LOCAL ASPARAGUS!

Local Asparagus has just arrived! Fresh out of the fields of Lyle Well's on the North Fork. We are so excited here on the farm  for the first local crop of the season! It may not look like Spring outside but it sure is so make the best of it.

Recipie Excitement!

A great LOCAL Spring food pairing, consider is:

**A King's Farm Poussin, which will be fresh and ready tomorrow (Fri. 4/29), stuffed with thyme, rosemary and garlic from our green house. I would also rub the skin down with some oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 350F for 45-50 min

**Roast some LOCAL Asparagus and then drizzle with a light dressing of, extra virgin olive oil, finely chopped tarragon (from our greenhouse), lemon, a little salt and pepper, and King's Farm eggs, hard boiled and chopped, to top off the side dish. (proportion to taste)

Then... go to Rist Liquors on Job's Lane in Southampton and get a nice Local wine to excentuate, maybe a white from the Wolfer Estates? (I am going to try their white table wine in the next few days with the recipe from Radish day and some poussin of my own. I will tell you how it fairs)

But there are so many to choose from ask their knowledgeable staff to help you out!

Horray for Local Food!

(vegetable of the day post to be coming soon!)

Radishes

The Radish. A great cool season, easy to grow vegetable that can add that peppery spiciness to any springtime salad or dish you plan to create. Garden radishes can be grown where ever their is moist fertile soil and sun. You could even grow them in the smallest city plot or in the pot on your balcony! They grow very quickly so they are a great vegetable to grow with kids.

*I recently spent two months in the Dominican Republic teaching children about various things, including gardening. The radishes (rabanos, en español) we planted were the first things to arrive and the kids were so excited... it was the flavor that they had the most trouble with. They were definitely not used to that peppery spice but they tried it and some enjoyed it, others... the faces were priceless!

Facts about Radishes:

• different types of radishes can be grown all season long. Winter radishes are sown like one would sow a turnip.
• Winter varieties are slower to develop than spring radishes; and they grow considerably larger, remain crisp longer, are usually more pungent and hold in the ground or store longer than spring varieties
• Daikon radishes (winter variety) are thought to aid in digestion, especially the digestion of fatty foods. It is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking and is always grated and added to tempura dipping sauce.
• A Dominican homeopathic remedy for issues with the lungs such as a cold or cough uses: Radishes, onions, and honey chopped up and marinated together then drank like a shot. *when my father was visiting me in the DR he had a chest cold and the pastors wife whipped him up this homemade remedy and he did get better in the next week... was it the mix or was it time? who knows.
• A 1/2 cup serving (about 12 medium) of sliced radishes provides a goodly amount of potassium, vitamin C, folate and fiber. Winter radishes such as daikons are similar in nutrients.
• Nutrition Facts (1/2 cup fresh sliced raw red globes)
  
  Calories 12
  Protein 0.35 grams
  Carbohydrates 2.0 grams
  Dietary Fiber 1 gram
  Potassium 134.56 mg
  Folate 15.66 mcg

PREPARATION (my favorite part!)

• Spring radishes are most often eaten raw. Just scrub them clean (don't peel) cut away the greens and root end and slice and dice, shred, or serve them whole. How ever you choose. The beauty of Simplicity!

Recipe: Gingery Radish Salad

http://localfoods.about.com/od/spring/r/GingerRadish.htm

• This recipe calls for the use of the herb sorrel which, if you read my previous post, is the cousin of Rhubarb! We have beautiful sorrel available at the farm stand straight from our greenhouse. It adds that lemony fresh zest that, dare I say, a lemon itself can't even match!
• I have not tried this recipe with rice vinegar but I like to use a full flavored extra virgin olive oil. Oil with a fruity, nutty, or earthy flavor would go nicely with this salad (that's the beauty of raw veggie salads!) I would choose my favorite, Bariani Oil from California, which we also sell at the farm stand.
• Paired with a nice New York Riesling (on the sweeter side) or, as an easy pair, go to a glass of bubbly, champagne or a prosecco. Nothing to dry. 

 Cheers to your Spring radish eating pleasures!

Rhubarb



Our Rhubarb Patch!

Ahh rhubarb, one of those mystical vegetables that we enjoy so much in lets say... strawberry rhubarb pie, from Tate's :)... but when faced with the strong stalks in their natural state many of us have not the first clue what to do with them. Let me help to demystify.
Facts about Rhubarb:

•  Rhubarb is a very old plant. Its medicinal uses and horticulture have been recorded in history since ancient China.
• Rhubarb is a vegetable with a unique taste that makes it a favorite in many pies and desserts.
•  It originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago.
• It was initially cultivated for its medicinal qualities, it was not until the 18th century that rhubarb was grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America.
• The blade or green leaves of the plant are the part that is poisonous. They contain high concentrations of oxalic acid crystals which can cause serious problems when eaten. These crystals can cause the tongue and throat to swell, preventing breathing.
•  Rhubarb is often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but rhubarb is actually a close relative of garden sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Cooking Rhubarb:

• Cooking with this delicious vegetable is much easier than one might think. You really cook it like any other vegetable, think asparagus or even zucchini.
• Roast it: Chop it up as thin or as thick as you would like roast it at 325F for about 10-15 min or until tender. Throw it on a salad, on top of some vanilla ice cream or custard, as an accompiniament to a sweet or savory meat dish.
• Boil it: You can boil rhubarb down in about 5 min using a splash or water or broth of your choice, and season however you would like. It makes a nice glaze over desserts, chicken, pork, or fish or even beef! haha it is very versitile.
• Grill it: I have never grilled it but I am going to as soon as our rhubarb is ready! If I were to do this though I would leave the stalks whole or cut in half and chop them post grilling.
• Raw: for those raw food enthusiasts like myself I like to just eat a stalk of rhubarb raw. Ok maybe, sometimes, I will dip it in some sugar or drizzle it with honey... but it is good as a tart treat all on its own.
• Tangy: Rember that rhubarb is tart and tangy in its natural state not sweet. It will add that nice tartness to whatever meal you choose to prepare, not sweet as many people mistake it for because of its wide use in desserts.

Recipe: Cool and Tangy Rhubarb-Beet Borscht
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/9061

• I made this for Easter as a first plate. I placed a dollap of homemade Tziziki Sauce on top and it was fabulous. We had Lamb with roasted new potatoes seasoned with dill and rosted asparagus to follow. A great fresh Spring meal!

ENJOY!

Asparagus!



Asparagus

Today's vegetable is asparagus, those delicious early spring spears that remind us all that warm weather is on it's way! Asparagus can be eaten in numerous ways... raw, boiled, baked, fried, whatever fits your fancy. You can spice them you can dice them or just enjoy them plain.

Lyle Wells Farm on the North Fork will be supplying us with our delicious LOCAL ASPARAGUS this week!! 

I will post immediately when available. 

One of my favorite asparagus recipes is, asparagus salad with hard boiled eggs. It is a classic Italian salad that leaves much room for creative interpretation.

Here is the link to this recipe that I like from the NYTimes:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/health/nutrition/05recipehealth.html?emc=eta1

Facts About Asparagus:

• Asparagus is a member of the Lily family.
• Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils.
• Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period.
• Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer.
• The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking...early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours.
• After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season.

Asparagus is:

• Low in calories, only 20 per 5.3 oz. serving, less than 4 calories per spear.
• Contains no fat or cholesterol.
• Very low in sodium.
• A good source of potassium.
• A source of fiber (3 grams per 5.3 oz. serving).
• An excellent source of folacin. One of the best sources of folic acid!
• A significant source of thiamin. 
• A significant source of vitamin B6.
• One of the richest sources of rutin, a compound which strengthens capillary walls.
• Contains glutathione (GSH).

Vegetable Awareness Week

From Earth Day, April 22nd, until Arbor Day, April 29th-- North Sea Farm will be celebrating delicious, edible, and incredible vegetables! We will be giving short tours, to those interested, through the green house and around the farm to take a look at what we've got growing. Also included is a short talk on locally grown produce and when certain things are in season here on the East End of Long Island! It is a great way to get the family involved as we are always trying to educate and interest children in fresh vegetables. All week inside the Fresh Egg Farm Stand located on North Sea Farm we will have a different, in season, vegetable of the day! With recipes and info on the prized vegetable available through our blog. If you are interested in taking a tour give us a call at 631-283-0735 or just pop in and ask for Julia, 1060 Noyac Road, Southampton.