Amaranth Greens- the new, new, new super food?

Cooking unfamiliar vegetables we get from Norwich Meadows Farm in the CSA is a whole new world these days.  When I joined the Norwood CSA in 2005, cookbooks were really the only place to turn for recipe ideas:
Farmer John's The Real Dirt on Vegetables was a must have
Simply in Season from the Mennonite Central Committee, also useful

These days, I almost always turn to the computer to produce creative and delicious dishes.  You still need to wade through many less than stellar recipes, but it turns up a lot of family crowd pleasers in our household!

I found this post on the Organic Authority (relation to the now bankrupt Sports Authority- could be!), extolling the wonders of mighty Amaranth Greens:

• vitamin E in them could lower cholesterol and reduce risk of heart disease
• potassium can improve brain function and reduce risk of stroke
• magnesium reduces high blood pressure, gives energy, calms anxiety, prevents osteoperosis
• improves digestion
• high in iron, addresses anemia

We are now feeding the stems to our guinea pig with the hopes that he develops super powers, or at least starts cleaning his own cage.

We tried the recipe included, using some of the spring onions and garlic scapes, replacing the coconut milk with some of the cream we had left over after making chicken tikka masala (ok, I realize that cream might counteract some of the amaranth benefits).  The girls loved the pink greens, as well as their parents.  If that's not a super food, I don't know what is!

The First Week of the 2020 Summer Season

In previous years, when asked what I looked forward to the most about the CSA, I’d exclaim, “Garlic scapes!” -- I love chopping them up and putting them in anything from salads to stir fry to omelets to pesto, and their brief appearance at the beginning of the summer season signals the end of an exhausting school year and the harbinger of many vegetable adventures to come.

This year, though, the mere existence of the CSA felt both necessary and impossible for a time, and so I find myself looking forward to all of it. Not only the produce, but the time outdoors in the garden volunteering, seeing neighbors from a distance, and rallying 50-some households to keep showing up. It is a credit to core organizers, current and past, that we have the tools to support each other and continue to work to grow our membership.

Our old routines are fairly well-documented on this blog and other social media; in stark contrast, this season we’ll have pre-packed boxes and limited dawdling. Our first delivery went smoothly and it was great to see familiar, albeit masked, faces and meet new members as well. It was a combination of taking back some control (knowing where our food comes from, avoiding gathering indoors), and yielding some of it (what’s in the box??), too. 

Food sovereignty and food justice are necessary branches in the larger overlapping struggles for racial equity, environmental justice, and liberation for all. I look forward to hearing how members use the material fuel of these gorgeous vegetables to expand their vision of a better world, while hoping for the day we can fling the garden gates wide open once again.

Summer 2020 CSA is Now Taking Signups!

join us for our summer season from june-november!

Your membership in the Norwood CSA supports:

Organic produce. Norwich Meadows Farm offers weekly deliveries of organic produce from mid-June to mid-November. Your weekly share will include fresh organic vegetables and fruits grown in season and picked just prior to delivery. Expect to receive between 7 and 9 different vegetables per week.

Affordable shopping. The quantity and variety of items in the share will vary weekly, depending on weather and season. In an average year, the share prices reflect a savings of about 15-20% off what you would pay in a green market for a comparable amount of local organic produce.

Local agriculture. Unfortunately, our CSA family at Norwich Meadows farm has seen a downtrend in signups over the past few seasons. We value supporting the direct link between the farmer and consumer, giving consumers fresh and more wholesome organic foods and farmers more security in their work. (The food co-op is not like shopping at the supermarket. You pay in advance for produce selected by the farm.)

Community. This CSA is run by members. A rotating core group of volunteers take on much of the administrative management of the CSA. This can include signing up new members, collecting members payments, running the distribution site, and planning community-building or educational events. All sign up for one volunteer shift hours during the season. In doing so, you'll meet other members and neighbors who care about good food, sustainability, and eco-justice.

Sign up:

Cravings for Sweets Before the Holidays

Halloween is right around the corner which means that soon the Holidays will be here!  Thanksgiving means indulging in many homecooked delicious decadent foods, and I can’t wait (Yay!), love to enjoy these foods with my dear family and friends.  Planning out these meals, however, is a full-time job.  Gathering all the necessary ingredients, double-checking for allergens, pricing and etc. is enough to make me tempted to cater to it (LOL!).  

So, I gleaned through my past CSA emails to find a couple of recipes which can definitely help, these were contributed by Afua Yeboa:

The carrot cake was the inspiration for this delicious dessert. Grated zucchini, which makes the cake extra-moist takes the place of the carrots:

Yield: Makes 10 servings

Active Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

ingredients

Cake:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup olive oil (not extra-virgin)
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 8 ounces)
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Frosting:

• 1/2 8-ounce package Philadelphia brand cream cheese (do not use reduced-fat or fat-free), room temperature
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• preparation

For cake:

• Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with nonstick spray.
• Whisk flour, baking powder, coarse salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend well. Whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl to blend well; fold in flour mixture, then grated zucchini and pecans. Transfer cake batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on a rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto platter; peel off the parchment paper.

For frosting:

• Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until blended. Beat in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spread frosting thickly over top of the cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Cut cake into wedges and serve.

Butternut Squash with Walnuts and Vanilla Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled, seeds removed, flesh cut into 1-inch cubes (see how to cut and peel a butternut squash)
• 3 bay leaves (if boiling the squash)
• Salt
• 1 heaping cup of walnuts (can substitute pecans or pine nuts)
• 2-3 Tbsp butter
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Black pepper to taste

Method:

• If roasting Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat the cubed squash with a little vegetable oil and spread out onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and roast until the cubes begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• If boiling Put 4 cups of water into a medium-sized pot and add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Add the squash to the pot. Boil, covered for 10 minutes. Drain.
• Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and toast the walnuts. Stir frequently or they will burn. Once they start to brown, and you can smell the aroma of toasted walnuts, remove from heat.
• Melt the butter in the pan with the walnuts over medium-high heat. Toss the walnuts to coat with butter, then add the squash. Toss them to coat with butter.
•  Add the grated ginger, vanilla extract, black pepper, a little salt, and dried thyme and toss once more. Turn off the heat and squeeze some lemon juice over everything. Taste for salt and lemon and add more to taste. If you want this to be a bit more luxurious, mix in another tablespoon of butter or two before serving.
• Serves 4.

Favorite Recipes from Past Newsletters

In the past, I was the editor of the Norwood CSA newsletter and received many recipe submissions.  I do admit there were some I never had time to try, then there were some which were simple enough to master and make a part of my regular cuisine.  I am not the type of person who likes to spend lots of time in the kitchen, quick and easy is my forte. The following recipes are my “go to’s”, the ones I use when I have a bunch of one type of veggie (hello Summer 2019 fennel!).  They came in handy this year….Enjoy! 

Zucchini and Carrot Fritters With Yogurt-Mint Dip (contributed by Afua Yeboa, Summer 2010 season)

Ingredients -

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, more as needed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more for serving
• 1 cup milk, more as needed
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 large carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Olive oil, for frying.

1. 1. To make the batter for the fritters: in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, coriander, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, lemon zest and pepper.
2. 2. Pour dry ingredients into wet; whisk until just blended (do not overmix). The batter should be slightly thicker than cream. If it’s too thick, add some milk; if it’s too thin, sprinkle with additional flour. Stir in the carrots, zucchini, and scallions. Allow resting for 30 minutes.
3. 3. To make the yogurt dip: using a mortar and pestle or the back of a knife, mash together the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, yogurt, mint and 1 tablespoon extra virgin oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. 4. Fill a wide saucepan with 1 inch of olive oil; heat until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a small drop of batter browns immediately). Line a cookie sheet with paper towels. Working in batches, drop battered vegetables by the tablespoon into the oil, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, turning occasionally, until golden all over, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fritters to the cookie sheet to drain. Transfer fritters to a platter or plate; sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt dip.

Yield: 3 dozen fritters.

Fennel in Milk (Fenoci col Late) (contributed by Sarah Wilcox, Summer 2010 season)

From Venice Tradition and Food, by Pino Agostini and Alvise Zorzi.

Ingredients -

• 1 lb fennel
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 2 TBS butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Remove the cores from the green upperparts and the outside parts that are damaged.  Cut the fennel in half lengthwise.
2. Put the fennel into a pot, cover with lightly salted cold water and bring to a boil for a few minutes. (If the fennel is very fresh and fairly small, it doesn’t need to be blanched.)
3. Drain the fennel and let it cool for a while.  Then cut each half into three wedges.
4. Melt the butter with a little olive oil in a frying pan [I made this without butter].  Add the fennel wedges and saute them on both sides, turning when necessary.
5. Cover with milk, add salt and pepper and let the fennel simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the milk has thickened.
6. Arrange the fennel wedges on a platter with cooking sauce.

Roasted tomatillo salsa

What is a tomatillo? Although the name implies "little tomato", it's actually not a small unripened tomato like I had thought. Also known as husk tomatoes, tomatillos are the fruit of a different plant and have a slightly more acidic taste. This bright flavor is what makes it great for a salsa.

Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos
3 jalapenos or serranos (we used both)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 medium onion
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Peel off the tomatillo husks and wash. The tomatillos will be a little sticky so the best way is to soak in warm water for 5 minutes then try to rinse the sticky stuff off. The next step is to quick roast them in the oven for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatillos on a cookie sheet with the washed peppers (we added an extra because we really like the spice), 1/2 onion (quartered and peeled), and peeled garlic cloves.

Roast in the oven and turn the ingredients about half way through. The tomatillos will turn yellow and the peppers will blister. Once out of the oven, rough chop the onion and deseed the peppers and place all the ingredients in a food processor. Add the cilantro and salt and process until smooth. You can add a little water if you want it more smooth.

Now, enjoy! You can eat it with chips or put it on your favorite Mexican dishes.