Final Order for March 5th, 2010

Dear Members,

 

We look forward to seeing you this afternoon and hope you are as excited about today's selection as we are!  I was sad we couldn't get the yellow cauliflower, but the promotion for it was only early in the week.  The English peas should be delicious whether you put them raw into a salad or cook them up with some butter and garlic!  If you're not sure what to do with the eggplant, try dicing it with the zucchini and add some whole garlic cloves, toss with olive oil and your favorite herbs, then broil.  Delicious!   Martha has a fabulous recipe for the cilantro, an authentic Mexican dip excellent with corn chips.  Look for that posting in the next day or two.  I can't wait to try the red potatoes with some of my left over parsley and a little butter!   Looking for healthier options for you dairy products?  We can get raw dairy (non-pasteurized, non-homogenized) labeled for pet consumption only as per FL law.  If interested email Martha at healthyhabitsproduce@gmail.com.  

 

Just a reminder, please donate your clean plastic bags and return your blue bags to us.  We keep them rotating and it helps with the organization to have them on hand.  Also, if you haven't read our letter on member policies, there should be one in your bag today (Redlands and Coral Gables).  Other locations, ask your host for this.  We also need everyone to sign a sheet with your information on it.  If you haven't filled this out already, please do it today at pick up.  And, always, let your host know how you can help us.  When we work together, it makes the job easier for everyone and that is what co-ops are all about!  

 

Finally, we are looking for a host for Coral Gables.  Pass the word to people you know who have time to be there from 1 to 5 every other Friday and who would appreciate getting FREE organic produce.  We are looking for a reliable person who lives in the Coral Gables area.   

 

That should wrap things up for this week.  Don't forget to check back for the cilantro dip recipe! 

 

God Bless,

 

Cyndi and Martha

 

Regular Share:

 

Broccoli

Carrots

Celery (FL)

Cucumber

Cilantro  

Eggplant (FL)

English peas  

Red Potatoes

Kale (FL)

Lettuce – 2 heads each (romaine and/or red leaf)

Zucchini  

Apples

Bananas

Blueberries

Tangerines (FL)

 

 

 

Fruit Share:

 

Anjou Pears

Valencia Oranges (FL)

Kent Mangoes

Strawberries (FL)

Preliminary Order for March 5th, 2010

Regular share:

Red potatoes

snow peas

yellow cauliflower

red beets with tops (FL)

broccoli

carrots

celery (FL)

cucumber

eggplant

red russian kale (FL)

green romaine lettuce

red leaf lettuce

ruby grapefruit (FL)

apples

bananas

blueberries

 

Fruit share:

valencia oranges (FL)

kiwi

anjou pears

strawberries (FL)

 

Order for Friday, February 19

REGULAR SHARE
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Snow Peas, FL
Breakfast Radishes, FL (these are longer and milder)
Bok Choy, FL
Cucumbers
Parsley, FL
Lettuce, 2 heads (from FL)
Mushrooms
Green Peppers (Cutler Bay and Doral get Leeks)
Sweet Potatoes
Apples, Pink Lady
Limes
Grapefruit
Bananas

FRUIT SHARE
Strawberries, FL
Navel Oranges, FL
Blueberries
Pineapple

Make the most of your beets!

I googled "beet greens" and found this recipe and tried it tonight.  Loved it and had to share. 

 

Cyndi

 

Beet greens salad - The Boston Globe

Jul 29, 2009 ... Serves 6 When beets are on the menu at Tomasso Trattoria, the staff is likely to be eating beet greens. They're nutritious and delicious, ...
www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/.../beet_greens_salad/ - Similar

 

Chef's table: Beet greens salad

July 29, 2009

 

Serves 6

When beets are on the menu at Tomasso Trattoria, the staff is likely to be eating beet greens. They're nutritious and delicious, here blanched and sauteed, then topped with a lemon vinaigrette, chopped tomato, and toasted almonds.

	Greens from 2 bunches beets
	Salt and pepper, to taste
3	tablespoons olive oil
1	clove garlic, finely chopped
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1/4	red onion, very thinly sliced
1	ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
1/4	cup slivered almonds, toasted until golden

1. Rinse the greens thoroughly in several changes of water.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the greens. Blanch 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water. With your hands, squeeze out the excess liquid. Chop the greens coarsely.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When it is hot, add the greens, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the greens are tender but still bright colored.

4. Transfer the greens to a bowl.

5. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour the mixture over the greens and toss well. Add the onion, tomato, and almonds. Toss again. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if you like. Adapted from Justin Melnick, executive chef of Tomasso Trattoria

© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

Order for February 5th, 2010

Regular/Mixed Veggies

Broccoli

Beets

Carrots

Cauliflower

Cabbage (FL)

Celery (FL)

Garlic

Watercress (FL)

Two heads of lettuce

Yellow onions

Russet potatoes

Multi-color peppers (choose one)

Bananas

Orlando tangelos (FL)

Pink lady apples (By purchasing this item this month, we are contributing to research on fighting breast cancer in women.)

Lemons

Fruit Share

Hamlin oranges (FL)

Strawberries (FL)

Pears (Cutler Bay gets Pineapple)

Kiwi

Additional item on sale in Coral Gables, Cutler Bay and Redlands

Tomatoes - $1 per pound (locally grown, but not organic)

Special Orders: Please talk to your host if interested.

Check out our new items!!!

NEW!! Organic Coconut Oil - odorless ($14 for 1 liter, $8 for ½ liter)

NEW!! Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed 100% ($12 for 1 pt 0.9 oz)

Almonds - $6 per pound (raw and organic) Limited quantities

Certified Organic Eggs from Free Roaming Hens ($3.50 a dozen)

Raw Local Honey ($20 a half gallon, $7 for pint jar; $2 refund for returned honey jars) - available now at Redlands, Cutler Bay and Coral Gables – Orange Blossom

NEW!! Raw Florida Tupelo Honey ($8 for pint jar)

Smoked Fish dip – no preservatives – choice of salmon and mahi-mahi

($10 a pound) – (Available for sale at Redlands, Cutler Bay, Coral Gables) Limited Supply – Let your host know if you want this so we know how much to send your group.

Please note: This item is handmade so you will notice slight changes each time. We are getting the product that is commercially prepared for the health food stores.

Order for Friday, January 22

First, a short synopsis of the market report from our supplier on crop damage... there is good news along with bad! Tomatoes took the biggest hit with a nearly total loss. Eggplant, Bell Pepper, Zucchini and Yellow Squash sustained extensive damage and there will be low or no supply. Cabbage, Corn and Bean (our Homestead bean grower is doing the best) crops were somewhat damaged, but will still be harvesting with lower yields. Almost all Tangerines and Tangelos were lost (but the fruit only, not the groves,) and Strawberries will be in lower availability for a little while, but with extra sweetness due to the cold. Yea!! The thicker skinned Orange and Grapefruit survived much better, but with some damage and reduced yields. Leafy Greens tend to have better cold tolerance, so harvesting is already resumed and while there may be gaps, they are available with good quality. Some sources report 1/3 to 1/2 of all winter Florida crops have been lost. But this is an early report, and conditions can always change quickly where agriculture is concerned, so we will have to wait and see what becomes available.

All this to say, that we will do our best to support our local organic farmers as they clean up and resume their harvesting where available! Prices may go up sharply on some items and our supplier is sourcing from the West and Mexico to fill the gaps. We will work hard in the coming weeks to make your money stretch as far as possible, but please bear with us if your shares seem a little light at times or you notice items from outside the country. Even so, we will continue to choose produce from local and Florida farmers whenever possible. There may also be more fluctuation from our preliminary list to our final list in the coming months while produce inventory recovers. Thank you for "co-op"ing with us!

If you haven't had rutabaga before, let me introduce you! Rutabaga is a wonderful root vegetable, light yellow in color with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. In the store it comes with a thick wax coating, but this will be "rooty" looking with a thin skin to be peeled. It can be diced up and cooked and mashed along with potatoes. It is a fabulous addition to soup. Or you can dice it, steam and toss together with other veggies.

REGULAR SHARE
Cucumbers
Broccoli
Ginger Root
Green Onions
Carrots
Spinach
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Lettuce, 2 heads
Mushrooms (Doral gets Avocados)
Rutabaga
Apples
Pineapple
Grapefruit
Bananas

FRUIT SHARE
Honeydew
Blueberries
Temple Oranges
Pears (Cutler Bay gets Star Fruit)

Preliminary Order for January 8th, 2010

Welcome back!

We hope that you have had a wonderful holiday season and look forward to seeing you in this new year. Please remember to bring your bags and let your host know how much you appreciate what she does to make this possible by asking how you can help. Cooperative effort keeps costs down and is what we are all about. Simple jobs include taking boxes, posting flyers and inviting friends, offering to help with clean up, volunteering to help with distribution/organization, etc. Just ask your host. Coral Gables is in need of an additional host in the weeks to come. Please contact me if interested. Hosts get their produce for free and help with coordinating the group. You would be working with a team of other hosts to share in the responsibilities. It is also optional to host a group in your home. Email me for more information at healthyhabitsproduce.gmail.com.

We will have local tomatoes (sorry, no onions yet!) available for an additional (minimal) cost of $2 for 2 pounds. We do not put these items directly into your bag because they are not organic; however, because of the excellent quality we want to make these available to you. They will be available for purchase in Redlands, Coral Gables and Cutler Bay.

Happy New Year!

Cyndi and Martha

Regular/Mixed Veggies

Avocado

Broccoli

Carrots

Celery

Cucumber

Curly Parsley (FL)

Green Kale (FL)

Yellow Onions

Zucchini

Grape Tomatoes (FL)

Two heads of lettuce

Bananas

Blackberries

Anjou pears

Pineapples

Credit for Redlands and Coral Gables: Portabella mushrooms

Fruit Share

Hamlin oranges (FL) Cutler Bay gets tangelos (FL)

Kent Mangoes

Gala apples (extra bags will be on sale in Cutler Bay for $4.50 each)

Bing Cherries

Special Orders: Please talk to your host if interested.

Check out our new items!!!

NEW!! Organic Coconut Oil - odorless ($14 for 1 liter, $8 for ½ liter)

NEW!! Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed 100% ($12 for 1 pt 0.9 oz)

Certified Organic Eggs (FL) from Free Roaming Hens ($3.50 a dozen)

Raw Local Honey ($20 a half gallon, $7 for pint jar; $2 refund for returned honey jars) Saw Palmetto & Orng Blssm

Smoked Fish dip – no preservatives – choice of salmon and mahi-mahi

($10 a pound) – (Available for sale at Redlands, Cutler Bay, Coral Gables) Limited Supply – Let your host know if you want this so we know how much to send your group.

Please note: This item is handmade so you will notice slight changes each time. We are getting the product that is commercially prepared for the health food stores. (None this week . . . please ask your host if interested)