The Abundant Harvest Organics Winter Update 2014-2015

Seasonal UpdateSeasonal Updatethe Abundant Harvest Organics

winter

WINTER Produce Forecast!

WINTER Produce Forecast!}WINTER Forecast!

}AHO Guide to Cooking with

LEAFY GREENS

The Goodness of Grass-Fed to Finished at the Alexandre EcoDairy

MEET YOUR FARMER

twenty-fiveSeasonalRecipes

The Secret Lives of Root Veggies

4 A Guide to Winter GreensAll you need to know to enjoy the season’s nutrient-rich leafy greens.

10 Winter Produce Forecast!Get a look at what’s on the way!

16 Food For Thought AHO community host and wellness program teacher brings the farm to the classroom.

19 Getting to the Root of the VeggieA history of our favorite underground veggies and answers to frequently asked questions.

26 Good CookingA sneak peak into upcoming prepared foods of the new AHO commercial kitchen.

28 Beware the Bagrada BugThe facts on AHO farmers’ newest pest control challenge.

30 A Winter GatheringKezia Nuesch of The Whole Food Diary shares the makings of a seasonal dinner party.

38 AHO Staff SpotlightMeet Jackie Fairchild, AHO add-on manager.

40 The Goodness in the GrassMeet your grass-fed beef and pastured pork farmers. Rib and pork chop recipes included! *Please note: This story contains raw meat photos and references to

eating meat.

53 Rachel O’s Wintry RecipesAHO blogger and SoCal transplant shares a few warming seasonal favorites.

ON THE COVER Green Topped Veggies for the Win! photo by Jessica Lessard

LEFT: December seasonal produce boxes from Abundant Harvest OrganicsVegetable photo on page 16 by Jessica Lessard, other photography, unless otherwise noted, by Amy Beth Beaver

Abundant Harvest Organics is a 100 percent organic produce delivery service in California. We work with an alliance of California organic family farmers to bring a weekly delivery of fresh certifi ed organic fruits and vegetables to communities across the state. Also available from our farmers are certifi ed organic meats (grass-fed and fi nished beef, free range chicken and turkey, wild-caught Californian and Alaskan seafood, and pastured pork), organic dairy (including butter, raw cheese, raw milk), pastured eggs, nuts, beans, herbs, and other dry goods. This magazine is published for Abundant Harvest subscribers, and we are happy to share it with the rest of the world’s food lovers.

contents

a guide to

winter Greens{ }

4 Seasonal Update WINTER 2014

Brassicas

Goosefoot

Chickories

Veggie Botany Sturdy to Tender Texture Ranking*

1

3

4

12

5

6

7

815

19

10

11

16

17

18

2014

13

Sweeter

Stronger

Get to know your greens! This chart identifies many

(though not all) of the leafy cooking greens you’ll see

in the AHO produce boxes this season. Get to know their flavor, texture, and

uses and ENJOY!

2

9

*Generally, the sturdier the green, the more cook time it requires.

MOST STURDY Collard Greens 11

Lacinato Kale 4Curly Kale 2

Broccoli Greens 12Brussels Sprouts Greens 10

Red Russian Kale 3Radicchio 20

Rapini 7Napa Cabbage 9

Beet Greens 18 Chards 17

Mustard Greens 8Spinach 16

Turnip Greens 15Rutabaga Greens 14

Radish Greens 13Bok Choy 1

Endive 19Arugula 5Mizuna 6

most tender

Vegetable photos 1-18 by Jessica Lessard www.abundantharvestorganics.com 5

Arugula * * * citrus, beets, pears, olives, tomatoes, strong cheeses

Beet Greens * * * * * * * olive oil, vinegars, lemon, cilantro, curry, yogurt

Bok Choy * * * * * * * garlic, ginger, mushrooms, soy sauce, light vinegars, citrus, chiles

Broccoli Greens * * * * * * * garlic, pepper, citrus, tomatoes, onion, cream sauces, walnuts

Brussels Sprouts Greens * * * * * * * lemon, arugula, almonds, olive oil, chili fl akes, garlic

Chard * * * * * * * citrus, shallots, white beans, mushrooms, fennel, basil, tarragon

Collard Greens * * * * * * apple cider vinegar, lemon, bay leaves, bacon, peanuts, ginger

Endive * * * * * * walnuts, capers, parsley, thyme, root veggies, black olives, eggs

Escarole * * * * * * anchovies, chili fl akes, white beans, dates, Asiago cheese

Kale: Curly * * * * * * * fennel, caraway, garlic, ginger, olive oil, lemon

Kale: Lacinato * * * * * * garlic, olive oil, marjoram, tarragon, allspice, leeks, legumes

Kale: Red Russian * * * * * * * olive oil, paprika, eggs, vinegars, savory, nutmeg, basil

Mizuna * * * * apples, citrus, mint, cream sauces, garlic, ginger

Mustard Greens * * * * * * cumin, dill, fennel, cream sauces, aged cheeses, hazelnuts

Napa Cabbage * * * * * * * soy sauce, ginger, mushrooms, eggs, citrus, chiles

Radicchio * * * * * * lentils, celery, capers, lemon, vinegars

Radish Greens * * * * * butter, lemon, olive oil, hard cheeses, pistachios, pine nuts

Rapini * * * * * pastas, sea salt, cream sauce, lemon, garlic

Rutabaga Greens * * * * * sweet potatoes, nutmeg, butter, eggs, cream sauces

Spinach * * * * * * butter, nutmeg, Parmesan, cream, sesame seeds, bacon

Turnip Greens * * * * * ham hocks, rosemary, allspice, mustard, eggs

Raw

Steam

edSautéed

Grilled

Roasted

Juice

d

Partner FlavorsBraised

Raw

Steam

edSautéed

Grilled

Roasted

Juice

d Partner Flavors

Braised

Please don’t let this little chart limit you when it comes to enjoying

your winter greens! Maybe spicy mustard green juice wakes you up

better than coffee does? Or maybe you fi nd a fresh salad of massaged collard greens extremely satisfying?

Well, we’re for you! Go for it!

*ADDITIONALLY:For the most part, any of these greens can be added to soups or stews (the veggie’s sturdiness ranking determines when to add it to the pot), stir-fries, folded into omelets, in specialty pestos, tossed into pasta dishes, or as crunchy baked chips.

The honest rule of thumb is,if you like it, you can do it.


Partner FlavorsThe bigger the fl avor of the green, the bigger the fl avor of the pairings can be. Think strong cheeses, rich nuts, and spicy aromatics.

Fatty cream sauces, bacon drippings, and butter can help mask bitterness.

Acidic liquids like lemon juice or vinegars also help tone down too-strong fl avors. Stir them in toward the end of cooking time.

Blend smaller amounts of stronger tasting greens in raw salads with sweet and mild greens.

Balance the BitternessBitter isn’t bad, you just need to know how to make it work for you.

Knowing the botany of your veggies

can be a big help in the kitchen. Look to the family line for guidance in how to prepare each

veggie and which parts to eat. For instance, Brassicas are usually

best with stems removed where as the Chenopodiums (goosefoot), including

chards and beet greens, have more tender stems. You can of course still eat the stems of kale, collards, mustards, and other Brassicas, but expect them to be tougher and account for extra cooking time.

Baby GreensThe immature leaves of even the sturdiest of greens lend themselves to use in fresh dishes. Limit cook time for baby greens to just a few minutes until wilted.

FUN FACT: Baby bok choy is not an immature plant, but the nickname of a specifi c bok choy variety.

“If you can use your leafy greens as soon

as you get them, you’ll be happier with

them.”

and account for extra cooking time.

FATS

ACID

MIXED

Knowing the botany of your veggies can be a big help in the kitchen. Look to the family line for guidance in how to prepare each

veggie and which parts to eat. For instance, Brassicas are usually

best with stems removed where as the Chenopodiums (goosefoot), including

chards and beet greens, have more tender stems. You can of course still eat the stems of kale, collards, mustards, and other Brassicas, but expect them to be tougher and account for extra cooking time. and account for extra cooking time.

Look for Family Resemblance

Fresher is BetterFreshness makes a world of difference when it comes to the fl avor of winter greens. The fresher they are, the more sugars will be present in the leaves. Even after greens are harvested the plants continue to consume the sugars stored in their cells, and there’s very little sugar in leafy greens to begin with. This is why the taste of fresh greens can come as a surprise to people who have become accustomed to the taste of older greens from the grocery store. ~Vegetable Farmer David Silveira

www.abundantharvestorganics.com 7

Win

ter G

reen

s Rec

ipes

Massaged Salad of Mustard Greens and Red Russian Kale

1 bunch mustard greens1 bunch Red Russian kale1/2 cup Parmesan cheese1/3 cup olive oil1/4 cup lemon juice4 cloves of garlic, minced1-2 tbsp soy saucered pepper fl akes to taste (optional)salt and pepper to taste

Remove the leaves from the stems and tear or cut into bite size pieces. Discard stems or reserve for veggie stock. Place leaves in a large bowl and add all other ingredients. Massage ingredients into greens with your hands until the greens have absorbed the fl avors and are reduced by half in volume.

Arugula Pesto

2 bundles arugula leaves1/2 cup walnuts or 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts4 cloves garlic, crushed1 lemon, zest and juice 1/2 cup Manchego cheese1/2 cup olive oil salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients except olive oil and grated cheese in food processor pulse several times until combined and fi nely chopped. Turn on food processor and slowly pour in olive oil, scraping down the sides as necessary. Stir in grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with roast chicken, pasta, goat cheese pizza, or grilled veggies.

Orecchiette with Rapini

1 bundle rapini3–4 cloves garlic1/4 cup Pecorino Romanoolive oil

Chop both leaves and stalks of a bunch of rapini (also known as broccoli rabe and broccoli raab). Toss with hot, cooked orecchiette pasta, crushed garlic, and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.Allow to saute lightly 3 to 5 minutes. Top with shredded Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with white wine and crusty bread.

Garlicky Bok Choy

1-2 tbsp peanut oil1 head bok choyGarlic, sliced or choppedFresh ginger

Preheat peanut oil in a wok or large pan until rippling. Halve the head of bok choy lengthwise, keeping the stems and leaves intact, and place in the wok with chopped or sliced garlic and fresh ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant; season with salt. Th e amount of garlic and ginger used is a matter of personal preference.

cheese


Orecchiette with Rapini

1 bundle rapini3–4 cloves garlic1/4 cup Pecorino Romanoolive oil

Chop both leaves and stalks of a bunch of rapini (also known as broccoli rabe and broccoli raab). Toss with hot, cooked orecchiette pasta, crushed garlic, and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.Allow to saute lightly 3 to 5 minutes. Top with shredded Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with white wine and crusty bread.

Garlicky Bok Choy

1-2 tbsp peanut oil1 head bok choyGarlic, sliced or choppedFresh ginger

Preheat peanut oil in a wok or large pan until rippling. Halve the head of bok choy lengthwise, keeping the stems and leaves intact, and place in the wok with chopped or sliced garlic and fresh ginger. Stir-fry until fragrant; season with salt. Th e amount of garlic and ginger used is a matter of personal preference.

cheese

Spicy Greens Soup1 bunch of Swiss chard or collard greens 1 tsp caraway seeds1 tsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil1 medium onion, fi nely chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste1 tbsp hot sauce 4 cloves garlic, fi nely chopped6 cups chicken broth 1 lemon, halvedSalt 1/4 cup plain yogurt4 hard boiled eggs, peeled & quartered 2 cups pita chips broken into bite size pieces

Cut chard or collards into 1 inch pieces. Toast caraway seeds and crush. Heat olive oil in a large pot; add the chard and onions, and cook until soft. Add tomato paste, hot sauce, garlic and ground spices. Stir together and add chicken broth and 1 cup water and bring to a rapid simmer for about 10 minutes. Squeeze lemon, add juice and season with salt. Divide soup into bowls. Add eggs, pita chips and a spoonful of yogurt. Drizzle with olive oil.

Braised Collard Greens and Swiss Chard3 tbsp olive oil 8 bacon slices, roughly chopped4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 cups chicken stock1/3 cup cider vinegar 2 tbsp sugar1 bunch collard greens ribs removed 1 bunch Swiss chard ribs removedSalt and pepper

In a large pot heat oil and bacon over high heat until bacon is well browned. Stir in garlic and cook briefl y. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and vinegar. Add sugar and greens and partially cover. Lower heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Kale, Apple and Avocado Super Green SmoothieRecipe by FromHisKitchentoHerPlate.wordpress.com

1 cup of kale, chopped1/2 a ripe avocado, sliced into chunks1/2 a Granny Smith apple3/4 cup of vanilla almond milk2 tbsp of raw honey1/4 cup of ice

Combine kale, apple, and avocado on the bottom of the blender. Drizzle in honey. Pour in milk. Top with ice. Blend and enjoy. Makes one serving.

How to Cook Greens on the Grill

Method 1: Heat up your grill and prepare a grill rack that will keep the greens from falling through. You can use a re-purposed stainless steel colander if needed. Remove stems of brassicas, then toss the greens in a very light coating of olive oil. Place on the grill and allow to sizzle for 3 to 4 minutes, then fl ip the greens to allow to cook on the other side. Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Method 2 (for sturdy greens): Blanch greens for 1 to 2 minutes, then place in ice bath to stop the cooking process. Stack blanched leaves 8 layers high. Place stacks on the grill and al-low to cook about 4 minutes per side of the stack. Remove from heat and slice stacks into ribbons, then place in bowl and serve immediately.

Napa Cabbage Kimchi

2 large heads Napa cabbage1/2 cup salt1/4 cup sweet rice fl our1 apple or pear1/2 cup fi sh sauce1 cup hot pepper fl akes1/2 cup cloves garlic, crushed1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced1/2 cup onion, minced5 stalks green onion1 cup leek1 cup Korean daikon radish1/4 cup carrot

Quarter Napa cabbage and re-move the inner core. Chop leaves and stalks into bite size pieces. Place in large basin or stock pot and cover with water. Add the salt and allow to soak for 1.5 hours, turning the cabbage every half hour for even salt distribu-tion. While the cabbage is soak-ing, slice leeks and green onion into rounds. Cut Korean daikon and carrot into matchsticks. Set veggies aside. Mix sweet rice fl our with 1.5 cups water and bring to a boil, stir until a thick porridge forms, allow to cool. Separately, in a food processor, mix cored apple or pear, fi sh sauce, garlic, ginger, and minced onion. Stir mixture and red pepper fl akes into rice fl our porridge. After 1.5 hours of soaking, drain and rinse the Napa cabbage well. Mix all ingredients until com-bined. Seal kimchi in airtight container. Serve fresh with rice or allow the kimchi to ferment in the fridge for several days and serve when sour.

Photo by Jessica Lessard


Winter Season Produce ForecastWinter Season Produce Forecast2014 - 2015


Winter Season Produce Forecast Produce Forecast2014 - 2015


Apples

Avocados

Blood Oranges

Lemons

Mandarin Oranges

Minneola Tangleos

Navel Oranges

Cilantro

Dill

Garlic Chives

Marjoram

Oregano

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Savory

Sorrel

FruitsEarly Mid-Season Late

Fresh Herbs

Valencia Oranges

Thyme

Bartlett Pears

*Based on produce availablity from the 2011-2013 winter seasons and this year’s projected seasonal variances.

carrots

cauliflower

celery

kohlrabi

Korean Daikon

lettuce

mustard greens

popcorn

pumpkins

sweet potatoes


Navel Oranges

Dill

Late Early Mid-Season Late

VegetablesArtichokesArugula

beets

bok choy

broccoli

broccoli di cicco

Brussels sprouts

cabbage

carrots

cauliflower

celery

chard

collard greens

daikon radish

endive

fennel

green beans green garlic

kale

kohlrabi

Korean Daikon

leeks

lettuce

mache

mizuna

mustard greens

napa cabbage

onions

Parsnips

pea tendrils

peas popcorn

potatoes

pumpkins

radishes

rapini

rutabaga

shallots

Spinach

sweet potatoes

turnips

winter squashes


Broccoli harvest at KMK Organic Farms In Kingsburg, California



Food For Thought

AHO HOST empowers kids to eat healthfull y

(...and how you Can do the same at home)

The third graders in the Glendora Unifi ed School District know a thing

or two about slowing down and enjoying what they’re eating. In fact,

using their fi ve senses to discover apples straight from the farm was a

part of their school work this year, and we at Abundant Harvest are proud to

have taken part in such a delicious piece of education. >>>

Th e students’ lesson in eating healthfully is a part of a program funded by the Glendora

Education Foundation and taught by Christy Jones, a mom, healthy eating advocate, and

AHO community host.

Christy teaches students at fi ve elementary schools how to read nutrition labels, build a

healthy plate, and slow down and think about what they’re putting into their bodies.

“Kids want to be healthy and they want to feel good and if they can get information, if they

get excited about eating healthy, they can begin to create good habits while they’re young, 16 Seasonal Update WINTER 2014

Food For Thought

AHO HOST empowers kids to eat healthfull y

(...and how you Can do the same at home)

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/kids-eat-veggies-article-1.1389579

Christy Jones, a mom, healthy eating advocate, and AHO community host, teaches kindergarten to fourth grade students at fi ve Glendora elementary schools about the power of vegetables, how to read nutrition labels, what a healthy plate looks like, and how to slow down and think about what they’re putting into their bodies. These lessons are part of the Healthy Lifestyles Program, funded by the Glendora Education Foundation.

“Kids want to be healthy and they want to feel good, and if they can get information, if they get excited about eating healthy, they can begin to create good habits while they’re still young, and bring that knowledge back to their families,” Christy said, “I had one parent of a kindergartener tell me that when her daughter realized she hadn’t had enough servings of vegetables that day, she stopped getting ready for bed and said, ‘Oh my gosh Mom, can I have some broccoli?’”

Stories of kids bringing the

lessons home with them are the ultimate reward in Christy’s line of work. And, as the community host for Abundant Harvest Organics in Glendora, Christy was able to connect her students to a farmer with a name and face, taking the concept of eating fresh, whole foods a step closer to the source.

In class, the kids watched a short video clip of AHO apple farmers touring the orchard and got to choose their own apple from those donated by AHO and grown

A study published in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that when children are taught the health benefi ts of vegetables and fruits at a young age, they willingly increase their vegetable and fruit intake.

Classroom photos by Melissa J. Germann

Christy Jones, AHO community host for Glendora, let the kids in her wellness classes for the Glendora Unifi ed School District experience the taste of an apple straight from the farm in a recent lesson.


Even though Christy Jones thinks that most people who know her are probably sick and tired of hearing her say “eat more vegetables,” we here at AHO say, bring it on!

Shoot for 5 servings of veggies a day. Keep in mind that a serving for a small child is the amount of vegetables that fi ts in the palm of his or her hand, less than that of an an older child or an adult.

Raw veggies can be dipped in dressings, hummus, and guacamole or nut butters.

If you’re making a smoothie, add a veggie like spinach, kale, carrots, cucumber, squash, or avocado.

Eat a veggie with every snack and every meal, including breakfast! A simple way to add vegetables at breakfast is to serve sliced cucumbers, grape tomatoes, or snap peas to a regular breakfast or try adding some broccoli, spinach, or fresh salsa to scrambled eggs.

Be brave. Try and re-try new veggies. Studies show it can take up to ten exposures to a new food before it gains acceptance.

Practice mindful eating with your kids straight from your AHO Produce BoxHow to

straight from your AHO Produce Box with your kids

straight from your AHO Produce BoxLet your child help you unpack your produce box and try to identify all the items. You can check the visual guide under the Storage Tips menu button on the Abundant Harvest Kitchen blog if you need help identifying something tricky. Explain that we need many types of foods to get our bodies the nutrients we need to stay healthy.

Let your child choose their favorite item and check the newsletter to see who the farmer for that item is, then head over to our Meet Your Farmer page on the AHO website to see pictures and video of the farm. Ask your child to close his or her eyes and imagine what it would be like to be on the farm. Ask them to describe what they imagine.

Take a few minutes to ask your child sensing questions regarding the produce. What does the food feel like on the outside? What does it smell like? Does it make a sound when you squeeze it or rub it between your fi ngers?

Finally, let your child take a bite of the item. Ask: What does the bite of food feel like in your mouth? What does it taste like? Does it remind you of any other food? Does it have a different smell now that you’ve taken a bite?

Get out the crayons and paper and ask your child to draw a picture or write the farmer a letter. Kids can draw themselves with food they chose or what they imagine the farm where the food was grown is like. (Remember, farmers’ love feedback! Their contact info is included on the back of the newsletter each week! Or email [email protected] for help delivering messages.)

12345

by organic farmer Augustine Cardenas.“Not a lot of these kids have been on an apple farm.

They are used to getting their apples from the grocery store, so it was important to me that they have the chance to visualize the farm and understand that connection. I wanted to be able to give them apples sent straight from the farmer.”

Apples in hand, Christy lead the kids through a mindful eating exercise in which they used all their senses to experience the apple. They then shared their observations. Taking the time to breathe deeply and think about the characteristics of food, Christy says, signals to your body that it’s ok to be in rest mode. And when the body is in rest mode, the digestive system is free to do what it does best.

“They loved it, eating the apples was the favorite part of the lesson,” Christy said, “Several kids even said it was the best apple they’d ever had.”

Christy’s Tips for Eating

MORE Veggiesfor kids and picky grown-ups

Illustrations from Lessons from the Vegetable World, published 1857

The miraculous thing is that humans fi gured out the counterintuitive truth about wild root veggies: it was the root, in most cases, not the greens that was edible and safe to eat (many wild root greens were lethal if eaten). Root vegetables, which include a variety of produce categories including: true roots (beets, rutabagas, turnips, carrots, radishes, parsnips), modifi ed plant stems (taro, turmeric, ginseng, ginger, yam, potato, jerusalem artichoke) and even bulbs (onions, garlic, shallots), share a common history. They can be found in most cultures and cuisines dating back thousands of years.

The turnip is a perfect example of this. While its botanical origins are somewhat uncertain, early references to turnips in the Mediterranean indicate this root veggie was a popular favorite even

among the Greeks and Romans. Written records of turnips appear in the fi rst century in the works of the Roman philosopher and encyclopedist Pliny who referred to them as rapa or napus, both words that have come down to us in modern words for the vegetable. For example, rapa is the modern Italian word for turnip, and neep derived from the Anglo-Saxon term, nepe or naep is another common slang term you might still hear in Britain today. Next time fi nd yourself in a restaurant in UK and feel tempted to order “tatties and neeps,” don’t be surprised when they serve you a dish containing potatoes (tatties) and turnips (neeps).

Believe it or not, turnips were so popular among the Romans, legend has it they not only preferred them to carrots, they even valued them

oot vegetables have (forgive the obvious pun)…deep roots. Mankind has been eating them since before recorded history. There is a pretty simple explanation for this: root veggies grow underground and the soil serves as a fabulous natural cellar to protect against the

elements. If you are not ready to eat your potatoes or your parsnips you can leave them in the dirt and dig them up when you need them. You can hide them from other potential foragers. They are easy to regrow and suffering through a freeze often gives them their full fl avor—converting starch into sugar.

*Illustrations originally printed in the children’s book, Lessons from the Vegetable World, published by Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas, 1857


more than gold. It’s likely this motivated the Roman introduction of the vegetable to Britain and France. The turnip later become the staple of the medieval diet until the introduction of the potato into Europe from the Americans in the sixteenth century, an exchange that also brought the turnip to the Americas.

The beauty of root vegetables is that they are a historical reminder of the common practice of seasonal eating. A person living through the medieval period would not consume root vegetables in the summer any more so than they would consume fresh strawberries in the winter. Additionally, commonplace was an association that foods eaten out of season were not good for the soul. If root vegetables were eaten in April they were certain to unbalance the humors.

In modern history root vegetables have not enjoyed the same level of popularity. It could be thanks to their gradual association as the “poor man’s food.” To make matter worse, historical events have given root veggies a bad rap. You rarely hear of another vegetable being tied to a great historical tragedy, [read] the famous Irish Potato Famine of the nineteenth century.

Nevertheless, American history is especially intertwined with root vegetables. Some of the earliest immigrants to America brought with them roots to plant. The English brought along carrots, turnips, and parsnips, the Germans brought beets. These vegetables, able to retain their vitamins when stored properly, could mean the difference between sustenance and starvation during a harsh winter. And lest we forget, the Irish Potato Famine would never have been possible if Spanish explorers to the Americas

hadn’t starting bringing the tubers back to Europe with them on their ships in the sixteenth century.

Despite their nutritional value and ability to withstand the elements, root vegetables are often the stuff of childhood trauma, and to some are an acquired taste. Their common tentacled, alien-like appearance doesn’t help matters much. Have you seen a celeriac? It looks like something straight out of Star Wars. Notwithstanding, root vegetables have made a distinct comeback recently, particularly within foodie communities and among CSA subscribers who encounter them regularly in their farm boxes. So, with that in mind I thought it might be fun to get to the bottom of a few common questions regarding these storied veggies. >>>

“Commonplace was an association that foods eaten out of season were not good for the soul. If root vegetables were eaten in April

they were certain to unbalance the humors.”


Aren’t parsnips simply just white carrots? While they may resemble a carrot and are part of the same family (Apiaceae), parsnips are an entirely different vegetable. They have long been a staple food in American diets as early as the seventeenth centurycentury when they were brought over from Europe. Parsnips are loved for their sweet flavor and their higher levels of vitamin C, fiber, and potassium and as well as for their medicinal properties.

What’s the difference between a sweet potato and a yam? The first interesting thing to know is that a sweet potato isn’t really a potato. Unlike a traditional potato, a sweet potato is actually a storage root vegetable, not the result of an enlarged stem (i.e. a potato which is technically a tuber). Sweet potatoes are higher in protein than most root veggies, and in some places even the greens of the plant are eaten. On the other hand, we have yams, which are actually more like a potato in that they are also tubers. Yams are starchier than sweet potatoes and not sweet. While their origins are greatly disputed (perhaps Asia, or Africa, or both) it is believed that the yam was independently cultivated in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Yams are grown in tropical climates where the weather is warm and rainy.

How come my organic heirloom carrots are purple? I thought carrots were supposed to be orange... The comedian Demetri Martin isn’t far off when he joked, “I think they named oranges before they named carrots. ‘What are these?’ ‘Those are orange: oranges.’ ‘What about these?’ Oh no. Long pointies? We’ll go by shape now?” Oranges in fact existed well before the English word for the color, and the color of the earliest cultivated carrots was not orange, but rather purple, yellow, or white. So why are carrots most commonly orange today? In the seventeenth century century the Dutch, who were great carrot farmers, began to develop orange carrots in honor of their royal family, known as the House of Orange. These orange carrots, high in beta-carotene and tasty, became widely popular. The array of colored heirloom varieties that occasionally appear in your AHO boxes come from older heirloom varieties of carrots that more closely resemble their carrot ancestors.

Why do we eat the root and not the leaf of some veggies, and both the roots and the leaves of others?While some wild species of modern veggies had greens that were poisonous, it is likely that the greens that top your beets, radishes, carrots and other roots are just as healthy and edible as the roots to which they are attached. In some cases people simply toss the greens as a matter of tradition. You are not likely to see sweet potatoes with their green tops attached at the grocery store, but they are slowly starting to become part

of the foodie greens culture via CSA boxes and farmers’ markets.

Is a peanut a root vegetable? Yes, sort of. The first growing phase of the peanut takes place above ground, but the part that eventually forms into the peanut we eat is grown underground. Hence, its

other name: groundnut. 22 Seasonal Update WINTER 2014

Horticulture: Jardin potager et jardin fruitier (1870)

Root veggies have been a staple in American cuisine for centuries. Check out this recipe for Parsnip Fritters from Elizabeth M. Halls work, Practical American Cookery and Domestic Economy, published in San Francisco in 1860.

“Boil four or five parsnips; when tender, take off the skin and mash them fine, add to them a teaspoon

full of wheat flour and a beaten egg ; put a tablespoon full of lard or beef

dripping in a frying pan over the fire, add to it a saltspoon full of salt; when boiling hot, put in the parsnips, make it in small cakes with a spoon; when one side is a delicate brown, turn the other; when both are done, take them on a dish, put a very little of the fat in which they were fried over, and serve hot. These resemble very nearly the

taste of the salsify or oyster plant, and will generally be preferred.”

This recipe for Vivanda di Rape (Turnip Dish) was published in Italy in 1662 in Bartolomeo Stafani’s cookbook, L’arte del ben cucinare ed instruire i meno periti in questa lodevole professione: dove anche s’insegna a far pasticci, sapori, salse, gelatine, torte, ed altro.

Translated from the Italian by our very own Jessica Lessard:

“Take large turnips baked under the coals, peel off their skins and cut them into cubes. Meanwhile in a pan, melt butter, into this you will throw a helping of salt, ground

cloves, and crushed pepper. Return the pan to the fire and with a

sleight of hand fold the turnips into these ingredients, and when the turnips have taken up the flavor of the butter, and

cooked to your best judgment, place them in a glazed pot, add to it a spike of citron zest [cedro- a variety of citrus tree], mixing in

six ounces for every two pounds of turnips, adding also a glass of cream, then return

the pot to the slow fire over the coals. Serve hot, adorning the rim of the plate with Piacentinu cheese [a Sicilian semi-

hard cheese made with saffron and peppercorns] and ground cinnamon, and when you have to serve this dish to people

of great importance, you serve it with a portion of Genovese pasta, sliced into

delicate strips.”

Looking for a modern parsnip recipe? Give this Parsnip Muffins recipe from Carol Peterson a try:

2 ½ cups flour 1 cup sugar1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup raisins (optional)3 eggs ½ cup oil½ cup milk2 cups unpeeled, shredded parsnips (can use part carrots)½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding the wet ingredients to the combined dry ingredients. Pour batter into muffin tins lined with paper muffin tin liners or spray with cooking oil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy warm or cooled.

Historical Root Veggie RecipesVintage horticultural drawings, cerca 1870



Introducing Alyse Douglas, the newest member of the Abundant Harvest Team. This experienced chef and baker has cut her teeth in a variety of different kitchens throughout California, most recently the Bella Rose Bakery right here in Kingsburg, CA. Alyse will be heading the new Abundant Harvest Kitchen set to launch this winter. In anticipation of this long held dream fi nally coming to fruition, Alyse shared with us a piece of her famous apple pie, and told us a bit about how she got her start, her passion for organic food, and what drew her to collaborating with Abundant Harvest.

When did you first become interestedin cooking?My fascination for food started when I was a little girl, I loved watching my mother cook and bake. She always knew how to make the perfect meals and extra special desserts and I thought it was magic. I watched and learned and that led to me beginning my own specialty baking business at the age of 16. After graduating high school I was blessed with the opportunity to nanny for three families that had a parent battling cancer and going through chemo treatment. This forced me to study every aspect of food, from seeds in the ground to the table at home. Understanding food, how it is used by the body, and how every person has different food requirements for health is a powerful thing.

Good Cooking Getting Prepped for Prepared Foods in the New AHO KitchenGetting Prepped for Prepared Foods in the New AHO KitchenGetting Prepped for Prepared Foods in the New AHO Kitchen

ingGetting Prepped for Prepared Foods in the New AHO Kitchen



ing

Left: Alyse Douglas, Head Chef at the AHO KitchenPrevious: Alyse’s famous apple pie.



Good Cooking How has cooking changed your personal outlook on health?Cooking for these families led me to discover organic food and set me on the road to reaching my goal of losing over 100 pounds. I am a firm believer in organic foods and I have witnessed firsthand how it can change your body and energize the soul. I am excited to be given the opportunity to join with Abundant Harvest Organics and take my passion for organic food to the next level.

What dish are you most excited to offer subscribers?I’m personally most excited to offer our organic apple pie! It’s made from a 30 year old recipe that has resulted in countless smiles and happy tummies. I love that it comes par-baked so subscribers get to take part in the cooking process. The bonus: filling your home with the smells and aromas of the holidays. I don’t think it gets any better than that.

Can you give us a kitchen secret that will make our lives easier?The secret to any successful kitchen is organization. Whether you’re cooking a quick meal for your family before rushing off to soccer practice or preparing Christmas super for your extended family, organization is the key. Being organized and prepared is a huge component in organic cooking because in the absence of stabilizers, your window of freshness is almost cut in half. Take those extra few minutes before your week starts to plan your menu and prepare for whatever might be thrown your way. Have those backups for when things get “out of system,” as I call it. Organization applies to more than just your menu

but also to your kitchen itself. Find a place for every utensil, appliance, and product. You’ll spend more time diving into your recipes and being creative when your mind, menu, and kitchen are organized. Always remember that cooking is an art, not a chore.

What is your biggest challenge with creating organic dishes?Staying seasonal. All you have is what’s in season and that’s it. This forces you at times to be creative with recipes. I see that as a motivation to think outside the box. You’ll never know what you can create until you allow yourself to have some fun with it.

What’s your favorite winter dish?Fresh squash soup with homemade herb croutons. When rainy days come, I seize the opportunity to have a soup day. I’m a sucker for any preparation of squash, but you just can’t beat the feeling that a creamy squash soup gives —Warms the tummy and the heart. You can never go wrong with adding homemade croutons. Just cube your bread and spread it out on a sheet pan, add a dash of quality olive oil and get creative with your seasoning. Salt and pepper, fresh garlic, rosemary and thyme, the possibilities are endless and it takes no time at all to create them. What a way to impress guests too!

Anything else subscribers should know about Abundant Harvest Kitchen products?Yes! Our food will always be prepared in the freshest and purest way possible with AHO subscribers in mind. My goal is to take away the stress that comes from the idea one has to cook in order to eat healthy. With the convenience of our prepared food, subscribers can still eat healthy and spend more time doing what they love.

Photos by Jessica Lessard


Bagrada Bug Stinks Its Way through CaliforniaPest Wanted: The Bagrada Bug (aka the Painted Bug)

Appearance: Adults are 5-7mm long with a black shield shaped exoskeleton and distinct white and orange spots. Beware, this pest is a trickster from a young age, looking strikingly similar to a red ladybug in its early growth stages (1).

Crime: Infesting crops in the Brassica family (cabbage, kale, turnip, cauliflower, mustard, broccoli, kohlrabi, and radish) and occasionally enjoying its fill of other precious crops like potato, corn, sorghum, cotton, and some legumes. The bug literally “sucks” the life out of the plants by sucking out the sap. This creates major problems in the development of plants, such as no head growth or split heads on broccoli and cauliflower (3- 4), and visible leaf damage (2), making plants completely inedible and unmarketable. These sneaky pests can also detect the presence of seeds in the ground and plants emerge already being damage.

Background: This wanted pest arrived in Los Angeles county in 2008 and over the last seven years has appeared all the way north to Yolo county destroying crops easily in its wake. It’s a difficult target for organic farmer for many reasons. Not only do the females like to lay their eggs in the soil, they flourish in warm climates, and they reproduce quickly. Their tough exoskeletons have made them easily resistant to pesticides (both organic and conventional options). Recent data collected by the UC Cooperative Extension trials of organic pesticides on arugula and mizuna (published in Nov. 2014) showed some promise in combating the bug, but more importantly revealed some non-pesticide related techniques to aid in the landscape management of the bugs. Scientists observed that farmers with infested crops will need to be vigilant about things such as removing host weed plants (such as brassica weeds) that attract the bugs, and avoiding planting brassica crops back-to-back, among other practices.

The jury is still out however on how these pests will be effectively managed. If you spot this wanted pest in your neighborhood be sure to contact your local UC Cooperative extension office.

These photos of Bagrada bug damage were taken at Silveira Farms and KMK Farms. This is the first year your AHO farmers have had to confront this pest. 1) Young Bagrada bugs overtaking a Napa cabbage leaf. 2) Napa cabbage heads after a few weeks of Bagrada bug influence. 3) Broccoli plant damaged at the growth point, unable to form a head. 4) Kolhrabi plant with numerous shoots due to Bagrada bug damage at the growth point.

q

w

3

4



www.TheWholeFoodDiary.com

http://leahmariphotography.blogspot.com/

a winter

Gatheringthe makings of a seasonal dinner party

One of my favorite ways to spend an evening is around a cozy kitchen table with delicious plates of food, enjoying endless hours of eating and conversation with the people I love. To come up with the menu for a winter dinner party with friends, I sat with a cup of coffee and poured over the list of wonderful winter fruits and veggies that we can look forward to in our Abundant Harvest boxes this season. Winter brings us a plethora. Sometimes those gorgeous ingredients inspire a twist on a much

Recipes and text by AHO Subscriber Kezia Nuesch of The Whole Food DiaryPhotos by Leah Valenzuela of Leah Märi Photography


Lemon Spinach Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing

Whisk together the lemon juice, crushed garlic, honey, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined. Then pour in the olive oil slowly as you continue to whisk well. It’s a simple as that! Pour about 1/3 cup dressing over the spinach leaves and toss to coat all the leaves lightly. Top the dressed leaves with blanched green beans and hazelnuts, and drizzle over a little more vinaigrette. This way the salad is evenly dressed, but still pretty with all the components visible to your guests.

Salad6 cups spinach1/3 cup whole hazelnuts1 1/2 cups blanched green beans in 1” pieces1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing 1/4 cup lemon juice1 garlic clove, crushedS and P1-2 tbsp Dijon mustard1 tbsp honey1/2 cup evoo

loved classic and sometimes they give rise to something completely new. Either way, nothing beats a table full of dishes inspired by what is currently growing and being harvested in our local area.

Winter bring us an abundance of gorgeous citrus so I based my main meat dish and my salad there. Oranges first, using the juice to marinate chicken and then roasting them alongside the flavor-filled chicken with sprigs of rosemary and sage. The fresh tang of lemons was perfect to dress seasonal greens in a simple salad with blanched green beans. Beets are a favorite of mine and I love the color they bring, so I used them in a steamed beet quinoa salad with vibrant red quinoa and in-season walnuts. Sage featured again in a roast carrot dish made wonderfully sweet with a drizzle of raw local honey.

For dessert I went back to the earliest of my seasonal ways with a simple skillet cobbler, served piping hot with a homemade vanilla coconut milk ice cream beside it. We finished up the night by piling local organic coffee and dark chocolate onto the manzanita and pinecone clad table, and enjoyed second rounds of cobbler, cups of Scout coffee and exquisite fair trade organic chocolate from Dick Taylor. To enable everyone to indulge regardless of dietary restrictions, I kept the whole menu free from gluten and refined sugar with easy dairy and grain free options too.

ee


8 bone in chicken breastsJuice and zest of 2 oranges2 more oranges, cut into wedges4 cloves garlic, crushed2 tbsp fresh rosemary1/4 cup olive oil2 tbsp honeyS and P

Orange and Rosemary Roast ChickenWhisk together the orange juice, honey, salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil, and pour over the chicken breasts. Toss them until the are all covered then cover and leave to marinade overnight.

To roast the chicken preheat the oven to 400°. Place the breasts skin side up in a

baking dish and pour over the marinade. Place the orange wedges in between them along with the rosemary sprigs and sage leaves. Place the dish in the oven and roast on 400° for 45 minutes or until the juices from the meat run clear.

Serve with the juices spooned over the meat.


Sage and Honey Roast Carrots

A very simple and delicious dish. Leaving

1 to 2 inches on the carrot top for decor

cut the carrots in two, lengthways. Place in a

roasting pan and toss in the oil and honey,

salt, and pepper. Arrange the sage leaves on top and pop in the over to roast for 40 to 45 minutes alongside

the chicken. The carrots are ready

when they’re can be easily speared with a fork but still have a

little crunch.

2 cups red quinoaGood stock to cook with2/3 cup walnuts3 yellow and 3 red beets, steamed, peeled, and quarteredCrushed garlic cloves3 cups arugulaWhite balsamic vinegarS and P

Cook the quinoa in 3 cups of good quality stock by bringing both the stock and quinoa to a boil then turning down to a simmer and gently cooking for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed into the quinoa.

While that is cooking cut all but 1 inch of the leaves off the beets and cut the beets into quarters. (Cooking the yellow and red beets separately will stop the color bleeding and keep the salad vibrant.) Cover and steam beet quarters for about 10 to15 minutes until a fork can be inserted easily, then run under cold water and take off the skin, which should now peel off fairly easily. Once the beets are peeled but still separated into red and yellow, toss them in a little white balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and black pepper and leave to cool.

When the quinoa and the beets have fully cooled, toss them together with the quinoa, walnuts and arugula, then finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a touch more black pepper and salt on top.

Vibrant Beet and Quinoa Salad

3 tbsp olive oil3 tbsp honey

Generous dose of salt and pepper

3 cloves crushed garlic10-12 large carrots

8 sage leaves, cut lengthways with 2” stem



Mix together ingredients for the fruit layer and spread into a 10” skillet or equivalent pan.

In a food processor, pulse everything except the oats together until combined. Add in half the oats continuing to pulse until they are evenly distributed through, but not completely ground down. Then add in the second half and just pulse a few times. You want some almost whole oats left in there. Then get your hands in and spread the crumble mixture over the fruit layer. You can refrigerate it at this point if you want to cook the cobbler later in the day, or cook it right away. Either way, preheat the oven to 350° and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbling and browning on top.

Apple and Pear Skillet Cobbler

For the fruit layer5 apples, sliced5 ripe pears, sliced3 tbsp almond meal1 shot of ameretto (optional but recommended!)1 tbsp cinnamon1 tbsp lemon juice1/3 cup local honey

For the crumble topping1.5 cups almond meal2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp ground ginger1 tsp vanilla10 big juicy (or soaked) datesPinch good salt3 tbsp coconut oil2 cups oats (gluten free if you need)



AHO Staff Spotlight

Jackie Fairchild, AHO Add-On Manager

Whether surrounded by a fortress of ice chests or moving busily about in the add-on cold room, Jackie and her team are working every day of the week preparing or packing the add-ons ordered by AHO subscribers across the state. Jackie’s been managing add-ons for Abundant Harvest since the early days, and as AHO has grown, so has the importance of her job. Thank you Jackie for all your hard work!

Years on the job: 7

Temperature of the add-on room: 37°

Favorite Add-On: Lady bugs!

“I love the lady bugs, I just think they are so cute.”

What Does the Perfect Day at Work Look Like?“We fi nish on time, and get all the orders right. And there’s

a tour. I love the tours, I like meeting the people. You see their names on the list week after week and I like getting

to meet them and see who they are.”

Clockwise from top left: Jackie welcomes an AHO

subscriber tour group to the add-on area.

Every spring AHO off ers Jackie’s favorite add-on, live

lady bugs for organic pest control in the garden.

Abundant Harvest delivers to over 90 delivery sites each

week. Jackie and her crew pack the meat, dairy, eggs,

dry goods, and extra fruit and veggies for each city. It takes a

lot of attention to detail.

Ice chests everywhere! Jackie poses with her team, mother

and son Caleb and Robin Fink.

The crew at work in the refrigerated add-on room.

Left: A few of the hundreds of add-ons available seasonally

over the course of a year.


goodnessthe

in theGrass

oodness

Grass

Stand in the grass pastures of Blake and Stephanie Alexandre’s family farm on a sunny day—just a stone’s throw from redwood forests and the otherworldly landscapes that set the scenes for � lm classics like E.T. and Star Wars—and it won’t take long to realize that this is not your average dairy farm.

LIFE AT ALEXANDRE ECODAIRYBlake and Stephanie Alexandre (pictured above) are both fourth generation dairy farmers. They produce organic grass-fed milk, organic grass-fed and fi nished beef, organic pastured eggs, and organic pastured pork at their Crecent City farm, the Alexandre EcoDairy.

Passion, Place,and Why Small Scale Family Farmers Do Grass-Fed and Finished Best

In the distance, a pasture over, the cows share their grazing grounds with a resident herd of Roosevelt elk that

occasionally emerge from the redwoods along the western border of the farm. Th e hum of what sounds like a nearby highway is actually the sound of the Pacifi c Ocean, just a mile away. Below your feet, a lush carpet of cool season grasses are thriving. It’s heaven for a cow.

In the air, hundreds of species of birds are darting in and out of the fi elds, including the formerly endangered Alutian goose (the Alexandres’ conserva-tion eff orts played a large roll in liberating that species from the endangered list). Bird songs accompany the sounds of cows tearing the pasture grass as they eat, rip, rip, rip —it’s the heartbeat of the Alexandre family’s most central

farming practice: year round grazing on green grass rooted in well cared for soil.

“I really love the soils and growing healthy, healthy crops, which is in our world, grass. It looks simple and easy,

but it takes a lot to keep the pastures healthy and productive and growing, especially organically,” Blake said, explaining that as the farming world tipped toward agribusiness over the last few decades, the culture in agriculture went missing. He continued, “We’re here to put the culture back in agri-culture. And the culture for us, as organic farmers, is the soil, and paying attention to the soil.”

Th ough Blake’s family has been grass-based in their farming practices for four generations, the emphasis on investing in the soil came as a result of the farm’s transition to organic production in the

“Th e nutrition that comes out of our grass—that goodness that

comes out—you can see it in the dark, deep, rich

color of our butter and eggs, so it’s

literally nutrition that you can see

and taste.”~B. Alexandre


nineties. Their research into organic farming’s best practices also lead Blake and Stephanie to take hold of a deeper purpose in their farming.

“We would go to these farming conferences and they would have doctors who were making a differ-ence in people’s lives through nutrition as the keynote speakers. And that’s when it really hit our hearts—not only how much we love what we do—but we really found the purpose in our farming,” Stephanie said. “We recognized that we have something special, that we can produce some of the greatest food in the world right here at home with our cool season grasses and the gifts that God gave us.”

Place, passion, and family are included in that list of gifts, and all served to propel the Alexandres to put more energy into making their organic grass beef and pastured pork available on a wider scale.

While milk is the Alexandres’ main business and has been for four generations (they are members

of the Organic Valley co-op), as Blake and Stephanie’s oldest kids are beginning to graduate college and coming back to the farm, they’re bringing with them the energy and momentum to expand the fledgling beef and pork businesses. And there’s plenty of grass to go around.

“Our animals truly are eating more grass than anyone else’s animals in the country and it’s because of our setting here in this environment,” Blake said, “I do believe that we have better grazing than anybody in the country.”

In the wider world of agri-culture, grass-based organic production remains the road less traveled. It’s not easy. The efficiencies conventional agricul-ture hinges upon are lost to the careful management and inter-active attention that being a successful grass farmer requires.

Additionally, grass-fed and finished and pastured meats are more expensive to produce and the markets for sale aren’t as consis-tent or accessible as they are for conventionally produced products. But, the relational demand of the pastures and animals on an organic grass-based farm is

The Alexandres’ pastured heritage

hog operation began 8 years ago

as their daughter Vanessa’s FFA

project. They’ve continued it on a

small scale for their local Del Norte

area customers ever since and

can’t keep up with the demand.

The animals they raise are a cross

between two heritage breeds, the

Tamworth and Berkshire. The slow

growth of these breeds, their milk

rich diet, and the farmers’ humane

treatment sets these pigs apart.

The breeding males and females,

mothers and babies, and adolescent

hogs each live in a separate location

on the farm. The mothers give birth

in fields of tall grass and stay with

their babies for several months. The

hogs are finished on a diet of organic

grains soaked in organic milk.

Unlike cows, hogs are imperfect graz-

ers. And while the Alexandre hogs are

always free-range outside on pasture,

it doesn’t take long to wear those

beautiful grasses down to dirt, where

the pigs continue to dig for grubs or

wallow in the mud.

GRASSKeeping the fields fixed up is the real work

at the Alexandres’ farm. As an investment

into soil health, each year they apply a

self-made compost tea comprised of local

fishery waste, their own nutrient rich cattle

manure, and wood shavings from their

animals’ bedding.

“The special thing about our farm is really the green grass. We have a growing season that lasts twelve months out of the year, which is really unique.

We’re right up here on the northern edge of California

on the coast in this little microclimate that just is

perfect for cows and grass.”~B. Alexandre

HERITAGE HOGS

well-suited for family farmers. “We’re passionate about what

we do, and we recognize how important it is, producing nutrient dense food, and we’re hoping that we can make a difference with the food that we produce,” Stephanie said. “It’s nice that the family farm can still have this niche.”

The long term vision is to hold the door to a life in agriculture open for their kids.

“We hope our kids can have the joy that we had of raising a family on a farm,” Stephanie said, “I think all of our kids like that concept.”

The five Alexandre kids have been involved in the work of the farm since they were young. They started a pastured egg business when they were still in junior high and elementary school a decade ago. It has continued to grow and be successful; you may have even recently seen their eggs in Cosco or Whole Foods under the Alexandre Kids label.

The kids have also been involved in the devel-opment of both the beef and pork operations. Joseph Alexandre, now 23, created a business plan for selling grass-fed steers as his senior thesis at Cal Poly, and Vanessa Alexandre, now 21, began the pastured heritage hog operation as her 8th grade FFA project.

Though production of beef and pork at the Alexandre EcoDiary has been realtively small since those humble beginnings, the new partnership with Abundant Harvest Organics makes 2014 the first year that the Alexandres are making their meats available outside of a few North Coast co-ops and their own farm store. It’s an offering from California’s best grazing land to the nutritionally-minded among us.

“The nutrition that comes out of our grass—that goodness that comes out—you can see it in the dark, deep, rich color of our butter and eggs. So it’s literally nutrition that you can see and taste, and you’re going to find it in any of the grass-fed foods we produce here.” Blake concluded.

THE ALEXANDRE FAMILY

Blake, Stephanie, and their kids Dalton, Vanessa, Christian, Savanna, and Joseph Alexandre of the Alexandre EcoDairy.

100 PERCENT GRASS-FED AND FINISHEDThe steers the Alexandres sent to Abundant Harvest Organics earlier this year came from this field. The Alexandres raise dual purpose heritage breeds of

cattle, good for both milking and beef. The beef cattle are on pasture one hundred percent of the time, and because of the year round grass crop, the beef

brought to market in December is going to be consistent with the beef brought to market in June, which is different than most grass operations.

“We hope our kids can have

the joy that we had of raising a family on a

farm.”~S. Alexandre

photo courtesy of the Alexandre Family


“It’s really unique and special meat. The fat, it’s almost like butter. It’s unique enough that the butchers over in Yreka

said, ‘I can see you finished these on milk’.”

~B. Alexandre

photo by Jessica Lessard44 Seasonal Update WINTER 2014



Previous page and left: Alexandre Farms organic pastured pork chops. Above: Alexandre Farm’s organic, grass-fed and fi nished rib roast. Right: Alexandre Farms organic grass-fed and fi nished ground beef.

Well, our cows out here on the grass, this is wild. This is the way they’ve been forever. Where the change happened was in the industrial practices, bringing cows to feed lots, bringing the feed to them. Well, we have always dairied like this and we have always raised our beef cattle like this— on grass—and so the fat is going to be a healthy fat. It agrees with your body, your body knows what to do with it. You don’t get the infl amatory negative responses, you get nutrition your body recgonizes, and, even with our pork too, that fat just tastes good, it melts in your mouth. It agrees with you and that resonates with me with excellent health.”~S. Alexandre

“NOWADAYS DOCTORS ARE TELLING PEOPLE TO GO MORE TOWARD GRASS-FED AND FINISHED PRODUCTS OR TO EAT WILD CAUGHT.

photos pages 46 & 47 by Jessica Lessard


photo by Jessica Lessard


fromhiskitchentoherplate.wordpress.com

Slice rib roast between the ribs to divide into two portions. Add gelatin to water in a pot/dutch oven on the stovetop. Let sit for fi ve minutes. Preheat oven to 300°. Heat gelatin on medium heat for about three minutes. Stir in sherry, soy sauce, grenadine, Worcestershire sauce, Sriracha, molasses, hoisin sauce, fi ve spice powder, and red pepper fl akes. Add garlic cloves, ginger, anise seed pods, and green onions to mortar and pestle and smash well. Add this mixture to the dutch oven. Add rib roast to dutch oven and baste with the liquid in the pot to cover the top of the meat. Cover dutch oven with aluminum foil tightly and then cover with lid. Cook for one hour and fi fteen minutes in oven at 300°. Flip meat and baste. Cook for additional hour and fi fteen minutes. Carefully remove meat, strain sauce, press out all juices. Transfer the sauce to a fat separator, and strain fat from sauce. Remove meat and set aside. Wipe out dutch oven pot and transfer sauce back into it. Cook sauce over medium heat until it thickens. In a separate bowl, wisk cornstarch with 1 tbps of cold water. After sauce has thickened for about 20 minutes, reduce heat to low and add cornstarch mixture. Cook for additional minute stirring constantly. Increase oven temp to 425°.In a baking dish/pyrex, add half of reduced sauce to the bottom of the dish and then add in meat to the dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the meat and place in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. During the last two minutes of cooking, sprinkle beef with sesame seeds. Remove meat from oven, let sit for fi ve minutes, then garnish with cilantro and green onions and serve with rice and vegetable sides.

Ginger Glazed Rib RoastRecipe by Chad of From His Kitchen to Her Plate

1 medium rib roast (2-2.5lbs) – Serves 21.5 tbsp gelatin2.5 cups water½ cup cooking sherry1 tsp Worcestershire sauce1/3 cup soy sauce1/2 tbps Sriracha hot sauce2 tbsp grenadine½ tbsp molasses2 tbsp hoisin sauce3 anise pods, crushed4 white bottoms of greens onions, crushed2.5 inch piece of ginger, crushed1 tsp red pepper fl akes4 large cloves of garlic, crushed2 tsp of fi ve spice powder1 tsp cornstarch1 tbsp waterSesame seeds to garnishCilantro and green onions to garnish

Dutch oven/large stovetop potMortar and pestleBaking dishFat separator

Ingr

edie

nts

Tool

s Nee

ded

Dir

ectio

ns

Page 48-49 recipes by




Lightly salt pork chops on both sides. Add all sauce ingredients into a pan on stovetop, bring to a simmer, stirring frequently for about five minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup of sauce to serve with the chops. Remove remaining sauce from heat and coat pork chops in sauce. Prep a charcoal grill for indirect heat cooking. When coals are ready, on opposite side of charcoal add an aluminum baking pan with water in it to slow the cooking. Then add in applewood chips. Replace cover and let grill pre-heat for five minutes or until wood chips start to smoke. Add chops to cool side of the grill. Cook chops for 10 minutes on one side, flip, baste with more sauce, and cook further until meat registers 120 degrees. Baste chops again. Brown over the hot part of the grill, about 2 minutes each side. Remove from heat and serve with your favorite home-style sides.

Applewood Smoked Pork ChopsRecipe by Chad of From His Kitchen to Her Plate

2 medium bone-in pork chops – serves 2

For sauce:1/3 cup BBQ sauce1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce1 tbsp ginger preserve1/2 tsp ground mustard seed1/4 tsp salt1/8 tsp ground cumin seed1 tbsp apple cider vinegar1 large pressed garlic clove1 tbsp pressed yellow onion1/4 cup apple cider/juice (non-alcoholic)1 pkg of applewood chips (found a your local hardware store)

Ingr

edie

nts

Dir

ectio

ns

photos pages 50 and 51 by Jessica Lessard


What do you do when you get something in your AHO box you’ve never seen or

tried before?

Be sure to follow us online @

Facebook.com/AHOrganics

Check the Newsletter

Google It!

Roast it or Add it

to my morning

Smoothie

Check PinterestFor Recipes

WE asked YOU Answered

on Facebook


Recipes for aWarmWinter from achel OR

Our very own Rachel Oberg, AHO food blogger and winter-loving Canadian turned LA County local,

is entering into her fourteenth warm(ish) winter here in the states, and her seventh winter eating from the AHO produce box. (She and her husband Tim were some of our original subscribers.)

It’s true that Rachel misses the changing seasons, but on the bright side of a Southern California winter, a tomato plant (grown from AHO heirloom tomato seeds) is still producing fruit in her garden...in December...which is admittedly nice. And, hey, over the last few weeks night temperatures have been dipping into the upper 50s! Th at’s reason enough to feel giddy, is it not? It’s at least cool enough to offi cially welcome soup season and the time for warming wintry recipes.

“I make soup all year round, but in the fall and winter, it’s my favorite. A big bowl of warm, comforting soup on a chilly night just hits the spot. Doesn’t even matter what kind. And every once in a while it will get cold enough that the windows get kinda steamed up when I’m cooking (which reminds me of the cold winter nights growing up), so I can pretend that it’s really winter,” Rachel said.

Find six of her wintertime classics, for cold weather, warm(ish) weather, and anytime in between on the next page.

Find more recipes from Rachel at www.De-Ma-Cuisine.com and the AHO Kitchen Blog

“Since this is as cold as it’s gonna get, it’s defi nitely

my favorite season.”

~RO

Rachel remembers cold Canadian winters: During Canadian winters, I love looking out the window and seeing the world covered by a blanket of snow. I love to stand outside, when the snow is up to my knees, and there are huge snowbanks from the last time the streets were plowed. It’s quiet. Peaceful. Beautiful. � e air smells cold.

� ere are no footprints, apart from my solitary set. � e snow seems to mute the sound, so all that can be heard is the wind blowing through the sleeping tree branches. � e world is still, except for the huge snow� akes drifting to the earth. And then I’d fall backwards and just lay there, in the snow, silent, looking up at the � akes as they fall, blinking as they land on my eyelashes. It’s one of the more peaceful, lonely, happy, comforting memories I can conjure up.

I’d lay there until I got cold. Or maybe until someone else came outside, their winter boots crunching in the fresh snow. If it’s not too cold, and the snow is wetter, someone might throw a snowball. We’d build forts and mazes, we’d walk over to the elementary school and toboggan down the hill. We’d run up the hill so we could slide back down, and end up pink cheeked and warm, with frosty noses.

If it’s too cold for packing snow, we’d make snow angels, and watch our breath turn into white vapor and � oat away. At Christmastime the whole family tromps through the forest in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Sliding down hills, shaking the snow o� sleepy pines so it lands on someone’s head. Laughing, shouting, playing.

� en we get to come inside to get warm.

Photo by Rachel Oberg

www.abundantharvestkitchen.com

Phot

o by

Joan

na W

ater

fall

of W

ater

fall

Crea

tive


Twice Baked PoTaToes

2 large potatoes, halved lengthwise1 bell pepper, diced1 C broccoli (about 1 head), chopped or diced1 carrot, grated1 onion, diced2 cloves roasted garlic (or 1 t garlic powder, or both!)3 T plus 1 t olive oil½ t smoked paprika½ t sweet paprika¾ t salt¼ t pepper½ t onion powder½ t chili powder¼ C Greek yogurt10 cherry tomatoes, chopped (or 5 cherry and 1 small regular tomato)¾ C cheese, grated

Pre-heat oven to 350F. Brush cut side of potatoes with 1 t olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes (or until a fork can be easily inserted into potato).In last 10 minutes of potatoes’ baking time, heat a skillet; add 1 T olive oil. Once it’s hot, add veggies (all but tomatoes) and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.Remove potatoes from oven. Cut around edge, leaving a ¼” wall, and scrape out the middle

into a bowl (be careful not to pierce the skin). Add veggie mixture, seasonings, yogurt, tomatoes, ½ C cheese, 2 T oil. Mash together. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Fill skins with potato mixture. Top with remaining cheese and return to oven and bake 10 minutes (or until cheese is melted).

winTer FriTaTTa

1-2 T olive oil½ onion, chopped1 C broccoli, roughly chopped¼ to ½ C radish, grated6 mushrooms, roughly chopped1-2 C potatoes, cooked* and cubed 1 stalk green garlic, chopped1 stalk spring onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, dicedto taste saltto taste pepper¼ t red pepper flakes1 t fresh parsley¼ t dried thyme1 T balsamic vinegar1 tomato, chopped2-3 C spinach, roughly chopped (or kale, chard, collards, mustard greens)6 eggs½ C almond milkfresh basil, chiffonade-style, for topping

Pre-heat oven to 375F.Heat an ovenproof skillet. When it’s hot, add oil. (*If starting with raw potatoes cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, until they are fork tender, then proceed with next steps.) When oil is hot add onion through mushrooms and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.Add potatoes through thyme and cook for 5

minutes, stirring occasionally.Add vinegar, tomato, and greens and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.Whisk eggs and milk together with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour eggs into skillet and stir. Cook for a minute or two, stir again, and cook for about 5 minutes more, or until eggs are beginning to set. Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until eggs are set and have come to an internal temperature of 160F. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Serve topped with basil.

roasTed winTer VegeTaBle souP

1 head garlic, top sliced off1 winter squash, quartered1 sweet potato, quartered1 onion (or 3-4 shallots), quartered2 carrots (or parsnips)1 watermelon radish, quartered (or ¼ Korean daikon, or 3-4 red radishes), 1 rutabaga, peeled, if desired, cut in 6 pieces (or 1 large turnip or potato)2 T olive oil, divided2 T butterto taste saltpinch pepperpinch cayennepinch nutmegpinch ginger5 C vegetable stock1 C milk1 t maple syrupcroutons, for toppingParmesan cheese, for toppinglemon wedges, for serving

Pre-heat oven to 350F.Drizzle garlic with 1 t olive oil and wrap in foil. Toss remaining veggies with 2 t olive oil. Place on two baking sheets and roast (flipping once partway through), for 60-75 minutes (radish, garlic, yams, onion, and rutabaga may take the lesser amount of time). Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Scrape squash pulp from skin, squeeze garlic from skin.Heat soup pot. Add butter and brown (watch it so it doesn’t burn). Add veggies to browned butter, along with olive oil, and seasonings. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Phot

os p

ages

54

and

55 b

y Ra

chel

Obe

rg


Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes. Turn heat off, add milk, and maple syrup. Blend with hand blender (or in a regular blender – be sure to remove the plug from the lid and cover with a clean towel) until smooth. Add more water or stock if it’s too thick. Taste, adjust seasoning if desired.Serve topped with croutons (cubed bread, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, baked at 350F for 10-15 minutes), parmesan cheese, and a squeeze of lemon.

snaP Pea PasTa

4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbledrotini (or penne) pastareduced balsamic vinegar (start with ½ C and reduce down)2 T olive oil1 spring onion, choppedto taste saltto taste pepper2 cloves garlic, chopped1 tomato, choppedjuice and zest from ½ lemon1 T maple syruppinch cayenne½ to 1 C pasta water2-3 C sugar snap peas, strings removed1 C Parmesan cheese, divided (3/4 C and ¼ C)2 T almonds, chopped (If bacon isn’t cooked, cook and chop now.)Cook pasta (reserving ½ to 1 C water before draining).Reduce vinegar in a small saucepan: Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened and syrupy (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn).Heat pan, add oil. Add onion, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute.Add tomato, lemon zest and juice, maple syr-up, cayenne, and pasta water. Cook to reduce liquid, 5 minutes (or more).Add snap peas. Cook 2-3 minutes.Toss pasta with sauce and ¾ C Parmesan cheese.Serve topped with bacon, Parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar.

TurniP and PoTaTo graTin

4 medium potatoes, halved2 medium turnips, halved4-5 small (or 1-2 large) carrots, wholeWater, for steaming2 T olive oil2 T all purpose flour1½ C milk (almond, cows, a mixture, or any other kind that you enjoy)1 T honeyto taste saltto taste pepper½ t dried thyme¾ C Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ C reserved)lemon wedges, for serving

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.Place the veggies in a steamer basket in a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam for 20-25 minutes, or until they are par-cooked. Let cool slightly, then thinly slice.Heat a medium sized pot or skillet over medium or medium-low heat. When it’s hot, add oil, then whisk in flour. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds. A bit at a time, whisk in milk, letting it thicken a bit between each addition. Stir in honey, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and let it thicken for a few minutes.Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.Place a layer of veggies into a greased 8x8 ovenproof dish. Spoon a bit of the cheese sauce over the layer. Repeat until all veggies

and sauce are gone. Top with the reserved cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Browned BuTTer and Broccoli souP

2 T unsalted butter1½ T olive oil4 C broccoli, roughly chopped in small pieces1 small onion, chopped1 medium carrot, chopped½ C Korean daikon radish (optional)1-2 cloves garlic, minced¼ T red pepper flakes1 t salt, or to taste¼ t pepper1 T balsamic vinegar, divided (½ T, ½ T)½ t Dijon mustard1 T all purpose flour mixed with ¼ C cold water2 C vegetable stock (or water)2 C milk2 T heavy cream1½ C cheese, grated (cheddar, smoked Gouda, Parmesan, Gruyère) In a soup pot, add butter and let it brown (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn - sometimes I partially cover it so it doesn’t splatter too much).Once the butter has browned, add olive oil, let it get hot, then add all veggies (except garlic) and seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stir-ring occasionally, for about 14 minutes, or until veggies are fairly tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.Add ½ T balsamic vinegar and cook for about 30 seconds. Add mustard and stir in. Add water/stock and water-flour mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until veggies are to desired tenderness and soup is thickened slightly, about 20-30 minutes.


Cows basking in the sunset light at the Alexandre EcoDairy in Crescent City, California

The Abundant Harvest Organics Winter Update 2014-2015

Documents

radish greens

rutabaga greens

turnip greens

broccoli greens

mustard greens

sturdy collard greens

winter produce forecast

winter forecast