Week 13
Sept. 3 and 4
1 head lettuce
1 bunch greens
1/2# salad mix
broccoli
sweet peppers
hot peppers
tomatoes
garlic
As far as subjects for newsletters go, this one is a major no brainer.
It’s September, we have made it over the huge energetic hump that is Labor Day, we finely got some much needed rain, the CSA appreciation celebration is this weekend and our harvest this week is literally overflowing with tons of veggies from the insanely nutritious and delicious Brassica family.
Friends, we are oh so lucky these days and it just so happens to be
Week Lucky 13 of the season!
Yes! Once again, Black Kettle Farm proves to be in alignment.
So about these Brassicas......who and what are they?? Sometimes called Cole Crops, the brassica family includes broccoli, kale,collards, arugula, cabbage, asian greens, brussels sprouts, radish, turnip and mustard greens. Any of those sound familiar? We have no doubt had at least one crop from the Brassica family amongst our BKF harvest for the last 13 weeks. They pack the most nutritional punch of any veggie family and it is recommended that they are consumed at least 3 times a week. With a Brassica heavy share like this one, including that 1/2 pound bag o’ baby greens, you can eat them every day and pump up that that highly notable and undeniable, 13 weeks of fresh veggie fueled , Black Kettle Farm CSA member gorgeous glow, emanating health, vitality and fabulosity!
So here’s the deal....Brassicas are all loaded with vitamins and calcium and actively fight cancer, specifically lung, colon, prostate and breast. They also hinder heart disease and offer tons of anti-oxidants and dietary fiber to your system. For all you vegans and carnivores alike, get a big, HUGE dose of much needed iron and eat your broccoli and dark leafy greens! And, as luck would have this 13th week of the season, the other veggie family that is majorly represented are the solanums, those illusive hot weather lovers, tomatoes and peppers. When cooked with the likes of broccoli or kale, they bring out the best in each other. The vitamin C in the tomatoes does some sort of magic when cooked with any member of the Brassica family and presents the optimum environment for the all that iron to be absorbed into the body. Harmony and collaboration, love and support, forget about anemia and fatigue, we can access iron like nobody’s business! Our luck is profound this week, as we are at the time of overlap, the crossroads between summer and fall and we get it al!
Brassica Fun Facts.....Who knew???
Kale has more then twice the Vitamin C then an Orange!
Although low in calories, Broccoli is full of the good kind of fats, Omega 3.
Mustard Greens (representing in this week’s salad mix) detox the system, thus aiding in cancer prevention.
Collard Greens have more absorbable calcium then a glass of milk.
BKF goes big on Brassicas! Eat any way you want, raw, stem, in a smoothy, in chip form, hey, cook in a mound of butter! Just get ‘em in there and you are totally winning!
Here’s to 13 weeks of health benefits and let’s wallow around in our great luck and good fortune for all that this funky little farm provides!
Italian Broccoli with Peppers
6 cups water
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, julienned
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium ripe tomato, cut into wedges and seeded
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place broccoli in ice water. Drain and pat dry.
In a large nonstick skillet, saute peppers in oil for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the broccoli, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes longer. Add the tomato; heat through. Sprinkle with cheese. Yield: 6 servings.
Swiss Chard and Black Bean Quesadilla - www.dishingupthdirt.com
olive oil
2 whole tortillas (we used spelt flour tortillas)
1/2 bunch of swiss chard -
1 hot pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/3 cup of shredded cheese (we used sharp cheddar)
hot sauce
In a large skillet saute’ your onion and hot pepper in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add black beans and chard. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture into a bowl. Add a little more oil to the same pan and add one of the tortillas. Add some shredded cheese, half the bean mixture, some hot sauce, followed by a little more cheese. Place the other tortilla on top and fry for about 3-5 minutes per side. Enjoy!
****Use any green for this, kale, collards etc and add sweet peppers and tomato to the saute!
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