From the Garden this Week, May 6, 2021...
From the Garden this Week…
Fava Beans, Red or Green Leaf Lettuce, Asian Greens, Broccoli or Romanesco, Kale, Kohlrabi, Shelling Peas, Beets, Radishes, Turnips, Artichoke, Oregano, Rosemary and Lemon Balm*
Coming Soon… Carrots and Onions
*Strawberries were included on the printed newsletter, but they didn't quite make the cut, our apologies!
Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno
This week we have the end of the most of our winter cruciferous vegetables. The lettuce is just about finished as the weather becomes hotter, this will bolt and start to send out flowers. I recommend grating the kohlrabi bulb on a box grater and adding it raw to a salad, just don’t forget to peel off all of the fibrous outer layer. I recently came across this recipe for pea fritters and adapted it to combine the favas with it so that you will have enough peas. It also combines a large handful of our available fresh herbs. Feel free to combine any of the tender herbs we have or choose one or two of your favorites. The fritters make a perfect side dish or they can make a light dinner with a side salad. The beans and peas are high in protein and fiber and a delicious spring treat.
Fava Bean and Pea Fritters with Fresh Herbs (adapted from dishingupthedirt.com)
2 cups total, shelled peas and fava beans (shelled and skins removed)
2 large eggs
1 clove of garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, lemon balm and/or cilantro
3-ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup oil for frying
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
squeeze of fresh lemon juice or dash or red wine vinegar
salt
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Add the peas and fava beans and boil for 4-5 minutes or until bright green and tender. Remove from the heat, drain the water from fava beans and peas. Place the beans and peas in a large bowl and coarsely mash with a fork. Add in eggs, garlic, pepper flakes, salt, herbs and cheese. Gently whisk in the flour and stir until evenly combined. Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Form the batter into small patties (about ¼ cup of batter per patty) and fry until golden brown and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes per side). In a bowl whisk together the yogurt with the lemon juice or vinegar and pinch of salt. Serve patties with the yogurt sauce.
Introducing the Hannah Hotline! For prospective and current members alike
In the next two months, we would like to recruit 5 new subscribers and we would love your help! Tell you neighbors, friends, and family about us and if one of them subscribes – we will gift you one of Cindi’s famous sourdough loaves or a pint of elderflower syrup!
Roasted Vegetable Salad…
In the spring, when the weather warms up this salad is a good way to transition our winter vegetables into a warm weather dish. I usually make this with cauliflower, but it will work equally well with Romanesco or broccoli. By finely chopping the kale and mixing it with the lemon juice and salt it will tenderize without cooking. My secret is to chop up the raisins, this way they add sweetness without plumping up and becoming obvious in the salad.
Roasted Cruciferous Vegetable Salad
1/2 cup raw wheat berries
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 cups broccoli or Romanesco florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup toasted almonds, chopped
¼ cup chopped raisins
1 small bunch kale, finely chopped, about 3-4 cups
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
Salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste
The winds are high back East right now. As I walk through more heavily wooded areas, I find leaves and branches flowing in a worshipful dance of sorts. The woods here are beautiful this time of year. There are the evergreens that provide a nice backdrop of green, while other trees are unfurling their sleepy, wintering limbs into leafing and flowering wonders for Spring.
The blossoming of both the Oklahoma Redwoods and American Dogwoods is a telltale sign that Spring is in full swing. The Oklahoma Redbud has beautiful fuchsia/purple blossoms that are present, but are more faded at the moment. The dogwood natively has white blossoms, but some hybrids boast pink blossoms. Both stand brightly among the trees that are awake and those still in the awakening process. Since childhood, I have loved to observe the beauty of these trees against the bleaker environment in which they always bloom.
While the redbud is extraordinarily beautiful, it is the dogwood which is brightest at the moment. It is an interesting tree. It is not only beautiful, but it offers medicinal value, as well. Some of the medicinal benefits of the Dogwood in native medicine are: headache reliever, fatigue, fever…it stimulates appetite and renews strength, as well. In short, it invigorates!
Watching these trees dance in the breezes, I ponder that they are often found ‘alone’, not clumped together. Normally, there are others nearby, but each one is just sprinkled along the way. I wonder if God did not put them here as provision for beauty and health, but also as a reminder. Will we allow the Lord to sprinkle us like the Dogwood? Can we stand in bleak environments of life, even in gusty winds, offering beauty and invigoration to those who pass by in this life? I pray we can and will be just like that. Even in observing and not partaking of its physically medicinal properties, it has still brought peace to my windblown soul. Can we offer the same to those around us? Perhaps you will be a comfort in calling others to Jesus for some soul rest.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest! Put on my yoke and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:28-29
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