By Rebecca Tofte, Development Director
This recipe is a great way to use those wonderful, locally-grown potatoes from the farmers market. I make it at least once a week year round! Pair it with pork tenderloin or steaks on the grill.
You may want to line your sheet pan with parchment or foil -- this recipe does a number on the pan because of the high roasting temperature.
Mustard Roasted Potatoes
2 yellow onions, sliced
one tray of red potatoes from farmers market
2 tbsp. stone ground mustard
olive oil (enough to coat potatoes)
salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes in half if small or in quarters if larger.
3. Mix all ingredients together on sheet pan (just use your clean hands -- it's easier!).
4. Roast for 25-30 minutes and test for doneness with a fork. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Weekly Recipe #75: Curried Beets and Carrots with Coconut Milk
By Jeanne Foels, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
This week's recipe features one of the sweetest of all vegetables: the beet. In addition to being rich in natural sweetness, these deeply colored orbs are full of heart-healthy fiber, iron, potassium and folic acid. Plus, the pigment that gives them their color, betacyanin, is a powerful antioxidant. The pigment also has been used as a natural hair dye for centuries.
This recipe pairs roasted beets with chopped veggies and Indian spices for a healthy summer dish with lots of flavor.
Note: To roast the beets, trim off the top and bottom root and rub with oil. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until tender (about 45 minutes), when a fork pierces them easily. Let the bundles cool, unwrap them and slide the skins off.
Curried Beets and Carrots with Coconut Milk
Adapted from Edible Twin Cities
(Makes about 3 servings)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
2 tbsp. curry paste
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
4 carrots, julienned
4-6 roasted beets, julienned (approximately 2 cups)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
1. Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, without letting it brown.
2. Add curry paste and peppers and saute for several more minutes.
3. Add beets and carrots and saute until carrots are crisply tender.
4. Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Garnish with basil and peanuts. Serve on rice or with naan.
This week's recipe features one of the sweetest of all vegetables: the beet. In addition to being rich in natural sweetness, these deeply colored orbs are full of heart-healthy fiber, iron, potassium and folic acid. Plus, the pigment that gives them their color, betacyanin, is a powerful antioxidant. The pigment also has been used as a natural hair dye for centuries.
This recipe pairs roasted beets with chopped veggies and Indian spices for a healthy summer dish with lots of flavor.
Note: To roast the beets, trim off the top and bottom root and rub with oil. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until tender (about 45 minutes), when a fork pierces them easily. Let the bundles cool, unwrap them and slide the skins off.
Curried Beets and Carrots with Coconut Milk
Adapted from Edible Twin Cities
(Makes about 3 servings)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
2 tbsp. curry paste
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
4 carrots, julienned
4-6 roasted beets, julienned (approximately 2 cups)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped
1. Saute onion in olive oil. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, without letting it brown.
2. Add curry paste and peppers and saute for several more minutes.
3. Add beets and carrots and saute until carrots are crisply tender.
4. Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Garnish with basil and peanuts. Serve on rice or with naan.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Second Half of the Season
By Ben Penner, Open Farms Director
July brings hot weather, harvests and the seemingly endless thirst of plants and soil. The midpoint in the summer ushers in the second half of the season. With the frenzy of spring planting and early harvests complete, we’re working on the second round -- cooler weather crops that we'll harvest in September and October.
In the coming weeks, we’ll plant another round of spinach, arugula, lettuce, kale, cabbage and other brassicas, letting them take advantage of the long days of sunlight to get maximum growth before the (hopefully) cooler days of late summer and fall kick in. Since we’ve been experimenting with season extension techniques, we’ll also continue planting crops in preparation for low tunnels and hopefully a harvest late into the fall.
Fortunately, for the last few days we’ve seen cooler temperatures and some rain. Although the bulk of the moisture missed Open Farms, we’re still enjoying some more reasonable working conditions. There is still a lot of work to do, so if you have some extra time please join us at the farm for the second half. Check out our open farm shifts>>
July brings hot weather, harvests and the seemingly endless thirst of plants and soil. The midpoint in the summer ushers in the second half of the season. With the frenzy of spring planting and early harvests complete, we’re working on the second round -- cooler weather crops that we'll harvest in September and October.
In the coming weeks, we’ll plant another round of spinach, arugula, lettuce, kale, cabbage and other brassicas, letting them take advantage of the long days of sunlight to get maximum growth before the (hopefully) cooler days of late summer and fall kick in. Since we’ve been experimenting with season extension techniques, we’ll also continue planting crops in preparation for low tunnels and hopefully a harvest late into the fall.
Fortunately, for the last few days we’ve seen cooler temperatures and some rain. Although the bulk of the moisture missed Open Farms, we’re still enjoying some more reasonable working conditions. There is still a lot of work to do, so if you have some extra time please join us at the farm for the second half. Check out our open farm shifts>>
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Weekly Recipe #74: Mango Ginger Sorbet
By Jeanne Foels, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
To help you cool off this week, here's a refreshing sorbet featuring one of my favorite fruits. Don't be scared off by the lack of cream or egg -- the mango's smooth texture makes this treat rich and creamy.
Note: When you're adding the sugar, remember that the mixture will taste less sweet once it's frozen, so add a little more after the mixture tastes just right.
Mango Ginger Sorbet
Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman
(Makes about 3 cups)
4 cups ripe mango, peeled and pitted
1 tbsp. ginger root, peeled and chopped finely
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1 cup superfine sugar, or to taste
1. Puree the mango in a blender with the ginger, lemon juice and most of the sugar. Taste and add more lemon juice or sugar if necessary.
2. Strain the puree, stirring and pressing the mixture through a strainer with a rubber spatula to leave any fibers behind; be sure to get all the puree from the underside of the strainer.
3. Refrigerate until cool, then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
4. Enjoy!
To help you cool off this week, here's a refreshing sorbet featuring one of my favorite fruits. Don't be scared off by the lack of cream or egg -- the mango's smooth texture makes this treat rich and creamy.
Note: When you're adding the sugar, remember that the mixture will taste less sweet once it's frozen, so add a little more after the mixture tastes just right.
Mango Ginger Sorbet
Adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman
(Makes about 3 cups)
4 cups ripe mango, peeled and pitted
1 tbsp. ginger root, peeled and chopped finely
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1 cup superfine sugar, or to taste
1. Puree the mango in a blender with the ginger, lemon juice and most of the sugar. Taste and add more lemon juice or sugar if necessary.
2. Strain the puree, stirring and pressing the mixture through a strainer with a rubber spatula to leave any fibers behind; be sure to get all the puree from the underside of the strainer.
3. Refrigerate until cool, then churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
4. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Weekly Recipe #73: Lemon Quinoa with Corn, Scallions and Mint
By Jeanne Foels, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator
If you've cooked before with quinoa, that grain-but-not-a-grain, you've probably treated it like rice: throw it in a pot with some water and cook until the water absorbs. This works just fine most of the time, but once in a while something goes a bit amiss and the quinoa ends up a bit mushy, and its lovely nutty flavor gets muted.
I recently came across an innovative way to cook quinoa that protects it from that soggy fate, a technique that involves both boiling and steaming. This approach keeps the seeds from clumping together, giving you fluffy quinoa full of texture and flavor. Give it a try with the following recipe.
Note: If you can't find fresh-picked sweet corn, you may want to boil or grill the corn a bit first.
Lemon Quinoa with Corn, Scallions and Mint
Adapted from Sweet Amandine
(Makes 8 servings)
4 ears sweet corn (preferably fresh-picked), shucked
2 cups (about 10 oz.) quinoa
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, from two lemons
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. melted butter, or 3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove any bitter coating.
2. Bring a 4- to 5- quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa and cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes, until just slightly tender, like al dente pasta.
3. Drain the quinoa in a sieve, then set the sieve over an inch of simmering water in the same pot. Make sure that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the sieve. Cover the quinoa with a folded kitchen towel and cover the whole thing with a lid (don't worry if the lid doesn't fit tightly). Steam until the quinoa is tender, fluffy, and dry, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let stand, still covered, for another 3-5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, butter or oil, honey, salt and pepper.
6. Cut the corn off of the cobs with a large, heavy knife.
7. Gently fold the quinoa into the dressing with a rubber spatula, then fold in the corn, scallions, mint and basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve at any temperature.
If you've cooked before with quinoa, that grain-but-not-a-grain, you've probably treated it like rice: throw it in a pot with some water and cook until the water absorbs. This works just fine most of the time, but once in a while something goes a bit amiss and the quinoa ends up a bit mushy, and its lovely nutty flavor gets muted.
I recently came across an innovative way to cook quinoa that protects it from that soggy fate, a technique that involves both boiling and steaming. This approach keeps the seeds from clumping together, giving you fluffy quinoa full of texture and flavor. Give it a try with the following recipe.
Note: If you can't find fresh-picked sweet corn, you may want to boil or grill the corn a bit first.
Lemon Quinoa with Corn, Scallions and Mint
Adapted from Sweet Amandine
(Makes 8 servings)
4 ears sweet corn (preferably fresh-picked), shucked
2 cups (about 10 oz.) quinoa
1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, from two lemons
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. melted butter, or 3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly to remove any bitter coating.
2. Bring a 4- to 5- quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa and cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes, until just slightly tender, like al dente pasta.
3. Drain the quinoa in a sieve, then set the sieve over an inch of simmering water in the same pot. Make sure that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the sieve. Cover the quinoa with a folded kitchen towel and cover the whole thing with a lid (don't worry if the lid doesn't fit tightly). Steam until the quinoa is tender, fluffy, and dry, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let stand, still covered, for another 3-5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, butter or oil, honey, salt and pepper.
6. Cut the corn off of the cobs with a large, heavy knife.
7. Gently fold the quinoa into the dressing with a rubber spatula, then fold in the corn, scallions, mint and basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve at any temperature.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Irrigation at Open Farms
By Ben Penner, Farm Director
When hot weather hits, it is critical that plants in the garden (not to mention the people working in the garden!) get enough timely moisture to grow properly for an abundant harvest. At Open Farms we irrigate using two different systems: drip irrigation (preferred) and sprinkler irrigation (when necessary).
Sprinkler irrigation has the benefit of covering a wide area quickly, but some water never gets to the plant because the water is lofted high in the air with some of it evaporating before it gets to the soil. Additional water is lost because it covers the entire area rather than precisely down the row. We primarily use our sprinklers on crops where it would be hard to irrigate each and every row (lettuce mix, for example).
Drip irrigation takes some time and expertise to install, but once it is installed it puts the water exactly where the plants need it. We use “T-Tape,” also known as “Drip Tape,” which is flexible oval-shaped plastic tubing with slits cut every 12”. When connected to a water source it emits ½ gallon of water every minute per 100’ of tape. If that sounds just a bit technical, well, it is, but basically it gets the water out there, and that is what a farmer or gardener wants.
When hot weather hits, it is critical that plants in the garden (not to mention the people working in the garden!) get enough timely moisture to grow properly for an abundant harvest. At Open Farms we irrigate using two different systems: drip irrigation (preferred) and sprinkler irrigation (when necessary).
Sprinkler irrigation has the benefit of covering a wide area quickly, but some water never gets to the plant because the water is lofted high in the air with some of it evaporating before it gets to the soil. Additional water is lost because it covers the entire area rather than precisely down the row. We primarily use our sprinklers on crops where it would be hard to irrigate each and every row (lettuce mix, for example).
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Hunger in Minnesota: Expanding the Reach of SNAP
By Gwen Hill MS, RD, LD
I recently read an update from Hunger-Free Minnesota’s 3-year campaign, which aims to close the hunger gap in Minnesota by 2014 with the help of many corporate and non-profit community partners. One of their action plans aims to sign more people up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and this plan has achieved spectacular results already. It was launched in Feb 2012, specifically targeting seniors and newly unemployed people.
What is SNAP?
SNAP is a federally funded program, formerly known as food stamps. It aims to alleviate hunger and improve nutrition by increasing the food purchasing power of low-income households, enabling them to obtain a more nutritious diet by preparing food at home.
The vast majority of those eligible for SNAP are not the homeless; rather they are people who simply do not have enough money to meet all financial strains they are responsible for. They are low-wage workers, children, senior citizens, people with disabilities or the recently unemployed. New changes in the eligibility requirements have increased the number of people who can benefit from this program.
Food insecurity in Minnesota
According to Hunger-Free Minnesota’s research, 1 in 10 Minnesotans miss an average of 10 meals per month due to food insecurity, equaling about 100 million missing meals per year. This equates to $1.2 billion or more in health care and education costs. About 40% of the hungry in Minnesota are children.
According to Hunger-Free Minnesota, our state has the means to provide the missing meals and they hope to minimize all missing meals by the year 2014.
Expanding the reach of SNAP
Advocacy for SNAP is taking place through various organizations, such as Hunger-Free Minnesota and Hunger Solutions. These organizations are strategically targeting eligible people via flyers, posters, courtesy calls, radio ads, web marketing and more.
In June 2009, there were 17,970 enrolled out of 78,000 eligible people aged 65 and older, and participation rates had remained flat for the 19 years prior. The outreach led by these organizations in the past year has increased calls made to the Minnesota Food HelpLine by 200%, showing that their marketing strategy is working!
Open Arms reaches out to seniors
Open Arms is proud to say that we have been working in partnership with Metro Meals on Wheels to reach out to area seniors to increase their usage of SNAP.
Research shows that 88,000 seniors live below the poverty line and less than half of them access SNAP. They often think they don’t qualify or they don’t want the stigma of being on “food stamps.” This outreach will help these seniors increase their food budget so they can maintain a more fulfilling, less worrisome life.
Get involved
If you are interested in learning more about how you can combat hunger in our state, check out Hunger Solutions or Hunger-Free Minnesota. Hunger Solutions of Minnesota is hosting a Food Access Summit in Duluth on August 21-23 for those working to increase access to healthy food for low-income Minnesotans.
I recently read an update from Hunger-Free Minnesota’s 3-year campaign, which aims to close the hunger gap in Minnesota by 2014 with the help of many corporate and non-profit community partners. One of their action plans aims to sign more people up for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and this plan has achieved spectacular results already. It was launched in Feb 2012, specifically targeting seniors and newly unemployed people.
What is SNAP?
SNAP is a federally funded program, formerly known as food stamps. It aims to alleviate hunger and improve nutrition by increasing the food purchasing power of low-income households, enabling them to obtain a more nutritious diet by preparing food at home.
The vast majority of those eligible for SNAP are not the homeless; rather they are people who simply do not have enough money to meet all financial strains they are responsible for. They are low-wage workers, children, senior citizens, people with disabilities or the recently unemployed. New changes in the eligibility requirements have increased the number of people who can benefit from this program.
Food insecurity in Minnesota
According to Hunger-Free Minnesota’s research, 1 in 10 Minnesotans miss an average of 10 meals per month due to food insecurity, equaling about 100 million missing meals per year. This equates to $1.2 billion or more in health care and education costs. About 40% of the hungry in Minnesota are children.
According to Hunger-Free Minnesota, our state has the means to provide the missing meals and they hope to minimize all missing meals by the year 2014.
Expanding the reach of SNAP
Advocacy for SNAP is taking place through various organizations, such as Hunger-Free Minnesota and Hunger Solutions. These organizations are strategically targeting eligible people via flyers, posters, courtesy calls, radio ads, web marketing and more.
In June 2009, there were 17,970 enrolled out of 78,000 eligible people aged 65 and older, and participation rates had remained flat for the 19 years prior. The outreach led by these organizations in the past year has increased calls made to the Minnesota Food HelpLine by 200%, showing that their marketing strategy is working!
Open Arms reaches out to seniors
Open Arms is proud to say that we have been working in partnership with Metro Meals on Wheels to reach out to area seniors to increase their usage of SNAP.
Research shows that 88,000 seniors live below the poverty line and less than half of them access SNAP. They often think they don’t qualify or they don’t want the stigma of being on “food stamps.” This outreach will help these seniors increase their food budget so they can maintain a more fulfilling, less worrisome life.
Get involved
If you are interested in learning more about how you can combat hunger in our state, check out Hunger Solutions or Hunger-Free Minnesota. Hunger Solutions of Minnesota is hosting a Food Access Summit in Duluth on August 21-23 for those working to increase access to healthy food for low-income Minnesotans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
