Rhubarb Season
About this time in May through the end of June marks rhubarb season in Ohio. A great source of Vitamin C, fiber and calcium, rhubarb is rather tart on it’s own but when combined with something sweet, it makes a fantastic dessert. I put together this strawberry-rhubarb crisp by combining the best of several recipes in an attempt to sub-in healthier ingredients. It came out great and it was a even better topped with just a little vanilla bean ice cream.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
2 big stalks of rhubarb, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped strawberries
2 big squeezes of agave nectar (maybe 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 unbleached white flour
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
dash of salt
3 tbsp of butter
Preheat oven to 350 and butter an 8×8 baking dish. Combine chopped rhubarb and strawberries in a bowl, add the agave and stir to coat the rhubarb and strawberries well. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. In the same bowl mix the remaining ingredients, cutting in the butter. Sprinkle topping over the rhubarb and strawberries. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Homegrown Pickles
Depending on where you are located, you may be either planting or beginning to think about what to plant in your garden this year. For me, I admit that most of the things I grow in my our little vegetable garden provide instant gratification such as fresh tomatoes, green beans, peppers and basil. However, on a recent trip to my grandmother’s house (who still lives on the farm my mom grew up on) I got to eat some of delicious homemade pickles and was inspired to try to make my own this year.
When the time comes, I will get my grandmother’s recipe, but for those of you who can’t wait, I suggest checking out this great post on how to make your own pickles.
And until then, I was able to get some pickles from Farm Fresh Delivery that are grown in Indiana, Ohio or Michigan and then made here in Indiana. They are crisp and tasty and it’s nice to see the ingredient list only contains six things — all of which I recognize and can pronounce!
Egg-cellent
Being a vegetarian, I am very careful to make sure that I am always making sure to get enough protein in my diet. One way I do this is by eating fish (which I know makes me not the strictest of vegetarians). The other is by having eggs as a regular part of my diet.
Eggs are a low-cost, low-calorie way to get protein and other health benefits. But not all eggs are the same. According to Mother Earth News, who have conducted egg nutrient tests, “eggs from hens raised on pasture, as compared to those commercially raised factory farm eggs, contain: 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, 7 times more beta carotene and 4 to 6 times as much vitamin D.”
While you certainly can purchase organic, certified humane, cage free eggs at the grocery store, it is no surprise that we encourage you to look further (and closer) to some local farms in your area that offers eggs. That way, you can know first hand where your eggs are coming from!
Need recipe ideas? Here are just a few of our favorite things to do with eggs.
- Sweet Potato & Zucchini Frittata
- Mama’s Frittata
- Easy Cheesy Frittata
- Local Eggs Florentine
- Asparagus & Eggs Any Time of Day
- Egg & Tomato Cups
- Farm Stand Crustless Quiche
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Note: You may be looking at the photo above and wonder why we have a selection of rainbow colored eggs. The local place we get our eggs has a few Araucana hens… that lay blue and green eggs!
Central Ohio CSAs
If you live in the central Ohio area and missed the first meet and greet event, be sure to stop by Tehku Tea Company this Friday (1/30/09) for a “Get to Know Your Farmers” event with local farms including The Wayward Seed Farm, 2Silos, and Vanscoy Farms.
Enjoy a cup of tea while you are there and learn more about Community Supported Agricuture shares. There are a lot of options for CSAs with fresh fruits, vegetables, and farm raised meat and dairy in the central Ohio area and now is the time to get signed up!
The event takes place from 4-7 p.m. at Tehku Tea Company, 55 South High Street, Dublin OH. Call Tehku with questions 614-761-3808.
If you are not in the area but are still interested in finding a CSA in your area, check out LocalHarvest.org for a farm near you.
Meet Your Farmer
If you are anywhere near the Columbus, OH area this Thursday (12/18/08) be sure to stop by Tehku Tea Company for a “Meet & Greet” event with local farms including The Wayward Seed Farm, 2Silos, and Vanscoy Farms.
The event will give you the opportunity to learn more about Community Supported Agricuture shares and will fill you in on where you can find fresh fruits, vegetables, and farm raised meat and dairy in the central Ohio area so you can start the new year off on the right track with a commitment to good food. On Thursday you can also expect to taste some Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkin Scones, Potato Soup made from Austrian Crescent Fingerling Potatoes, and, of course, Tea!
The event takes place from 4-7 p.m. at Tehku Tea Company, 55 South High Street, Dublin OH. Don’t forget to shoot an rsvp email to info@tehku.com and get your name entered into a drawing.
If you are not in the area but are still interested in finding a CSA in your area, check out LocalHarvest.org for a farm near you.
Gearing Up for Turkey Day
Halloween and the election are over, which means one thing - Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Have you started your planning yet? For those of you in the Columbus, Ohio area, check out The Wayward Seed Farm for a Thanksgiving CSA that is sure to put you on the right track for a “local” Thanksgiving.
Wayward Seed Farm, with operations in Marysville and the Cleveland Ohio areas, has put together an “Ohio Farm Fresh Thanksgiving” package complete with a free-range pasture Turkey, a pie pumpkin, pie crust, herbs, and a hefty amount of vegetables for your side dishes including potatoes, leeks, carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, squash, and several types of greens. To make it even easier, the package comes with recipe ideas so you don’t have to fret about what to do with all those farm fresh veggies. All you have to do is call the farm to order (614-327-0102) and pick up your package the Saturday before Thanksgiving at the North Market. As of yesterday, there are still CSAs available but T-day is quickly approaching, so sign up soon.
If you are not in the Columbus area, check out www.localharvest.org for your own local resources and the 100milediet.org for inspiration.
“Local” Tea
Just because tea is grown in other parts of the world doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to keep it as local as possible. You aren’t going to find local tea leaves here in Indiana, but certain companies like Kei Tea take those worldly leaves and blend them with locally grown herbs to create fresh “local” teas.
I first met the owners of Kei Tea at the Carmel Farmers Market. I emailed them a few more questions regarding their local tea and they provided me with these interesting tidbits. Thanks Kei Tea!
Are there any herbs in particular that grow well in this area?
It’s possible to grow nearly any type of herb in Indiana if you make use of indoor space in the winter. However, our favorite herbs to grow outdoors are lemon grass, lemon balm, chamomile, any type of mint, lavender and of course, catnip. People are often surprised we use catnip in some of our teas but it actually was the original plant used in Egypt for tea and has a mild sedative quality for humans (unlike its effect on cats).
Do you use any other local ingredients other than herbs — such as flowers, seeds, etc.?
Many of our teas use seeds such as fennel, fenugreek, and milk thistle. The seeds from these plants have great health benefits. Fenugreek is reported to help with blood sugar regulation, and milk thistle is good for cleansing your liver.
Any special growing techniques that you use?
We try to grow everything organically and think plants grow better when we harvest seeds from our best specimens - that way we know we have a plant that likes to grow in a particular area. Many herbs regrow annually and so we just tuck them in with a little straw in the fall and uncover them when the time is right in the spring.
Too Many Tomatoes Casserole
Our good friend Krista is an excellent cook, and she submitted this great recipe as another alternative to the more popular tomato dishes. Bon appetit!
This summer I was not able to grow my own garden, but have many friends that keep donating me their tomatoes that are abundant right now. I wanted to do something different with them besides the stand by BLT and Caprese Salad, so I found a recipe on Food.com for a tomato casserole that my family loved.
Tomato Casserole
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 lbs ripe tomatoes
Salt and Black Pepper
3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
1 Tablespoon Chopped Marjoram
1 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 Cup Day Old Bread Crumbs
1 Teaspoon Paprika
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush casserole dish with olive oil. Slice tomatoes about 1/8 inch thick and place 1 layer in 1/2 quart Pyrex dish. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 1/2 herbs and all feta. Do another layer of tomatoes and repeat with herbs and salt. Top with bread crumbs and paprika and cook for 40 minutes. Enjoy!
Going Local While Traveling
My husband and I had a pre-planned, quick trip to Colorado Springs this week which coincidentally started last Saturday, the last day of the Green-Lemonade “Going Local” challenge. It would have been nearly impossible to eat 100% local given our travel schedule and unfamiliarity with a new place, so it would be somewhat useless to give you a final run down on everything I ate on Day 7. We did, however, do our best to support the local economy throughout our trip. Here are a few examples:
Accommodations - First, my husband decided to pass on the usual hotel chain and opted for cute little locally owned boutique hotel called the Hotel San Ayre. The small, very affordable, hotel has been renovated in the last few years and now boasts about a dozen comfy, yet chic rooms, with a cottage next door and a luxury “mountain suite” upstairs complete with a couple bedrooms and a kitchen. It is located perfectly between Old Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs (Manitou Springs, incidentally was just named one of Budget Travel’s “10 Coolest Small Towns” in their September issue) and what I really enjoyed about this hotel is the personal service (which included lots of great recommendations on places to eat, see and run) and their philosphy on conserving our natural resources.
Food - I always think it’s fun to try the local spots while visiting somewhere new and Adam’s Mountain Cafe hit the spot. This place is a member of the “Slow Food” movement and reminds it’s customers that while the food may take longer it’s because it’s fresh, quality food, never pre-cooked, microwaved or warmed under a heat-lamp. We also came across The Matte Factor, a great little cafe which serves up specialty drink called a Yerbe Mate tea and a variety of wholesome breakfast and lunch items made from scratch daily with natural ingredients.
Environment - Perhaps the best part of our trip was taking in all of the beautiful scenery as we explored Pike’s Peak, the Garden of the Gods, North Cheyenne Canyon Park and the Manitou Incline!
Great Grains
One of the hardest things for me about going local (beside missing my morning cup of joe) is the lack of local grains available. Wanting to find out why, I contacted Bill at Valentine Hill Farm, an organic artisan bakery here in Indianapolis. Their wheat flours, soy flour, and spelt flour are 100% whole grain, certified organic… but are they local? Unfortunately not.
Valentine Hill Farm tries to locate ingredients for their baked products as close to Indianapolis as possible. Unfortunately, wheat does not grow well in the state. Because of this, their major ingredient comes from several different states including Michigan, Kansas and Minnesota.
To go without grains is not something I could not do for a long time, so I am going to try to do the next best thing and get them from an local organic bakery, like Valentine Hill Farm. Needless to say, I was delighted to dive in to these whole wheat muffins from them this week!
