Enjoy the LOCAL Bounty This Weekend From Brenham, TX and Cleburne, TX
We told you more local produce was coming soon! Here are some of the LOCAL produce items planned* to be in this weekend’s co-op style produce shares. There are many more items in your share, but this is just a feature of the local ones.
*When working with fresh produce, availability can sometimes change last-minute. We do our best to let you know what’s coming ahead of time, but sometimes things do change, especially when working with local farmers. Thanks for your understanding!
*To keep your produce fresher longer, check out these produce storage tips.
Cabbage ~ Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, TX
Recipe ideas…
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Russian Red Kale ~ Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, TX
Russian Red kale is thick, juicy and chewy. Match this kale with grilled sausages, pork or turkey. You can also match Russian Red with grains, roots, dried fruits and nuts. You only want to eat the leaves, which will be chewy. The stems will be too thick to eat.
Here’s how to prepare Russian Red: strip out the mature stems, no amount of cooking will soften them. Hold the lower leaf base up in one hand and pull the stem downward with the other. Simply strip away the leaf. Be sure to rinse the leaf pieces.
Blanch Russian Red in salted water, drain then sauté. Sauté this kale in olive or nut oil, butter, bacon, or pancetta. You can season with olives, garlic, chilli, cumin, caraway, fennel, anise, or toasted sesame oil. If you want a stronger flavor, braise Russian Red in stock. Cook until tender, but remember this kale is not going to melt in your mouth like curly kale.
Recipe Ideas…
- Super Easy Kale with Pecans
- Kale Chips Taste Like French Fries But They’re Much Healthier – kids will love ’em!
- Give Kale A Chance – recipes & nutrition info
- Cider-Braised Kale with Sweet Cherries
- Beetza
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Broccoli Crowns – Home Sweet Farm in Brenham, TX
Store broccoli unwashed in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator. Fresh broccoli will keep up to 10 days. This broccoli will be super fresh and tender! You’ll be able to distinguish it from California broccoli because the local broccoli will be just individual crowns. California broccoli will be rubber-banded and bundled.
Try these recipes…
- The Best Broccoli Of Your Life
- The Pioneer Woman’s Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Jenni Stolarski’s Turnips, Broccoli, and Sausage
- Grass-Fed Beef Lettuce Wraps with Broccoli
- Detox Green Soup with Broccoli, Spinach, and Ginger
- Cream of Broccoli Soup with Coconut Milk
- Broccoli Basil Mac and Cheese
- Fresh Broccoli Salad
Or one of our favorite simple ways to cook broccoli: sautée onions and broccoli in a pan with coconut oil or butter until softened. Add sliced chicken breast or ground beef and cook, then season with salt, pepper, and garlic. YUM.
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Purple Top Turnips ~ Morrison Organic Farm in Cleburne, TX
If you were ever traumatized as a child by being forced to “eat your turnips,” we urge you to give them another chance!
Recipe ideas…
- Jenni Stolarski’s Turnips, Broccoli, and Sausage
- Purple Top Turnip Purée
- Roasted Potatoes and Turnips
- Turnip Home Fries – Indian style
Another great way to eat turnips? Steam them until tender and eat with butter and sea salt. Simple. Delicious.
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Mustard Greens – ~ Morrison Organic Farm in Cleburne, TX
The cholesterol-lowering ability of steamed mustard greens is second only to steamed collard greens and steamed kale in a recent study of cruciferous vegetables and their ability to bind bile acids in the digestive tract. No matter how much time you have (or don’t have), it’s easy to add some zesty mustard greens to the dinner table.
Recipe ideas:
- Mustard Greens vs. The Clock (3 recipes)
- Chili-Garlic Mustard Greens
- Urban Acres Dinner, Inspired By Member Lilly
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Red Radishes – ~ Morrison Organic Farm in Cleburne, TX
Radishes and radish leaves are an excellent source of vitamin C. Globe radishes are a very good source of the trace mineral molybdenum and a good source of folic acid and potassium. The radish belongs to the brassica group of vegetables, which include cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. Numerous studies suggest that brassica vegetables are protective against cancers of the lungs and alimentary tract. Score!
Want some incredibly tasty ideas for how to enjoy those beautiful fresh radishes? (Warning, you might become addicted to the radish sandwich!)
Recipe ideas…
Urban Acres 
I recognized everything in my bin this week except the small root vegetables that weren’t turnips or radishes – are they some sort of beet?
Jerica, yes there were a few different kinds of beets included. Please enter “beet” into the search box on the right side of the page and some recipes will come up! Enjoy!