Standard Box

Corn, 2
Bunched Beets, 1 bu
Spinach, 1 bu
Carrots, 2 lbs
Cornmeal, med grind, 1 pt
Fava Beans, fresh, 1.25 lbs
Green Cabbage, 1 hd
Leeks, 2
Crispy Pears, 1.5 lbs
Italian Parsley, 1 bu
Yellow Potatoes, 2 lbs

Small Box

Corn, 2
Bunched Beets, 1 bu
Spinach, 1 bu
Garlic, .5 lb
Collard Greens, 1 bu
Cauliflower, 1 hd
Apples, 1.5 lbs

Collard Greens

Collards are a member of the cabbage family, but with a lighter taste. Romans and Greeks attributed great therapeutic powers to collards to the point where Julius Caesar ate a plateful after a heavy banquet to ward off indigestion.

Low in calories, collard leaves contain lots of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber that help control LDL cholesterol levels and protect against hemorrhoids, constipation, and colon cancer. They are rich in phytonutrients with potent anti-cancer properties and are an excellent source of folates, vitamins C, A, K and the vital B-complex group, plus anti-oxidants that boost the body’s autoimmune system. The leaves and stems are also high in minerals like iron, calcium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc.

Collards are hardy growers and can withstand hot summers and will grow well into the winter.

Green Timbale

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, finely shopped
1 lb. collard greens, stems and leaves chopped separately
¼ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup grated Jarlsberg cheese
5 eggs, lightly beaten

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until transparent. Stir in the collards and cook, covered, until tender, about 3 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and remove the cover. Cook tossing constantly, until all the liquid has evaporated. Cool in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt the remaining butter and add it, plus all the remaining ingredients to the greens mixture. Mix well and pour into a buttered soufflé dish. Place the dish in a roasting pan and pour boiling water in the pan to half the depth of the dish. Bake until a knife comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove the dish from the pan and let stand 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and carefully invert onto a shallow serving platter.

Fresh Fava Beans

One of the largest beans and certainly the richest in flavor, favas are a real harbinger of summer. People all over the world enjoy their rich taste and generous nutrition. Called “broad beans” in Great Britain, they are high in fiber and iron, and low in sodium and fat. They have no cholesterol but so much protein, they were called the “meat of the poor” in Dicken’s day.

Sauté them with peas and morels, or with shrimp and thyme for a delicious and elegant summer supper. If the beans are young, the whole bean can be chopped up and used, pods and all. Otherwise shuck them to your preference. They have a green pod and a white-ish skin around the bean itself, that some people like to eat, and others prefer to discard. (See below) Shucking them can be a bit of work, but we think the flavor is definitely worth it.

Toss them into soups, stir-fries or pasta. Roast favas with garlic, olive oil and salt to taste, or use them raw, whole or chopped into salads. Puree favas for an alternative green base to pizza or pasta. Boil and mash them, and spread the paste on crostini.

Shucking favas

• First, remove the beans from the pods by splitting the pod at the seam and removing the beans. There are about 4 to 5 beans per pod.
• To remove the second skin, there are two different methods. The first is to make a small slit with a knife along the edge of the bean to pop the bean out of its skin.
• The alternate, and more popular, method is to blanch them for 30 seconds. Remove the beans from the boiling water and submerge them in ice cold water to stop the cooking process. This step softens the second skin, making it easier to remove.
• With your fingers, squeeze the bean out from its skin.
• Now, you can use the beans as directed in any recipe of your choice.

Standard Box

Juice Carrots, 3 lb
Red Chard, 1 bu
Collard Greens, 1 bu
Rainbow Carrots, 1 bu
Nectarines, 3 lb
Corn, 2
Broccoli, 2 lb
Mixed Herbs, 1 bu
Apples, 1.5 lb
Green Onions, 1 bu
Cauliflower, 2 lb

Small Box

Juice Carrots, 3 lb
Green Kale, 1 bu
Rolled Oats, 2 lb
Nectarines, 3 lb
Purple Potatoes, 2 lb
Red Chard, 1 bu

Juice Carrots

Juice is a super way to get lots of nutrients into your body FAST. You are, in essence, separating the water portion of a fruit or veggie from the pulp portion, and just consuming the liquid, along with a concentration of the vitamins and minerals. There are those who promote vegetable juice as the main way people should get their nutrients, but then you are not eating the good fiber that veggies and fruit also provide. We recommend juicing as an addition to your healthy diet, and to give you a real boost of energy when you need one.

If you don’t have a juicer, you can run fruits and veggies through a food processor, than strain the resulting slurry through a mesh strainer. A little more work, perhaps, but then again, juicers can be expensive and they take up room on your kitchen counter. On the other hand, Farmer Nash wouldn’t dream of not having a juicer, especially as the weather changes from summer to fall and into winter, and he needs that additional vitamin boost as he works outside.

Carrots are a terrific base ingredient for any juice, but if you are diabetic, be careful adding items like apples, beets and carrots to your juice. Yes, they make the juice more palatable, but they have a high sugar content. You can juice almost any vegetable, including cabbage, kale, collards, parsley, turnips, kohlrabi, etc. Most people find the rich earthy flavor of those veggies too much to drink, but if you want to try them, you can cut the earthiness by adding half a lemon.

One important tip: Drink your juice FRESH. It starts to oxidize almost immediately and lose precious vitamins and minerals. Try to drink it within 10 minutes of preparation for maximum nutrition.

Carrot-Apple-Ginger Juice

Besides being delicious, this juice is also incredibly healthy with vitamins A, K and beta carotene from the carrots, vitamin C and polyphenols from the apples, and anti-inflammatory benefits from the ginger. Carrots are also high in B complex vitamins like folate and many minerals including calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron. Juice together 3 carrots, one medium apple and about 1 inch of peeled ginger.
Enjoy!

Purple Potatoes

Purple potatoes are an invaluable staple in South American kitchens. Native to the Lake Titicaca region of Peru and Bolivia, they are among thousands of varieties that have been cultivated for nearly 8,000 years in the Andes. Their diversity, resistance to disease, and ability to withstand harsh conditions has enabled them to evolve into a 21st century food crop.

The purple potato can be utilized in any cuisine that would otherwise use potatoes. Purple potatoes can be roasted, braised, boiled, baked, and fried for chips. They pair well with savory herbs, garlic, pork, poultry, artichokes, both rich and mild cheese, other starchy vegetables such as corn and shelled beans and, of course, salad greens.

Purple Potato Gratin

1 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 lbs. purple potatoes, unpeeled and sliced thinly
1 cup sliced shallots
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

To make the gratin sauce, place the butter into a small pan and melt. Add flour and stir to combine, cooking over medium heat for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese; when melted remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sauté the shallots in the olive oil until slightly brown and caramelized. Remove from the pan. Add bacon and cook until cooked through but not crispy (it will get crispy later). Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces.

Grease a shallow baking dish. Add half of the sliced potatoes to the dish. Sprinkle the shallots over the potato layer. Add the remaining potato slices to the dish. Pour the gratin sauce over the top of the potatoes, spooning into any visible cracks and crevices. Top with Parmesan cheese. Add the bacon over the top. Place into a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.

Standard Box

Field Peas, 2 lbs
Potatoes, 2.5 lbs
Cantaloupe from Tonnemaker Farm, Yakima Valley, 2
Leeks, 2
Parsley, 1 bu
Cucumber
Lettuce, 1 hd
Poblano Peppers, 1 lb from Alvarez Farm, Yakima
Heirloom Tomatoes

Small Box

Broccoli, 1.5 lbs
Cantaloupe from Tonnemaker Farm, Yakima Valley
Leeks, 2
Parsley, 1 bu
Cucumber
Beets, 1.5 lbs
Poblano Peppers, 1 lb from Alvarez Farm, Yakima

Dried Field Peas

Dried field peas is a small but nutritionally mighty member of the legume family, and a very good source of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber.

Soluble fiber helps to prevent constipation and digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. They also help lower cholesterol and are of special benefit in managing blood-sugar disorders, since their high fiber content stablilizes blood sugar levels and prevents them from rising rapidly after a meal. If you have insulin resistance, hypoglycemia or diabetes, legumes like dried peas can help you balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy.

Field peas also provide good-to-excellent amounts of five important minerals, three B-vitamins, and protein—all with virtually no fat. As if this weren’t enough, dried peas also feature isoflavones, phytonutrients that act like weak estrogens in the body and whose dietary consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including breast and prostate cancer.

In addition to their stellar fiber content, dried peas also feature other heart-healthy nutrients. They are a good source of potassium, which may decrease the growth and development of blood vessel plaques and is also good for lowering high blood pressure.

Traditional Field Peas

1 pound dried field peas
1 meaty ham bone
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
1 to 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hot cooked rice for 6
Sliced green onions, for garnish

Rinse, pick over (for pebbles that may have escaped the cleaning process), and simmer field peas in water about 1-1/2 hours. Rinse and drain the peas. In slow cooker combine peas with ham bone, onion, celery and garlic. Add 1 cup water or broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours. Add Cajun seasoning, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 hours longer. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Poblano Peppers

The Poblano peppers from Alvarez Farms in your boxes this week have a bit of a kick to them! The seeds are especially spicy, so when handling them be careful not to touch your eyes, and keep them out of reach of children. Once the seeds have been removed, the peppers themselves have a mild-to-medium heat, which dissipates a bit when cooked. These tender chiles are wonderful raw in cold salads and salsas, oven roasted, grilled or stir fried. You can also skillet-roast them and puree them up with garlic, salt and water, for a delicious green salsa. Complete recipe details on our Recipe Blog at www.nashsorganicproduce.com.

Basic Chile Relleno

4 Poblano chiles, about 1 pound
1 pound queso fresco, or Cotija cheese, found in most supermarkets. Cut it into small pieces, or grate.
Toothpicks
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. soft white flour
1 cup oil

Grill or broil the chiles on both sides until blackened. Put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat out moisture. Remove from the bag and cut down middle and remove seeds and pulp. Stuff with cheese and use toothpicks to hold them together.

Separate egg yolks from whites while eggs are cold. Let them come to room temperature separated. Beat whites until they fluff up. Add flour and yolks and mix until completely incorporated.

Add oil to the frying pan over medium heat. Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain briefly and place on serving platter.

Top with salsa verde or a tomato-based salsa or sauce. Serve with rice and beans. You can use Monterey Jack cheese, if the Mexican cheeses are not available.