More Greens

Just juice em - wash, wash, wash the leaves - they are just out of the ground - so they may be a little dirty.

Put them in a juicer, stems and all - mix with some keifer (yogurt) an apple or whatever you like - and drink up - your body will thank you!

Kale

Oh, the wondrous world of Kale...what to do with Kale??? There are just so many things to do with this leafy supergreen.

Raw - in a salad. Try with something citrus like orange slices and almonds, with shaved swiss cheese, olive oil and lemon juice. Finish with sesame seeds and salt.

Baked - hello kale chips! Bake in your oven until crispy, and sprinkle on your favorite seasoning! I spray the raw kale with Braggs Liquid Amino Acid, roll in spices and then bake mine. They make a great snack chip that even your kids will love!

Sauteed - with sausage, black beans, red peppers, white wine, olive oil and onions - serve over pasta, or wrap in a flatbread.

RED CLOVER FARMS LOVES KALE

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is not only one of the most popular vegetables along the Mediterranean but it is one of the most nutritious vegetables around and ranks second only to spinach following our analysis of the total nutrient-richness of the World's Healthiest vegetables.  

Research has shown that chard leaves contain at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants, including kaempferol, the cardioprotective flavonoid that's also found in broccoli, kale, strawberries, and other foods. But alongside of kaempferol, one of the primary flavonoids found in the leaves of chard is a flavonoid called syringic acid. Syringic acid has received special attention in recent research due to its blood sugar regulating properties. This flavonoid has been shown to inhibit activity of an enzyme called alpha-glucosidase. When this enzyme gets inhibited, fewer carbs are broken down into simple sugars and blood sugar is able to stay more steady. It makes sense to think about chard as a vegetable whose flavonoid phytonutrients are unique and may offer special benefits for blood sugar control.

Braised - with lemon juice, olive oil mint and parmesan cheese.

Raw -  in a salad with roasted beets, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, golden raisins, balsamic and a drizzle of local honey.

Yummy Chard!

Radishes

Radishes are just one of my favorites - I used to dislike them for their bitterness - but they grew on me over the years. In France, I kinda fell in love with them. The French serve them on little toast points with a layer of butter, thinly sliced radishes and a pinch of salt. Something about this combination is remarkable. The butter smoothes out the tartness of the radish and the salt just gives it a kick. Try any toast point combination - pesto, goat cheese, layer with cucumbers, whatever!

In a salad radishes go well with ranch, bluecheese, cucumbers, peas, croutons, red onions.

Braise them. Try to sautee them in white wine and olive oil & butter with sweet onions and leeks for a great side dish or even over quinoa or pasta.

And yes...you can eat the greens too! They are just like salad greens - put them in your salad, or sautee.
Juicing the greens are also a great idea!

Happy Radish Eating!

2014 Spring CSA is here!

Whew....another year of farming - I think I am starting to get the hang of things now. It's about 7:15am here on Red Clover Farms, and I am just getting in from the fields after harvesting this years first CSA crops. It is always so joyous - the first harvest. The crying usually comes later in the season - but fingers crossed for a great year.

So let's see - so much has happened this year - we expanded our Red Clover Kitchen at The All-American Valley General Store - now serving great paninis, salads, soups, pies & more. Just opened our walk-up ice-cream window and will be doing late night steamed cheeseburgers and hotdogs for the summer months. We got picnic tables outside of The General Store for warm summer days. Open mic on Wednesdays is filled with so much talent from around the state - 6:30-10pm. We just started The Strand Ole Opry at The Historic Strand Theater in downtown Seymour - and put on a country bluegrass show once a month - check our web at redcloverblossom.com for details. Red Clover Day Spa and Apothecary just opened across from The General Store - we do facials and massage...We have live talk radio with Gary Christopher every Thursday night from 7-9pm. The All-American Valley talk can be found on ctwsr.com. I was just on channel 3 news.....

Oh, there is just so much goodness that I will be writing about in the future - but let's start this year by coming up with some great ideas of what to do with all of the early spring greens!!! The look on everyones face is the same every year on the first CSA pick-up ----what to do with greens, and where are the peppers and corn???  

chwileczkę  

That's what my grandma would say to me in polish when I was impatient when I was little - it means "Wait a minute!" Everything in due time - eggplant, field tomatoes, corm, cucumbers, peppers - they are all coming - but just not yet! Ok, onto the greens...