DOOR STEP HARVEST Delivery Newsletter
Merry May! All leafy vegetables are washed in vinegar water and spun in salad spinner to preserve crispness. Many of the seeds I’ve chosen to grow are heirloom varieties, organic, and from a seed savers exchange network. The flower bouquet this week is made from iris, salvia, rose, peony, & spiderwort. The fresh living food on your doorstep this week includes: Salad mix, Red Russian Kale, Dinosaur Kale, Typhon Holland Greens, Radish, Spinach, Arugula, wild crafted Nettle, baby beet tops, peppermint, thyme, oregano, sage, lemon balm, licorice mint, spring garlic, spring onion greens, rhubarb, and the surprise of the week is wild crafted spring garlic. Here are some interesting facts about the foods this week:
*Salad Mix: Made of several varieties of lettuces, baby spinach, bulls blood beet tops, arugula, kale, etc… Enjoy with an olive-oil vinaigrette salad dressing blended with ginger, garlic, and herbs from this week’s delivery.
**Red Russian Kale: Almost baby still, it tastes great steamed or in sauté with onion, garlic, mirin, vinegar, and olive oil. (Wikifact: kale contains sulforaphane, which is believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. Also, it contains indol-3-carbinal which boosts DNA repair and blocks cancer growth.)
**Dinosaur Kale: Still small, cook with kale or by itself. (wikifact: see above and, in East Africa, it is an essential ingredient in making a stew for ugali, which is almost always eaten with kale. Kale is also eaten throughout southeastern Africa, where it is typically boiled with coconut milk and ground peanuts and is served with rice or boiled cornmeal.)
*Radish: (Wikifact: Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. One cup of sliced red radish bulbs provides approximately 20 calories, largely from carbohydrates).
**Spinach: (Wikifact: During World War I, wine fortified with spinach juice was given to French soldiers weakened from hemorrhage).
**Tyfon Holland Greens: This brassica is a cross between Chinese Cabbage and Turnips. Tyfon contains no mustard oil so the flavor is very mild. Cook like mustard greens. See attached cooking info about greens.
**Beet Tops: Baby beets are coming soon! Cook these tops like greens above…
**Arugula cook like greens (on attachment), chop small and add to meatloaf, or add to salad (shred and add feta, balsamic vinegar, walnuts, dried cranberries, and drizzle with olive oil or flax oil).
*Thyme: can be used to season pasta, salad dressings, tomato sauce, and meats. Keep in fridge for two weeks and use fresh as needed. After that, keep on counter in paper bag to dry. After it’s dry, keep in Ziploc bag for future use.
*Oregano: great for seasoning pasta, meats, salad dressings… Store as thyme above.
*Sage tastes great with winter squash and ground lamb. It’s also good seasoning for other meats, stews, and it is a key ingredient in meatballs and sausages when it’s dried and crushed. Store as Thyme above.
**Peppermint is great added to salads, made into tea (place a handful of leaves into quart jar, poor boiling water over it, and let it steep until cool enough to drink), used in Asian cooking, or try shredding it and adding it to strawberries!
*Lemon Balmcalms stomach disturbances, and soothes the nerves. Enjoy it as a soothing tea (add boiling water to crushed leaves). It may also be used in your salad mix. (Wiki Fact: When crushed, it can be applied to skin and used to repel mosquitoes.) During the hot spell, I tried it. I crushed it and rubbed it into my skin and it seemed to work. Let me know if it works for you or not.
*Licorice Mint is a great snack when walking around in the garden and makes a nice addition to salads or tasty tea.
*Onion Greens taste great in salads or diced and sprinkled on soup.
*Spring Garlic: just a taste of what’s to come… use like green onion or blended into salad dressings, or cook with potatoes.
Freshly wild crafted nettle: Nettles are more nutritious than spinach! Boil in water for 15-20 minutes to deaden the stingers and enjoy like spinach. Reserve cooking water and serve as a refreshing beverage. If this is too unusual for you, most people like it cooked in lasagna. Wiki Fact: Wow! I don’t know where to start! Go to Wikipedia and see for yourself!
The surprise of the month is wild crafted spring garlic. It’s the tallest stuff in the bag. Use it like the cultivated garlic above.
*Organically grown in my 4-H Garden on Cedar Street. **Grown in my 4-H garden at Grandma’s in the country.