Week 1 Baskets!

It’s the first week of our first season, and the food harvest has begun! And we couldn't be more excited!

We wanted to express our gratitude again for all your support in helping us to achieve our dreams of growing and raising food for us, and our family, and friends, and more and more you all are becoming our family!

You can expect to find a Farm update here every week after you pick up your baskets. We are also going to try to include as many recipes as we can using the food in the baskets. This will also be another way to share photos and fun farm stuff that happens around here.

We have had some great weather of late, but some of this heat is a little early and has caused some of our early spring crops to be a little stunted. But they are catching up quick! We wanted to share a quote that we have found that we thought summed up the anticipation felt every spring...

But I have never tasted meat, nor cabbage, nor corn, nor beans, nor fluid food on half as sweet as that first mess of greens.
James T. Cotton Noe (1912)

 So as you look in your basket this week you will notice the majority of it is greens. With some smattering of delicious raspberries....! And one delicious antioxidant filled beet... There's more where that came from too, and should be ready soon. Greens in all varieties are natures way of kick starting the growing season with a nutrient and vitamin rich, fresh, easily digestible food source. But if your like the rest of us you sometimes can get bored with the same old sauteed greens and onions... :) So here are a few recipes we have tried, or have been really wanting to try... 

With that first beet of the season we recommend roasting it in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and topping a salad with it and some goat cheese maybe....? Makes that 15 dollar salad at the restaurant taste bland...! ;)  

Pak Choi

Sesame Stir Fried Pak Choi

Ingredients

• oil
• Shredded ginger
• 1 garlic clove , sliced
• 4 pak choi , trimmed and cut into halves or long wedges

Sesame Sauce

•  1 Tbl sesame seeds
•   1 tsp sugar
• 1 garlic clove , crushed
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• sesame oil
• chilli oil to serve 

Make the sauce first. Toast the seeds in a pan and then add them, the sugar, garlic, and soy sauce and make a paste. Then add the Sesame oil until it becomes saucy.

For the greens heat some oil in a pan or wok, fry the sliced garlic and ginger, add the pak choi and stir-fry until just tender. Put on a plate sauce and enjoy!

Collard Greens

Collards and Ham

Ingredients:

Collard greens (whole collard heads or leaves)
2 to 3 ham hocks (which Whiskey Fork Farm should have some available soon!!!!)
Water (we like to use chicken stock whenever possible)
Salt to taste
Toppings (suggestions follow)

Preparation:

Wash greens thoroughly, tear each leaf from its thick center stems; discard stems.  Set collard greens aside until ready to cook.

Place ham hocks in an extra-large pot with enough water to completely cover them. Add salt and cook ham hocks 30 to 60 minutes before adding the collards greens. You want the ham hocks to be falling apart before you add the collard greens.

Add prepared collard greens, large leaves first (let the water start boiling first), then add remainder of greens. Note that young collard greens will cook up rather quickly. and the older greens may take upwards of 45 minutes to tenderize. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once about midway to ensure thorough cooking. Throughout the cooking process, check the water level and add more as needed to replace what's lost through evaporation. Test for tenderness at 45 minutes by piercing with a sharp knife. Cook additional time if necessary.

Remove from heat and drain in a colander, reserving the juice.

Chop collards, leaving no large leaves or pieces. Add some of the pot liquor if the greens are too dry. Salt to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature with your choice of toppings.

Topping Ideas:

Onions

Salsa 

Cherry Tomatoes

Kale

 Garbanzo beans and Kale

• 2 center-cut bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 4 lemon wedges (optional) 

Preparation

• 1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, and crumble. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

• 2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups bean mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.  

Enjoy! And we look forward to seeing you next week!