Helsing Junction Farm Newsletter Archive

Greetings from Helsing Junction Farm!

All the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need for general health are contained by healthy soil. Plants take up these essential nutrients and transform them into the building blocks of nutrition for the creatures that eat them. As a farmer, one of the most important jobs you face is to test for and protect your soil so that the plants you grow are able to access a full compliment of nutrients. As we use sustainable farming methods, we always rotate our crops because all vegetables draw different nutrients from the soil and some vegetables are heavy feeders of certain nutrients.

In a more conventional farming system, crops are grown with out rotation and even the basic building blocks of growth, such as nitrogen and phosphorous come in the form of chemical fertilizers. Over time the soil is stripped of the nutrients the particular plant is drawing up from the soil and the food itself is depleted of the essential nutrients. Take for instance the soil of the Salinas Valley in California, which has been designated “the salad bowl of the world”. After testing vegetables grown in the Salinas valley to determine its nutritional value, the results show that this food has lost 30% of the basic minerals and vitamins in the last 20 years. Add the fact that these vegetables are then trucked an average of 1500 miles and are often consumed a week+ after they have been harvested and this adds up to food that is really less action packed in terms of nutrition.

We test our soil annually to get a clear picture of what is actually present. Last year’s test revealed we were low in phosphorous, which is essential for healthy growth of alliums (such as onions) and flower bulbs (such as lilies) and so we added this to our overall mix of amendments. We also annually add nitrogen in the source of composted and pelleted manure. We also apply a seawater extract that contains 80 natural trace minerals and active organic substances to enhance our soil microflora along with worm tea. An abundance of healthy soil microflora increases the mineral and vitamin content of the food, improves soil tilth and aeration, increases cellular respiration and photosynthesis, creates a more healthy plant and increases our yields. We also cover crop every fall, to add green manure to our soil (and to provide something for all the happy microflora to eat!).

Higher levels of vitamins and minerals are found in food that has higher sugar levels, which are present in larger quantities right after they are harvested. The sugars begin to break down immediately after harvest and the rapid loss of nutrients begins. Corn loses 50% of its sugars in the first hour after it is picked! And while this is an extreme example, as corn is not the most nutritious food to begin with, it is one that illustrates this concept well. The high sugar content in plants is possible only when plants are fed a balanced diet throughout their life cycle and this is where maintaining healthy soil is absolutely essential for producing a healthy diet. Leafy greens in particular are amazing for their nutritional benefits. These plants rule in terms of the dense mix of minerals and vitamins, such as calcium, vitamin A, D and C. They are also really high in protein and are an important addition to our diet, as we look to sources of protein that are not always from animals.

Soil tests from all over the world show that soils everywhere have been depleted of magnesium, a trace mineral. This occurs when the soil texture or tilth is decreased and compacted. This is the basic condition of most of the soils farmed conventionally. We thought we would be immune to this worldwide phenomenon, as we have worked to create rich healthy soil, but tests also showed that our soil is also somewhat low in magnesium. Our collective diet has lost this essential mineral and there are now studies being done which measure the relationship between this loss and different chronic and wide spread health issues. One study we saw showed that 2/3 of us are deficient in this essential trace mineral. Magnesium is known to be required for several hundred different functions in the body. Common conditions such as type 2 diabetes, migraines, attention deficit disorder, fibromyalgia, asthma and allergies have all been linked to a magnesium deficiency. Foods high in magnesium include leafy greens!

Additional studies show that a lack of basic nutrition in growing children leads to low performance in learning, behavioral problems and often childhood obesity, as cheap, fast food often replaces freshly harvested and prepared food. As we know, our schools are not providing enough fresh food and these health conditions are becoming epidemic among all school age children. Our future depends on these young brains and it will be a benefit to all of us to reverse this unhealthy and unbalanced trend. We hope our farm and CSA program will help children to understand the important links between fresh food and health, local farms and fresh food, soil health and nutrition and the preparation and cooking of fresh food, which will ensure a healthy food landscape and good health for all.

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This Week's Shares


Tuesday’s mini shares contain:
1 pound fava beans
1 bunch yellow carrots
1 pound shell peas
1 bunch arugula
1 head flashy butter gem
1 bunch dill
1 bunch chives
1 head garlic
There are no flowers today.
Extra Fruit Shares Contain:
12-13 Perfection apricots
2# Skeena cherries
½ pint raspberries or blackcap raspberries


Tuesday’s small shares contain:
1 bunch rainbow chard
1 bunch yellow carrots
1 pound shell peas
2 bunches arugula
1 bunch rapini
1 head flashy butter gem
1 bunch dill
1 bunch chives
1 head garlic
There are no flowers today.
Extra Fruit Shares Contain:
12-13 Perfection apricots
2# Skeena cherries
½ pint raspberries or blackcap raspberries


Tuesday’s large shares contain:
1 bunch baby fennel
1 bunch rainbow chard
1 pound snap peas & 1 pound shell peas
2 bunches arugula
1 bunch kale & 1 bunch rapini
1 head flashy butter gem
1 head Sucrine romaine
1 bunch dill
1 bunch chives
1 head garlic
There are no flowers today.
Extra Fruit Shares Contain:
12-13 Perfection apricots
2# Skeena cherries
½ pint raspberries or blackcap raspberries

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Recipes

Don’t despair; beginning next week summer’s produce will begin to appear in your boxes. Beginning with broccoli, summer squash and potatoes to be followed by cherry tomatoes and tomatillos-we can hardly wait!

Crisp Korean Style Vegetable Crepes:
From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman:
-Mix 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup white flour, 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1 TBS neutral oil and 1½ cups water until it forms a smooth batter.
-Let the batter rest while you grate/chop up the vegetables.
-Slice up 1 bunch of chives or scallions into thins slivers.
-Shell a few handfuls of peas or chop up a some snap peas.
-Grate 3-4 carrots and finely chop half a bunch of dill or basil.
-When you are ready to prepare the crepes, stir in the vegetables and herbs.
-Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
-When hot coat the bottom with oil, then ladle in a quarter of the batter and spread it out evenly.
-Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the bottom is browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5, then repeat.
-Remove the pancakes as they are done and then cut them into small triangles and serve with soy sauce.

Pasta with Fennel, Cannellini Beans, Capers and Lemon:
-Boil 1# of pasta, Penne works well.
-Thinly slice 1 bunch of fennel bulbs, grate 2 carrots and then chop 3-5 cloves of garlic and some fresh dill or basil.
-Sauté in olive oil until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
-Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly groung black pepper.
-Toss the vegetables with the cooked pasta and sprinkle in some capers or pitted Kalamata olives, a can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans and cook until warmed through.
-Add the juice of 1 fresh lemon.
-Sprinkle the top of the pasta with lots of freshly grated Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

Orrechiette Carbonara:
-Dice up 4-6 pieces of thick cut bacon and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7-8 minutes.
-Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and transfer to a paper towel to drain.
-Pour off all but 2 TBS of the bacon fat from the skillet.
-Chop up 1 bunch chives and set aside.
-Chop up 1 bunch fennel bulbs and 3-5 cloves of garlic.
-Wash and chop up 1 bunch of rapini and/or 1 bunch of rainbow chard, stems and all.
-Add the fennel, rapini or chard and garlic to the bacon fat and sauté until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Set pan aside.
-Cook 10 ounces of orecchiette pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 6-8 minutes.
-Drain pasta reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
-Whisk 2 room temperature eggs and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl until blended. -Gradually whisk in ¼ cup of the pasta water.
-Add cooked pasta to the fennel rapini/chard mixture and stir to heat. Remove pan from heat.
-Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are slightly cooked, about 2 minutes.
-Add some more of the remaining pasta water if necessary.
-Stir in the chopped chives. Serve pasta with additional Parmesan.

Baked Chicken with Fennel, Carrots, Garlic and Herbs:
-Position your oven rack in the middle and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
-Rinse and pat dry 1 cut up chicken, or 4 breasts. Season with salt and pepper.
-Cut 1 bunch of carrots and 1 bunch of fennel bulbs into large pieces.
-In a large baking pan combine the vegetables, adding 8 whole cloves of garlic, 4 TBS fresh minced dill or parsley and 2 TBS olive oil.
-Lay the chicken in the baking pan on top/nestled into the vegetables and sprinkle a little more olive oil on the chicken.
-Add a splash of sherry or white wine to the pan.
-Bake the chicken for 45-55 minutes until the juices run clear.

Sesame Snap Peas with Baked Tofu:
For the baked tofu; cut 1# of tofu into 1-inch cubes.
-Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle generously with olive oil and soy sauce and toss.
-Sprinkle with salt and bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
For the snap peas: Combine ¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock, 1 TBS soy sauce and 2 tsp toasted sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.
-In a dry skillet, toast 2 TBS sesame seeds until lightly browned. Set aside.
-Take the strings off of .5# of snap peas and chop up 1 bunch of bok choy.
-Put 3 cloves of garlic through a garlic press.
-Slice up a 2 inch piece of ginger into 1/2 inch pieces and then put it through the garlic press too.
-In another larger pan, heat 1 TBS peanut oil until shimmering but not smoking.
-Then add the snap peas and bok choy and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
-Add the garlic and ginger and cook until about 20 seconds more.
-Add the stock, cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking until peas are just tender, about 2 min.
-Uncover and reduce sauce, another 1-2 minutes.
-Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve along side tofu.

Roasted Rapini with Garlic and Sea Salt:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Leaving the rubber band on, wash 1 bunch of rapini and shake dry.
-Take whole leaves and place them in a pile on a large baking sheet.
-Sprinkle with olive oil.
-Press 2 cloves of garlic through a garlic press and add to the leaves.
-Toss well and then lay flat on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt.
-Bake for 10-12 minutes until leaves are crispy and brown but not burned.
-Eat warm as a side dish or just a snack.

Easy Peanut Sauce with Sautéed Greens:
Serve over or sautéed bok choy, kale, rainbow chard or rapini.
To make the peanut sauce: Put 3 heaping TBS of unsweetened peanut butter into a small saucepan over medium heat.
-Add 1 tsp red or green Thai curry or chili paste.
-Open a can of coconut milk and add a splash to the peanut butter/chili mixture.
-Stir over low hear until incorporated.
-Then add the rest of the can of coconut milk, 3 cloves of chopped garlic, some chopped dill or basil, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice wine vinegar and stir until smooth.
-Serve this sauce over top of the cooked greens.
To make the greens: Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large pan.
-Add 1 bunch chopped greens, either bok choy, kale, rapini and/or chard.
-When the greens are wilted, about 5-7 minutes, taste for salt and add a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Roasted Peanuts:
-Fry 3-4 TBS whole raw peanuts in 1 tsp peanut oil until golden brown.
-Chop up the peanuts with 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and set aside.
-Slice the stems off of 1 bunch of bok choy, and cut the stems into ½ inch pieces. Leave the leaves whole.
-Chop up 5 garlic cloves. Mince up 4 tsp fresh ginger.
-Put a wok or sturdy pan over high heat and add 1 more tsp peanut oil.
-When hot, add the garlic and 4 tsp minced fresh ginger and stir-fry for about 1 minute.
-Then add the bok choy stems and leaves and stir-fry until wilted and glossy.
-Mix together 2 TBS soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch and 3 TBS cold water.
-Stir in 1/3 bunch finely chopped chives.
-Add to the pan and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed peanut mixture and serve.

Easy Arugula Salad:
Arugula tends to bruise or wilt very easily, hence this simple vinegar free preparation keeps the leaves tender and nutty.It is best to eat arugula within a day or 2 of receiving it.
-Leaving the rubber band on, swish 1-2 bunches of arugula gently in cold water.
-Shake the bunch dry and then chop the arugula into I inch segments, discarding the stems and rubber band.
-Spin the leaves dry in a salad spinner and place in a serving bowl.
-Press 2 garlic cloves through a garlic press. Stir into 2 TBS olive oil.
-Gently toss the arugula with the garlic oil and a pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper.
-Serve with slices of fresh lemon along side what ever is for dinner.

Kale and Ricotta Salata Salad:
From the January 2007 issue of Gourmet Magazine.
-Cut out and discard center ribs and stems of 1 bunch of kale.
-Cut the kale into very thin slices.
-Whisk together the juice of 1 fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper.
-Then whisk in 4 TBS of extra virgin olive oil in a thin steady stream.
-Place the kale in a salad bowl along with 1/2 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata cheese.
-Toss with dressing to coat and season with salt and pepper.


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Helsing Junction Farm
12013 Independence Road, Rochester, WA 98579 | (360)273-2033
helsingfarm@gmail.com | www.helsingfarmcsa.com

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