To Blanche or Not to Blanche

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

That’s the question on my mind this week.  Over the past two weeks, our veggies have runneth over in our crisper.  Hubby and I have gotten a little behind in eating our weekly bounty.  So what’s a CSA member to do?  Blanching and freezing our vegetables seemed like a good solution.  

Freezing was a no brainer, but blanching required more research on my part.  I discovered that the word itself dates back to Old French circa 1400s.  Blanching is a super quick boiling and cooling process that often precedes freezing, drying or canning produce.  It’s a key step designed to halt oxidation, aka enzymic browning, so as to preserve coloring, flavoring and nutrients in vegetables and fruits.  

Though blanching is a fairly simple process, the timing involved has to be spot on.  Please know that various vegetables and fruits have different blanching timings. I decided to make my foray into blanching using squash because we had oodles of zucchini and yellow squash. 

Blanching and Freezing Squash

What you’ll need: Large pot with lid and blanching basket Large bowl of ice (2 trays of ice should be suffice) Slotted spoon (a large spoon with slots/holes) A timer  4-5 squash (about 4 cups) Quart-size Ziploc freezer bags  Instructions:   Add water to a large pot and allow boiling.  In the meantime, clean and slice squash.  When the water starts to boil vigorously, place squash into blanching basket and lower into pot. Cover the pot with a lid.  Allow the squash to boil for a minute only.  Spoon out the squash and plunge it into a large bowl of ice for another minute. Drain the squash, then place on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to air dry and sop up as much moisture as possible using a paper towel.  Place about 2 cups of squash per freezer bags.  This can be store for up to 10 months in a freezer.    Result: Year round zucchini and yellow squash. ☺

Let Garlic Be Thy Medicine

Let Garlic Be Thy Medicine

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

If Hippocrates were alive, I’m sure he’d approve of my adaptation.  Though I’m allergic to garlic (this is a fairly recent occurrence), it doesn’t prevent me from extolling the powerful yet myriad benefits of garlic and sharing this gem with family and friends.  

Garlic has a long illustrious history and many ancient civilizations have used it for medicinal, nutritional and culinary purposes.  Even today, garlic is considered a superstar in the veggie world because it has the ability to boost your immune system; combat colds and flu; reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol; support brain, heart and skin health and much more.  For these reasons alone, garlic should have a permanent spot in your food pantry.  

Garlic, is a close relative of onions, shallots and leeks and should be stored at room temperature in a dry, dark location where there is plenty of circulation. 

When it comes to eating garlic, most people enjoy it roasted or sautéed.  However, it’s okay to eat garlic raw (just a clove or two), especially if you have a cold or the flu because it fights against a wide range of bacteria, fungi and viruses.  

Below are a couple of ways you can enjoy garlic.  Bon appetite! ☺ 

Roasted Garlic 1 large garlic head (unpeeled) Extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400°. Slice off top of the head of garlic. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a cooking sheet and roast until golden and soft, about 40 minutes. Let it cool, then squeeze out garlic cloves and use on everything!

Image from Momontimeout.com/how-to-roast-garlic/

Sautéed Garlic Peel and mince 4 -5 garlic cloves Grass-feed butter (I like Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter ☺) or olive oil Add butter or oil to your frying pan, and preheat it over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Toss in minced garlic and sauté for 15-30 seconds, while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent burning. Immediately, spoon it out of the pan and into another container away from the heat. Then, it’s ready to eat.

Image from Cookingchew.com/saute-garlic.html

Basil – How I Love Thee!

by Kathi Carter Rodriguez

Ahhh, the strong aromatic scent of basil! I was delighted to discover fresh basil among our goodies this week. I share the same sentiment about basil, as Robert Browning felt about his wife, Elizabeth, when he poetically, penned: “How I love thee, let me count the ways!” Hands down, basil is one of my favorite herbs. 

Aside from my personal sentiments about basil (aka Ocimum basilicum), it has legit bragging rights. Medicinally, it’s labelled an antioxidant and boasts both anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.  And, if you allow me to anthropomorphize basil as a superhero (I’m a Marvel comic fan), it would don the letter K for Vitamin K.  Basil is high in Vitamin K and our bodies require it for blood clotting, bone metabolism, and regulating blood calcium levels. 

Basil is also a suitable addition to your herbal first-aid kit because it’s useful for digestive issues such as gas, stomach cramps, vomiting and constipation. 

There are many ways to enjoy fresh basil.  I mostly enjoy it as a pesto or tea and on occasion add it to a pasta dish. Enjoy!

Basic Pesto

Image from Cafedelites.com/homemade-basil-pesto-recipe

2 cups of washed basil 3 cloves of garlic 4 tsp of nuts (walnut, pine nuts or pecans, whatever is available),  ½ cup olive oil and  ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese   Pulverize everything in the blender, except the cheese which you add after your mixture becomes pasty. Then blend again. Voila!  It’s ready.

Basil Tea

Image from Healthyliving.natureloc.com/10-tulsi-benefits-why-drink-tulsi-tea

2 cups of filtered or spring water 3 tbs thinly sliced fresh basil leaves 1 tbs grated lemon zest Optional: honey  While your water is coming to a boil, clean, slice and place basil in a glass. Add lemon.  Add water, cover and steep for 4 minutes. Strain, discard basil, zest. Optional: add honey (add according to taste preference)

My Relationship with Beets

 By Kathi Carter Rodriguez

Confession:  I’m not a fan of beets.  I just don’t like the taste of them.  However, I can still hear my Mom’s voice: “Kathi, you should eat them because they’re good for you.”  Growing up, that was the repetitive phrase my mother would use to get us 5 kids to eat something we didn’t like.  Think cod liver oil or lima beans, but never liver because that would have been too much of a stretch. 

Recently, beets have taken on a superhero status in ubiquitous Super Beets infomercials. But, truthfully the nutritional value of beets is quite impressive and they can hold their own without much fanfare.  Beets are considered an antioxidant and have anti-inflammatory properties.  They protect our cells from damage; fight inflammation in our bodies; and can help to lower the risk of heart disease, cancer or other diseases.  Beets are also fraught with fiber, nitrates, folate (a B-vitamin), potassium, magnesium and Vitamin C. 

So suffice to say, I was happy to find beets in our food share for the past two weeks because I’ve learned to appreciate their value in keeping me and hubby healthy. 

More often than not, I juice beets in my Vitamix along with carrots and apples to create my ABC Liver Juice.  I’ve used this juice recipe for over a decade to keep my liver in tip top shape. I originally got it from Dr. Oz. 

My Apple, Beets and Carrots (ABC) Liver Juice*

 ½ apple (un-cored & unpeeled)

1 small peeled beet 

2- 3 medium peeled carrots

1-2 cups of filtered or spring water. 

* I use white vinegar to clean all of my produce. 

Enjoy….it’s good for you! ☺