Subject: Weekly Food Box

From: Geordie Ouchterlony <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 14:06:44 -0300

Hello Everyone,

Here is a link to the next available food box,

http://www.hgof.ns.ca/weeklyfo.htm

Please take a moment to check it out.  Also, please take a look at some of 
the changes that have been made to our additional grocery item product 
order page at,

http://www.hgof.ns.ca/productd.htm

Following is a copy of last week's newsletter complete with a few recipe 
ideas for you.

May 13 , 2000

Greetings Everyone,
The greens have begun to arrive.  Starting with spring kale and moving into 
the baby spinach, this is only the beginning.  I am told that Hot House 
Tomatoes are going to be available for next week.  It appears that the long 
winter wait is now over.  The other really exciting addition to the box 
this week is the asparagus.  We have been waiting for three years for this 
crop and as you will notice they have not been picked a day too 
soon.  Presumably, everyone knows what to do with this precious gift from 
the gods but if you don’t, I recommend sataying the asparagus in butter and 
garlic and seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  I hope that 
everyone enjoys the goodness of these new arrivals.  Keep reading for more 
recipe ideas.
Garden Tips
Here are Mel Bartholomew's garden tips for your square foot 
garden.   Square Foot Gardening is an efficiency-based plant growing system 
that quickly produces bountiful flowers and high yield vegetable harvests 
with minimal effort and space.  Keep your garden small, and you'll keep up 
your interest and enthusiasm all year long. Each 4 X 4-ft. block is 
separated by a narrow walking path. Edge each block with string, bricks, 
lumber or make a raised bed with lumber. Divide each block into 16 squares 
with string or sticks. Then plant a different crop in each square. Don't 
overplant (just a pinch of seeds in each space) or crowd your seedlings. 
Rotate your crops, and stagger planting time so harvest is staggered, too. 
For lots of one thing, plant an entire block with 16 cabbage, broccoli and 
cauliflower plants, for example, and rotate to another block the next year. 
The same goes with peppers and eggplant.
An essential gardening companion for new and old gardeners is The Garden 
Wheel. Companion planting is a centuries-old technique used for controlling 
pests and improving harvests. The Garden Wheel quickly tells you the 
friends and foes of 40 common herbs and vegetables. With one glance you can 
see which crops to plant together, and which to keep apart.  Contact Home 
Grown to have a garden wheel included with your next order.  For more info 
on this incredible time saver visit  http://www.hgof.ns.ca/garden.htm
Storage Hints
Greens are best stored in plastic bags in the crisper and it is a good idea 
to take them out once a day to allow for any condensation to escape.  The 
radishes can be stored in a similar fashion.  Garlic wants to be cool and 
dry, best kept out of the fridge beside the onions.  The onion greens, 
however, should go along with the beet greens and the spinach in a clear, 
plastic bag in the crisper.  The potatoes store really well in the paper 
bags that they arrive in.  You are wise to put them right on the top shelf, 
next to the O.J.  Feel free to call if you have any further questions about 
storage.
Recipe Ideas
For recipe ideas, please call me during the week if you are really 
stumped.  Web surfers are welcome to send me an email to let me know what 
items you are having difficulty with and I will do my best to help you find 
a way to put those organic vegies to good use.  For starters, here are a 
couple of suggestions.

Spinach Lasagna
Lasagna: 12 sheets
Spinach: 350 g. (12.30 oz.)
Peeled tomatoes: 400 g. (14.10 oz.)
Parmesan cheese (grated): 60 g. (2.10 oz.)
Extra-virgin olive oil: 3 table spoons
Onions: 2
Garlic: 1 clove
Carrots: 2
Salt, pepper and oregano

For the Béchamel:
Butter: 30 g. (1 oz.)                           Flour: 2 table spoons
Milk: 40 cl. (13.50 fl.oz.)                     Parmesan cheese (grated): 
100 g. (3.50 oz.)
Salt and pepper
         Peel and mince the onion and the garlic; slightly peel and grate 
the carrots. Warm one spoon of oil in a pan and brown onion, carrots and 
garlic on an average fire. With a mixer reduce the tomatoes to mash and 
flavour it with salt, pepper and oregano.
Prepare the béchamel, melting the butter in a little casserole over a low 
fire; add the flour and mix vigorously, until a foamy mixture is 
obtained.  Add the warm milk and let it cook for about 5 minutes since the 
sauce boils. Out from the fire, add the grated Parmesan and adjust with 
salt and pepper. Boil spinach for about 5 minutes, drain, strongly squeeze 
and mince. Cook the lasagna al dente in 4 liters (33.80 fl oz) of salt 
water. Drain and put them on a clean kitchen towel. Oil an oven-pot. Put on 
its bottom 4 sheets of lasagna, over it put a layer of spinach, one third 
of the browned onions and 20 g. (0.70 oz.) of parmesan.
                     Add just a bit of pepper and salt. Repeat one more 
time and finish with a layer of lasagna, with the béchamel and the 
remainder of the parmesan.  Put in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 30 
minutes.
                     Serve at once.
Curried Spinach and Onion Pizza
        1 Tbsp. olive oil                                2 cups sliced onions
        1 1/2 tsp. curry powder                  1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
        1 garlic clove, minced                           5 cups packed 
spinach leaves
        Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste                Your 
favourite pizza dough
        1 Tbsp. Cornmeal                         1/2 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese
        2 Tbsp. cashews, chopped                 1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add onions. Cook 
the onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are light 
brown.  Add the curry powder, fennel and garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 
minute. Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water, and stir until the spinach 
wilts. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 450F. On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough to a 
round about 8 inches in diameter, and place both rounds on a baking sheet 
sprinkled with cornmeal (you may need two baking sheets). Spoon the 
onion-spinach mixture onto the two pizzas. Bake pizzas in the bottom third 
of oven for 5 minutes.  Remove them, then sprinkle on the cheese and the 
cashews. Cook pizza for 3 minutes more. Top each pizza with cilantro, slice 
and serve.
Source: Emmons, Vegetarian Planet

Pasta with Spinach and Potatoes
Potatoes with pasta are not as strange as you might think, especially since 
thoroughly cooked potatoes provide creaminess without fat.

10 ounces potatoes, washed              1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped                1 bunch spinach, cleaned and cut 
into 1/2-inch strips
Sea salt to taste                       1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
14 ounces short pasta such as penne, cooked and drained with 1/3 cup of 
water reserved  6 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Cut potatoes into very thin slices. Put into saucepan fitted with a steamer 
basket and about 3/4 inch water. Cover and steam over medium heat until 
very tender, about 20 minutes.

Put 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium-low heat. Add garlic and 
cook 11/2 to 2 minutes, just until it begins to turn a very light golden 
colour. Add spinach and cook, tossing a few times until just wilted, about 
5 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper and thyme and toss again. Add pasta, 
remaining oil and just enough cooking water until mixture has a light 
coating but isn’t soupy. Add Parmesan, toss and serve.
Source: Tantillo and Gugino, Eat Fresh, Stay Healthy.

Community Announcements - North End Garden Association
It has been tentatively confirmed (over the phone) that we have received 
$6200 in cash and $4134 in in-kind support for our garden project this 
year!  We also can hire two students through the Nova Scotia Youth 
Conservation Corps program. If you know anyone who's interested I can send 
you the job description.  Now comes the tough part... we still need plenty 
of volunteers to turn plots, plant trees and shrubs, build terraces, do 
community outreach and research, etc., as well as Association members and 
gardeners to fill the new plots we're going to build.  We are planning a 
barbecue/media event in the garden (Brunswick and Gerrish Streets) for 
Saturday, May 27 from 11:00 - 1:00, with face-painting and seed planting 
for the kids, and (as far as I know) FREE food.

That's all,

Geordie Ouchterlony

Choose Local, Organic Food:
Good for You.  Good for the Earth.

Home Grown Organic Foods
Halifax, Nova Scotia

http://www.hgof.ns.ca

[email-masked]