small white beans or chickpeas are my favorites). I recommend buying dried beans in bulk, rather than using canned. To make dried beans, you’ll have to do a little planning ahead. 

1. Put your desired amount of dried beans in a container with a lid. Make sure the beans fill the container about half way.
2. Add water to the container until it’s full to the top.
3. Put the lid on it and store it in the fridge overnight. Your beans will soak up the water and expand quite a bit, which is why you left some room in the container.
4. The next day, drain the beans, fill a pot with water, and add the drained beans to the pot.
5. Lightly boil the beans (with the lid on at an angle) for 30-45 minutes. Be careful!! They WILL boil over! Adjust the temperature and the angle of the lid as needed.
6. Taste the beans after 30 minutes to see if they’re soft enough to your liking. If not, boil them a bit more. Drain the beans. 

Now for the actual recipe: The second half consists of greens. Spinach, Swiss chard, kale, beet tops, radish tops, amaranth or any other sort of leafy green will do. Feel free to use a combination! Slice them into 1 inch strips, or just make sure they’re all evenly sized. You’re going to want to use quite a bit of the greens, since they will shrink when cooked. It’s basically a 2:1 ratio of greens to beans. 

1. Warm up a pan with a little bit of oil.
2. This is a good time to add diced onion, spring onion, leeks, garlic, and/or garlic scapes. Let these cook for a couple of minutes, but don’t let them get brown or crispy yet.
3. Add your drained beans. Cook these for a few minutes as well, until you notice some brown and crispy bits on the outside of the beans.
4. Add your spices: paprika or cumin are my go-tos. Also add some salt at this point.
5. Add your greens, and a little bit of oil if the pan is looking dry. Cook until the greens are wilted.
6. Serve warm, with an optional (but very much appreciated) egg over easy on top. Also optional: a squeeze of lemon juice at the end. I’ve also been eating this on toast with a scoop of ricotta. So many options! This heats up well the next day in a pan with just a bit of oil. 

Note: Some recipes will call for you to blanch the greens in salted, boiling water for 1-2 minutes and drain before adding it to the recipe. I’ve done it both ways, but typically use the method above because it calls for less pots, less heat, and less prep. Both methods are very tasty!

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I have! It's been on repeat for me all summer.

Here are some recipes that inspired this meal:

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-crispy-pan-fried-beans-with-wilted-greens-163905

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/healthy/article/greens-beans

Cabbage and Kale and Cauliflower, Oh My!

by Kristine Paulus

I’m a bit of a “botanophile” so I always like to learn about the plants that produce my favorite
foods. Our recent CSA boxes included delicious cabbage, kale and cauliflower. Some people
might be surprised to learn that they all originate from the same plant species! The scientific
name is Brassica oleracea. Other members of this species include broccoli, kohlrabi, collard
greens and Brussels sprouts, some of which may arrive in future deliveries.

The wild species is a hardy short-lived perennial native to Mediterranean and southwestern
Europe, as far north as southern England and is found growing in its natural habitat of limestone
seaside cliffs. In the wild, it is a somewhat uncommon plant and while edible, isn’t nearly as
tasty as those that have been bred to be more palatable for human consumption.

The various agricultural forms that we are familiar with are derived from the wild species and
have become important crop plants. Brassica oleracea has been cultivated for over 2,000 years
and developed into a wide variety of forms that have considerably different appearances. They
are categorized into cultivar groups, which commonly include:

• Acephala Group (includes kale & collards)
• Botrytis Group (includes cauliflower)
• Capitata Group (includes cabbage)
• Gemmifera Group (includes Brussels sprouts)
• Gongylodes Group (includes kohlrabi)
• Italica Group (includes broccoli)

Even among these cultivar groups, there are a vast array of cultivars with different flower colors,
leaf shapes, as well as variations in flavor. For instance, one popular kale cultivar is Brassica
oleracea (Acephala Group) ‘Laciniato’, also known as dinosaur kale because of its wrinkled
leaves. B. oleracea (Botrytis Group) ‘Cheddar’ is prized for its bright orange flower buds that are
the edible parts. And then there’s B. oleracea ‘Romanesco’, which is alternately called broccoli
or cauliflower, but is neither. Its flower buds form a remarkable fractal pattern makes it almost
too pretty to eat.

Cruciferous vegetables (members of the plant family Brassicaceae) have many health benefits as
well, and are considered “superfoods.” They are high in vitamin C and have apparent cancer-
fighting properties. They’re also low calorie and high in vitamins E & K and high in fiber and
antioxidants. However, it’s always good to remember that consuming too much of anything can
sometimes be detrimental, so moderation is key.

A few of these plants are currently being grown by gardeners at Bainbridge Avenue Garden. The
next time you’re picking up your CSA share, take a peek and admire their diverse morphology.
For further reading, see https://www.britannica.com/plant/Brassica-oleracea

Photos (all by Kristine Paulus):
1. Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group) ‘Purple Moon’ kale seed packet planted at
Bainbridge Avenue Garden
2. Brassica oleracea (Botrytis Group) ‘Romanesco’
3. Cats like broccoli too!
4. Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group), also known as cabbage