Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower, separated into flowerets
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:

Cook cauliflower in boiling salted water until tender; drain. Place in a greased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

In saucepan, melt butter; blend in 1/4 cup flour until smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add sliced olives and salt and pepper to taste; pour over cauliflower. Top casserole with shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes.
Cauliflower recipe serves 4 to 6.

southernfood.about.com

Well, here’s the report.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  This has lead to soggy, muddy conditions.  Weeding in the rain, harvesting in the rain, and lots of slopping in the mud.  All of our kids are jealous and think we have the coolest jobs ever playing in the mud and going outside when in rains!

We finally got potatoes planted last week!  About 2 acres worth and more next week.  The tomatoes are looking great and you can expect to see a lot this growing season.  The forecast looks like sun all next week   We will be planting more crops as soon as the fields allow.  Believe it or not it is already time to start transplants for fall crops!  The days have already begun to grow shorter.  Although it doesn’t seem like it to me.

Still trying to get a handle on those weeds.  It’s great growing weather not so great pulling weather.  Our crew is doing an amazing job keeping up considering they are cultivating primarily by hand about 8 acres!

Red and Green Lettuces amongst the weeds!

Ingredients

• ½ head of cabbage chopped
• ½ cup raisins (craisins, golden or regular raisins)
• 2 carrots chopped
• 10-20” garlic scapes finely chopped
• 1 granny smith apple chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

Toss together with bottled poppy seed dressing

or create this dressing by whisking together:

• 1/3-1/2 cup mayo or lite mayo
• 1/3-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp. celery seed
• 2 tsp. sugar

Contributed by CSA Member Jo Griffin

Green Leafy Head Lettuce – Store lettuce heads in an air tight container or plastic bag.

Red Leafy Head Lettuce – Gorgeous salad material!

Cabbage – Try the recipe Cole slaw for people who are bored with regular cole slaw!

Carrots – Crunch ‘em and munch ‘em.

Red Radishes – Juicy with a kick!  Remember to remove the greens before storing in the refrigerator.

Broccoli – Great weather for growing broccoli.  Soak in bowl of salt water to get rid of any stray bugs hiding out.

Cauliflower – Some white some tinged with purple and loaded with flavor.  Add to a stir-fry or vegetable medley.

Garlic Scapes – Love these guys! Add it to anything fried and great seasoning in rice or with tacos.  Can also be chopped and frozen.

Green Scallions – You can also use the green crisp part of the stems like chives!

Dill – Cut up with scissors onto sandwiches and salads!

Tomatoes from the greenhouse – Just a couple saladettes to wet your taste buds.

You might see this little green worm somewhere in your box.  It is good weather for him too!  Just rinse out of vegetables.  Emerging broccoli and cauliflower in a bowl salt water for 10 min. will dislodge these guys.  Just part of the reality of farming with nature!

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, cracked (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 3/4 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely shredded
1 pound broccoli, cut into small florets
2 3/4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

Heat oil in a heavy nonstick pan or wok over medium high heat. Add coriander seeds and almonds. Stir quickly 1 minute, or until the almonds are golden. Add garlic, ginger and broccoli to pan. Stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

Combine next 3 ingredients in a bowl and pour into pan. Toss until broccoli is well coated. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

from www.cdkitchen.com

Here’s a great way to “sneak” some less popular but highly nutritious greens into your families diet!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dry lasagna noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced
8 cups packed greens, well washed and coarsely chopped, any combination (ideas include spinach, chard, broccoli rabe, collards, beet or turnip tops)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 cups organic tomato-based pasta sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil lasagna noodles for 9 minutes, then drain well.

3. While noodles are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add onions. Saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Add garlic, greens, and herbs, and saute, stirring frequently, until greens are slightly wilted and greatly reduced in volume. Set aside.

4. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish. Layer half the noodles on top. Cover with half the greens mixture, then half of the remaining sauce. Place dollops of ricotta on top, using it all, then sprinkle on half of the mozzarella, then half the Parmigiano. Repeat with a layer of noodles, greens, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmigiano.

5. Bake 20 minutes, finishing under the broiler to brown the top, if desired. Let lasagna rest 5 minutes before serving.

from www.care2.com

I know it can be hard to try something new.  So I wanted to give you  some nutritional info. on beet greens to entice you to eat them!

The beets belong to the same family as chard and spinach.  Beet leaves have a bitter taste like chard, but is rich in chlorophyll.  Although bitter, the greens have a higher nutritional value than its roots.

Both beet root and beet greens are very powerful cleansers and builders of the blood.  Betacyanin is the phytochemical in beet that gives it its rich ‘amethyst’ color that significantly reduces homocysteine levels.

Nutritional Benefits

Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.  The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach.  They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.

While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.

Its iron content, though not high, is of the highest and finest quality that makes excellent food that is blood building.  This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our toxic environment and surroundings. www.juicing-for-health.com

for more detailed nutritional information go to www.nutritiondata.com  look up beet greens cooked.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cabbage (about 2-1/2 pounds)
• 1 carrot
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon celery seed

Directions

• In a food processor or by hand, coarsely chop the cabbage and carrot. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and celery seed. Stir into the cabbage mixture. Chill until serving.
• from tasteofhome.com