Did you know that we sponsored the 1st annual Buy Local Fair? This year it was held May 23rd from 2 - 6pm at the Visual Arts Association. If you want to check out pics from the fun click here.

Green Garlic Soup (by "The Amateur Gourmet")

You will need:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
24 young garlic plants, 1/2 inch in diameter at the root end, white part only (8 oz.), halved lengthwise
3/4 cup water
1 pound, 6 ounces small red potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 quarts light-bodied chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Sourdough bread (on the side, grilled)

Melt the butter in a 6-quart noncorroding pot. Add the garlic and 1/4 cup of the water:

Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the potatoes and remaining 1/2 cup water

and cook at a simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cover the pot, and allow to bubble gently for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender (or with a hand blender) for two minutes. Stir in the cream and salt. Add the vinegar, 1 teaspoon at a time, tasting the soup after each addition before you add the next. (Some vinegars are more acidic and strongly flavored than others.)

Reheat the soup gently and serve. Top it with ground black pepper and a spicy garlic oil for a delicious finish.

Buttermilk

Once considered a poor man's milk derived from the liquid that remains after butter is churned, buttermilk is now a kitchen staple to love!

1) Take your Meemaw's advice and pour it in a glass to dip cornbread in, then drink.

2) Use it as a tenderizer: The acid in buttermilk makes it a great meat tenderizer -- that's one of the reasons you see it called for in so many fried chicken recipes. Its thick consistency also helps bread crumbs stick for perfect frying.

3) Use it in salad dressings: Buttermilk can serve as a stand-in for some or all of the mayonnaise in dressings, coleslaw and potato salad. Just remember, due to its natural acidity, you may need a bit less lemon juice in your recipe.

4) Use it in baking: Buttermilk is known to make great pancakes, cakes, biscuits and muffins. Experiment with replacing the cream or milk in your favorite cakes with buttermilk and you'll love the flavor, moisture and texture.

5) Use it as an acid medium to soak grains: Using whole grains in your cooking/baking is the first and one of the most significant steps you can take towards improving nutrition. The only drawback to using whole grains is that they can be difficult for your body to digest: enter soaking. There are many benefits to soaking grains before using them, and buttermilk is a perfect acid medium to use that also enhances flavor!

Still not inspired? Never fear, trusty old Martha Stewart is featuring Buttermilk in the Fresh Southern Cooking section of her webpage where she teaches you how to make buttermilk cheeses, pies, and cakes galore!

"I missed my pick-up, what do I do?"

Scenario #1 If you know ahead of time on your pick-up day that you will not be available, have a friend or relative stop by to get it for you. We are always flexible and will happily accommodate last-minute changes.

RESLOUTION = happy, satisfied, holding yummy vegetables

Scenario #2 You couldn't find anyone to go to your pick-up for you OR the heat of summer made you loose track of the days and you completely forgot. Feel free to stop by our warehouse during the following hours:

Thursday from 10am - 6pm [missed Wednesday]

Friday from 10 am - 3pm [missed Thursday]

Monday from 9 am - 12pm [missed Friday]

RESOLUTION=happy, satisfied, holding yummy vegetables

Because of produce spoilage and the amount of product going in and out of our warehouse, we are not able to hold your share more than 1 business day after your originally scheduled pick-up. Exceptions for Friday pick-ups, shares available only through Monday morning. After Monday at 12, all produce not claimed from the previous week, is donated to local charities in Louisville.

The Great Milk Debate: part 1

We are convinced that the less processing done to our foods the better. This is one reason we offer a milk share from JD Country Milk [formerly Rebecca Grace] to our CSA shareholders. They are a "family owned and operated dairy farm/processing plant located in Logan County KY." Their milk is quality hormone free milk that comes from pasture grazed cows who are never given antibiotics or hormones. "Instead they are fed a vitamin enriched diet and all the grass they can eat."! The milk is low temp pasteurized, non-homogenized, and available in glass jars for best storage.

Why is milk (and meat) from “grass-fed” animals so important?

If you can find grass-fed dairy products, you’ll be getting even closer to healthy real milk. “Real Food: What to Eat and Why” explains that "cows on grass contain more omega-3 fats, more vitamin A, and more beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Butter and cream from grass-fed cows are a rare source of the unique and beneficial fat CLA…CLA prevents heart disease, fights cancer, and builds lean muscle. It aids weight loss in several ways: by decreasing the amount of fat stored after eating, increasing the rate at which fat cells are broken down, and reducing the number of fat cells.

Why is Hormone-free milk so important? Avoid milk with synthetic growth hormones: rBGH. Most store-bought milk comes from cows given synthetic growth hormones to increase milk production and profits for the dairy industry. Not only is it uncomfortable and unhealthy for the cows, it has also been linked to cancer, and early puberty in girls – this is highly debated, but if it makes cows more prone to illness (and shortens their lifespan by half), can it be good for us to drink?

Why is Non-homogenized milk so important? When Milk is homogenized all of the fat-globules are dispersed and decreased in size. The result is that none of the cream rises to the top and this decreased size makes it difficult for the body to digest or extract nutrients correctly. Unlike polyunsaturated fats, which the body tends to store, the saturated fats in milk are rapidly burned for energy. Not only that, we absorb more calcium from the cream in milk, which in turn helps us lose weight. The butter fat found in milk helps the body digest the protein, and bones require saturated fats in particular to lay down calcium. The cream on the milk contains the vital fat-soluble vitamins A and D. Without the natural occurrence of vitamin D in the milk, less than 10% of dietary calcium can even be absorbed.

SCAPES & links:

The unfamiliar can be scary. But rest assured, scapes are your friend. Really.
'What do I do with them?' you ask. We will let some experts weigh in with some delicious recommendations.

Put them in a dip: New York Times.
Put them in a pesto: the Amateur Gourmet.
Or in a fritata: Eat it or Wear it

Are you a garlic scape lover who dreams of spring for the enjoyment of this delicious treat? Share the love and send us some of your favorite recipes!

CSA 2010

Our Spring/Summer CSA is in full swing, but it is not too late to get signed up! Log onto our webpage [www.grasshoppersdistribution.com] to complete an application and give us a call to find out the decreased cost of signing up late :)