Weekly Weeder

Olin-Fox Farms Volume No. 11 Issue No. 2 January 21, 2009

www.olinfoxfarms.com Winter Season Week 2

STANDARD REMINDER

Please be sure to wash your weekly share thoroughly before serving. To preserve freshness, it is NOT ‘table ready’ (i.e., pre-washed). We deliver your Olin-Fox Farms’ produce right from the fields to ensure highest quality.

This is the Second week of the Winter 2009 Program.

Next Week is an OFF Week.

The remaining 2 Winter Program pickups are:

February 4-7; and February 18-21.

Schedules can be found on our website, www.olinfoxfarms.com.

This Week's News From The Farms

We hope you enjoyed the fruit last week. As one member stated, “if I could get citrus like this regularly, I would give up candy.” Yes, it was a real treat, and if the weather keeps up with the Arctic blasts we've been getting, we may have to bring more citrus up and give Florida tomatoes another try.

The recent weather has damaged a number of crops to be harvested for the winter, and has set some back. The lettuces we had hoped for this week needed additional heat in the greenhouse to keep them from freezing. And, their growth had slowed them to the point where they were not ready for harvest this week.

Broccoli and some of the other greens will need an additional week or two to recover. On the other hand, it has been perfect conditions for harvesting Jerusalem Artichokes that are actually much better after a good freeze.

This winter has proven to be harder on our crops than in the past two winters. But, as a precautionary measure, we loaded up on some really fine wildflower honey late last summer, because there is none available now.

In any given season, the crops will fluctuate from a heavy harvest one week to a lean harvest in some others. But, be assured that over the course of the season, you will receive your money's worth.

This week's featured produce is Jerusalem Artichokes, also known as Sun Chokes.

Recipes and Information

Collards and Kale

This week's mix of collards and kale is a delicious and nutritious combination. Cook them as you would any type of leafy green. Greens can be steamed or sauteed in olive oil. A recent discovery by us is to add chopped leafy greens to spaghetti sauce!

Jerusalem Artichokes

Most of the information is taken from: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/jerusart.html

Jerusalem Artichokes are native to North America, and many know them as a weed. Native Americans ate them prior to the European discovery of America. The explorer Champlain took them back to France in 1605 and by the middle 1600s they were used as human as well as livestock food in that country. In fact, at the present time in France, Jerusalem Artichokes are often used in wine and beer production.

There are a couple theories about how Jerusalem Artichokes got their name. One possibility is that North American pilgrims came up with the name because they were a new food in the “new Jerusalem.”

Another idea is that the word Jerusalem is similar to the Italian word for sunflower – girasol. In the fall, Jerusalem Artichokes have beautiful bright yellow flowers and they are in the sunflower family.

The third possibility is that a man from Ter-Heusen, Holland distributed his “artichoke apples” throughout Europe. Ter-Heusen was morphed into Jerusalem in the United States.

Jerusalem Artichokes are are high in Potassium, and have the reputation of helping people with diabetic conditions, to regulate their insulin.

Clean well with a brush to remove the soil, whether eating raw or cooked. Be sure to leave the peel on, because most of the nutrients lie just below the peel.

Jerusalem Artichokes can be eaten raw and unpeeled, and some compare them in texture to water chestnuts. Delicious grated into a salad!

They can be steamed or stir-fryed. In general, cook them as you would potatoes. Flavor with a little salt and butter, or with parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!