2013 Opening Week Shares

We're really excited about the opening week's bounty this season, which has so often been limited to just a few fresh items in the past.

Single Shares this week receive:
2 Heads Lettuce
1 Bunch Radishes
1 Bunch Garlic Scapes
2/3 Lb Bag of Kale
1 Fresh, French Baguette
1 Quart of Strawberries

Family Shares this week also receive in addition to the above:
1 Bunch Beets
1 Lb Bag of Shell Peas
1 Zucchini
1 Large Bok Choy
1 Bunch Oregano
8 oz Maple Syrup

Kitchen Tips for this week:

Fresh Strawberries, picked when ripe, will not last more than 1 or 2 days without some help. If you are not going to eat them all up when you get home from the Fresh Stop, place them into a medium sized bowl and fill the bowl with enough water so that all the strawberries are submerged or floating. Put the bowl in the fridge. They will last 2-3 weeks this way. It will even perk up the overripe berries.

Garlic Scapes are some of our favorites - of course, we didn't know what to do with them the first time either! They taste just like garlic and can be cooked the same way - chopped fine and sauteed in a skillet with olive oil, salt and herbs - then used as a dip for your baguette. Squeeze the juice from 2 or 3 strawberries into the oil when cooled for an extra bit of taste-bud joy.

You can also blanch your garlic scapes - put them in a small pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. While you're waiting, fill a medium-sized bowl with ice and water. After the scapes are good and boiled, toss them into the ice water. The cellular structure of the scapes will essentially shatter, making them soft enough to eat on their own, similar in texture to a cooked green bean. From here, you can eat them as is, grill them over an open flame, or blend them with some pine nuts into a pesto.

Kale is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It is what we often refer to as a superfood. A cup of chopped, Fresh Kale (you'll get about 4-6 cups in your share today), has more vitamin C than two oranges!

Kale is packed with nutrients essential for a healthy immune system, tissue and cellular regeneration, it has high but balanced calcium and magnesium for heart health, and is a leading source of vitamin K. It's also a strong anti-inflammatory agent, prevents calcification of the arteries, and boosts metabolism.

In short - we don't care if your taste buds like Kale yet or not. You love kale. Wash it well. Rub in some olive oil and salt, bake it at 275 degrees for half an hour or until crispy. Eat like potato chips on a marathon.

Have a great week of food!