NEWSLETTER

Volume 4, Issue 26

Community Supported Garden at La Vista

November 7, 2006

Field Walk…

     As I was wrapping up a presentation last week at the St. Louis Science Center, a woman asked, "What do you do about eating fresh, local organic vegetables in the winter?"
     This is the burning question.  Come November, with nights below freezing and the sun ever lower in the sky, we know that the days of fresh picked produce are soon to dissolve into winter.  It's always a jolt to face the supermarket produce section again after seven or eight months of fresh goodness.  And it never tastes as good as it does fresh from the ground.
     So what do you do? Eating seasonally seems rather difficult once winter shuts down the growing season.  However, it's not at all. You simply need to adjust your diet.  Eating "fresh" produce in winter means eating those vegetables that preserve the best.  At home, we eat a lot of roots during winter.  Carrots, beets and turnips are common.  All of these roots will hold for up to three or four months in your refrigerator.  Winter squashes are another winter staple. If stored at "root cellar" temperatures (50 to 55 degrees), winter squash should store a couple months. Onions, potatoes, and garlic also store well at just under room temperature.
     Several fruits and vegetables freeze well. We still have strawberries and blueberries in our freezer at home.  We like blueberry pancakes every Sunday morning. Green beans and pesto (preserved basil!) are wonderful treats.  The list goes on.
     Canning is also an amazing way to preserve the tastes of summer.  Tomatoes are easily canned as sauce, paste, or simply whole or diced. It's always very important to plan ahead when canning.  Be prepared to can a LOT when we have an abundance of your favorite summer crop.  Then, when we hit a rough stretch like this past year, then you can still enjoy the bounty from the previous season.
     Fresh greens are best grown at home under a cold-frame.  You can plant lettuce in the fall and protect it with a miniature "greenhouse" and enjoy leaves all winter.
     In short, eating seasonally during winter is very possible and very tasty. Alter your diet to focus on soups, breads, and pasta's with your preserved veggies leading the way.
     And don't forget…. We'll have Spring Greens in about four and a half months!

What's in Your Share

Lettuce
Bok Choy
Winter Squash
Carrots
Spinach
Salad Mix
Swiss Chard
Onion
Radishes
Turnips
Arugula and Green Peppers will be offered extra

Meal Ideas

Scrambled Carrots
     This is one of our comfort meals at home:
1 lb. carrots, shredded
1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. chicken, tofu, or other protein, cut into small pieces
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
¼ cup sesame seeds (optional)

     Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shredded carrots and cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add meat or tofu and soy sauce and cook until done (for tofu, about 5 minutes).  Add sesame oil and cook one more minute.  Add sesame seeds at very end. Serve with greens for a hearty, healthy meal!