First…

Creepy

Check out this new phone app that tells you if the product you are about to purchase is from a company owned by the Koch brothers (creepy) or a company that uses GMO sources.  Just scan the barcode and learn.  Can’t vouch for it, but it sounds cool.

Of course the customers and supporters of The Urban Farmer don’t really need the app because we know that the real stuff, the safe and truly nutritious food, is what comes from our own yards and local farms and conscientious farms across the country.  And local food artisans.

The story this week is that, along with the happy arrival of our happy kids home from college we are blessed with the arrival of thesesweet purple lychees and promise of early mangoes.

Like absolutely everything else in our lives, lychee seeds are originally imported from China, but these lovelies grow quite well locally. They are packed with vitamin C and are a good source of copper, phosphorous, and potassium.  That would be the “P” and “K” parts of our essential human nutritional elements that our urban farmers know as key parts of fertilizers.

Plenty of tasty lychees from Yagnaparush Farm will be available for sale on the Patio Market table.

The chard and kale are still gorgeous and this week we have pretty beets and eggplant from Erickson.  Now, Dwight Schrute may be the most famous beet farmer (in the world), but Kim Erickson and family are the best (real farmers) in Florida and her beets can be part of your body. We should have T-shirts that say “Body by Erickson Farm (and Yagnaparush, and Alderman, and Aaldmon) and other great American farms.”

Cyndy also scored some organic Vidalia onions and we have local Sem Chi rice.  Check out Maria’s great recipe using Sem Chi rice below.

Fresh pastured eggs were gathered on Monday.

Speaking of local, check out the huge chard grown in my sidewalk Earthbox compared to chard grown my conventional container.Earthbox wins.  And look at the hundreds of peppers on the Earthbox tabasco pepper plant.

Crawly…

So the United Nations (UN) thinks we should eat more insects (bugs). Their publicity this week touts crawling and flying and hopping creatures as the most sustainable source of protein on the planet.

This sounds logical (and sort of interesting), but I gotta say…given the challenge we face (at The Urban Farmer) to persuade folks they ought to eat some kale or chard or collards or turnips or okra...how can we even start a conversation about grasshoppers or worms or beetles?  And larvae (veal?)?

Your mattress may be the new “local” in the insect food world -forget about your distant back yard.

Something about eating insects you probably didn’t know before (so you can impress your minions).

Insects are known to be eaten in 80% of the world’s nations.

A total of 1,417 species of insects have been recorded as being eaten by over 3,000 ethnic groups.

The practice of eating insects is scientifically known as Entomophagy.

Apparently most insects are neither kosher nor halal.

Now you know.

Farm Update:

From Kim Erickson this week:

Our surprise for the week was watching the lychees maturealmost before our eyes.

The lychee crop has been developing as expected. Then, over the last week they suddenly filled out and started turning red. So, surprise to us! They’re going to be ready early this year.

If you haven’t tried a lychee before, or especially one of ours, you are in for a treat.  Here is a little bit about them.

Step 1 is to peel the fruit. Step 2 is to eat the juicy flesh. Step 3 is to spit out the seed.

The cool thing about our lychees is that they have a little tiny seed compared to most lychees and they are also sweeter than most. That also means they make for great little natural popsicles. Just toss some in the freezer and let them freeze.

Take one out and run under hot water for a second or hold it in your hand just long enough to thaw the skin so you can peel it. Now bit into its frozen goodness. Kids love them and it just doesn’t it any easier or more natural!

For a little more background on this Chinese fruit see our webpage: http://www.ericksonfarm.com/products/lychee.html

And here’s the very handsome and lovely Erickson Family from theirnew family portrait on FB.

See the photos of the new reservoir and your food in the ground  at Erickson Farm here.

Farm List

Lemon Rice and Lentils and Curry Leaves

 

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Notes: Curry leaves are the shiny, dark green, aromatic leaves of a tree from the citrus fruit family that release a deliciously nutty aroma when fried in hot oil. A staple of South Indian cooking, curry leaves are used in Indian and South East Asian cuisine in the same way as bay leaves are used in the West.

Author: Maria Anselmo

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp grapeseed oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 dried red chillies, left whole
• 1 rounded tsp chopped fresh organic ginger
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 4 tbsp roasted peanuts
• 10 curry leaves, torn in half
• salt, to taste
• 4 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 c. cooked Sem Chi rice or other long grain white rice
• 1 c. cooked organic black beluga lentils

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the mustard seeds and the chillies and stir fry on medium heat until lightly browned.
2. Add the ginger, ground turmeric, peanuts, curry leaves and salt, to taste, and cook for about 40 seconds.
3. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for another minute before adding the rice and lentils. Stir fry to heat through, being careful not to break up the grains too much.

3.2.1753

Kale and Chard Green Power Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

 

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I just wanted to share this recipe I found and tried last night with my chard and kale I got on Friday- it was SIMPLE & DELICIOUS!! I finally found a way to get Chris to eat the greens raw!

Author: Farm Share member Elana Gratz

Ingredients

• For the salad
• lacinato kale, thinly sliced
• Swiss chard, thinly sliced
• crumbled blue cheese
• chopped walnuts
• dried cranberries
• thinly sliced or chopped apple (I used Pink Lady – so crisp and perfectly sweet)
• For the Maple Vinaigrette:
• · 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• · ⅛ teaspoon sweet paprika
• · ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• · ¼ cup grapeseed oil (or any light flavored oil)
• · good pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare your vinaigrette by placing all its ingredients in a small jar or container. Shake well until thoroughly combined. Store in fridge for up to 3 days.
2. Combine your greens in a bowl. Pour a couple of tablespoons over your greens and toss to combine. Massage gently with your hands, or let sit for a few minutes to tenderize the greens.
3. Add your blue cheese crumbles, walnuts, cranberries and apple to salad, gently toss and drizzle additional vinaigrette if desired

3.2.1753

Stuffed Tomatoes with Sem Chi Rice

 

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Author: Maria Anselmo

Ingredients

• 8 thick-fleshed tomatoes, such as Roma or 4 medium tomatoes
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup cooked Sem Chi rice
• ¼ c. slivered almonds
• ¼ c. raisins
• A dash of salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 8 tbsp crumbled chevre-goat cheese (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and then take a thin slice off of the bottom so that they sit flat in a baking pan.
2. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the seeds and pulp and reserve. Place the tomatoes into an ovenproof dish large enough to accommodate them.
3. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large saucepan and add the ginger and onions. Stir and cook until the onions are just starting to turn golden, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cardamom and cloves, and continue to cook, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in the cooked rice, almonds, raisins, reserved tomato pulp and salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes more.
6. Stir in the chives, and then spoon the rice into the prepared tomatoes.
7. Drizzle with some olive oil and the chevre (if using), and then bake until the tomatoes slump and the tops are golden for 25 to 30 minutes.

3.2.1753

Farm List

Announcing: Our first crop is in from our new Oakland Park farm. It’s deep lucious green wheatgrass.

George Smiley had Karla and we have Jon Albee and he’s been growing some amazing wheat grass in his new super-sophisticated and climate-controlled grow room at Jaco Park.  He’ll likely have a few trays for sale Saturday down at the Pompano Green Market so come and get your tray – $18.00.  He’s there till 1:00 p.m.

More about the Oakland Park farm next week…

Eat well, have fun, grow and eat more food that doesn’t have Nitrogen from petro-chemical factories. 

Farm List

Your chard is a chenopod –  don’t blame the farmer.

But first…

The local spring bounty continues this weekend from our farms and in your gardens.  And now lovely Brussels sprouts are starting to come in – a few this week, but hopefully lots more next week. Edamame is here too.

Once again the leafy greens are so beautiful and delicious it feels almost wrong to put such beautiful leaves in the food bag.  That store that says their food is whole wishes they had food this fresh and delicious. And locally grown.

Ingrid and Rhonald at GreenByrd farm mention they thought the eggs from their heirloom pastured hens were a bit smaller this week.But if those are small eggs, I can’t imagine there is a carton large enough for their large eggs.  The hens forage in pastures and get a supplement of non-GMO feed.

 Just one more thing…

This is a Ted Talk about Lesterland I think you will find worth the few minutes to watch.

Cyndy reminds us that as the season warms, your food in the ground has more pressure from pests, so watch for crawly things like she found tonight.  Pesticide-free means not bug free.  Fair enough – it’s their food too.

Something about chard you probably didn’t know before (so you can impress your minions).

There is no such variety as “rainbow” chard.  Doesn’t exist. Someone just made a bunch using the white, pink, yellow, green, red, and orange colors that do exist.

Cooks like spinach, but milder flavor.

Not from Switzerland.

Converts the black muck soil at Erickson (or your yard) into useful molecules our bodies need to make our hearts beat and bones grow like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, and an extremely good source of vitamins A, C, and K.

And DO NOT discard the stems even though they are quite large at this point in the season.  Why? The stems are where the iron is, lots of it. That’s what makes them so colorful – but you knew that.

Very fragile after harvest - much more so than most kales and collards. You have no idea how hard Cyndy and team work to keep them from wilting before you pick them up.

Last week I promised to give you a Fifty Shades of Chard story, which was supposed to be a slightly titillating reference to that book (you know you are reading) about the other very interesting side of human behavior (besides eating).

Anyway, the raciest chard info I could uncover is this:  chard is a beet. Same plant, just bred to have the nutrition in the leaf and not the root.

Chard leaves can be harvested from the stalks throughout the season, but they’ll get tired as the temps rise, though they will likely last longer than kale.

You should grow chard.  It’s easy in both soil and hydroponics. Remember that amazing chard we had on the farm last year at this time?

Chard for breakfast.  I do and so do lots of folks.  Four leaves from my Earthbox.  Look how well it grows in my Earthbox.  Perfect in the smoothie with Florida strawberries, blueberries, and one of those organic apples we had last week.

Now you know.  Go impress those minions.

Farm Update:

Last week Kim Erickson got us hooked on wonderful parsnips. This week Kim reports that summer is in the air:

Hi from the farm. These 80-something degree days are making it really feel like summer. Now that it’s warming up the plants are struggling harder to grow and they’re facing more insect pressure.

Keep your fingers crossed the last plantings hold out until they are ready to harvest. The last of the transplants went in the ground last week. Already started planning the seed order for the fall.

It’s strange not to have any planting on the list of things to do this week. But it is fun to see the trial products come in.

This year’s trials went well. The turnips, watermelon radishes, lacinato kale, and parsnips were a success. (editors note: YES, they were all fabulous!) This week we get to harvest some Brussels sprouts and edamame.

The parsnips, sprouts, and edamame all take a super long time to grow compared to most of the veggies we grow.You may also see some of the purple cauliflower. My nephew and I tried it for dinner last weekend and it was tasty and fun. It really does stay purple when you cook it and the taste may be even a bit sweeter than the regular.

We have one last round of salad turnips coming and possibly some fennel. Be sure to let The Urban Farmer staff know what you liked. That will help us decide what to add to the list for next season.

Here’s what turnips look like after they’ve bolted (gone to seed).

And here’s the very handsome and lovely Erickson Family from their new family portrait on FB.

See the photos of the new reservoir and your food in the ground  at Erickson Farm here.

Eat well, have fun, grow and eat more Beta vulgaris.

Farm List

Eggplant Caponata Crostini

 

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Notes: Salting eggplant for this traditional Sicilian dish is unnecessary provided that the eggplants you are using are firm and not too big. Crostini (meaning “little toasts” in Italian) are an Italian appetizer consisting of small slices of grilled or toasted bread and topping. Makes approximately 4 cups and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Author: Maria Anselmo

Ingredients

• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• 1½ cups diced celery
• 1½ cups chopped onion
• 2 medium-size firm eggplants, diced
• 1 clove garlic, pressed through a garlic press
• 2 cups chopped peeled and seeded plum tomatoes
• 1½ tablespoons minced anchovy (optional)
• ⅓ cup chopped green olives (pitted if need be)
• 2 tablespoons raisins, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
• 1½ tablespoons capers
• 1 tablespoon organic brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet, cook, celery, onion over moderate heat for about 5 minutes, until wilted, stirring frequently. Stir in eggplant and sauté stirring occasionally until starting to brown.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients in order. Stir to incorporate. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat until simmering, and then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until eggplant is very tender and the flavors are blended
3. Let cool completely to room temperature and let stand for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with toasted bread (crostini).

3.2.1753

Stuffed Collard Greens

 

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Notes: To stem collard greens, cut off the stems level with the bottom of the leaves. Turn them with the coarse stem-side of the leaf up, and holding a very sharp knife parallel to the leaf, trim off part of the thickened central rib. Be careful not to cut through the leaves. If leaves are very large, you can just cut out the thickest part of the central rib. Change it up by substituting rice and beans for equal amounts of Quinoa and chickpeas for a more of a Mediterranean flair.

Author: Maria Anselmo

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 5-6 mini sweet peppers, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1 cup organic brown rice, (cooked ahead)
• 1½ cup small red beans, (cooked ahead)
• 1 large tomato, or 3 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
• ½ – 1 tablespoon Tabasco, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 bunch of large leaves collard greens (about 6 leaves), washed and stemmed*
• 1 15oz can of organic tomato sauce

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring regularly, until they begin to brown slightly. Add peppers and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds just until fragrant.
2. Remove ⅓-1/2 of a cup of the vegetables from the skillet and add them to a bowl with the chopped tomatoes and half of the canned tomato sauce along with and a little salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
3. Next add in beans and rice and all seasonings to the remaining vegetable mixture, stir to incorporate. Add a few tablespoons of water to mixture to prevent drying out or sticking (if need be). Reduce heat to very low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly and adding additional liquid if it starts to dry out. Remove from heat.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you carefully stem the collard greens, trying to keep the leaves intact. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the collard leaves in batches pressing them down gently to make sure all leaves are submerged. Blanch 2 minutes until bright green and slightly softened and transfer immediately with a slotted spoon to the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain, gently squeeze out excess water and set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F.
6. To assemble, spoon half of the tomato sauce mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 or 8 x 10, oiled casserole dish. Place a collard leaf in front of you, trimmed side up and stem closest to you. Divide up stuffing mixture evenly and place mixture (about 3 tablespoons worth) for each leaf about a quarter of the way from the bottom of the leaf.
7. Fold the top of the leaf over the filling and pull back gently so that the filling is snug and completely wrapped. Fold over the left and right sides of the leaf and roll down to the bottom of the leaf. (Basically like a burrito). Then place each roll seam side down into the casserole dish. Repeat until all collard leaves are filled. Spoon the remaining tomato mixture over the rolls, and cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve hot.

3.2.1753

Experimental Parsnip Edition. Plus Everglades Corn.

But first…

It’s peak food season at our farms and in our yards.  Are you enjoying the bounty?  This week, we have lovely parsnips and some of that delicious heirloom bi-color corn.  Thai bananas from Yagnaparush farm are back on the table – almost ready to eat.

 And this week, the laying hens at GreenByrd are foraging and eating non-GMO feed, so those are very natural eggs gathered for you.

Proof again that there aren’t any harmful pesticides on the great food from Erickson Farm. 

Something about Parsnips you probably didn’t know before (so you can impress your minions).

In Roman times, parsnips were believed to be an aphrodisiac.  Today we use them to cure constipation (rich in fiber).

Looks like a carrot, but tastes sweeter.

The parsnip works for you by pulling the potassium (and many other vitamins and minerals) from the black muck soil at Erickson farm.  When we munch the parsnips, the bacteria in our guts make the potassium and other minerals available for building and fueling our bodies.

Better to eat tasty parsnips than to eat the black muck soil.

It must be hard for the parsnips to absorb all those minerals because they take about 90 days to grow – which is a long time for a commercial crop.

So savor your parsnips, they were a long time coming.

And we won’t have more this season.  Erickson was experimenting and only planted one crop.

Kim Erickson says everything you could want to know about parsnips ishere in this very interesting link. And she’s right.

Farm Update:

Last week we learned that okra and this beautiful eggplant will be warm weather crops we can expect.  Kim reports:

The weather this week has been great for everything growing. A few things surprised me how quickly they got ready.

Unfortunately, the weeds love it too. The last few weeks we spend most of our time in the field planting crops and killing weeds.

Soon we will be wrapping up our experimental crops for the year. Quantities may be limited but it won’t be long until we harvest Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and edamame.

It’s been a good year for experimental crops. Turnips and lacinato kale did exceptionally well and the watermelon radishes were great fun. We’re adding all to the lineup for next season.

And you may have noticed some variations in the cauliflower this year. After growing about five different varieties we’re narrowing down our selection to one or two for next year.

Top cauliflower choices produced rounder, more attractive heads that are about the same size and tend to all get ready the same week. The amount of variation in some varieties was very surprising and quite frankly frustrating. Looking forward to some consistency there next season.

Here are two cauliflower recipes that I have tested and plan to make regularly. Gluten-free options available for both. http://www.ericksonfarm.com/recipes/category/cauliflower.html

See the photos of the new reservoir and your food in the ground  at Erickson Farm here.

And from Rhonald Borrero at GreenByrd Farm:

We are so excited to receive our new NON-GMO feed this week! We can now offer our customers pasture-raised eggs from layers that are raised “without genetically modified grains” in their feed.

Its hard to believe that close to 90% of all corn and soy products are genetically modified. We believe in the right to healthy food and that no form of life, including seeds, shall be patented for the benefit of others.

Eat well, have fun, grow and eat more  Pastinaca sativa. 

Farm List

Collard Greens Edition.  Because Cyndy says some members have been has been skipping their collards…tch tch tch.

Repeat after me – FAST!

Root-Knot Nematode

Root-Knot Nematode

Root-Knot Nematode

And now repeat this:

Next time I replant any container, Jackpot, or raised bed, I promise not to use just any junk leftover soil.  I will do the right thing (for my plants and my plate); I will scrub/clean the container thoroughlyand I will  visit The Urban Farmer to pick up some of Jon’s carefully selected high quality compost and soil such as Sunshine Rain Forest Blend or FoxFarm Ocean Forest Organic potting soil.

I will do this because it’s not fair to the water supply nor to the proud heirloom German Queen tomato nor to my precious time, to grow the poor plant to over eight feet only to produce a single fruit.  All because, through my carelessness, multitudes of slimey root-knot nematodes are furiously burrowing away at the plant’s roots.  This weekend, I will start over and do my soil right.

Back to your collards…

I think some of you didn’t take your collards because they were so awesomely huge you didn’t think they would fit in your car!

And so are the kale and chards just huge and beautiful?  Not only are the greens only a few hours fresh, but you won’t find quality food like this at that other market that claims to sell it’s food whole. 

The Ericksons have grown (for us) some beautiful food this year.  And all that beauty is now in our bones and muscles and brains and hearts.

If your heart wants to say “thank you”  you can do it here:

There will be great food on the market table this week also.  Let’s hear it for U.S.-grown garlic!

This is the most revealing picture we’ve published – Everyone mustclick to see this picture so you understand the prep team’s obsession with getting your food ready.

Food is so beautiful.  Look a your multi-colored carrots.

Something about collard greens you probably didn’t know before (so you can impress your minions).

Collard greens are in the same cultivar as kale, so see last week’s blog because it all mostly applys, even Joe’s Brazilian Caldo Verde recipe is frequently made with collards.  It’s a cabbage without a tight ball head.  is a form of cabbage (see Twitter above).  Other great veggies (broccoli, collard greens, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower) were also created from the same wild cabbage species. Collard Greens are slightly lower in vitamin C and Vitamin A (than kale) but are massive in Vitamin K and a wide range of macro nutrients.  Put a couple collard leaves in your smoothie and ditch the multi-vitamin.

Farm Update:

Last week we learned that okra and this beautiful eggplant will be warm weather crops we can expect.  Kim reports:

The weather this week has been great for everything growing. A few things surprised me how quickly they got ready.

Unfortunately, the weeds love it too. The last few weeks we spend most of our time in the field planting crops and killing weeds.

Soon we will be wrapping up our experimental crops for the year. Quantities may be limited but it won’t be long until we harvest Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and edamame.

It’s been a good year for experimental crops. Turnips and lacinato kale did exceptionally well and the watermelon radishes were great fun. We’re adding all to the lineup for next season.

And you may have noticed some variations in the cauliflower this year. After growing about five different varieties we’re narrowing down our selection to one or two for next year.

Top cauliflower choices produced rounder, more attractive heads that are about the same size and tend to all get ready the same week. The amount of variation in some varieties was very surprising and quite frankly frustrating. Looking forward to some consistency there next season.

Here are two cauliflower recipes that I have tested and plan to make regularly. Gluten-free options available for both. http://www.ericksonfarm.com/recipes/category/cauliflower.html

See the photos of the new reservoir and your food in the ground  at Erickson Farm here.

 And from Rhonald Borrero at GreenByrd Farm:

We are so excited to receive our new NON-GMO feed this week! We can now offer our customers pasture-raised eggs from layers that are raised “without genetically modified grains” in their feed.

Its hard to believe that close to 90% of all corn and soy products are genetically modified. We believe in the right to healthy food and that no form of life, including seeds, shall be patented for the benefit of others.

Next week…50 Shades of Chard – I promise.

Eat well, have fun, grow more brassica oleracea. 

Farm List

div align=”center”>Alderman Organic Farms Boynton Beach, FL (20.8 miles)

Kale Edition.  Your DNA would make a kale Pinterest page.

But first…

The big yellow Urban Farmer Sprinter van was mucho late arriving from the farm run this afternoon. 

It seems driver/farmer/wheatgrass conjurer Jon had to wait while thegood folks at Erickson cut and pulled your food from the rich black muck soil…it’s that fresh kids. 

And food THAT fresh means your local dollars are getting you much more nutrition than they would at any grocery.  Our home farming friends know that very well.

Only a handful of folks in South Florida are eating food this fresh and local.  And only a handful are growing any of their own food. All the science says we are healthier for it. And the local dollars spent are also nutritious for the community. It feels right.

Of course, the yellow truck arriving late makes it a late night for Cyndy and Shelly and Christine, as they count and rinse and prepare the food for Friday. Here’s your carrots and check out the Fibonacci sequence visible in Erickson’s fresh cauliflower.

It’s been a bountiful season and week after week we’ve had plentiful greens and cabbage and radish and turnips and tomato and watermelon radishes and much more.

Like kale.

Did your parents have kale on your childhood table?

Mine didn’t nor did the parents of any folks to whom I made that query this week. Not even Kim Erickson. Not even Maria Anselmi our food nut/coach. Not even Joe Knauss our resident globe-trotting chef.

Did you ever purchase kale before joining The Urban Farmer?

Where did this new food come from?  It’s like a new Facebook app.; suddenly appearing as if it were always there. Plus there’s more varieties than there are kingdoms on Game of Thrones what with green curly, lacinato, red Russian, and no doubt others.

I sensed the “where did kale come from” question was on the minds of our customers and readers, so I did a bit of research on your behalf.

And I reached a couple of conclusions (on your behalf – you’re welcome).

First conclusion - many of us owe our existence today to kale. At least those of you/us who have evolved from DNA strains originating (most recently) from Europe and the Mediterranean areas of the blue globe.  Because it seems kale was a daily seasonal staple for those cultures.  Makes sense…it’s one of the most nutritious foods we grow and it grows in lots of climates.

Second conclusion- kale owes it’s existence to us - our ancestors that is – because kale was genetically engineered by smart people beginning a couple of millennia ago who wanted their DNA to make it down to us – or a least wanted to be not hungry.

Now, this would seem like a circular reference (like Cyndy gets on her spreadsheets that calculate your shares) but it’s not.

Kale had it’s own natural evolutionary path before its partnership with mankind.

Here’s the Twitter version for you ADD-types:

Wild cabbage is edible, man is hungry/smart. Selctv breedng=kale+broccli+cauliflowr+collrds+bruslspts. #stillnotGMO http://ow.ly/jLpq0

 Something about kale you probably didn’t know before (so you can impress your minions).

Kale is a form of cabbage (see Twitter above).  Other great veggies (broccoli, collard greens, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower) were also created from the same wild cabbage species, but kale is considered to be closest in form to the original.  A single cup of kale reportedly contains 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K.

So why didn’t we have it growing up? My guess is because Popeye didn’t eat it…likely a conspiracy of big ag and the spinach growers. We had plenty of canned spinach.  And wasn’t that delicious…

Farm Kale Update:

Last week we learned that okra and this beautiful eggplant will be warm weather crops we can expect.  Kim reports:

I don’t recall now why we started growing kale. It isn’t like we grew up eating it. Probably it’s because it is so ridiculously healthy.

The first year we grew the traditional curly green kale. It loves our soil, is resistant to cold weather, and a consistent producer. It’s a bit like broccoli (same family) in that it is so tough not many bugs are interested in it.

See the photos of the new reservoir and your food in the ground  at Erickson Farm here.

Next week…50 Shades of Chard. 

Eat well, have fun, grow more kale. 

Farm List

Kale Pesto

 

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Note: This is slightly bitterer than regular pesto, but great in pasta with sautéed Italian sausage and fennel.

Author: Joe Knauss

Ingredients

• 4 oz kale, Red Russian (or Curly)
• 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
• ¼ cup of pine nuts, toasted
• 2 ounces fresh grated Romano cheese
• 1-2 ounces of extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Wash the kale well and chop
2. Blanch the kale in hot water then shock in ice water
3. Put the Kale, pine nuts, garlic, and grated cheese in a food processor
4. Slowly drizzle extra virgin olive in blender and blend until smooth

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Spicy Chili Kale Chips

 

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Note: Be sure to place the kale in a single layer on the sheet trays. Overcrowding will steam the kale rather than crisp it.

Author: Maria Anselmi

Ingredients

• 1 bunch curly kale*, ribs carefully removed and torn into 3-to-4-inch pieces
• 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tsp chili powder
• Sea salt
• *Lacinato kale also works well

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the kale and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Use your fingers to massage the oil into the kale. If it seems dry, add more oil.
3. Season with chili powder and salt and toss to coat.
4. Spread the kale onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until the chips look crisp (not burnt) 10 to 15 minutes.

3.2.1753

Citrus Kale and Chicken Sausage Pasta

 

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I used Italian style organic chicken sausages and I baked them ahead in the oven. You could also grill or buy your favorite pre-cooked.

Author: Maria Anselmo

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp oil
• ¼ Stick of organic butter
• ½ Onion minced
• 2 Stalks celery chopped
• 1 Garlic clove minced
• ½ Meyer lemon chopped (rind included*)
• 4 Chicken sausages pre-cooked sliced into ¼ inch pieces**
• 2 c Chopped curly kale
• ½ c Water
• 2 c Cooked spinach penne pasta
• *Meyer lemons can be eaten in whole; rind, pith and all

Instructions

1. Place oil and butter into a large sauté pan and heat on medium heat until butter melts.
2. Next add onion, celery, garlic and lemon and sauté until onion starts to turn translucent.
3. Add sausage and continue cooking for approximately 5 minutes.
4. Then add water and kale. Stir to incorporate kale into mixture so it’s thoroughly mixed with the liquid.
5. Turn down heat to medium low and continue to cook mixture until sauce is slightly reduced, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Add pasta to cooked mixture, stir to incorporate and serve.

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