My dear Community,
Blackberries are ripening in abundance and it’s hard to tell how long they will be available. But I do know that this is the week to stock up if you’d like more. Prices have been reduced in the store. The same heat that ripens the blackberries and cantaloupe slows down strawberries to a near halt. For a rare occurrence, we won’t have our core item of carrots in the boxes this week. If you need a bunch make sure to log into our CSA store and add one. We are also now selling new olive and walnut oils and balsamic vinegars in our store from Solvang Olive Press.
Our garlic this week comes from over 10 years of taking the best of each crop and replanting them. By selecting the biggest, best tasting cloves we’re able to eventually get a productive crop of the most amazing garlic you’ve ever tasted. Food is medicine and garlic really lives up to that with its numerous fantastic health benefits. There’s more available for purchase.
We had a great tour this past weekend on our Buellton farm. A company called Blooming Energy coordinated it and we spent about 2 hours talking about our farm, sustainability for future generations, what makes John Givens Farm really stand out from the crowd (our rich composting systems being one factor) and discussing grass roots opportunities for us to improve our local food systems. If you get a chance, check out Blooming Energy as they continue to tour other locations as well. The more we can spread the word about locally grown food with the soil in mind, the better.
Be good to each other.
CSA Contains:
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
CANTALOUPE
GREEN ZUCCHINI
LACINATO KALE
SWEET MINI PEPPERS
BLACKBERRIES
RED TOMATOES
RED LEAF LETTUCE
YELLOW ONIONS
GARLIC
BIG BOX ADD: GREEN LEAF LETTUCE, BLACKBERRIES, CARROTS, BI-COLORED SWEET CORN, ORANGE KABOCHA SQUASH
JUST the BASICS:
ENGLISH CUCUMBERS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
BLACKBERRIES
RED TOMATOES
CANTALOUPE
SWEET MINI PEPPERS
JUICE FEAST:
CARROTS x2
ROMAINE LETTUCE
LACINATO KALE
CELERY
PARSLEY/MINT
CUCUMBERS
BLACKBERRIES
RED PEPPERS
WATERMELON
FRUIT EXPANSION: DOUBLE BLACKBERRIES (no paper bag – just two clamshells)
LETTUCE of the WEEK: GREEN LEAF
MUSHROOM MIX: Picked fresh from Golden State Papaya here in Goleta
Three Herb Tomato Zucchini Salad
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes (red and yellow) – or 2 Red Tomatoes Diced
1 large zucchini (or 2 small)
1/3 cup onion chopped – Soak in 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs combined
chive
Italian parsley
basil
3 –4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil (see notes)
2 teaspoons sumac
pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic or two cloves
sea salt and crushed pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon extra lemon juice
lemon slices to garnish
(Find the full recipe and directions here at Cotter Crunch)
Sesame-Ginger Cucumber Soba Noodle Salad
Ingredients:
1 package (8 or 9 oz.) soba noodles
1 large English cucumber, julienned
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
lime wedges
Ginger Scallion Sauce
3/4 cup scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 – 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 – 2 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce or Namo Shoyu
1 – 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 teaspoon sriracha, optional
(Find the full recipe and directions here at Simple Veganista)
One Pan Creamy Garlic Shrimp (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or ghee
8 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp deveined, with tails on
1 yellow onion diced
1/2 cup bone broth
8 ounces sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, SEE NOTES
15 ounces canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 cups spinach lightly packed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at The Movement Menu)
Healthy Pad Thai with Zucchini Noodles
Ingredients:
3 medium zucchini, made into zoodles
Sweet mini peppers, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly diced
1 lb chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
dash of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
diced green onions, crushed peanuts red pepper flakes for garnish
Peanut Sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter (using a natural more oily kind is the best for this recipe)
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (can use liquid aminos if vegan)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp sriracha
(Find the full recipe and directions here at Our Balanced Bowl)