Edition 175

April 16, 2010

• Local Box Contents
• News & Updates
• Recipe Corner
• Greenling Tidbits

• Awesomeness - Spring Bounty, lots of fruits and veggies from local farms.
• New -Easy Mixes, local from Homestead Gristmill and others for quick, healthy meals
• New - Fresh Garlic & Dill, from local farms
• Back - Chevre, from Pure Luck
• Back - Tecolote Farms, this Austin original only grows seasonally and is back for the next few months
• New Use -Pourable Yogurt, from Organic Valley, we discovered are great for making smoothies

Drop Point in Marble Falls

Do you know anyone who could use Greenling but lives out in the Marble Falls area? We have an opportunity to drop baskets at a natural food store, but need a minimum amount of orders to do it.

If you know anyone out that way please send them to our website and ask them to enter their zip code and give us their contact info. We'll collect all of the info and try to create enough interest to send some local, organic love to the hill country!

Bet You Never Thought About Reusing These Items

Better than recycling, actually reusing an item takes no additional energy to produce a new item. I'm sure, as a good eco-Austinite, you're reusing all sorts of stuff, but here's a list of household items you may not have thought of. I hadn't. Very creative uses and you can quickly become the greenest kids on the block by showing your neighbors this list.

See the list here

There's a Leek in the Kitchen!

No plumber necessary, Leeks are making a comeback as a versatile veggie for all occasions. With a more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions, leeks can add depth to many dishes without overpowering other flavors. They're related to garlic and onions so contain many of the same nutrients... without the crying or bad breath. That, in itself, should make leeks a rockstar veggie. But leeks take it one step further by being so versatile and easier to enjoy even all by itself.

Not sure what to do with leeks? Just sauté them with a little oil, lemon juice, and your favorite herb and you've got a great side dish. Mix with potatoes like our prepared dish this week for a smooth soup. You can add to broths or stews for extra flavor or even grill them with spices and fennel or mustard seed. Don't have time to cook - just finely chop them to go into salads.

No special storage required, leeks can be tossed into the vegetable drawer and stay for 1-2 weeks. You can place them in an unclosed plastic bag to retain a bit more moisture, but they're pretty hardy. A great source of manganese and vitamin C, they're a great addition for getting over colds.

Slow Money Austin Showcase

Slow Money Austin is a newly formed group I'm helping launch with the goal of bringing our money back down to earth and into our backyard. Both of the SMA events have sold all their seats (some standing-room-only tickets for conference available)! We'll have great content and hopefully help get some funding flowing into local food. Stay tuned for more Slow Money Austin activity and events.

This Week's Box Contents & Local Items

Here's what will be available from local farms on our website this week (the best selection of local produce in the state - guaranteed):

In Local Boxes ($34.99) this week (Apr 12-16):

• Leeks - Tecolote
• Mint or Spearmint - Pure Luck
• Beets - My Father's Farm
• Carrots - My Father's Farm
• Salad Mix - Tecolote
• English Peas - Oak Hill
• Strawberries - Oak Hill
• Grapefruit - G&S
• Swiss Chard - Acadian
• Button Mushrooms - Kitchen Pride

Last Week's (Apr 5-9) Local Box Video:

In Farmstead Boxes this week (Apr 12-16):

• Baby Key Lime Pie - Little Bluestem Bakery
• Salted & Dry Roasted Pecans - Austinuts
• Herbal Sweet Iced Tea - Barefoot Botanicals

Order Here

Fresh, Prepared Meal Selection for this week:

Dish #1 - Potato & Leek Soup w/ Spring Greens & Creme Fraiche (1 pint - serves 1 for lunch) - The classic combination of potatoes and leeks, the Dish way. We start with a base of golden sauteed leeks and add yukon gold potatoes and our homemade vegetable stock. Instead of a smooth puree, we leave the tender pieces of potatoes and soft leeks for some texture, and add fresh spring greens for some hearty depth. Finished with a spoonful of homemade, tangy creme fraiche (soured cream), this is a great lunch or dinner soup that's easy to heat, and easy to eat..

-Ingredients: potato, leek, garlic, vegetable stock, market greens (kale, spinach or chard), creme fraiche, olive oil, salt, pepper

Dish #2 - Cranberry Quinoa w/ Almonds, Broccoli & Spinach Pesto(1 pint) - A fun pasta salad featuring the olive: the zesty, unctuous & healthy fruit, high in vitamin E and iron. Our house tapenade is made with Kalamata olives, capers, olive oil and lots of fresh herbs, then tossed with al dente farfalle (bowtie) pasta, fresh cherry tomatoes, toasted almonds and Full Quiver Farms feta for a delicious lunch or addition to any meal.

-Ingredients: semolina pasta, olive, caper, garlic, olive oil, lemon, tomato, feta cheese, almond, herbs, salt, pepper

Produce from Local Farms

• Herb, Asst. - Pure Luck
• Herbs, Basil, Live - Bella Verdi
• Sunflower Sprouts - Groovy Greens
• Lettuce, Baby - Animal Farm and My Father's Farm
• Lettuce, Bibb - Bella Verdi
• Kale - Texas Natural
• Mars Orange - G&S Grove
• Grapefruit - G&S Grove
• Limes - G&S Grove
• Green Leaf Lettuce - Acadian
• Romaine Lettuce - Ringger Farm
• Red Leaf Lettuce - Acadian
• Spinach - Tecolote
• Fennel - Ringger Farm
• Green Shallots - Lundgren and Acadian
• Pea Shoots - Bluebonnet
• Watercress - Bluebonnet
• Artichoke - Miguel Farm
• Celery - Finca Pura Vida

Produce from Local Farms

• Microgreens, Arugula - Bella Verdi
• Microgreens, Broccoli - Bella Verdi
• Mushroom, Crimini - Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, Portabella - Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, Shiitake - Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, White - Kitchen Pride
• Potatoes, Sweet -Naegelin
• Red Radish - My Father's Farm
• Green Garlic - Green Gate
• Spring Onion - Naegelin
• Onion, Yellow - Naegelin
• Arugula - Bluebonnet
• Green Cabbage - Tecolote
• Broccoli - Various
• Collard Greens - Naegelin
• Mustard Greens - Naegelin
• Green English Peas - Oak Hill
• Kohlrabi - My Father's Farm
• Strawberries - Poteet Farm
• Baby Bok Choy - Animal Farm
• Flat Leaf Parsley - Animal Farm

Events & Local Food Happenings Around Town

In The Kitchen w/ Nina & Andrew

-Saturday, May 8th

-11am - 1pm

-$65

-Sicolas Kitchen (map)

The first in a series of cooking classes with Chef Andrew Brooks (spiritedfood.com) and certified Health and Nutrition Counselor Nina Beucler (ninabeucler.com). Nina and Andrew will be joining forces in the kitchen to provide valuable information about the most nutritious and delicious ways to prepare meals with fresh local produce from Greenling!

Your health IQ is bound to increase as well as your kitchen skills. Full meal will be prepared and served along with the sale of Greenling Local Boxes to go home and test out the recipes yourself. Seating is limited.

See the .pdf flyer here and reserve your spot by emailing ninabeucler@sbcglobal.net or calling 512-560-6925

Austin Green Living Expo

-April 23-25

-Austin Convention Center

This even struggled in the early years to gain credibility in the green community and deliver real value, but they've been working hard and last year was a great event. Hundreds of eco-service providers and Sustainability products on display showed Austin that there is a bustling green industry in this town. I think this is officially the largest Sustainability event in town. And Greenling will be there this year! We'll be hard to miss with the Banana Car making an appearance at the show. They still let in some people who I think shouldn't be there, but they're easy to just walk past. Come out and support Austin's green businesses while listening to informative sessions and super-cool demos.

See more & buy tickets here

Austin EarthDay Week

-April 14-22

-Free

-Various Locations

The great people at Austin Green Art And Hill Country Conservancy have put together a whole week of events to help celebrate Earth Day (April 22). It kicks off with the Old 97's and Ben Kweller on the 14th at Stubbs and runs through EarthDay festivals on the 21st and Slow Money dinner on the 22nd. Celebrate this planet!

Learn more at http://www.austinearthday.com

Earth Day New Braunfels

-April 24th

-Free

-Landa Park Dance Slab

Come out and enjoy a day filled with fun and entertainment for the whole family! Let the kids enjoy games, arts & crafts, and special demonstrations for them. Meanwhile, you can learn how to live a healthier, greener lifestyle that will benefit your family, your community, and your planet! There will be prize giveaways and live entertainment throughout the day! Don't miss out on the fun! Get active, get outside, and get involved in your local community!

Learn more here

Film Screening of The Garden

-April 20th, 7:30pm

-Free thanks to Greenling

-Bob Bullock Museum (map)

Join the Austin Film Festival for a presentation of the Academy Award nominated documentary, The Garden. Greenling is sponsoring this film that tells the story of a fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles – the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.

But now bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis. The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers.

Admission is free, but you must rsvp to rsvp@austinfilmfestival.com

Recipe Corner

Fresh Pea Salad

from 101cookbooks

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  
• 2 dried dates, pitted
  
• 1/2 of a small serrano chile, stem removed
  
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and zest from that lemon
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh peas
  
• 1 small head of romaine lettuce, cut into shreds
  
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
  
• fine grain sea salt
  

Instructions:

To make the mint-date dressing, puree the mint, dates, chiles and lemon juice and zest using a food processor or hand blender. Blend until uniform in texture. Thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water at a time until it is a consistency that you can drizzle (the photo up above is before I added 2-3 tablespoons of water to thin it out). Taste and adjust for lemon and spiciness.

When you go to cook the peas, the key is not overcooking them. Fill a big bowl with ice water and set aside. Add some salt (as you would pasta water) and the peas. Bring six cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. You are just going to boil the peas for a very short time. Don't leave the stove. Somewhere between ten and twenty seconds.You want them just barely tender, so they still pop in your - mouth. Quickly drain and dunk the peas in the bowl of ice water.

Just before serving gently toss the peas, lettuce, and pumpkin seeds with about half of the dressing and a couple pinches of salt. Taste and add more dressing if you like. Finish with a pinch or two of your favorite finishing salt.

Serves 2 - 4.

If you end up with a dressing that is too spicy for your tastes, tame it with a dollop (or two) of plain yogurt. If you know you are sensitive to spiciness you can always remove the seeds and veins in future versions. If you like a bit more kick, add more serrano chile a small piece at a time.

For More Recipes Check Out The Eating Out of the Local Box Blog. Also make sure to become a fan of Greenling on Facebook to get weekly recipes from Woman With A Whisk & The Best of Thymes food bloggers.