CSA and Juice Feast for October 1st

Our new crop of carrots start next week. We should be back to our normal bunches then. We are should have enough tomatoes as well! Alex Frecker, of Frecker Farms is a good friend of ours. He’s worked with Givens farms for over 10 years and we are always happy to support his new farm down in Carpinteria. Unfortunately he doesn’t have enough to supply our whole CSA, but we are able to get some of his variety in our large shares.
We have cheese available from Casitas Valley Creamery, the same farm we get our apples from. Fresh feta cheese in a range of flavors are offered in the store. They are delicious! Please make sure if you order cheese, that your box will not be sitting on your porch for a few hours. We also have granola made fresh to order in 4 different flavors which are gluten free or certified organic.

CSA for October 1st contains:
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
DANDELION GREENS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
BAGGED CARROTS
CUCUMBERS
GREEN BELL PEPPERS
GRANNY SMITH APPLES from REGENERATIVE EARTH FARMS
RAINBOW OR RED CHARD
GREEN ZUCCHINI
BASIL
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, ASIAN PEAR, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES and CHERRY TOMATOES and WATERMELON from FRECKER FARMS

We listed 3 different Dandelion green recipes below to help you introduce these into your diet. Dandelion greens are full of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin K, iron and vitamin E. They have a laundry list of health benefits, just ask Google! After eating a bunch of dandelion salads this weekend, I wanted to share these good tummy feelings with you.

Winter Squash Salad with Quinoa, Dandelion Greens, & Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients: Serves 2 to 3
for the salad:
3 cups quinoa, cooked
3 cups favorite winter squash, cooked
2 cups dandelion greens, rinsed, trimmed, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced
Parsley, garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
for the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
for the salad:
In a medium skillet preheated to medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, and dandelion greens with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and remove from heat.
To serve the salad, combine quinoa and squash. Top with dandelion greens, red onion, and parsley. Drizzle vinaigrette over the top!
for the vinaigrette:
In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until combined.

Check out these other Dandelion Greens Recipes:
Dandelion Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Dandelion Green Salad with Sweet Corn and Almonds

Vegan Crockpot Quinoa and Black Bean Chili

(Feel free to add real cheese and sour cream if desired. This looked like a yummy recipe to have waiting for you when you got home from a busy day at work, picking up the kids, ect..)
Ingredients: Serves 4-5
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
15 oz can black beans
1/2 container 28 oz diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 shredded carrot
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 small chili pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup corn kernels
Toppings: chopped avocado chunks, chopped green onions, shredded carrot
Vegan Cashew Sour Cream
1/2 cup soaked cashews (cashews soaked in water overnight)
3-4 tablespoons water
splash apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon lime juice
Directions:
1.Add the broth, quinoa, black beans and tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
2.Next add the peppers, carrot, onion and garlic, and stir, then add the rest of the seasonings and stir a few times to combine.
3.Set the slow cooker (Crock-Pot) to high for 2 ½ to 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours (for high, monitor the last 30 minutes and for low, monitor the last hour).
Vegan Cashew Sour Cream
1.Blend all the ingredients for cashew sour cream in a high speed blender until smooth, for about 30 seconds, scraping blender once halfway in between.
2.Serve on chili with your favorite toppings (avocado, chopped green onions).
(Recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen)

Swiss Chard, Mozzarella, and Feta Egg Bake

(I added some chopped zucchini into this mix for a great outcome. Simply add chopped zucchini a few minutes before the chard and follow the instructions as noted.)
Ingredients: Makes 6-8 Servings
1 bunch Swiss chard leaves, sliced into thick ribbons
1/2 tsp. olive oil (depending on your pan)
3/4 cup low-fat Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
8 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional but recommended; if you don’t have Spike can substitute another all purpose seasoning blend)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a 8 x 11.5 glass casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
Cut stems off the chard leaves and discard stems. Stack up the leaves in a pile and cut the chard into ribbons about 1 inch wide. (If your chard is from the garden, give it a good wash in the salad spinner and spin dry.)
Heat olive oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan, add the chard ribbons all at once, and cook while stirring until the chard has all wilted and slightly softened. This only takes about 2-3 minutes; the chard will finish cooking in the oven. Layer wilted chard, Mozzarella cheese, and Feta cheese in the bottom of the casserole dish.
Beat the eggs with the Spike Seasoning, salt, and pepper and pour over the chard/cheese mixture. (I take a fork and gently “stir” at this point to be sure all the chard/cheese mixture is coated with egg.)
Bake about 35 minutes, or until the egg bake is set and starting to lightly brown. Serve hot, with a dollop of low-fat sour cream if desired.
This will keep in the fridge for at least a week and can be quickly reheated in the microwave.

If you receive a large share, check out this amazing Watermelon Gazpacho recipe below:
(Recipe from: Kim’s Welcoming Kitchen)

JUICE FEAST Contains:
GRANNY SMITH APPLES from REGENERATIVE EARTH FARMS
ASIAN PEARS from GARCIA FAMILY FARMS
LOOSE CARROTS
DANDELION GREENS
CUCUMBERS
RUBY RED GRAPEFRUIT from SOMMERS RANCH
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CELERY
LACINATO KALE
CHARD
GARLIC N’ A JALAPEÑO

Dandelion Detox Juice
1 grapefruit, peel and pith removed
1 apple
1 cucumber
1/2 bunch romaine
1/4 bunch dandelion greens

More on juicing Dandelions:
Dandelion greens, chard, mint, cucumber, apple, and lemon. A touch of citrus helps prevent oxidation.

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