Some Produce News
I’ve been getting regular questions about asparagus since we stopped carrying it several months ago. Well, the wait is over. It is now asparagus season. Just barely. We are currently getting it from Mexico, near the California border, and its seasonal production will move north as we move further into Spring. April is the peak month for asparagus in California. The sooner you use asparagus the better, as its sugars turn quickly to starches, decreasing the flavor. To store it in the refrigerator, wrap it in a damp towel or store it upright in a tray with a little water.
Some tips on asparagus with help from the awesome “Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition’s Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce:”
Raw asparagus is high in vitamins A, B-complex, C and is also rich in minerals from the soil, particularly Potassium and Zinc. Try a little raw and see if you like it. Like all vegetables, it will lose some, though not all, of its B and C vitamins in cooking.
To cook asparagus, simpler is better. Simmer them for 3-5 minutes in a skillet with about an inch of boiling salted water, remove from heat and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Or, steam upright in a tall pot with about an inch of water in the bottom for ten minutes. This will cook the tougher bottoms thoroughly while gently steaming the tender tops. Try with the classy combo of butter, pine nuts and a little balsalmic vinegar. Also excellent with a little lemon juice, parmesan and mayonaise.
Recipe for 2 Servings of Asparagus Patties:
1 pound asaparagus
3 green onions, sliced
1 tbs oil
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 cup almonds or walnuts
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cooked rice or bulgar
2 eggs, beaten
Trim off asparagus ends and toss them in the compost. Cut spears into 1/4 inch pieces, steam until tender and set aside to cool. Saute green onions in oil until soft. Stir in basil and set aside. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place almonds/walnuts on baking sheet and toast in oven until slightly browned. Place in a food processor and grind to a fine meal. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine almond/walnut meal, bread crums, salt and rice. Stir in eggs. Add steamed asparagus and green onions to egg mixture and mix well. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop mixture by tablespoonfulls onto preheated surface and spread to form patties. Cook until brown on each side. Serve hot. Enjoy!
Besides asparagus, we’re in kind of a lull of seasonal crops. So I’ve been celebrating the imported coconut instead. A customer came in to buy out our bacon avocados for smoothies. She blends avocado, and a few spices to her liking, with coconut milk to get her fix of good fats and the antibacterial benefits of coconuts. There are some interesting stories and related research from survivors of the 2002 tsunami in Asia; people who not only survived for months in putrescent conditions with nothing to eat but coconuts, but who came out these conditions in very good health.
With this in mind, I tried a simple salve of garlic blended with coconut oil to treat a small case of athlete’s foot recently and it appears to have worked.
Feel free to ask a staff member to bust open a coconut for drinking when you come into the store.
Etc:
We are miraculously still carrying meyer lemons, but they are going fast.
The Kumquats we received yesterday from Larry Dion (spotlighted in March’s newsletter) are the most addictively delicious ones I have ever eaten.
Good Faith Farms in Flournoy has been supplying us with incredible greens. They are fresh cut, and due to dilligent organic soil ammendments, have excellent flavors. Look for Red Russian Kale, Mixed Greens, Oak Leaf Lettuce, Arugula and Arugula Flowers, and Collard Greens.
-L
