Edition 184

June 18, 2010

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

• Limited - Butter, from Way Back When
• Limited -Pork Tenderloin, from Richardson's Farms
• New -Blueberries, from local farmers
• Further Away -Apples, now being imported from outside the US...we suggest enjoying peaches instead. They'll be domestic again in the Fall
• Gone -Greenbelt Trail Mix, from Daily Juice, forever. Tell me about it
• New -Honeydew, local from Ringger farm
• New -Local Lamb, from a new local, grass-fed source, will add a few cuts and smooth out supply
• New - Hummus, 4 flavors from local Baby Zach's, on-par with Grandma's
• Lotsa -Fruit, big bounties from non-local, certified organic farms

Four Natural Ways to Deter Mosquitoes

1. Plant Herbs That Mosquitoes Hate. The oils of certain herbs are a complete turn-off to mosquitoes. Luckily for us, they usually happen to be herbs that we love! Plant lemon balm, catnip, rosemary, thyme, or garlic near any seating areas, and mosquitoes will steer clear.

2. Remove Sources of Standing Water. If you just do this one step, you'll see a drastic reduction in the number of mosquitoes you have to contend with. They are attracted to standing water because they lay their eggs in it The eggs hatch, and, you guessed it -- you have even more mosquitoes bugging you.

3. Burn All-Natural Candles with Citronella Essential Oil. Citronella candles really do work.

4. Rub Some Lemon Balm on Any Exposed Skin. That lemon balm I mentioned in step one is also very useful when applied directly to any exposed skin. Simply crush a leaf to release the essential oils, and rub the leaf on any exposed skin. You'll smell lemony fresh, and the mosquitoes will hate it!

Greenling the Desert

Looking for a little inspiration? Some bright spots to counteract the oil weighing our brains? Check out this amazing story about how, with a little planning and some good ecology knowledge, a team turned a complete desert into a lush, food-producing plot of land.

See the first part here

and watch the 'revisited' video, from years after the project was complete

Delivery Times Moving Later

As the weather heats up, we'll be moving delivery times later. We won't drop many afternoon boxes before 4pm and the majority will arrive between 6pm and 9pm so that they sit on porches for less time if you're not home. When you're not home we'll add a sheet of ice to keep the contents extra cool!

Check Out All the Great Events (details below)

From Greenling's Soiree tomorrow at the Talkhouse to the first Smart Grid launch party to Slow Money local gathering, there's no shortage of things to do in the next week to support Local food & Sustainability. Come out and join us!

This Week's Box Contents & Local Items

Oh, sweet, sweet, blueberries. Read here for my obsession with them

Here's what will be available from local farms on our website this week (the best selection of local produce in the state - guaranteed). Items with a (*) are only available in the Local Box:

In Local Boxes ($34.99) this week (Jun 21-25):

• Red Potatoes - Various
• Leeks - My Father's Farm
• Heirloom Tomatoes - Ringger
• Blueberries - Berry Best
• Cherry Tomatoes - Ringger
• Green Cabbage - Various
• Basil - Various
• Peaches - Caskey
• Pickling Cucumbers - Naegelin
• Green Bell Peppers - My Father's Farm

Last Week's (Jun 14-18) Local Box Video:

In Farmstead Grilling Boxes this week (Jun 21-25)- Just Add Meat:

• Spicy Cheddar Jalapeno Popcorn - Cornucopia
• Creamy Caramel - Lucky Lala
• Texas Pecan Halves - Georgetown Pecans

Order Here

Fresh, Prepared Meal Selection for this week:

Dish #1 - Carrot Salad w/ Fennel, Beet, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, & Golden Raisin (1 pint - serves 1 for lunch) - You could call this a slaw, but don't expect a limp, mayonnaise-laden cup of cabbage. This is a celebration of the fine carrots we've been sourcing from Johnson's Backyard Garden. Thin ribbons of carrots are mixed with sliced fennel, shaved beets, toasted pecans, pumpkin seeds and plump golden raisins, then tossed in a tangy-yet-sweet vinaigrette to marinade in. It's a delightful crunchy-tart-sweet-savory salad that is perfect as a side dish next to our any of our entrees. Or, pair it with a soup for fulfilling lunch.

-Ingredients: carrot, fennel, beet, pecan, pumpkin seed, raisin, sherry vinegar, rice vinegar, lemon, canola oil, honey, ginger, garlic, herbs, spices, salt, pepper

Dish #2 - Summer Corn Chowder (1 pint) - A must-have soup during this beautiful Texas corn season. Fresh sweet corn (Hondo, TX), ripe tomatoes (Poteet, TX) and red potatoes (Stockdale, TX) simmered with fresh herbs in organic milk with a touch of cream. Pair it with our Baby Green Salad and homemade Garlic Rosemary Focaccia Bread for a delicious summer meal!

-Ingredients: corn, onion, garlic, celery, potato, tomato, bacon, green chile, milk, cream, olive oil, herbs, spices, salt, pepper

Produce from Local Farms

• Arugula-Bluebonnet
  
• Arugula, Baby-Animal Farm
  
• Basil-Various
  
• Basil, Live-BellaVerdi
  
• Beets and Carrots Juicing-My Father's Farm
  
• Carrots with Tops-Various
  
• Chard-Texas Natural
  
• Corn- J&B Farm
  
• Cucumbers-Acadian Family Farm
  
• Garlic-Ringger Family Farm
  
• Green Beans-Various
  
• Green Cabbage-Naegelin
  
• Herbs-Pure Luck
  
• Parsley-Tecolote
  
• Leeks-Montesino, My Father's Farm
• Lettuce,Bibb-BellaVerdi
  
• Microgreens-BellaVerdi
  
• Mushroom, Crimini-Kitchen Pride
  
• Mushroom, Oyster-Kitchen Pride
  
• Mushroom, Port caps-Kitchen Pride
  
• Mushroom, White-Kitchen Pride

Produce from Local Farms

• Pea Shoots-Bluebonnet
  
• Pepper, Green Bell-My Father's Farm
  
• Potates, Red-Naegelin
  
• Potatoes, Yukon-Oak Hill
  
• Radish, Watermelon-Ringger Family Farm
  
• Shallot-Lundgren
  
• Sprouts, All-Groovy Greens
  
• Summer Squash-Various
  
• Tomato, Cherry-Naegelin
  
• Tomato, Slicing - ABJ Farms-
• Tomato, Heirloom - Green Gate
  
• Tomato, Green-Ringger Family Farm
  
• Watercress-Bluebonnet
• Berries, Blueberries -Berry Best Farms
  
• Mango-G&S
  
• Peaches-Caskey, Lundgren

Events & Local Food Happenings Around Town

Summer Soiree, Local Food Tasting

-June 19, 6-9pm

-FREE

- The Talkhouse

Mix, Mingle and Munch! Join us in downtown Austin this month for our community potluck. You're welcome to bring something, but you don't have to. All dishes should please include at least one ingredient of locally produced, organically grown food. Dishes will be in the running for inclusion is our upcoming cookbook. Plus, the dish that gets the most votes overall that night wins a FREE Local Box!! You get to be famous and get a free box of $34.99 of local, seasonal veggies. RSVP by calling or emailing Greenling.com (512-440-8449) or emailing jevans AT greenling.com.

Learn More here

Slow Money Austin Post-National Gathering

-June 23, 5-7pm

-Free

-Malverde

With so much excitement surrounding this year's Slow Money National Gathering (Jun. 9-11), we thought we'd throw a shindig of our own to celebrate the event, share news and stories for those how couldn't make it to the legendary Shelburne Farms in Vermont, and provide an update on Slow Money activities right here in Texas.

Learn more here

Fun on the Farm - Farm Camp

-June 21-25, 9am-3:30pm

-$250 (siblings $225, some scholarships available)

-Green Gate Farms

Would your child like to explore a farm, get dirty, learn about nature, be a farmer? Is your child ages 7-11? The Green Gate Farms Farm Camp is for you! Kids will spend mornings working with farmers in the fields and taking care of animals. Afternoons will feature workshops taught by local farming experts. How cool is that? There will be tons of fun activities and also time to just explore the farm.

Learn more here

Texas Showcase Fundraiser

-June 26, 4-8pm

-$40-$60

-Space 12, 3121 East 12th ST

Take part in this delicious revolution while sampling palate pleasing artisan foods that are all "good, clean and fair." Enjoy what makes our state taste great: from beers and breads, cheese and charcuterie, to coffee and tea! Live music, producer demos, a silent auction, and more are not to be missed at this family-friendly event.

RSVP to president@slowfoodaustin.org or click here to learn more

.

Eco-Series Smart Grid Project Launch Party

-June 27th, 2-5pm

-$5-$10 suggested donation to Southwest Key

-AGAVE, 5237 Sendero Hills Pkwy

Join Incenergy, Eco-Series, and a whole slate of green partners for a Smart Grid launch at Agave. Learn how Incenergy's Smart Grid technology can offer residential customers greater transparency into their power usage. Hear from the founder about their plans for deployment & growth. Also hear from homeowners, the architect, and university professors about smart grids and their benefits.

Learn more here

Recipe Corner

Stuffed Tomatoes w/ Peaches, Corn, Cucumbers & Basil

Ingredients

• 8 ripe medium beefsteak tomatoes
  
• 2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
  
• 3 Kirby cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/3 cups)
  
• Kernels from 2 ears corn (1 1/2 cups)
  
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more to taste
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
  
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
  

Instructions:

Slice off tops of tomatoes (about 1/2 inch). Scoop out the seeds and ribs, and coarsely chop. Stir together chopped tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, corn, oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt, and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for acidity, adding up to 1 tablespoon more lime juice. Stir in basil.

Season inside of tomato shells with salt and pepper. Fill tomatoes with tomato mixture, and garnish with basil sprigs. Serve immediately.

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.