DOOR STEP HARVEST Weekly Delivery Newsletter
Happy end of April! This is our first week of the season so, the box is on the small side with “baby this and baby that” but it’s spring and it’s time for babies so here’s a baby box to start the season… All leafy vegetables are double washed in vinegar water and spun in salad spinner to preserve crispness.
This week we have: baby spinach, mesclun salad mix with violets, horseradish root, horseradish greens, peppermint, thyme, lemon balm, licorice mint, sage, and garlic. Oh yeah, the surprise of the week is “Nettle.”
Here are some interesting facts about the fresh living food now on your doorstep…
*Spinach is very nutritious and everyone knows how good it is for you. Enjoy it fresh in salads, steamed, or in sauté. Spinach is also beneficial to the eyes. For a change, try a 3 minute sauté with black seseme seeds, garlic, ginger, and mirin.
*Mesclun salad mix can be used as an asian sauté or as fresh salad. It contains mild and spicy mustard greens, arugula, and leaf lettuce. (Wiki fact: Mesclun mixes originally came from France.) Delicious violets are added to beautify and sweeten the salad.
**Horseradish root may be prepared and used as a condiment with roast beef. Attached is a recipe for preparing it and another for a sweet and spicy sauce. The sauce should last for a while in the fridge… some sources say that when prepared with vinegar, it’s good until it goes brown and may last for months so, get ready now for summer picnics. CAUTION: some people find the fresh root irritating to the skin so use carefully.
**Horseradish greens can be eaten in small amounts in salads or chopped and added to hamburger meat to spice it up.
**Peppermint can be added to salads, made into tea, or used in Asian cooking. (Wiki Fact: peppermint has been known to help with insomnia.)
*Thyme can be used to season pasta, 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. (Wiki Fact: the Ancient Egyptians used thyme for embalming.)
*Lemon balm calms stomach disturbances, and soothes the nerves. Enjoy is 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, and, it is used to flavor many ice creams.) We have not tried it for mosquitoes yet but plan to do so soon! Let us know if it works!
*Licorice mint is a great snack when walking around in the garden and makes a nice addition to salads or tasty tea.
*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 above like Thyme.
*Spring Garlic is usually diced and stir—fried with other vegetables, meat, and eggs. Grandma likes it raw in salads. Mom likes it sliced thin in miso soup on chilly days. I like it in fried meat patties.
The surprise item this month is 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!
Recipes of the week:
Beet & Horseradish Relish (from Twinhawks Hollow Farm CSA): Scrape and wash horseradish root. Grate desired amount into 1 cup sour cream and let stand 2 hours. Blend 2 pounds cooked and chopped beets, 2 tbsp additional grated horseradish and 1 tsp sugar until beets are coarsely chopped. Mix with sour cream mixture. Place in covered bowl in refrigerator for several days to blend flavors.
Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish (Moosewood Restaurant): Trim off outer layers leaves of 1.5 lbs Brussels sprouts. Cut 3 large carrots into 1 inch thick slices and 3 leeks into ½ inch pieces. Steam vegetables until tender, 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 tbsp butter in heavy saucepan. Stir in 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 3 tbsp fresh grated or prepared horseradish root, 3 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh dill, ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Drain vegetables and toss with sauce.
*Organically grown in my 4-H Garden on Cedar Street. **Grown in my 4-H garden at Grandma’s in the country.