Congratulations! You have your beautiful, fresh food – now, how to keep it that way? Proper storage of your fruits and veggies will help to ensure that they remain in tip-top shape in both your fridge and cupboard.  Many of us tend to neglect this and unfortunately wind up with slimy, unusable food as a result.  The less you waste, the more money you save and the more enjoyment you earn from participating in your local CSA!

- Take the tops off your veggies! When you get home the first item of action should be to remove the green, leafy tops from your root vegetables. For example, carrots, beets, turnips, etc. The green leaves look pretty but in reality they suck both moisture and nutrients from your food and if left on will more quickly whither your veggies.

- Only wash and/or peel just before use! Most vegetables fare much better if you wash them just before you are about to eat them. Too much moisture left on them in your fridge will create soggy, slimy produce. For lettuce, you can wash the leaves or heads in cold water several times and then line a glass Tupperware bowl or plastic bag with paper towels before refrigerating to sap up any remaining moisture. The best method is to rinse in a colander, vigorously shake out all water or get super fancy and use a salad spinner.

- Fridge verses Counter Top

• Potatoes = Counter top (in a dark spot). You want to keep your potatoes in a cool (not cold!) dry place that is highly ventilated. Same with garlic, onions and sweet potatoes.  Those stacked hanging baskets that you can buy at a home goods store are ideal.

• Tomatoes = counter top  Never in the fridge! They will absorb other flavors if put in the fridge and lose key taste. Do not put in plastic bags as they will spoil faster.

• Lettuce = Fridge. Again, no moisture and properly stored in a air tight container or plastic bag

• Eggplant = Fridge. Very delicate! Only will last about a week so use up quickly.  The smaller the eggplant, the thinner the skin and the faster it goes bad.

• Fresh herbs = fridge. Rinse and dry completely. Option to cut off a little bit of the stems and put in a glass of water in the fridge to optimize freshness.

• Fruit = mostly counter top  Berries are the exception. Melon ripens best on the counter top and your lemons and limes will also fare better outside the fridge.  Same for bananas or anything else tropical! Beyond that, most firm fruit will ripen either on a counter or placed in a paper bag.

These tips seem simple but they will make a world of difference! Eat up and enjoy your summer produce!

What is a CSA?

CSA members buy a “share” of the farm each season.  A share is $25 a week, 8 weeks minimum and you can even split your payments up in 2 if it’s easier. The earlier you get started the sooner you reap the benefits and support our local economy!  sign me up!

Pros: (We can think of no cons however…)

• Your meal planning is done for you! Pick-up your share each Wednesday at the pick-up location and your veggies are ready to go! We provide recipes and tips with each delivery to help you escape your traditional eating rut and get the most out of eating seasonal, diverse crops
• EVERY single dime goes right back into the program to revitalize our communities, support our farmers and provide more crops to you
• All crops are entirely pesticide and fungicide free and harvested the morning of delivery, which makes them fresher than the majority of goods at any farmer’s market

For a little taste of what we offer check out this week’s newsletter and also see our farming methods  and pledge to you.

Contact info:

Email: info@gilafarm.org

Phone: 480.256.2213

This warm and satisfying dish is the perfect accompaniment for cooler weather! Easy, hearty and flavorful, it is a great entrée for family dinners, a potluck, or even as leftovers! Tumeric is known for its joint pain alleviating properties and is a great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Combined with fresh vegetables, broth and other herbs and spices, this dish is both healthy and delicious! With a great salad and naan, this meal garners high praise. Tailor the spices to your own liking (our version is fairly mild) and feel free to experiment to find your favorite curry combination.

(4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 pound Tibetan noodles or spaghetti

3 cups assorted vegetables, chopped into bite-size pieces (cauliflower, carrots, green beans, collard greens, potatoes)

½ pound spinach, washed and torn into bite-size pieces

1 onion, chopped

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 fresh chilies, julienned

1 bay leaf

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cilantro

Instructions:

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Remove while still slightly undercooked; drain and rinse.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; fry until brown, about 10 minutes. Add turmeric, garlic, ginger, and chilies; stir for 1 minute. Add assorted vegetables; stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, soy sauce, broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper; cool until vegetables are tender.

Add noodles, cook 5 minutes or until sauce is consistent and begins to thicken. Fold in spinach for 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Garnish with cilantro.

]]> http://gilafarm.org/healthy-holiday-comfort-food-himalayan-vegetable-curry-with-noodles/feed/ 0 http://gilafarm.org/recipe-from-one-desert-to-another-tabbouleh/ http://gilafarm.org/recipe-from-one-desert-to-another-tabbouleh/#comments Sat, 03 Nov 2012 08:00:05 +0000 Gila Farm Cooperative http://gilafarm.org/?p=594 Read more»]]>

Originating from the mountains of Syria and Lebanon, this dish is a Levantine Arab salad that serves as part of a traditional Middle Eastern mezze. Tabbouleh is a versatile and tasty side dish that has became increasingly popular  in many kitchens far outside its native Middle East. With the Arizona Lebanese Festival happening this weekend, we can’t wait to indulge in amazing music, dance, and, of course, delicious kafta, dolmas, falafel and baklava! Here’s a way how you can bring the festival into your own kitchen long after the fun weekend has ended.

Middle Eastern Tabbouleh

(4 servings)

1 1/2 bunches chopped fresh parsley (2-3 bunches)

2 cups of grain: couscous, quinoa, or bulgar

6 green onions

2 fresh tomatoes, diced

20 fresh mint leaves

5 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cook grain according to package directions. Fluff and let cool. Transfer to a large bowl. Add parsley, green onions, tomatoes, and mint; toss to combine.

In a small bowl, which together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Drizzle over tabbouleh.

Enjoy!

Now that the oppressive summer heat is slowly but surely starting to dwindle, we’re so excited to start our fall season with our usual vegetable and fruit fare. Fresh to the batch this season are our herbs that will be cultivated in our newly constructed shade house at Benedict’s Garden on Thomas & 85th. Delicious on roasted vegetables, used in poultry and meat rubs, and added to savory salads, herbs provide a robust flavor that are packed with healthy antioxidants.

Our new shade house at Bendedict’s Garden was constructed with the help of the UofA extension office, our cooperative and community members, New Roots staff, and local volunteers. Once winter arrives, it will be covered with plastic to foster the growth of baby nightshade vegetables like tomato and eggplant.

Here’s a recipe to give you a taste of what you can expect in a few short months. Fresh herbs and veggies are a winning combination for a fast and easy meal! Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Quiche

(5-6 servings)

1 pie crust

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, sliced

20 basil leaves, sliced thinly

7 ounces Gruyere, diced into 1/4-inch cubes

4 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

1/4 teaspoon ground fennel

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to a 400 degree convection. Butter a 10-inch spring pan. roll out dough, insert in pan.

In a medium bowl, mix eggs, heavy cream, sour cream, fennel, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Evenly spread the Gruyere into the pie crust. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the Gruyere, and top with basil. Pour the egg mixture into the crust, covering the other ingredients easily.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and the egg mixture has set.

Get a fork and dig in! Bon appetit!

When Luke, 4, and Braden, 6,  hosted a lemonade sale and donated their proceeds to the International Rescue Committee in Phoenix, it inspired us to become reacquinted with this underrated citrus staple! Lemons are a wonderful source of immune-boosting Vitamin C and beta carotenes and because of their highly acidic nature, they bring out the nuanced flavors of other ingredients, acting as a perfect addition to healthy, fresh meals. We utilize lemons often in our own cooking and while our lemons aren’t quite ready for harvest right now, our cookbook highlights the versatility of cooking with lemons in both the simplest and most diverse dishes. Dishes ranging from Greek tomato salads, Middle Eastern tabouleh, South African green beans, Iraqi dolmas and Cape Verde Vegetable Soup dishes are enhanced by the subtle zing of lemon juice.

But even though it’s almost November, the weather still hasn’t been suitable for the usual fall recipes of warm dishes with hearty squash and root vegetables. (Psst: but that hasn’t stopped us from wanting to eat everything pumpkin-flavored!) While the summery weather continues on, here’s a recipe to keep you cool as you yearn for nights by the fire in your winter blankets. Acting as a nice compromise, it brings together the concept of a flavorful soup, conjuring images of a red-leafed fall, but served chill to accomodate for our desert surroundings!  With the added lemon, this is a perfect marriage of our autumn longings and our summery circumstances. This recipe is from our Gila Farm Cooperative Cookbook that you can order here if you’d like to learn more about our farmers and discover other dishes to experience with your friends and family.

Chilled Citrus Cucumber Soup

(4-6 servings)

5 large cucumbers

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

2 green onions

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup lime juice

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups crushed ice or ice cubes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a blender or large food processor, combine cucumber, mint, scallions, lemon juice, lime juice, zest and sugar. Process until smooth. Add ice and blend again until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately in chilled bowls.

 Enjoy!

When IRC Phoenix fans, Luke and Braden, were sad they couldn’t make it to our monthly Work Day, they decided to get creative!  Read below how they contributed to IRC’s New Roots Farm Program  in their own special way. We’re inspired by Luke and Braden’s heartwarming support and now we can’t wait until our own lemons will be ready for harvest! Be sure to check out out Gila Farm Cooperative’s Facebook and Twitter with upcoming volunteer Work Days and other community building events!

Lemonade 4 Refugees

Gila Farm Cooperative Cookbook is here!!  This 150+ page full color cookbook has globally inspired recipes for eating locally.

Buy produce fresh from the farm and use this cookbook to delight your friends and family with recipes like Ginger Carrot Curry Soup, Spicy Thai Salad, Middle Eastern Tabbouleh, Italian Stuffed Zucchini, Baba Ghanoush, and much more!!

Don't know what to do with that new vegetable in your CSA share? Flip to the Recipe Index to find all the recipes that use it as a main ingredient.

The soups, salads, side and main dishes all use food grown locally by Gila Farm Cooperative.  The cookbook also highlights some of our farmers, tells the story of our little cooperative, and is chock full of pictures of the refugee farmers, their produce, and the land they grow it on.

The cookbook features beautiful photos of the farmers' produce and recipes using locally grown food to cook globally inspired dishes

The $35 you pay for this cookbook goes directly to Gila Farm Cooperative.  Your purchase will help the refugee farmers continue to grow their business and purchase shared resources such as land, seeds and equipment.

Who's your farmer? Gila Farm Cooperative Cookbook features several refugee farmer profiles. Get to know the people who are growing your food.

To support Gila farmers and to purchase your very own cookbook (with free shipping) do one of the following:

1. Call us at 480-256-2213 with your credit card number.
2. Click the button below to visit our webstore and order online:

Buy Cookbook Online

New Roots is the International Rescue Program that helped Gila Farm Cooperative get started.  Check out this video and then go to rescue.org/new-roots for more info!

This video is about International Rescue Committee’s New Roots program that helped us get started.  Gila Farm Cooperative would not be here without IRC.  Thanks New Roots!