Week #4, 2021

• Lettuce – bring on the salad!
• Chinese broccoli – saute, stir fry or steam the whole thing – stem, leaves, flower tip
• Cauliflower – the crown jewel of overwintering cauliflower – “Chester”
• Spinach
• Bok Choi
• Kale or chard
• Herb or bitter green (Mustard, arugula or escarole – see recipes below)

Here we are at the beginning of May and we find ourselves with beds of vegetables that need to be turned over from spring radishes to summer potatoes, hot peppers and basil. I saw the first bloom on the zucchini, the peas are waist high and starting to flower and the greenhouse tomatoes are setting tiny fruit. The difference between being a year round vegetable farmer and a home gardener is that the seeding and planting never ends. We will turn over our soil three times during the typical season, often the final seeding is cover crop. We work our soil hard and try to nourish it along the way. We rotate crops, add farm made compost and use cover crop to add back nitrogen. The farm is a huge juggling act not for the faint of heart.

In about three weeks we will be asking for help from those of you who are able and want to get your hands dirty. We will start with the pea harvest, then move on to green beans and shortly after that the cherry tomatoes. We ask that you come prepared to help for 4 hours, but we understand that life and events get in the way. We start the harvest Sundays and Wednesdays around 7:30 and aim to finish by 11:30. Please come only if you are well. We recommend you come with long pants and closed toed shoes even on hot days as the Canadian thistle is ever present and leaves thorns in your toes and does not feel good to kneel on. I will put out a sign up sheet this week or next. It helps us know that we can count on your help. We can always use extra help on harvest days, so you can show up to help even if not signed up.

We are now fully vaccinated. Our farm crew is all two weeks post second vaccine and we are ecstatic. We will continue to use good hygiene but we will no longer be wearing masks while harvesting your veggies. This has been our practice since the start of the pandemic in 2020 even though it has been scientifically proven not to be spread through food. We still require masks when visiting the farm and expect those coming to help to wear masks.

If you are not vaccinated please get an appointment and do so as soon as possible. Virginia Garcia Wellness Center in CORNELIUS has walk-in vaccination on Tuesdays from 9 -11 and 1-3. No appointment necessary. Please share especially with the BIPOC community and other communities that may have limited access to vaccines. Let us all do our part to get everyone vaccinated.

Recipes for the week! Courtesy from Sue:

Red Lentil and Beet Greens (or chard,  or spinach, or mustard greens) Soup

2 cups red lentils

1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (can substitute mustard seed and 1/2 tsp maple syrup)

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons ghee, separated (I used sunflower or other neutral oil and it was fine)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon finely shredded ginger

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

greens from 1 bunch of beets, chopped (or several cups of coarsely chopped what ever greens)

Juice of 2 lemons

Put the lentils in a big pot with 8 c water,  add fenugreek seeds,  turmeric and 1tb of ghee (or coconut or veg oil). Bring to a boil and simmer until soft and fully cooked.  If you like your soup smoother,  you can puree with immersion blender at this point.

Heat remaining Tb ghee/oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  When it is hot,  add cumin seeds and fry for 15 seconds until fragrant,  add ginger and garlic and sauté a minute more.  Then add chopped greens,  sir to mix and then cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.  Add to soup along with a good squirt of lemon juice and serve.

South Indian Bok-Choy Stir-Fry

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/4 cup grated coconut, dried or frozen

1 large bok choy or 1 bunch of small bok choy, chopped

2 tablespoons mild-flavored oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4-5 curry leaves

1 dried red chili pepper

1 scallion, white and green parts chopped

1 ear of corn, shucked & kernels shaved

juice of 1 lime

salt to taste

Method

Thaw frozen coconut or place dried coconut in a little hot water to plump up.

Trim ends off  of bok choy. Chop bok choy stalks into bite-size pieces. Chop leaves of the bok choy.

In a work or large frying pan, heat oil on a medium flame. When oil is hot and shimmering, add in one black mustard seed. When the seed sizzles, add in the rest of the mustard seeds. Keep a lid handy to cover the pan when the mustard seeds start to pop. When the mustard seeds subside their popping, add in the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to brown, turn the heat to medium low. Rub curry leaves between your fingers a little to release their natural oils and drop them and the dried red chili pepper into the oil. Cover the pan with a lid as moisture from curry leaves will cause the oil to spurt. Coat everything with oil for a few seconds.

Add in the scallions to the pan and turn the heat back to medium. Once the scallions soften, add in the corn to the pan with salt. Fry for a 1 minute. Next add in the bok choy stalks and stir-fry until cooked through, a couple minutes. Next add in the leaves and fry until wilty but still with shape, a couple minutes. Add salt to taste. Mix in coconut and fry for another minute. Turn off heat. Mix in lime juice.

Sheet Pan Thai Chicken with Bok Choy

Marinated in a rich and creamy peanut sauce, this easy and delicious oven-baked Thai Chicken Recipe with Bok Choy is a year-round family favorite.

PREP TIME10 mins

COOK TIME45 mins

MARINATE30 mins

TOTAL TIME55 mins

SERVINGS: 6 servings CALORIES: 1007kcal CHEF: Jessica Randhawa

Ingredients

For the marinade and sauce

• ▢ 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• ▢ 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• ▢ 1 cup peanut butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup fish sauce
• ▢ 2 tsp tamarind paste optional
• ▢ 2 limes juiced
• ▢ 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ▢ 1-inch piece fresh ginger minced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• ▢ 1/4 cup soy sauce

For the chicken and bok choy

• ▢ 3 pounds chicken (I used chicken thighs and drumsticks)
• ▢ 1 pound baby bok choy
• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
• ▢ 1 small bunch cilantro minced
• ▢ Chopped peanuts for serving
• ▢ Thai red chiles thinly sliced
• ▢ Cooked Rice for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare the marinade and sauce. Place all ingredients for the marinade into the bowl of a large food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy.
2. Transfer chicken pieces and 1 cup of the sauce/marinade to a large zip-lock bag. Coat chicken in the sauce and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes to overnight in the refrigerator. Reserve remaining marinade.
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place chicken pieces on a large baking sheet, skin-side-down. After 20 minutes, flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until fully cooked.
4. Remove chicken from the oven and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Scatter the boy choy over a baking sheet and roast for approximately 10 minutes, or until wilted, slightly charred at the edges, and cooked.
5. Serve chicken with rice or quinoa, if desired, or pack into individual meal prep trays drizzled with remaining Thai peanut sauce. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, sliced red chili, or brushed with olive oil mixed with fresh minced cilantro.

Notes

• Nutrition information is calculated using full-fat canned coconut milk and regular, full-fat peanut butter. You can easily cut down on calories and fat in this recipe by using low-fat coconut milk.
• Prepare the marinade/sauce ahead of time. Just 10 minutes is all it takes to prepare the marinade, but doing it the night before will make your life so much easier. All you’ll have to do the next day is add the chicken to a baking sheet, and bake.
• Prepare the rice or preferred carb the night before, too. As you can see, I’m a huge fan of meal prepping. It takes a little forethought, but it makes life so much easier.
• Use chicken breasts or tenders for faster cooking time. Chicken breasts take approximately 25 minutes to cook, but always check that a digital meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F.
• Purchase PREMADE Thai Chicken Peanut Sauce. Don’t worry, this is a judgment-free zone. Homemade is great, but sometimes storebought is better.

Nutrition

Calories: 1007kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 73g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 1707mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4580IU | Vitamin C: 45.2mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 4.1mg

Did you make this recipe?

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