October 17, 2021
From Our Farmers
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Fresher Together Chicago
@ FresherTogether www.freshertogether.com
Bell Peppers, Beets, Turnips, Tulsi, Rosemary, Basil, Swiss Chard, Garlic
Urban Eden Chicago
Website coming soon - Farm is located at @insidetheplant
Micro Greens
Hinata Farms Chicago
@hinatafarms https://www.hinatafarms.com/
Eggplant, Green Onions
Bee-utiful Chicago
@bee_utifulhoney www.bee-utifulbees.com
Honey
Never hesitate to reach out if you’re unsure what to do with things in your bag! FresherTogether @ gmail.com or text 312-88-Fresh (3-7374)
Welcome to this week’s Harvest Bag! We hope you enjoy!
Welcome to all our new folks who are getting the bag for the first time! Check out the notes we left for you below and scroll through to find ideas from previous weeks! And don’t hesitate to text us or email us for ideas, support or questions!
A fist full of tulsi power
Tulsi- is an Ayurvedic herb also called Holy Basil. We include it pretty frequently in the Weekly bag because we love it and all the magic that comes along with it.
Use Ideas: Makes a great tea! Hot or Iced! Dry it and add it to your honey for an infused honey. Throw a little in your stir-fry or salad.
Benefits: My favorite benefits - It’s an adaptogen and helps with stress reduction. It also is a powerful anti-inflammatory.
But Fresh, Now we have too much tulsi! Now what?
You mean you don’t want to make tons of tulsi infusions now? Well, just save it for later. This winter when our tulsi plants are long gone, you can still be enjoying it. Whether you just want to smell the scent of tulsi magic in the middle of winter, or. you want to have it in a hot drink, you can dry it now and save it all winter long. Wash your tulsi in a bowl of cool water. Shake off the excess water and lay it out flat on some paper towels or a nice clean towel. You can blot off some of the excess moisture and leave the tulsi to dry. To help it dry quicker you can place it in front of the gentle breeze of a fan. or if you have a dehydrator do that! when it’s dry you can break up the tulsi and put it into a jar and close the lid tight. Throw it into your spice drawer/cabinet or tea rack. Keep it in a cool dark place and enjoy it whenever the mood hits.
What to do with a single beet?
Make a great appetizer or side dish of Chef Fresh's Beet green patties with the tops, chop up the stems and greens. Or Saute up the greens and eat like you would spinach.
Roast the beet and slice it to top a salad, or eat with your plate of food like you would your cranberry sauce
or
Blend up your roasted beet with some lemon juice, herbs, and olive oil to make a great beet vinaigrette. (Throw your garlic in to roast too while. you’re at it. yum)
or
juice it raw with a few of the greens from your swiss chard for a great drink! Add other items to make it sweet, or fun. Ginger, agave, apples, carrots?
Chef Fresh Beet Green Patties
My suggestion is find your favorite crab cake or salmon croquette recipe and instead of the seafood chop up the beet greens and stems and mix those in in the place of crab or salmon. Or feel free to try the recipe below. I hold recipes very loosely. Please add your own flare to this one! This week it would be great to add some of the African Pepper sauce if you want! or fresh garlic instead of powder, or green onions too. I often put a spoon full of mayo or vegan mayo in mine to help hold it together. Do you! and Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
6+ fresh beet leaves (or however many you have to use)
1 fresh eggs
¾ cup of panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp flour
garlic powder
Lemon Juice
Dill and other herbs of your choice
Old Bay Seasoning TT
salt
Chop finely beet leaves, add eggs, panko, flour. Mix. Add garlic powder, dill, old bay and salt. Form into small burger like patties. Heat the pan Coat bottom of your frying pan. Place patties in a hot pan and sear on each side. Finish in the oven if needed.
Don’t want to cook them on top of the stove? You can also bake them in the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat baking pan, or a cast iron skillet preferred, with a little oil. Lay down the the patties. Bake for ~7 min on 1 side, then turn over and bake for an additional 3- 5 mins or until done.