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Farm Life
​on a changing planet.

Vegetable Profile: Carrots

2/6/2020

2 Comments

 
Picture
Description:
Carrots are a classic hit, ranking high on children's list of favorite veggies. It's wonderful as a stand-alone side dish or snack, as well as adding its distinctive sweet and invigorating flavor to dishes, either raw, cooked, or fermented in to sauerkraut! Heirloom carrots are available in orange, yellow, purple, white, and red colors.
 
Nutrition:
​​​Carrots' famous sweetness comes from their carbohydrate content. They are considered a tonic for the liver, lungs, and digestive system. They support skin health, stable blood sugar levels, and prevent gas and constipation. They are best known for their high content of antioxidant vitamin A precursor, beta-carotene. This nutrient has been linked with improved vision acuity. Plus, ancient Greeks considered carrot root and greens to be an aphrodisiac!  
​Storage:
Carrots are a storage crop, and prefer a cool, dark, and moist place. They will get soft if they start to loose moisture; store either in a covered container in the fridge with a wet cloth, or even in a container of moist clean sand in a pantry space. Depending on your storage method, they can last anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months. The more mature the carrots are, the longer they will last also. 

Use:
We have a few different ways we like to prepare carrots at Wellspring!
Cooked:
  • Remove the rubber band and greens, if present. Set aside greens.
  • Rinse any excess dirt off under cool water.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or heat up a cast iron skillet. Prepare a roasting dish or skillet with a healthy saturated fat, such as lard, bacon grease, coconut oil, or olive oil. 
  • Leaving the skins on, you can either roast them whole or chop them into 1/4" disks if sauteeing them in a skillet.
  • Lightly sprinkle with  sea salt.
  • Cook until tender, and serve as a side!
Raw: 
  • Repeat the first two steps described above. 
  • Chomp them whole with some Homemade Herbal Ranch dip!
  • OR, slice them into thin disks and incorporate into vegetable or grain salads
Fermented:
  • Grate the cleaned, raw carrot with a cheese grater
  • Incorporate with thinly sliced cabbage 
  • Mix in salt and taste as you go. It should be as salty as seawater.
  • Massage or squeeze the mixture until moisture is released
  • Pack tightly into a jar with a smaller jar inserted inside to weigh down the material under its own liquid. Cover with cheesecloth and allow to ferment on the counter 48-36 hrs, or until bubbly. Taste it each day to see how it changes! 
Sources:
​The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood

Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Elix Katz

Our own experience!
2 Comments

Vegetable Profile: Radishes

2/6/2020

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Picture
Description:
Radishes are a classic cool-season crop from the Cabbage family! We grow a few different varieties that have slight variations in flavor and recognizable differences in appearance. Each radish has a variation of the classic cooling yet pungent flavor when raw, and a mild, light flavor when roasted or sauteed.  
 
Nutrition:
Cooling and drying, radishes help dispel excess mucus. They stimulate a healthy appetite and have a mild anti-fungal and antimicrobial action. Great source of ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium as well as vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. 
​​
​Storage:
Radishes, while more study than other more leafy crops, are tender and get soft when they start to loose moisture. Cooling slows this process, so they keep best in the fridge in a covered container with the greens removed. You can even add some water to the container if you want to keep them extra crisp. The greens are delicious when cooked. Use the bulbs within 1 week, the greens within 2-3 days. 

Use:
The way we prefer to prepare radishes, two ways!
Raw:
  • Remove the rubber band and greens; set aside.
  • Rinse any excess dirt off under cool water.
  • Select 1 bulb per serving of whatever dish you are preparing.
  • Chop each bulb in half, and then finely into half-moons maybe 1/8" thick
  • When your dish is ready to go, sprinkle the radish over the top. Toss to incorporate if you're making a salad dish. 
Roasted: 
  • Follow first two steps as described above. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Chop each bulb in half
  • Prepare a roasting pan with some healthy saturated fat (try: olive oil, bacon grease, lard, or coconut oil)
  • Toss radish with salt, pepper, and herbs (if using) and spread in a single layer on the pan
  • Roast for 15-20 minutes or until tender
Greens: 
  • Rinse and finely chop radish greens
  • Add to a pot of grains like rice or quinoa, to stock or broth, or just a pan with a 1/2" layer of simmering water.
  • Cook down until melt-in-your-mouth soft. 
  • Top with a bit of fat, in the form of butter, sour cream, cheese, or drizzle of olive oil
  • Sprinkle with sea salt or a teaspoon or two of soy sauce 

It's that easy to enjoy radishes! Some people are hesitant to try them because of a childhood experience or not having them prepared well, and they miss out on all the possibilities and benefits that this early and late season crop brings. We hope this helps you rediscover radish as a welcome addition to your dish! 

Sources:
​The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood

Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience!
0 Comments

Vegetable Profile: Scallions

2/6/2020

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Description:
Scallions (also called green onions, bunching onions) are a delicious pungent topping to almost anything you make! Their blanched white base and slender, hollow green leaves and tender texture are as attractive as they are appetizing! 
 
Nutrition:
​A warming tonic for the digestive system and supports healthy blood circulation, the heart, large intestine, and lungs. Light anti-fungal and antimicrobial action. Contains precursors to vitamin A, B complex, and C when eaten raw. Also contains some calcium, magnesium, and potassium. 
Storage:
Scallions are tender and cold tolerant, so they keep best in the fridge in a produce bag. Use within 3-4 days.

Use:
The way we prefer to prepare scallions:
  • Remove the rubber band.
  • Rinse any excess dirt off the base under cool water.
  • Select 1 stalk per serving of whatever dish you are preparing.
  • Line up the stalks on the cutting board, and chop into fine disks maybe 1/8" thick using both the white and green parts.
  • When your dish is ready to go, sprinkle the scallion over the top. Toss to incorporate if you're making a salad dish. 
It's just that easy to use scallions!

Sources:
The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
Asparagus to Zucchini by Fairshare Coalition
Produce: A fruit and vegetable lover's guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience!

0 Comments

Vegetable Profile: Acorn Squash

2/6/2020

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Picture
Description:
Acorn squash is as yummy as it is pretty! It's solid yellow-orange flesh is lightly sweet and nutty when cooked, with a lower moisture content than other winter squashes. Like other squash plants, it grows on a sprawling vine and has edible cream-colored seeds and delicate, large yellow flowers that are also edible!
 
Nutrition:
Excellent source of beta-carotene. Rich in complex carbohydrates, which helps stabilize blood sugar. Nourishing for the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and lungs. ​

Storage:
By definition, acorn squash is a storage crop meaning that if you store it properly, you can keep it for months! They like a cool, dry place with good airflow and lack of sunlight. Check it regularly for signs of softness, mold or wrinkles; if you notice those developing early, you can easily save most of it by preparing the squash promptly and cutting out the soft parts. 

Use:
The way we prefer to prepare acorn squash:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Rinse the squash under water to remove any dust or dirt.
  • Remove the tough stem.
  • Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; reserve for later.
  • Add a bit of water (maybe 1") to a baking pan and place the squash halves cut-side down. 
  • Roast for 30 mins or until you can easily pierce the skin with a fork.
  • Meanwhile, rinse and remove pulp from seeds, and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, or herbs.
  • Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and toss them in the oven as well. They're done as soon as they're golden brown! 
  • Once the squash comes out of the oven, remove it from the pan and let cool. 
  • Once you can safety handle the squash halves, take a spoon and scoop out the flesh. 

Both the roasted squash flesh and seeds can be used in a variety of dishes, or great just eaten as a snack!

Sources:
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood
From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Food By Fairshare Coalition 
Produce: A Fruit and Vegetable Lover's Guide by Bruce Beck
Our own experience! 
0 Comments

Vegetable Profile: Butternut Squash

2/6/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Description:
Butternut squash is a classic wintertime vegetable and comfort food! It's bright-orange, solid flesh is sweet and nutty in flavor and quite soft when cooked. It has edible, cream colored seeds, a thick smooth skin, and grows on a vigorous vine! The large yellow flowers are also edible.
 
Nutrition:
Excellent source of beta-carotene. Rich in complex carbohydrates, which helps stabilize blood sugar. Nourishing for the spleen, stomach, large intestine, and lungs. 
Storage:
By definition, butternuts are a storage crop meaning that if you store them properly, you can keep them for months! They like a cool, dry place with good airflow and lack of sunlight. Check it regularly for signs of softness, mold or wrinkles; if you notice those developing early, you can easily save most of it by preparing the squash promptly and cutting out the soft parts. 

Use:
The way we prefer to prepare butternut squash:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Rinse the squash under water to remove any dust or dirt.
  • Cut off both the ends: the base and the stem.
  • Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon; reserve for later.
  • Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off in thin strips. 
  • Chop up the squash flesh in 1" chunks.
  • Add a healthy, saturated fat to a roasting pan or cookie sheet (try: lard, coconut oil, bacon grease, ghee, or butter)
  • Arrange squash chunks in a single layer in the pan, and place in the oven for 20 mins or until soft.
  • Meanwhile, rinse and remove pulp from seeds, and toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, or herbs.
  • Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and toss them in the oven as well. They're done as soon as they're golden brown! 
Both the roasted squash flesh and seeds can be used in a variety of dishes, or great just eaten as a snack!

Sources:
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood

Produce: A Fruit and Vegetable Lover's Guide
And, our own experience! 
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