It is time to sign up for the Autumn Season of the CSA if you have not done so already! The Autumn Season is our favorite season, as it has plenty of tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant, peppers, and other items you may think of as typical “summer” crops, as well as storage onions, african corn, potatoes, winter squash, garlic, and other fall favorites.
The Autumn Season starts week 9 of our CSA, the week after the summer CSA ends (week 8). You can email newrootscooperativefarm@gmail.com to tell me you would like to sign up for the fall CSA, or you can add it directly to your account by going to https://csa.farmigo.com/account/newrootscooperativefarm. Tell your friends! We love getting new customers in the fall.
On the farm, it’s been hot and sunny for many weeks. We finally got rain on Wednesday night, and we are very grateful! Nightshades (like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant) and cucumbers and melons love this sort of weather, and the plants are getting bigger by the day.
As the summer heats up, lettuce and spinach are harder and harder to grow. One leafy green that grows well in the heat is Amaranth. The seed of the amaranth flower is better known in the U.S. (as a gluten free whole grain alternative), but the immature leaves are popular in African, Asia and the Carribean eaten as a leafy green, similar to kale or swiss chard.
The New Roots farmers grow several different types of amaranth for their leaves, but their favorite is the green amaranth or African amaranth. There are also red and red-veined varieties. Amaranth leaves are growing in popularity in the United States, and some of the fancier restaurants have caught on to the trend (move over, kale!).
Amaranth leaves are high in tocotrienols (a form of Vitamin E), and vitamins C, A, B6, and K. They also are a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, and dietary fiber.
One of the New Roots Farmers and Member-owners, Seynab Ali, recommends sauteeing the amaranth with tomatoes, onions, garlic and a ground meat, bean, or tempeh of your choice. Add it in just as you would add in kale- towards the end of the cooking time, but with enough time to cook the slightly bitter taste out (the leaves are sweet and tender once cooked). You can serve over rice or quinoa for a complete meal. If looking for another idea, try this idea, adopted from “A Veggie Venture”:
Amaranth Greens
Ingredients
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 pound amaranth greens, washed, rinsed and sliced into ribbons
4 small (or 1 large) green onions or scallions, white and green parts, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
Directions
In a large skillet, heat the broth over medium high. Add the garlic, white onion parts, and ginger and cook for a minute. Add the greens, in batches if needed. Cook until soft, stirring often. At the end, add the green onion or scallion tops. Season to taste and serve.
Asian Cucumber & Carrot Slaw
Yield: 4 Total Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large cucumber
2 medium carrots, peeled
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 scallion or 1/4 fresh onions, chopped (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Use a julienne peeler or grater to shred the cucumber and carrots into long strips. Toss the vegetables in a medium bowl, along with both vinegars, water, sugar, and sesame oil. Toss to coat evenly. Garnish with sesame seeds, scallion, or onion, and cilantro. Chill until ready to serve. Best served cold. Enjoy.
Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Easy Beet Salad with Basil & Goat Cheese
INGREDIENTS
For the Salad
3 medium-sized beets, without stems/greens
1 bunch of basil
Chevre or feta cheese
For the Dressing
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
INSTRUCTIONS
To roast beets: Preheat oven to 350F. Wash beets and wrap each in foil, careful to cover any holes. Place on cookie sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until beets feel soft to touch. Once cool enough to handle, unwrap and peel by rubbing off the skin. It should come right off. If you don’t want pink hands, wear gloves before you peel them. You can also dice the beets before roasting to cut down on cooking time. If you do this, peel with a knife or grater ahead of time (or leave the skin on- it’s perfectly fine to eat!)
Cut beets into 1-inch cubes. Set aside while you make the dressing.
To make the dressing: In a bowl whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and honey until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. The dressing should be a little on the tart side.
Pour dressing over diced beets and stir to coat. For better flavor, allow beets to soak the dressing for at least 1 hour. Usually, I just place it in a plastic lidded container in the fridge and shake it whenever I open the fridge.
Right before serving: Spoon beets into serving bowl or dish. Crumble chevre or feta cheese on top. Chiffonade or tear fresh basil and sprinkle on top.
Recipe from https://www.imnotthenanny.com/2013/11/easy-beet-salad-basil-goat-cheese.html