Fall Week 10: Extra Recipes for Thanksgiving Break

This is a collection of recipes for your Thanksgiving dinner table that all use items from last week's share. There are entrées, stuffings, side dishes, sauces, and desserts all listed below. Scroll all the way to the bottom for a recipe from the team at Spring Rain Farm where we got the cranberries!

Happy Eating!
Love,
Anna P. & The BMSP Team

Sweet Potato Cranberry Leek Stuffing

Uses: Sweet potatoes, leeks, fresh cranberries, apples, fresh thyme
Additional Shares: Bread, eggs
You will also need: Chicken broth, celery, garlic, parsley, paprika, garlic salt, butter, olive oil, pepper
Read More »

How To Store Your Share 3

We know that many of our shareholders leave for Thanksgiving break fairly early, and we bet that many of you will have a hard time finishing your share before you leave town. To help you out, we've compiled some info about how to properly store each item of your share before you leave to make sure it'll last till you return to PVD.

Happy Thanksgiving from the whole BMSP Team!
-Anna, Antonia, Blain, Carlie, Erin, Estelle, Jenna, Maddy, Meg, Taylor L., Taylor S., and Wesley.

General Storage Guidelines:

1. Do Not Store Fruits and Vegetables Together. Fruits that give off high levels of ethylene (the ripening agent) can prematurely ripen and spoil surrounding vegetables. (Think of the "one bad apple" adage.)
• Also, do not store root vegetables and onions together, as they will spoil faster.
2. For Vegetables: Before storing, remove ties and rubber bands and trim any leafy ends. Leave an inch to keep the vegetable from drying out. Make sure the bag you store the veggies in has some holes punctured to allow for good air flow. Pack vegetables loosely in the refrigerator. The closer they are, the quicker they will rot. Leafy greens can be washed before storing by soaking them in a sink full of water.
3. Storage Buddies This Week (can be kept in bags together to save plastic!):
   -Leeks, carrots, radishes, turnips
   -Kale, lettuce, herbs
   -Sweet potatoes
   -Apples, cranberries

Mid-Season Survey Response, Fall 2014

Thank you so much to those of you who filled out our mid-season survey! We spend a LOT of time going through the responses as a team, and it is always a great opportunity for us to learn, and also to brainstorm how to make things better. We love hearing from YOU about this program, and appreciate the great ideas you share about what we can do to improve BMSP. In the feedback we got from you last week, there were a few key questions you had that we wanted to address.

The three main issues you brought up in the survey were:

1. Why are there so many greens?
2. Fruit variety
3. FAQ and our purchasing process

You will have another chance to share your feedback at the end of this season, and we would love to hear how you think we did in addressing your concerns over the next few weeks.

Thanks so much for being a part of this season! If you still have any questions about the following points or anything else, please don't hesitate to talk to a coordinator at Market Day, or email us at info@brownmarketshares.com.

-Anna, Meg, Erin, Taylor, Jenna, Blain, and Antonia

Spotlight: Sweet Potatoes

About

"Sweet potatoes are as American as apple pie! Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus came in 1492, and by the 16th century, sweet potatoes were being cultivated in the southern states, where they became a staple in the traditional cuisine... Today, sweet potatoes are used in cuisines all over the world as a satisfying and versatile vegetable with a well-earned reputation for nutrition." The sweet potato "sweetness intensifies as the sweet potato is cooked, creating the deep caramel flavor we love." [source]

Varieties
There are three main varieties of sweet potato produced in the United States. [source]

A favorite for mashing or roasting, the COVINGTON has rose colored skin and super sweet orange flesh. Eat it whole with your favorite toppings or cut into wedges and bake as a side dish.

How to Store Your Share 2

Every season we get lots of questions about how to store certain items, and hear from shareholders that items are going bad quickly because they weren't stored properly. Never fear! We are here to intervene early on in the season.

Four Tips for All Items:

1. Do not store anything in direct sunlight or in overly hot places. It will ripen and start to rot very quickly.

2. Do not store items loose on fridge shelves. Put everything in plastic bags, or it will wilt very quickly.

3. Keep different types of items separate from each other (fruits and vegetables, onions and potatoes). The hormones they release will have different effects on the others, causing accelerated ripening, fiber decay, etc.

4. TAKE THE TIME TO STORE YOUR ITEMS! I certainly have been known to give in to the urge to shove my whole tote bag in the fridge after carrying home my share, but believe me, investing the time in doing it right early on will keep a lot of items from going to waste.

Spring Week 7: Extra Recipes for Spring Break

Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

Ingredients from your share: butternut squash, cranberries (if you still have them)
You will also need: onion, couscous, chick peas, goat cheese, orange zest, assorted spices
Read More »

How to Store Your Share

Click READ MORE below for information about how to store your share if you're going away over break. (We recommend that you try to eat your greens before you leave - but if you can't, don't worry, they'll last till you get back.)



Image from Cook's Illustrated.

Spring Week 6: Recipes

Swiss Chard Ravioli

Ingredients from your share: swiss chard, ricotta, egg
You will also need: gyoza wrappers, butter, garlic, fresh sage, rosemary, thyme
Read More »

Spotlight: Hakurei Turnips

Hakurei turnips are small, sweet, juicy white turnips that are harvested young. They are known as "salad" turnips, rather than "cooking" turnips (which tend to be more bitter and/or spicy raw), and can be eaten raw alone or in salads.

"The Hakurei turnip is a Japanese turnip that is truly best eaten raw. Its delicate flavor and crisp texture are perfect as is, and cooking tends to make it soggy. Just slice it, thick or thin as you prefer, and add it to salads, appetizer platters, or serve it on its own as a snack or side dish. You will not believe how delicious they are." [source]

Spotlight: Summer Squash

We are excited to kick off the fall season with Rhode Island's best summer squash, with its tender skin and a creamy texture. Aside from the time of year it is grown, a summer squash is unique from a winter squash because of its soft rind and seeds, making the entire vegetable edible. This is because summer squash is harvested young before the rind becomes tough, and, contrary to popular belief, the smaller ones can be the tastiest. The summer squash family includes zucchini (courgette), yellow squash (crookneck and straightneck), scallopini squash, pattypan squash, and globe squash. Despite the stark differences in size and shape, most summer squash varieties can be used inter-changeably in recipes.

Spotlight: Leeks

Leeks are members of the onion family, also related to garlic, shallots and scallions. Rather than being shaped in a bulb form like an onion, however, leeks grow in long cylinders that look like stems- these are in fact the edible parts of leaks. Although it can be used like an onion to flavor dishes, leeks can stand on their own as well, and be the main ingredients in recipes.

[photo source]

Lettuce Overload? Lett-uce Help...

One of the most common comments on our mid-season survey was that folks are swimming in salad greens. And while this week’s share does seem to call forth a rather delicious salad (romaine, peaches, tomatoes and caramelized onions, oh my!), lettuce can be used for so much more! Check out these recipe ideas below:

Uses for Leftover Bread

Bread shareholders may know that it is a miracle if a loaf of seven stars bread makes it through the day without being eaten. If it does survive the first day and is not stored appropriately, fresh bread dries out quickly. But do not fret! There are many divine recipes that rely on stale bread and the drier, the better. So if you are becoming disenchanted with the crunch of day-old bread, here are a few ways to change things up.

Spotlight: Cucumbers

Part of the gourd family, cucumbers are known for their crispness and fresh, refreshing flavor. While perhaps most commonly used as an addition for salads, cucumbers are good on their own, in sauces, pickled, or even sauteed!

Storage
Wrap loosely in plastic and store in crisper. [source]

Spotlight: Swiss Chard

"Swiss chard is truly one of the vegetable valedictorians with its exceptionally impressive list of health-promoting nutrients." - World's Healthiest Foods

Swiss chard, with its buttery flavor, crisp stalks, and tender leaves, is one of the most delicious local greens. Swiss chard is also one of the healthiest foods in the human diet and should not be overlooked. Skip, of Wishing Stone Farm, grows the best swiss chard you will ever experience (because with all of it's flavor and beauty, that is what it is- an experience). We are thrilled to offer this divine green again this season.

Spotlight: Red Radishes

Juicy, crunchy and crisp, red radishes add a delightful punchy color and flavor to dishes. Their peppery taste stimulates the production of saliva and rouses the appetite. Fantastic with aperitifs (especially chilled Fino Sherry) when served with butter and salt on the side: wipe a radish across the butter before dipping it in salt. - Eat the Seasons

Spotlight: Beets

Health Benefits
Beets are high in many vitamins and minerals: Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; folic acid. These are but a few of the many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can be found in beets and beet greens.
Beets cleanse the body: They are a wonderful tonic for the liver, works as a purifier for the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer.
Beets help your mental health: Beets contain betaine, the same substance that is used in certain treatments of depression. It also contains trytophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate. Beets can also lower your blood pressure. So if you’re already steamed about not eating beets, you can get a two-fer by diving into them right away.  [source]

Spotlight: Komatsuna

Chuck Currie of Freedom Food Farm describes Komatsuna as a green that “looks like celery, tastes like bok choy.” It is also known as Japanese Mustard Spinach, but lacks the strong bite of most mustard greens, making it more versatile. Although primarily grown in Japan, Taiwan & Korea, it is growing in popularity in the US because it can withstand cold temperatures and drought, and because of its tastiness!

Spotlight: Fennel

Known for its faint licorice flavor, the fennel bulb is similar to celery in texture and appearance. The greens resemble dill, and also taste like anise and can be used as seasoning like any other herb. Fennel bulb is featured in Italian and Scandinavian cuisines. It is versatile and can be enjoyed raw, grilled, baked, braised or sautéed. [source]

Spotlight: Kohlrabi

Although it looks a bit like something from outer space, kohlrabi is a summer favorite. In the same family as cabbage & kale, it shares their sweet, crunchy flavor as well as their high nutrient content. (source)