What do I do with all this produce?

I have been requested to post some ideas about what to do with our awesome produce baskets. The items we got this week will be underlined. Here are some ideas:

Green Beans:
1. Snap off ends, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on some coarse sea salt and minced garlic (if desired) and either bake in oven, saute in a pan or throw them on the grill, as Jen Rock suggested, until they are done to your liking (some people like them more crunchy, some more soft).
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 clove garlic, minced and 4 c. green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces. Saute over high heat to sear beans, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Cook until they turn bright green.
Stir in 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste, 2 c. vegetable broth and 1 c. water. Bring to boil, then simmer 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain broth from beans (can save for later use) and squeeze in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Serve.

Zucchini and Squash:
1. Steam 1/2 inch carrot rounds for 10 minutes, then add zucchini and squash chunks and steam an additional 6-8 minutes, until tender. Mix 2 Tbsp. melted butter with 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. sea salt, then pour over hot veggies.
2. Slice zucchini or squash in half length-wise, scoup out the center seed part then fill with tuna salad, chicken salad, hummus, guacamole, beans or anything else you can think of. Also works well with cucumbers. Great for a healthy lunch!

Lettuce:
1. Make a salad! Throw in some of those cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, pears or even raw green beans. Then make a really simple homemade salad dressing: 1/2 c. olive oil, 2 Tbsp. flax oil (or just more olive oil), 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. alfalfa sprouts, 1 green onion (the whole thing), 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 c. honey, 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard. Blend well until it looks creamy and drizzle over salad.
2. Use any of the fillings in suggestion # 2 for zucchini and squash, and wrap in large lettuce leaf. Also makes a great healthy lunch!

Fruits:
1. Make a green smoothie! To a cup or 2 of water, add several handfuls of spinach and any other dark greens you might have. Blend until there are minimal chunks then add any kind of fruits and vegetables you desire. Some good ones are: apples, carrots, celery, bananas, mango, pinapple, kiwi, berries, cantaloupe, peaches, pears, green beans (I know, sounds weird, but you can't taste them as long as you don't add too many). Some not-so-good ones are: broccoli, tomatoes, onions, you get the idea :) Feel free to experiment with different combinations. Also, unless you have a high-powered blender, make sure to chop everything up well. It's great to have some of the fruit frozen (creates a nice, cool texture, especially with bananas) however, most blenders don't like that too well, so if you want it to be cold and icy, you can just add ice (and maybe a little less water).


Note: Just an idea for organizing said produce, I like to make a list of all the produce I got on one side of a paper, then go through my recipes or ideas in my head and write what I could make with each item (or which ones to chop up and freeze) on the other side of the paper. From there, I make my menu for each week based off of what I already have.

I hope these ideas help you out as you endeavor to eat healthier and not waste any of your precious basket! Please leave me any questions or comments about how these suggestions turn out for you!

~Kelli Green

Produce ordered for July 27th

16 items:

Bananas, Peaches, Cantaloupe, Pears, Corn, Gala Apples, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Cucumber, Carrots, Kiwi, Green Beans, Romaine Lettuce, Yellow Squash, Italian Squash, Green Onions.

Strawberry, Orange, Banana Smoothie, Yum!

Just made a very yummy smoothie this morning and thought I'd share.

1 banana (frozen if you have it)
10 or so Strawberries ( I leave the stem on)
3 oranges (peeled)
Agave nectar (optional) I used about 2 tsp
Vanilla Almond Milk (filled til just below the top of the fruit) (or 1 tsp vanilla with Regular milk)
2 cups of ice (more ice for a thicker smoothie)

We drink half and make smoothie Popsicles with the rest.  My kids love it and I love the fact they think they're having a treat.

Hey just had a tip if anyone needs it on how to use all of your carrots, I use a pampered chef chopper and chop them into little pieces and put them in my lasagna or spaghetti sauce, great way to get in more veggies and the kids will never know. Jen Rock

Produce Ordered for July 20th co-op

10 Items. 
Raspberry, Banana, Strawberry, Peaches, Corn, Spinach, Sugar Peas, Green Beans, Cantaloupe, Oranges. 

A few high priced items i.e. red potato, cherries, avocado and pineapple.  We did, however, manage to get all favorites.  I hope everyone enjoys this weeks produce.  See you all tomorrow :)
Oh, and also we have 9 spots left to complete 24 for this group so spread the word to neighbors and friends and let me know.

Thanks for the tips Alicia, I forget about those bags they really work! So excited to have all of this produce for my family, we all love it!! I have already voted and it's funny how much it changed from last week, thats the awesome part you get variety woo hoo!! Thanks Jen

Tips for your produce

I thought I'd share some tips I've found to keep my produce fresh and make it last longer:

1.  I bought a box of "Debbie Meyer Green Bags" at Bed Bath and Beyond ($9.99).  It comes with 20 bags and they can be used 8-10 times each.  I place similar items in their own bag and leave them open or follow the instructions, either way.  I don't wash my produce until I'm ready to use them, but you can wash them first if you choose to, just make sure they are completely dry before putting them in the green bags.  It keeps them fresh and yummy longer. 

2.  I love the A to Z Produce website:  www.azproduce.net
You can type in the veggie or fruit that you are interested in and it will tell how best to store it, when the best time to buy it is and even some recipes of how to use it.

3.  I know what my family will eat and what they won't (although I am mean and make them try new things too), so I like to trade around with others in the coop or on the extras table.  My family really won't eat mushrooms, but if Jen likes mushrooms then we can trade something her family won't eat.  So don't be afraid to trade around a bit with each other (I'll send out a list of everyone in the group so you know who to talk to).

4.  Make sure you pick up your produce within an hour of our notification.  You may have to make arrangements for a neighbor or family member to pick it up for you.  We can't store everyone's basket all day long and keep it fresh, and they can't sit in the garage without getting ruined especially in this heat.  So be aware and make plans for what you need to give your produce a good start.  Remember there are 24 of us in the coop and we all live close enough to help someone out if we can.

I hope these tips help you keep your produce fresher longer.  If anyone has any suggestions please feel free to post them as well.  This is so exciting and I can't wait to hear your thoughts and tips and maybe even recipes you've tried with your produce each week :)

Thanks,
Alicia and Jen

Produce Ordered for 7/13

Bananas, Corn, Carrots, Romaine Lettuce, Mushrooms, Cucumbers, Strawberries, Broccoli, Tomatoes, Pineapple, Gala apples, White Nectarines, Yellow Nectarines, and Green Onions.

14 items, yay!! Several of the favorites were priced too high i.e. Red Grapes, Raspberries, Avocado, Blueberries and Red potatoes. They were out of Spinach, Cantaloupe, Peaches and Asparagus.

I hope you'll all enjoy these yummy veggies and fruit. Let us know.

New Foxboro Produce Coop

We have started yet another Foxboro Coop.  It will be every other Wednesday starting July 13th, 2011.  Please vote for your favorites and we'll do our best (depending on price and season) to get the coop's favorites. We will send a text out when the produce is ready to be picked up.  The first week you'll need to pay for  2 weeks + 1.00 for the basket (total of $34.00), so we're using coop money to purchase the produce, then pay the $16.50 every week after that.  I am working on a pay pal account to make that easier, but it depends on the cost.  For now cash or check will be accepted.  We would also like to share recipe ideas with each other, so please share those yummy recipes you use your produce in.  Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Thanks, Alicia and Jen