From the Garden this Week…

From the Garden this Week…

Swiss Chard, Spaghetti Squash, Broccoli or Green Cabbage, Multi-Colored Carrots, Lettuce Heads, Radishes, Snow Peas, Cucumber, Chioggia Beets, Hot and Sweet Peppers

Coming Soon…Green Beans, Kale and Butternut Squash

Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno

Our winter squash harvest is almost complete, we are sending spaghetti squash this week then we will have lots of butternut coming over the next few weeks. We should have sweet potatoes for the next few weeks. We can’t store these as well as the squash, so we will harvest them and send them right away. The weather report says that we will have a very cold night next week, so this is the end of the peppers and cucumbers until next year. Our first broccoli and cabbage are coming. We will split the harvest between everyone. If you don’t get what you want this week, don’t worry we will have much more coming over the next several months. Our new field of cruciferous vegetables is growing very well, and our harvests will include kale in the next few weeks and brussels sprouts around January. This week I have a recipe for our spaghetti squash. The first part of the directions explain how to cook the squash and pull out the stringy flesh, if you want to use it in a different recipe.

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter Sage and Walnuts

1 medium (2½-to-3-pound) spaghetti squash

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

7-8 sage leaves, coarsely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Cut the squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Transfer the squash to a parchment lined baking sheet, cut-sides down. Bake the squash until the flesh is tender, about 1 hour. Let the squash cool until you can handle it. Using a fork, scoop the springs out of the squash and reserve in a separate bowl. In a large sauté pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the walnuts and sage leaves, cook until they are toasted and the butter has started to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes. When the butter is slightly brown turn off the heat, combine with the spaghetti squash and toss together. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the Parmesan and serve.

Chioggia Beets and Colorful Carrots

This week the remaining Chioggia beets have sized up and we will send them out with our colored carrots. When you slice and roast the Chioggia beets, they will keep their white and pink rings. When you roast them whole, the pink color bleeds together. The beets and carrots will make a bright dish. Serve on their own or let cool slightly and add to the lettuce greens to make a salad.

Honey Roasted Beets and Carrots

2 beets

3-4 carrots

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon oil

fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Remove the greens from the beets and reserve for another use. (You can combine the greens with your Swiss chard.) Peel the beets if desired or just scrub well. Slice the beets in half from the top to the tip, and then place the flat side on a cutting board and slice into half-moon shapes. Slice the carrots into rounds. Toss the beets and carrot slices in a large bowl with the honey, salt, pepper and oil. Place them in a single layer on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until tender.

Fun Facts about our coming Cruciferous Vegetables!

Did you know that cauliflower and broccoli are considered a “crucifix” vegetable? Yes indeed, we are growing mighty spiritual vegetables out here at Wellspring Charitable Gardens! Cruciferous vegetables, (so named after the Latin word Cruciferae because the four equal-sized petals of its flowers were found to resemble a cross or crucifix) are being renamed brassica vegetables (brassica comes from the Latin word Brassicaceae) which simply translates as “cabbage.”

This makes sense because not all the vegetables in the cabbage

family follow the pattern of the cross. This nutritious family of vegetables also includes radishes, brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, bok choy, collard greens, turnips, rutabagas and many more. Besides adding flavor to your meals, these vegetables are packed with antioxidants, which may help lower the risk of various conditions such as cancer and coronary heart disease. They are also rich in vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid, and minerals such as potassium, iron and selenium. Three cups of broccoli contain 7.2 grams of protein as well!  I find it fascinating how God packs winter veggies with nutrients that help us fight colds and flu during the winter. Nature is just magnificent!