From the Garden this Week…
From the Garden this Week…
Cauliflower, Rutabagas, Bok Choi or Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli, Carrots, Beets, Mixed Greens, Lettuce Heads, Garlic and Oregano
Coming Soon… Savoy Cabbage, Celery, Brussels Sprouts
Using your produce… by Julie Moreno
We have more cauliflower this week and I have an easy recipe for roasted cauliflower with Italian seasoning. I use dried oregano, thyme and rosemary from the garden last summer. If you are mixing your own seasoning, use lots of oregano and a little bit of thyme and rosemary. These herbs grow in the summer and are easy to dry out and save for winter cooking. I like to eat this instead of pasta (or with a little pasta mixed in) with marinara sauce on top. As I mentioned last week, with the Cauliflower “Rice” recipe, cauliflower makes a great substitute for starch if you are trying to eat less carbohydrates. Speaking of substituting vegetables, the rutabagas also work as a pasta substitute if you have a Spiralizer (You can grate them on a box grater, or use a vegetable peeler to peel slices if you don’t have the special tool). Toss the spiralized rutabaga with salt and oil and then roast in the oven on a baking sheet for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. If you have extra roasted vegetables, they make a great salad the next day, tossed with our lettuce and a little vinaigrette. Dress it up with a sprinkle of nuts and cheese and you have another healthy meal.
Italian Roasted Cauliflower
3 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 head of a large cauliflower, cut into florets
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place cauliflower florets in a large bowl, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss thoroughly. Pour out into a single layer onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese over the cauliflower. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve with Marinara sauce if desired.
Come Join the Farm Fun this Saturday!
If you have the time and interest, we would love your help preparing our beds for springtime planting. We will be pulling weeds, moving compost, cultivating rows, clearing out old plants, cleaning chicken coops and a whole lot more. Please give Cindi a text or call at (209) 607-1887 if you would like to join our volunteer team!
Soup for Immunity…
I don’t know if you will get extra immunity as the title claims, but I love this recipe from the website 101 Cookbooks. I have adapted it so much, I don’t know if I need to give her credit anymore! But it’s worth mentioning so that you can check out the website if you need inspiration for lots of vegetable focused meals. I switch out the vegetables depending on what’s available, add in the ones that take a longer time to cook at the beginning and the greens at the end. I included a rutabaga, broccoli stems, carrots and Bok Choi from this week. The ginger, garlic and mushrooms add lots of flavor without any need for stock or broth. If you want to add meat, just sub in a little cooked chicken or fish instead of the tofu.
Immunity Soup (adapted from 101cookbooks.com)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 rutabaga, peeled and cubed
1 cup broccoli stems, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 & ½ cups mushrooms, sliced
2-3 medium garlic cloves, grated
2 tablespoons grated ginger
¾ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
10 cups water
8 ounces firm tofu, cubed
4 cups chopped Bok Choi, leaves and white parts
½ cup sliced green onions
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, add the onion, rutabaga, broccoli stems, carrot, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Gently sauté the vegetables just until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Add a small splash of water if the pan dries out. Stir in the pepper, salt and 10 cups of water. Turn up the heat to high, bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Add the tofu and Bok Choi, gently simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir well, taste, and adjust with more salt or water if needed. Ladle the soup into shallow soup bowls and top with sliced green onions. Add a finishing drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Metaphors from the Soil for Growing the Soul….
Today I looked at some grape vines growing in our Garden that require pruning. I cringe whenever I face this garden task. It takes wisdom, knowledge, experience, and faith to cut back the vines. Wisdom to know which vines to prune, experience that looks back on the result of the last season’s pruning action or inaction, and faith that the wisdom and experience gleaned in past years is reliable despite the sight of yet another round of so many lost limbs. I find that growing older is a process of severe pruning. It is not just a little twig here and another twig there. Sometimes it is an entire tree limb! Yet, if I have learned to trust the wisdom and experience of our Creator and Lord during past pruning, I am more confident in the good that can come from future pruning. When our Lord Jesus looks at our lives, He at times goes about pruning back parts of our lives that we would never choose to give up. Those pruning cuts ALWAYS hurt but when I choose to put the losses in His capable hands and exercise faith in His love for me and all creation, I am often astounded at the results. Are you going through a painful season of pruning in your life? May your faith give you the capacity to endure and wait for a season of new and vibrant growth.
