Edition 35

July 3, 2009

• Local Box Contents
• Greenling Bake Sale
• Recipe Corner
• Family Update

• Substitution - Organic Valley Milk will come in the plastic bottles for the rest of the summer (not the cardboard bottles)
• New - Watermelon! One of the things that makes the Texas Summer heat worth it
• New - Tabbouleh from Mediterranean Chef
• New - English Flapjacks from Full English (Local)
• New - Biodegradable disposable plates & cutlery
• Back in Stock - Vital Farm Certified Organic Local eggs - the hens are laying again!

Michelle A and Kadija L

New Basket Builders

Michelle (on the left) has been in Austin since 2000. Last year she lived on a sustainable community in East Texas and initiated their involvement in a local farmers market. She really likes being part of a family team, loves chips & salsa, and can be found doing all of the wonderful outdoor activities Austin offers. Her favorite words of wisdom are 'live in the moment.'

Kadija (on the right if you skipped ahead) is from Austin and was brought into the family by Beth, one of our other members. She's a vegan and loves cucumbers! When not building baskets for you she likes to sleep, dance, swim, watch movies, and run.

Email from Laura (6/23/09)

You are killing two birds with one stone for me…I detest going to the grocery store and I want to feed myself and my son the best foods available..and trust me your items are SOOOO much better than the so called “organic” items at the grocery store. Although I am being given a hard time by some people…they seem to think it’s odd to hear a 6 year old boy talk about organic, free range, non-hormone/antibiotic foods. Their jaws really drop when he talks about carbon offsetting and our carbon footprint. LOL He doesn’t necessarily understand all the concepts in full, but he sure understands more than a lot of people.

It’s so very true that our future is in good hands with kids like him out there. Then again ask me what I think when he’s 16 and wanting all the new cool items and wants to drive the car everywhere. LOL. I talk about y’all ALL the time to anyone that will listen. My mother is soooo jealous (she lives in Granite Shoals).

Have a great week and stay cool..it’s a hot one out there.

Thank you!

Laura

(here's a picture of my bud...the most important boy in my life...well except my son)

The Versatility of Okra

Okra has one of the prettiest blooms in vegetable land. When you think of okra, this probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. This hearty vegetable from the hibiscus family has a lot more up its sleeve, too, and is making its first appearance in the Local Box and on our website this week.

Most people I meet either love okra or hate it. It's a polarizing food that can break up dinner tables. The hate usually stems from the gooey slime that can sometimes coat these 'lady fingers.' Well, I'm here to spread the word that it doesn't have to be that way! If you like it like that, more power to you! But if not, keep reading.

Any cooking that involves water (boiling or steaming) will increase sliminess and any dry cooking (baking or frying) will reduce sliminess. Also, overcooking increases slime. One paradoxical tip is to cut off the tips (but not piercing the inner-pod) and blanch the okra for just a minute. Then throw in some ice water, and dry. Keeping okra whole is the best guard against slime. If you must cut, cut lengthwise in as few slices as possible. The more you cut it when raw, the slimier it will get.

We're used to it being stewed in gumbos. But it can be fried a million ways, pickled, grilled, baked, sauteed, eaten raw, stuffed, and blanched. The seeds can be ground for coffee and the leaves can even be used to treat skin wounds!

Okra is also a nutritional powerhouse. It's high in fiber (2.5g per 6 pods), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Protein, Niacin, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper, and Iron.

Seriously, folks. Rejoice in the amazing Okra! And enjoy it while it's here for the summer.

Greenling Website Upgrade

I hesitate to announce it....it's been coming for so long.....but I think we've worked out all the kinks and www.Greenling.com will shift to the new interface as of July 6th (fingers crossed). Many of the issues you've been frustrated with using the old interface are fixed! There might be a bug or two left, but we're sure you'll root them out quickly and kindly let us know. If you have any problems with the new interface, you can always use our old site at vintage.greenling.com.

***Delivery Time Shift****

With the Summer heat in full force, we are shifting delivery times to earlier and later in the day. We are having to completely rearrange some routes so please be patient as we adjust. Some normal delivery times will change completely and as we test routes you might get your Local, Organic goodness much later than usual. We will try to deliver everything by 9pm.

Greenling Events

Local Food Tasting Soiree

-Friday, July 10th

-7:00pm

-FREE

-Akoya - Mason's Home (map)

We'll get a local chef to prepare some dishes with in-season Greenling Organic products and invite Greenlings (that's you) to prepare their own, too. The group will decide which ones get to go in the Greenling Central Texas Seasonal cookbook (name to be improved later) and the creator will get featured in the book.

So bring your best recipes and let Greenling make you famous. Or not...it is Austin, after all so there's no pressure or dress code or any of that. All you really need to bring is yourself. We'll also have some Greenling beverages, desserts, and some great company!

See More Here

Local Box Workshop

-Saturday, July 11th

-9:30am - 2:00pm

-$8

-Faraday's Kitchen Store

Join Chef Andrew Brooks (spiritedfood.com) for our Local Box Workshop, as he shows you easy recipes and storage tips for using fresh, seasonal produce. You'll leave armed with a variety of ways to use what's local and in-season right now!

We will offer three sessions of this workshop with 15-person capacity for each at 9:30 am, 11:15 am, and 1:00 pm (1-hour sessions). Call 266-5666 TODAY to reserve your spot! These classes sell out fast.

See More Here

Vote For Us Pretty Please

Austin Chronicle Reader's Poll

-Vote us Best Local Food Company (We are the 2-year reigning champ)

And not just because we ask nicely. Greenling has been been delivering the best quality and selection of Local food for 4 years. We have 2x-3x the selection of local produce items of ANY grocery store. More local cheeses, more local meat, more local everything. We're you're best source for local goodness, guaranteed!

We can support local artisan producers in ways no one else can. Because of our online ordering, if they want to sell a new product we can try the samples and offer it on the website to see if you're interested in it before they invest in all the supplies needed to make that new product in large quantities - saving them time and money. We can, and do, work with local vendors of all sizes - from the 6-dozen yard eggs we get from Smiling Frog Farm to the thousands of pounds of melons we get from Buena Tierra. We help local food producers grow (pun most certainly intended).

So vote for us and make us the Best Local Food Company in Austin for the 3rd year in a row! And get your friends to vote for us too! We appreciate every vote and we'd be so honored to win this again.

Vote Here

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This Week's Box Contents & Local Items

Some beautiful Spring Onions will be coming from Animal farm this week and the first Icebox Watermelons from Buena Tierra. There are few things as refreshing in the Texas Summer heat as watermelon.

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

In Local Boxes ($34.99) this week (July 6-10):

• Blueberries - Berry Best Farm
• Icebox Watermelon - Buena Tierra
• Grape or Cherry Toms - Naegelin
• Summer Squash - Texas Natural
• Okra - Naegelin
• Pickling Cucumbers - Acadian
• Spring Onion - Animal Farm
• Red Onion - Tecolote
• Basil - Pure Luck
• Beefsteak Tomato - Various
• Peaches - Caskey Orchard

Last Week's (June 29-July 3) Local Box Video

In Farmstead & Local Produce Boxes ($49.99) this week (July 6-10):

• Duck Eggs - Purple Goos
• Muenster Cheese - Brazos Valley
• Baguette Rolls - Sweetish Hill Bakery
• Sweet Soothin Iced Herbal Tea - Barefoot Botanical

Produce from Local Farms

• Arugula, Baby - Animal Farm
• Watermelon - Buena Tierra
• Berries, Blueberries-Berry Best Farms
• Carrots, Baby - Animal Farm
• Garlic - Naegelin
• Grapefruit - G&S Grove
• Herb, Asst - Pure Luck
• Herbs, Basil, Live - Bella Verdi
• Sunflower Sprouts - Groovy Greens
• Tomatoes, Slicing - Walnut Creek/My Father's Farm
• Golden Cherry Tomatoes - Acadian Family Farm
• Lentil Sprouts - Groovy Greens
• Anaheim - Arnold Organics
• Elephant Garlic cloves - Green Gate
• Green Tomatoes - Rinnger Family Farm
• Grape Tomatoes - Acadian Family Farm
• Lettuce, Baby - Animal Farm
• Lettuce, Bibb - Bella Verdi
• Italian Peppers - Lundgren/Acadian Family Farm
• Green Bell peppers - Various Farms

Produce from Local Farms

• Limes - G&S Grove
• Mangos - G&S Grove
• Microgreens, Arugula - Bella Verdi
• Microgreens, Broccoli - Bella Verdi
• Mushroom, Crimini - Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, Portobello - Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, Shiitake - Kitchen Pride
• Mushroom, White - Kitchen Pride
• Onion, White - Acadian Family Farm/Tecolote
• Onion, Yellow - Naegelin
• Onion, Red - Acadian
• Orange, Valencia - G&S Grove
• Peaches - Orchards
• Potatoes, Red - Naegelin
• Squash, Yellow - Naegelin/My Father Farm/Walnut Creek
• Squash, Zucchini - Naegelin/Walnut Creek
• Poblano - Acadian Family Farm
• Cantaloupe - Lundgren
• Shallots - Lundgren Farm
• San Marzano Tomatoes - Acadian
• Serrano - Lungren
• Eggplant - Various Farms

Greenling Bake Sale Still Cookin'

Sure feels like an oven. 107? When the previous record was 100? Well, Mr. Sun, we'll see you and raise you some hot prices. Pretty cheesy, yes, but cheese is also on sale too, so....well, I don't know where I was going with that.

We're cleaning house of inventory that you just don't order. If you've got a favorite item you don't want to see discontinued go ahead and order a bunch of it. Cause anything that's gathering dust is going to move at prices up to 25% off and then we're taking them off the site.

Check out these hot specials (baking hot....we're not actually baking for the sale):

10% off all Wine & Beer (20% off Frog's Leap) - Travis county only - we're not discontinuing all wine & beer, just a few

Annie's French Dressing - $3.29

Kala's Kuisine Curry Hot Sauce - $4.59 - Come on people! This hot sauce rocks. I will fight to keep this one if you start ordering it. It goes with chips, it goes on top of dishes, it's a really unique but versatile topping.

Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegar - $4.99

Minestrone Soup, Dishalicious - $14.59

Thunderheart Bison Liver - $4.59/lb - liver is a nutrient-packed superfood that can help boost energy, libido, muscle growth, brain power, and general health. Liver contains an unknown 'anti-fatigue factor' that was found to greatly boost endurance in swimmers.

And many, many more! Just browse awesome.greenling.com to find them (hint - they'll say 'SALE' next to them)!

Recipe Corner

Forrest Arnold's Famous Popcorn Okra

Ingredients:

• okra (longhorn okra if you can find it)
  
• corn meal
  
• corn oil
  
• salt, pepper, and any spice you want

Instructions:

Cut okra into ¼” slices and place in mixing bowl. Preheat oven to 425˚.

Pour oil over okra and mix until the okra is coated. Pour cornmeal over okra, add salt, pepper and spices, and then mix until okra is thoroughly coated. Add more if necessary. Spread okra one layer thick on cookie sheets. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until some okra pieces have turned brown.

Grilled Tomatoes

A simple side for a busy summer or serve on top of toast for an easy lunch.You can even leave off the cheese and use grilled tomatoes in salsa recipes for stronger flavor.

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe red tomatoes
  
• garlic powder
  
• freshly ground salt and black pepper
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 5 clove garlic, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leave
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  

Instructions:

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook until just starting to turn golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the garlic and oil into a heatproof bowl.

Oil the grill and set for high heat. Place the tomatoes cut side down and grill for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn over, top with the garlic oil mixture and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from grill and top with thyme, a little more garlic powder, salt and pepper and Parmesan. Serve immediately.