Category: Words from Tristan

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A Local Fundraiser With Both International and Local Benefits

For the Klesick family and our farm business, being generous is an important core value and our giving tends to follow our connections to the people we know. A few years ago, the Oso mudslide happened and since I have family in Oso, we were able to give more directly to the needs of the community through my local contacts. Then there was the Pateros Fire. Once again we were able to give more directly to those most affected because of our local contacts with some farmers that supply much of the fruit we put in our boxes.

Through each of these tragedies, you, our local customers, partnered with us to make the lives of people you will never meet better. You are a generous bunch! J

And now, we have Hurricane Matthew. A few years ago, some friends from the Stanwood/Camano Island community moved to Haiti to work in an orphanage and at a local medical clinic. When Hurricane Matthew ripped through Haiti more than a few needs surfaced. Haiti is already challenged as a nation and the Hurricane was another blow to an already poor infrastructure.

As a family, we increased our giving to help them meet the local needs in the community they serve, but Maleah, our intrepid 12 y/o, wanted to do more. She reached out to Ryan and Jill Dolan directly and asked what she could to do help. Jill responded:

“Behind our home, up the mountain is the small village of Geffrard, pronounced as Jeffwa. They have one school and it fell down during the hurricane. The students have not had school since the hurricane hit our area on October 4th. There are six classrooms, with a total of 200 students.”

 

With that Maleah leapt into action and here’s how the rest of the story unfolded:

 

A NOTE FROM MALEAH KLESICK

I am partnering with Klesick Farms to raise $500 by the end of this week (12/17). They still need 130 sheets of metal roofing to complete the roof. By partnering with us, together we can help them rebuild their school.

There are two ways to give:

1. You can help by purchasing a Food Bank Box of produce for $28.00. Klesick Farms will deliver the box to the food bank for Christmas and donate $10 to the Rebuild a Roof for a School project.

2. You can donate $5.00 for each sheet of metal roofing. Donate any amount.

Please go to: www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/Haiti and let’s help this community get their kids back to school. All proceeds will go to rebuild the school roof. Any additional monies raised will be used by the Dolan family to operate the orphanage and medical clinic.

 

 

Tristan Klesick

Father of a future Community Activist

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Totally Caught Off Guard

Each week I normally log in about 10 – 12 hours of volunteer work on the Sustainable Land Strategy (SLS) forum. The SLS is a non-regulatory group of farmers, tribal and environmental members who were convened by Snohomish County to promote collaboration and build relationships. There are four Farmers and four Environmental members (two Tribal, two Restoration).

Back in 2010, the goal of then Council Member Dave Somers (now County Executive) was to change the adversarial and contentious relationships between Farming and Environmental groups. No small task! A new way of doing business was needed and so with good facilitation, the SLS began the arduous task of bridging damaged relationships and working together.

In 2015 I was asked to join the SLS and in 2016 became the Ag caucus chair. Terry Williams from the Tulalip Tribes serves as the Fish caucus chair. Terry’s years of service in DC and in Snohomish County have laid a path of trust and collaboration to begin this important work.

Every year the 45 Conservation Districts across Washington State have an annual meeting and an awards banquet. This year I had been invited to speak and talk about SLS and the work we are doing in Snohomish County. I had also been invited to stay for lunch. Though I really needed to get back to the farm and my “paying” job, Monte Marti, the Snohomish Conservation District Director, pressed me to stay. I reluctantly relented. About half way through lunch, the proverbial “light bulb” came on. This was an Awards Banquet!

This year, the Vim Wright “Building Bridges” Award was presented to Terry Williams and Tristan Klesick. I did not see that coming. To be mentioned in the same breath with Vim Wright and Terry Williams is an incredible honor.

Vim Wright served both Colorado and Washington and worked tirelessly to build better communities for people and wildlife (especially non-game wildlife). She served on many committees and founded many more. Towards the end of her life she left her imprint on farming and conservation by establishing the Farming and the Environment program and serving on the Washington State Conservation Commission. The words on the award capture her spirit and the goal of the SLS: “We salute and recognize your continuing efforts in support of conservation through collaboration and working tirelessly with traditional agricultural, environmental and tribal communities on conservation projects and helping to develop a better mutual understanding of one another.”

An award is a moment in time, but without lots of people working together, none of it would be possible. My name might be on the plaque, but as I walked up to receive the award I couldn’t help but think of Joelle, our children, the Klesick team, the SLS team, and you, our Klesick customers. This is an award for the entire Klesick Farm Community.

Thank you for believing in Klesick Farms. Together we are doing great things and I look forward to doing more great things tomorrow.

Farmer/Health Advocate

Tristan Klesick

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Planning for Your Holiday Meal

Planning for Your Holiday Meal

Every Thanksgiving holiday season we offer a special Holiday Box ($40) full of traditional organic Thanksgiving meal items for your celebration. Not only can you schedule a Holiday Box to be delivered the week of Thanksgiving, but it is also available the week before and the week after (available Nov. 13-Dec. 3). You can have this box delivered along with your regular order or in place of your regular order (please specify your preference when placing your order). The box menu is as follows:

Holiday Box Menu

Granny Smith Apples, 5 each.

Green Beans, 1 lb.

Cranberries, 7.5 oz.

Garnet Yams, 2 lbs.

Navel Oranges, 4 each.

Carrots, 2 lbs.

Breadcubes for Stuffing, 1 lb.

Yellow Potatoes, 3 lbs.

Celery, 1 bunch

Yellow Onions, 1 lb.

Delicata Squash, 2 ea.

Remembering Neighbors in Need.

If your celebration includes helping the less fortunate who live in our community, we would like to partner with you by giving you the opportunity to purchase a discounted Holiday Donation Box for only $32, to be given to local food banks the week before Thanksgiving. Last year 122 Holiday Donation Boxes were distributed and this year we’d love to have a greater impact. The volunteers at the food banks have expressed again and again how wonderful and satisfying it is to be able to supply people with fresh produce. You can order a Holiday Donation Box here.

 

Tristan Klesick, Farmer/Health Advocate.

 

Read this week’s How to Eat Your Box! here.

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Thanksgiving

What! It’s time to be thinking about Holidays? Do you ever think how we eat our way through the calendar? November – Thanksgiving; December – Christmas; January – New Year’s Day and the Super bowl (Go Hawks!).

If we are not intentional about what we eat, the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) will be. The GMA has a plan for the holidays: more sugar, more GMO’s and more processed packaged foods. It is almost as if celebrating is akin to more CALORIES and not good ones, either. But how does the “intentional” part work itself out? Well, has Thanksgiving moved for the last 152 years? NO! it is always on the 4th Thursday of November. But every year millions of Americans are going to buy the same sugary, GMO laden foods and wonder why on Friday after Thanksgiving the bathroom scale has moved the wrong direction and that they don’t feel all that great either! It’s probably because sugar is fleeting and the aftermath is lasting.

One blogger encouraged their readers to wear pants with elastic to dinner so they won’t be as uncomfortable when they over eat! Okay, we are all probably going to indulge a little with our family and friends. Maybe this year we should plan for the indulgences by eating more intentionally NOW! Start moving the scale in the right direction now, so that when Grandma offers/expects you to have another piece of pie, you will have created some margin for Thanksgiving. I can hear it now, “No thank you. The pecan, pumpkin and apple pies tasted great. Three pieces is plenty, really.” 🙂

Be intentional now or be intentional later. We are all going to have to be intentional at some point. Here at Klesick Farms we like to say, “Eat Better, Feel Better.” It even works in November.

How to Eat Your Box

We are adding a new section to our Newsletter this week. We are calling it “How to Eat Your Box”. Original, eh? Anna, my millennial menu planner, felt like people just aren’t cooking and she wanted to provide some helpful tips. Eating well is not mystical or complicated. With just a few techniques you can be “Zen” master in the kitchen. In fact, most fruits and vegetables are easy to use and are at their healthiest when minimally cooked or prepared. Check it out here on the blog.

Thanksgiving Donation Program

We are making our Holiday Donation Box for Thanksgiving available for ordering this week. Last year, our Box of Good Food Family donated 156 boxes of high quality, super nutritious food to area food banks. Please consider donating one or more boxes to a family in need. You place the order, we pack it, deliver it and a food bank volunteer gets it to a family in need. Super simple, super effective!

Farmer/Health Advocate, Tristan

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Hope

Hope is a necessary ingredient in the battle against cancer. We must believe that healing is possible and hope is an underlying cornerstone for healing to happen. Without hope, hopelessness is left and we can’t have that; we must have hope.

Since we started sharing about cancer this month, the ground swell of support and compassion has been huge.

Last week, I met Leah, a cancer survivor and single mom of two at the Snohomish County Healthy Aging Conference. Whenever I attend a conference or event, I always bring a box of good food to use as a raffle item. And you know what? Leah’s name was drawn.

At the same time, a young couple from our church just received the heart-breaking news that their under 1 y/o daughter Vivian has leukemia. Ugh! I can’t even imagine the thoughts, fears, and despair that is wracking that family.

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end, I would like to continue our cancer conversation and shift it to one day next week. On Wednesday, 11/2, we want to celebrate, grieve, hope and pray with all the people that you and we know who are battling cancer, won the battle over cancer, as well as for those who lost a loved one to cancer.

To do this, we need your help. We need you to send in the names of individuals and families that are fighting cancer. You can share as much of your/their story with us as you feel comfortable. Because sometimes it is helpful to just write down how you are feeling and get your thoughts out.

We are also just as happy to have you share a first name, because on 11/2, when our Klesick Farms team gathers to pray, we know that God already knows the details and we just want to agree with you for healing from cancer and hope to be rekindled in yours and their hearts.

Each of you are also welcome to join us on 11/2 and pray for the individuals and families who are fighting cancer. We will send Facebook and email reminders about the 11/2 details, but for now please click here to submit a name for prayer anonymously, or, email [email protected] the names of anyone you know fighting cancer or DM us on FB so we can gather a list of people to prayer for healing and hope.

Farmer/Health Advocate,

Tristan

 

Recipe: Garlic Butter Mushroom and Spinach Spaghetti

Ingredients:

Olive oil 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons butter 1 bunch spinach, washed, ends cut off Lemon juice, to taste Salt and pepper, to taste 1 package spaghetti Feta cheese, crumbled (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta until tender. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat then add the oil. Fry the mushrooms until deeply golden and cooked through. Add the garlic and butter and fry for another 30 seconds-1 minute, until the garlic is a light golden color. Turn off the heat then add the spinach, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the cooked spaghetti and a splash of the cooking water. Stir the pasta into the sauce and add more water if necessary.

4. Serve with feta cheese.

Recipe adapted from simply-delicious-food.com

 

Know Your Produce: Gold Beets

You may be most familiar with the red beet, but beets come in a variety of colors. One variety is orange, known as the gold beet. A descendant of a sea vegetable, golden beets are a nutrient-rich food high in fiber and potassium. The beet greens are more nutritious than the beets, containing twice the potassium and high in beta carotene and folic acid.

The difference between the red and the orange beet is the pigment compound. Red beets are rich in betalain pigment while orange beets are rich in b-xanthin pigment. Though their pigment color differs, their nutritional benefits are the same.

Steaming and roasting bring out the best flavor that the beet can offer. The skin must be peeled, which is easiest after it has cooked, as it simply slips away from its flesh. Beets pair well with cheese, bacon, apples, fennel, citrus, potatoes, shallots, vinegar, walnuts, smoked and cured fish. Beets will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week or longer if their tops are removed.

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Cancer, Continued

I have been using my blog as a platform to talk about cancer the last few months joining our voice to the national campaign making October Breast Cancer Awareness Month. All those pink ribbons are a rallying point for all cancers.

Breast Cancer has the dubious distinction of being the #1 incidence of Cancer for women. For 2016 the projection is for 247,000 new cases or 29% of the 844,000 new cases of all cancer. #2 incidence for women getting Cancer in 2016 is claimed by Lung and Bronchus Cancer, 106,000 or 13% of all new cases of cancer for women.

However, when we look at the number of moms, sisters, and daughters who will die from cancer this year, ironically, breast cancer is #2 on the list of deaths related to cancer for 2016. Lung and bronchus cancer will claim more lives. In 2016 72,000 (26%) women will die from lung and bronchus cancer and 40,450 (14%) will pass from this life to the next from breast cancer. The total projected deaths for women with cancer in 2016 is 281,400.

For Men the #1 diagnosis for cancer in 2016 is prostrate cancer at 181,000 (21%) followed by lung and bronchus cancer at the rate of 118,000 (14%). And similar to the death rates for women, lung and bronchus cancer will claim more lives in 2016 86,000 (27%) and prostrate cancer at 26,000 (8%) of the 314,000 deaths for 2016. You can find more information about cancer statistics estimates for 2016 here www.cancer.org

Bottom line: these are not statistics! They are moms, dads, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and co-workers–people who are loved and who love. Some of them have lost their battle. Others are just beginning their battle.

If you know anyone fighting this disease, please refer them to us. We would consider it an honor to stand with them in 1) prayer, and 2) by discounting their boxes of good. We believe that these two things are essential to healing–prayer and a diet that’s rich in nutrition primarily from fruits and vegetables.

You can also purchase one of our $30 fruit baskets as a gift either for someone who is fighting cancer, or for any reason (a thank you for a teacher, a birthday gift, anniversary, or just because.) For each fruit basket we deliver, Klesick Farms will donate $5 towards our Healing through Nutrition program. We use these funds to discount the boxes of good for people fighting cancer.

Also, for the rest of October we will be donating $5 for every new customer and returning customer that signs up. Tell your friends and help me discount a box of good for a local family battling cancer.

Thank you,

Tristan, Farmer/Health Advocate

 

 

 

Featured Recipe: Roasted Delicata Squash & Onions

Ingredients:

2 delicata squash 1 medium red onion, sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 °F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise, then crosswise; scoop out the seeds. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss with onion, 1 tablespoon oil and salt in a large bowl. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Roast, stirring once or twice, until tender and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, syrup and mustard in a small bowl. Toss the vegetables with the dressing.

Recipe from eatingwell.com

 

Know Your Produce: Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, often overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli. This is one vegetable that deserves a regular rotation in your diet, however, as it contains an impressive array of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals. For instance, it contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has been shown to help kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer.

Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, it is best eaten accompanied by a dip or cut up and added to salads. When cooked, it can be eaten as a side dish, alone or topped with a sauce, such as gratin, hollandaise, or Mornay.

When storing, cauliflower should be left unwashed. Store in the refrigerator, with stem side down, in an open plastic bag or use a perforated plastic bag. This will avoid excess moisture, which causes the cauliflower to deteriorate faster.

 

 

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Cancer

It would be great if no one ever had to hear those words again. Not from a doctor, a spouse, a mom, a dad, a friend, or a FB post.

I remember making a delivery to a customer’s home. I knew she was fighting cancer and would spend a few minutes visiting with her each delivery. Then one day, she wasn’t home at the time of delivery. Do you ever have that foreboding sense in your spirit? I did, she was gone, moved from this life to the next. It still brings me to tears just writing this.

Another time, a longtime customer had stopped deliveries, and I followed up with a call to check in. There was no answer, so I followed up with an email. I got a reply, “Marty died”. I did have a chance to connect with her husband, but what can you say to someone who has lost their wife, the mother of their children and his best friend.

I hate cancer, I hate what it does to people, I hate what it does to families, the carnage it leaves behind can be ruthless, it certainly is no respecter of persons.

If you are battling cancer, please call us, let us pray with you, let us put a Healing Through Nutrition discount on your deliveries. Please let us partner with you and partner with you in your healing by discounting your boxes of good food.

You are one of the reasons we call our boxes “a box of good”. We don’t care why or how you got cancer, we just want to help you battle this disease with high quality organic fruits and vegetables, help you make one less trip to the grocery store, and have one less thing to think about.

What if I don’t have cancer? Be thankful, but you can help others who do? For the next 3 weeks we are offering fruit Gift Baskets with Pink Ribbons for $30 delivered to you or directly to the person you want to bless.

1. Buy one for a friend or family member who’s battling cancer.

2. Or, just buy one or more as gifts. These will make great gifts for anyone, birthday, anniversary, or just because!

And not only will Klesick Farms deliver your fruit baskets, I will donate $5 for each basket sold toward our Healing through Nutrition program and apply a discount to folks fighting cancer. Order today and we will do the rest.

 

Farmer/Health Advocate

Tristan

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Save the Date

Hey Klesick Farm Community!

We are hosting a brand new event. We are calling it: Inspire: A Community Be Healthy Event. This will be a health fair focusing on good food, wellness, fitness, naturopathic, homeopathic, chiropractic, etc. There will be cooking demonstrations, educational classes, and vendors. This is going to be a lot of fun and super informational.

There are two ways to participate:

1. Plan to come, learn and share: Saturday January 14th (2017) from 11am – 4pm at the Lynnwood Convention Center. Bring the whole family and bring the neighbors, too.

2. You can also participate as a vendor. If you have a health business, follow the links below and sign up. We only have 30 vendors spaces available. Follow the link below.

Vendor information:

Klesick Farms is pleased to invite you to participate in. This unique one-day event is to be held at the Lynnwood Convention Center on January 14, 2017 from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm – and is open to the entire community. For additional information and to register, click here.

Who Should Participate?

* Suppliers of products and services for individuals, families and professionals to support journey to wellness.

* Publishers and distributors or books, video and curricula for wellness and fitness.

* Outdoor and indoor play and fitness equipment companies.

* Resources for families and teachers for children’s wellness and fitness.

* Health coaching services for individuals, families and professionals.

* Farm to table, organic non-gmo food providers.

This is going to be a great community event, so plan to come and join us!

Farmer/health advocate,

Tristan

 

 

Recipe: Baby Bok Choy with Cashews

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil 1 bunch chopped green onions, including green ends 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, larger leaves separated from base, base trimmed but still present, holding the smaller leaves together 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil Salt 1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted cashews

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add onions, then garlic, then bok choy. Sprinkle with sesame oil and salt. Cover, and let the baby bok choy cook down for approximately 3 minutes. (Like spinach, when cooked, the bok choy will wilt a bit.)

Remove cover. Lower heat to low. Stir and let cook for a minute or two longer, until the bok choy is just cooked.

Gently mix in cashews.

Recipe adapted from simplyrecipes.com

 

Know Your Produce: Parsnips

Parsnips are related to carrot and celery and have a slightly celery-like fragrance and a sweet and peppery taste. They have a high sugar content and in the 16th century, Germans realized the high sugar content of the parsnip and used it to make wine, jams, and flour.

If the parsnip root gets cold, either before or after the harvest, its flavor will be much sweeter. Parsnips are a good source of folate and Vitamin C, and one bite, no matter how they are prepared, will convince you of their fiber content.

You can steam and mash parsnips like potatoes, but their best flavor is emphasized by roasting or sautéing. If you have very large parsnips, trim out the woody, bitter core before or after cooking.

Parsnips are generally a good substitute for either carrots or potatoes in most recipes, although they have a slightly stronger flavor. Herbs are especially nice with parsnips including basil, dill, parsley, thyme, and tarragon.

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If only I had been paying attention…

This has been a remarkable farm season. The weather has been neither too harsh nor too kind. We have had to irrigate very little and the crops have grown well.

It has been a crazy three weeks. We just finished harvesting green, yellow and purple beans. Originally, I had planted two different plantings, with a fairly healthy gap between them. The cool weather in May/June essentially slowed one planting down and so the later planting caught right up. It is sort a like when the outgoing tide meets the incoming tide and everything rises at that moment!

Thanks for eating green beans. We picked over 2,000 lbs. and our customers ate most of them. I can say most of them because green beans are one of those crops that gets “grazed” on a regular basis. They might not be as sweet as raspberries, but when beans are on, they are the preferred snack at Klesick Farms!

This week is a little quieter from our farm. Italian prunes and chard in most boxes; walnuts, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and peppers in smaller quantities. Then there are the cucumbers. This year we planted a new variety called Silver Slicers. They are a white-skinned cucumber and super delish! I planted about 100 seeds at two different times and, oh my word, those little cucurbits make cucumbers faster than rabbits make rabbits, if you get my drift. They are the most productive cucumber I have ever grown.

Ironically, I would have never grown these, if I had been paying attention. Early in the spring I was talking with Ada, my seed representative from High Mowing Organic seeds. We were talking back and forth about what varieties grew well in greenhouse environments and did well in last year’s seed trials. We decided on Manny, a beautiful smooth green-skinned cucumber. Ada also mentioned that Silver Slicers did really well in the trials, too. Because I am always willing to try a new variety, I ordered and split the plantings.

Well, since Ada and I were talking about cucumbers, it didn’t dawn on me that the Silver Slicers were not GREEEEN! Imagine my surprise when they starting “setting” fruit that was white! Talk about a mini heart attack! My mind raced through all the prep work, the fertilizer blend, weather patterns, and I asked myself, “What was wrong? How come they are not green? Is my soil deficient in nutrients?” Thankfully, a quick check-in with Ada calmed my mini crisis. She assured me that the Silver Slicer is a white-skinned cucumber.

I am now so thankful for that oversight. The world has plenty of green cucumbers, so I will make the Silver Slicer a staple for Klesick Farms and we can all enjoy them this year and next!

Thanks for eating locally grown food. You are making a difference one bite at a time for your health and the health of our community.

Farmer Tristan

 

 

Recipe: Mexican Style Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

3-5 ears of corn, husked 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, or to taste ½ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper Cotija or feta cheese

Directions:

Prepare a grill, with heat medium-high and rack about 4 inches from the fire. Put corn on grill and cook until kernels begin to char, about 5 minutes, then turn. Continue cooking and turning until all sides are slightly blackened.

Mix together mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more lime juice or chili powder if you like. Serve corn with chili-lime mayo and sprinkle with cotija or feta cheese.

Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com

 

Know Your Produce: Plums

Domestic plums are crimson to black-red with a yellow or reddish flesh; they are in season May through October. High in vitamin C, plums are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. They’re sweet and delicious—which is why highly desirable things are called “plum.”

Store: If too firm to use, place in a closed paper bag at room temperature for one to two days. Once ripe, plums can be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator up to three days. Refrigerating plums before they’re ripe results in a mealy texture, so allow firm fruit to ripen at room temperature up to 2 days.

Prep: Remove the pit by slicing all the way around the fruit, starting at the stem end. Rotate each half and the pit should come free.

Use: Plums pair well with both sweet and savory foods and make an excellent accompaniment for cheese, chocolate, and dessert wines.

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Why???

I am not surprised that the Senate and House of Representatives cast their votes to send the DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act to President Obama to sign, but I am saddened that President Obama signed it, and so willingly!

Essentially, for all of its purported good, it does nothing to protect the health of Americans and will not cause any meaningful information to be labeled on foods manufactured using GMOs. The DARK Act is wasted time and energy and is meaningless legislation that does nothing for America’s health or environmental crises. It does allow corporations an escape hatch when it comes to GMOs and more than a few elected officials to “pat” themselves on their backs. The biotech farms and grocery manufacturers of American lobbies are powerful—they wield heavy swords. The congressional and presidential backbone to stand up and protect the environment or our health doesn’t get any of them reelected.

Well, common sense tells me that something is amiss. What is amiss is that our food supply is over processed and laden with empty calories, and the DARK Act does nothing to help consumers (sometimes called constituents) get better information to make more informed healthy food choices. I understand the game. However, it would have been nice if Congress would have changed the rules and required real information through legislation, but they didn’t! Shocking (wink, wink)! It’s sad, but that’s okay, I can live with it. Congress can do all the grandstanding they want. Monsanto, the sugar lobby, and the GMA can spin and spin to their hearts’ content on how their products are safe. That is what they have always done. It is good for their profits, though not good for your health or the environment. The only things that have changed are: 1) the aforementioned companies and lobbies will no longer have to spend millions of dollars of their profits to fight labeling laws state by state and 2) the states, which is you and me, now have less control.

The fact that Congress even remotely toyed with passing a GMO labeling bill tells me that healthy-minded consumers have been putting the “hurt” on some multinational food and chemical companies. All we need to do is keep the pressure on their profit streams and continue to not support their products with our dollars. So in essence, the game hasn’t changed and the players are still the same. It is still us against them.

As for the Klesick family? We are going to continue to support companies that are committed to organic and GMO-free principles. I am not confused or deceived by their advertising or the new DARK Act passed by Congress.

Let’s continue to work together by saying “Yes” to better food companies and we will continue to change our food system for everyone just by eating. The last time I checked, you are free to eat whatever you want, so let’s exercise that freedom one bite at a time.

We are changing the food system!

Farmer Tristan

 

 

Recipe: Roasted Beets and Carrots with Rosemary Butter

Ingredients:

1 bunch beets, greens removed, peeled and cubed

1 bunch carrots, greens removed, peeled and cubed

3 tablespoons butter or ghee

3 garlic cloves, mashed

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place the beets in a large mixing bowl, and the carrots in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. (Mixing the roots separately keeps the carrots from turning pink from beet juice.)

3. Place the butter or ghee in a microwave-safe coffee mug and add the garlic. Microwave until the butter is melted. Stir in the dried rosemary.

4. Pour half of the melted butter mixture over the beets, and pour half over the carrots. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss each of the root vegetables to coat them with the butter mixture.

5. Dump the beets into the baking dish with the carrots.

6. Roast for 55 minutes, stirring halfway through.

7. Serve.

Recipe adapted from paleomg.com

 

 

Know Your Produce: Starkrimson Pears

Starkrimson pears are a summer pear variety that is excellent for fresh eating and salads or paired with a strong cheese like blue cheese or goat cheese. The striking crimson color of Starkrimson pears makes it a great choice for coloring up a green salad.

Unlike most other fruits, pears ripen from the inside out, so by the time they are soft on the outside the inside flesh may be overripe and mealy. Leave unripe pears at room temperature in order to induce ripening. To speed up the ripening process, place pears in a brown paper bag. This traps ethylene (a naturally occurring gas) which pears produce as they ripen. To determine if a pear is ripe, check the neck of the pear daily. Apply gentle pressure with your thumb to the stem end of the fruit. Once it gives slightly to pressure it is ripe and ready to enjoy.

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Miss Moo, the Family Milk Cow

There was a time when the Klesick family had a milk cow, and not any cow, but a Jersey milk cow. Her name was Miss Moo. Jersey milk cows are smaller than Holsteins and their milk is slightly higher in butterfat, which makes it, dare I say, more flavorful. The milk wasn’t free though, for she had to be cleaned and brushed, and provided clean bedding and fresh hay, but in exchange she gave us rich nutritious milk twice a day, EVERY DAY! Hmm…thinking back to those days, I am not sure who the owner was, Miss Moo or me.

Oh Miss Moo—she was quite the character and loved to have her ears scratched. One of the kiddos referred to her as a real “lubber dubber.” Even though Miss Moo was a brown cow, she produced copious amounts of white milk. This totally shattered our young’uns’ hopes for chocolate milk, but they soon got over it, especially when we would make ice cream, yogurt, or cheese.

With non-homogenized milk, the cream really does rise to the top. This is often called a “cream plug.” The cream can be loosened and shaken back into the milk, but we would skim the cream plug off for a few days and then make butter from it. Every so often we would set out to make a little whipped cream, get a little over zealous, and, voila, we’d end up with butter instead :)! You can’t over shake the cream, unless you want some butter, that is.

A real family favorite was making “squeaky” cheese from our milk. We would heat up the whole milk, add a little lemon juice to help the milk curdle and form curds, drain off the whey, and salt the curds and enjoy. It is called squeaky cheese because, well, it sort of “squeaks” when you rub it between your fingers or bite it. I’ve included the recipe (below).

I often look back on those days with Miss Moo and fresh Jersey milk with fondness. Recently, Larry, from Twin Brook Creamery, asked if I would be willing to carry his milk. I paused and thought long and hard. I love that Twin Brook is pretty much a grass-based dairy, l love that the milk is ultra-fresh, I love that the milk is from Jerseys, I love that it is milk from one local herd and not a thousand herds, and I love that it is not homogenized. Although I am not a milkman, at the heart of Klesick Farms is good food, and the more local the better. So, after some serious thought, we added local milk delivery from a local dairy to our offerings.

Now, once again, I am making cheese and yogurt, but this time Larry gets to milk the cows. That is a fair trade in my book. Enjoy!

Farmer Tristan

 

 

Recipe: Squeaky Cheese

Ingredients:

2 quarts of milk

1/4 cup vinegar, lemon juice or lime juice

Butter muslin

Directions:

1. Heat the milk to 185 degrees F, then remove from heat.

2. Add the vinegar slowly while stirring, until curd forms. The milk will curdle almost immediately once the vinegar is added.

3. Once the milk has finished curdling, either skim the curds from the pot or strain them through a colander.

4. Tie the cords of the butter muslin together and hang the cheese where it can drain for several hours.

5. After draining you can either use it as is or go on to make queso blanco.

 

Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes for the BBQ

Ingredients:

4 red potatoes, thinly sliced 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup butter, cubed Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat grill for medium heat.

2. Layer sliced potatoes on aluminum foil with the onion, garlic, basil, and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Fold foil around the potatoes to make a packet.

3. Place potato packet on heated grill over indirect heat, and cook for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Turn over packet halfway through cooking.

-adapted from allrecipes.com

 

Know Your Produce: Potatoes

Add a little whole milk to our freshly dug potatoes and turn them into mashed potatoes for dinner this week and you will be in for a special treat.

This week we are digging extremely fresh potatoes from the farm. You will notice that the skins are not set on the potatoes and will easily rub off. Don’t be alarmed because this is normal for freshly dug spuds. The freshness also means that they won’t keep as long either.

I will often boil the spuds one day and make hash browns the next or a potato salad. My favorite way to eat them is cubed. For this, placed the cubed potatoes in an 9” x 12” baking pan with salt, pepper, parsley, and olive oil. Mix them up and bake at 425 degrees F. They rarely make it to the table in the Klesick household!

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Local Milk and Honey

We are excited to now offer local milk products from Twin Brook Creamery in Lynden, Washington. You can now add whole, 2%, and 1% milk, half and half, and whipping cream to your regular delivery. Twin Brook milk comes in old fashioned glass bottles, is non-homogenized (the cream rises to the top), is pasteurized using the low temperature vat pasteurization method, and is kosher. They process milk in their freshly renovated bottling facility from their own purebred registered Jersey cows. Jerseys produce milk with a higher protein and butterfat content, which greatly enhances the flavor.

Although Twin Brook Creamery is not certified organic, they produce a high quality natural product that is free from synthetic hormones (such as RBST) that artificially stimulate growth or milk production. Because they strive not to feed any GMO feeds to their cows, their grass fields and pastures are free from commercial fertilizers or pesticides, and any concentrate supplements they have to buy for their animals’ health, so as to give them a balanced diet, are non-GMO whenever possible (e.g., they use barley instead of corn as an energy source). Twin Brook Creamery strives to be the best possible stewards of the land, providing wildlife habitat and using the best management practices that are available.

You can find Twin Brook Creamery products on our website under the “Dairy” category. When ordering dairy products, please keep the following in mind:

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday customers: Orders are due by 8:00 a.m. the Friday before your delivery day.

Friday and Saturday customers: Orders are due by 8:00 a.m. the Wednesday before your delivery day.

We are also happy to once again offer local raw honey. Our honey is the product of hard working Snohomish County bees and Mike and Christa Miller of Sunshine Honey Company. The honey comes in 12 oz. and 25.6 oz. glass jars. We also offer certified organic honey from Brazil. Honey can be found on our website under the “Grocery” category and under “Sweetners.”

 

Farmer Tristan

 

 

 

Recipe: Greek Marinated Grilled Vegetables

Grilled vegetables are marinated with fresh herbs, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil to create a simple and delicious side dish. Great roasted or broiled as well.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant – sliced in ½ inch rounds

1 large zucchini – sliced on the diagonal

1 large (or 2 small) pattypan squash – sliced in ½ inch rounds

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves – grated

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch red chili flakes

¼ cup fresh mint – minced

¼ cup fresh oregano – minced

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat grill on medium-high heat.

2. Place eggplant, zucchini and pattypan squash in a large bowl and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, chili flakes, mint and mint oregano. Pour mixture over the sliced vegetables and toss well to coat.

4. Grill vegetables until soft and slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes flipping once halfway through.

Notes: Dried herbs work fine if you don’t have fresh on hand. Simply use half of the amount listed for fresh since dried herbs are more potent.

From Liz DellaCroce | TheLemonBowl.com

 

Know Your Produce: Summer Squash

here are numerous varieties of summer squash, ranging from dark green to bright yellow, long to stubby, smooth to lumpy to ridged. Unlike winter squash, these varieties of summer squash have soft, thin skin that is perfectly edible, with varying degrees of light to dense flesh. Some varieties are: zucchini, round zucchini, pattypan, crookneck, zephyr, cousa, tatuma, gourmet globe, tinda, and luffa.

Summer squash is technically not any one vegetable, but comprises many different cultivars of a few different species of edible plant. It also is actually classified as a fruit – a “pepo” or type of berry with a hard outer rind.

Summer squash can be eaten raw or cooked, and have a mild flavor that can range from sweet to nutty, and though the difference in flavor between varieties is subtle, it’s distinct. Summer squash can be grilled, steamed, boiled, sautéed, fried, or used in stir-fry recipes. They mix well with onions and tomatoes in vegetable medleys. Summer squash can be used interchangeably in most recipes. Some types of summer squash can give off a lot of moisture, so depending upon your recipe, you may need to blot grated or cut squash to absorb some of the moisture. Use them within three to four days of purchase for their best taste and texture.

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#fueledbyklesickfarms continues

newsletterWe have received some great pics from you and would love to generate a few more before we draw a winner! A winner? Yes, a winner. We are hosting a raffle to draw one person on July 31st that will win a month of free produce ($112 value). All you have to do is snap a photo and tag the photo with #fueledbyklesickfarms and #optoutside and we will find it and enter your name into the raffle. And in addition to entering your name, you will receive free blueberries with your next delivery! So don’t be bashful, share that special shot from the beach, mountain tops, a sprinkler, etc.*

Joelle and I have had a fun-filled summer, seizing every opportunity to get outside and enjoy the beautiful area in which we live. Some getaways we plan, and others we, literally, wrestle ourselves away from the farm on a moment’s notice! We have to do both strategies or it just won’t happen. Life and farming are both relentless task masters. Planning, as well as taking advantage of opportunities as they come, assuage the taskmaster for a little while.

Last week we had a planned trip to Northern Idaho with the NYC relatives that came for a visit. Can you say cousin time? We had three full days of swimming, swinging, basketball, tennis, golf, paddle board and kayak adventures. Northern Idaho is beautiful.

Though Northern Idaho is a trek, Winthrop is a whole lot closer and has the same feel as Northern Idaho. Plus, you can visit Cascadian Farms to get some fresh organic blueberries and stop by the stunning Washington Pass Overlook, which has a good ADA trail with some incredible vista views. Make it a day trip.

I encourage you to get outside and enjoy this beautiful spot we call home and create some memories. The laundry will be there when you get home and so will the lawn (and weeds). Summer is short, so enjoy it!

As a side note, this week we are putting “green” garlic in some of the boxes of good food. Most of the time garlic has been “cured” and will store for several months. We are not curing the garlic, which means you need to use it this week. I would encourage you to roast it or stir fry with it, but use it right away. I popped a clove into a berry/spinach smoothie earlier this week. Just a hint of garlic, nice!

Farmer Tristan

 

What are the details? It is simple, while you are hanging from a rock or kayaking on the sound or watching/playing soccer or baseball anything outdoors this summer, snap a photo and use both #fueledbyklesickfarms and#optoutside in your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post and we will find it and send you Free Berries with your next delivery.* And for everyone who uses the above two #tags in their outdoor photo, we will enter your name to win A Month of Free Produce. So start uploading those photos and share your summer fun!

Please note: if you are using Facebook or Instagram, you may need to post or message directly to our page if you prefer to keep your post settings from an audience that’s public. Otherwise, we can’t see your pics!

*Must be current Klesick Farms customer. Berries are: 1 pkg. free blueberries, while supplies last, if n/a, other berries may be substituted. Offer runs now – July 31, 2016. Limit one entry, and one delivery of berries, per customer, per week. A month of free produce value of $112.

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What’s New?

What’s new is that it’s July and I am wondering what happened to June!? It looks like chilly June is going to carry over into July. Sorry tomatoes and peppers, maybe August will be your month!

After last year, I made a conscious decision to plant heat-loving crops early and take advantage of the changing climate. That decision has not worked out so well. The tomatoes and peppers look like they want to put on my wool sweater, but I am not giving up :).

Speaking of tomatoes, I planted 200 Early Girl/Stupice type red tomatoes. I got them all caged up and cleaned up and growing in the right direction and now there are a few starting to ripen, but they are ripening orange! I apparently transplanted orange tomatoes. They taste great, but that is not what I was expecting to grow.

For the last few months, I have been looking at those plants and wondering about them, I knew they were “setting” fruit differently, but with the cool, wet weather, I just chalked it up to climate change. So this year we are growing Klesick Farm’s tasty orange colored tomatoes. #ithappens #ohmy #atleasttheyarestilltomatoes

Another telltale sign indicating that I guessed wrong about the weather this season was the cucumbers. They were direct seeded in early May…and GERMINATED LAST WEEK! Seriously, that is a head-scratcher, but they are up and growing now. Thankfully, I planted some cucumbers in the greenhouses also, and they are happy – really happy. I mean, they are rivaling Jack-and-the-Bean-Stock happy. Long story short, cucumbers are going to be in the boxes of good food, picked daily and delivered daily.

This week we are putting a lot of Klesick Farms-harvested good food in the boxes. We use a KF next to items from our farm on the newsletter, and an * next to other local NW farms’ fruits and veggies. So this week, my crew and I are picking, packing and delivering chard, chives, zucchini, cucumbers, peas, lettuce and a few raspberries.

We are also getting cherries and carrots from two other organic growers that I have been working with since 1997! Those are some seriously long relationships. All of our customers – some since 1997 – have nourished their families with these farmers’ produce as well.

We are a different kind of food system; a more sustainable, more earth-friendly option – as we have been for the last two decades – helping families to eat better food and feel better about the food they eat.

Bon Appétit!

Farmer Tristan

 

Recipe: Indian Roasted Potato Salad with Chard

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs. potatoes, halved and/or quartered

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbs. ground turmeric

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 bunch chard, shredded (or cut into thin ribbons)

2 Tbs. Greek yogurt

2 Tbs. lemon juice (more if desired) salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Place the diced potatoes on a large baking sheet, covered in foil. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil, turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Slide into a 400°F oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until browned all over and tender, tossing halfway through.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, remaining oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. In a large bowl place the ribboned chard and roasted potatoes. Drizzle with the lemon dressing and toss to coat.

4. Serve garnished with fresh parsley or basil, if desired. Or even bacon bits!

Recipe from bevcooks.com

 

Know Your Produce: Chard

Chard has large, fleshy but tender deep green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they’re unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more assertive (some think, bitter) flavour.

Different types of chard have different coloured stalks and ribs. Some stalks are white, some are a golden orange and some are red (called ruby or rhubarb chard) – there’s even rainbow chard. There’s very little difference in taste, but ruby and rhubarb chard can have a slightly stronger flavour.

Prepare: The leaf and the stalks should be cooked separately. Wash, then cut the stalks from the leaves and either leave whole or chop, depending upon your recipe. On some older leaves you may need to cut the ribs out of the leaves, too.

Cook: Leaves: boil (1-2 minutes); steam (3-4 minutes). Stems: stir-fry (around 2 minutes); boil (3-4 minutes); steam (4-5 minutes); roast (10 minutes).

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Perspectives

I am currently visiting my homeland of Peru. I was born and raised here – from kindergarten to college, Peru was my only home. At age 25, I moved to the United Stated to get my graduate degree and planned on returning to Peru after a few years living abroad. I eventually met Brad, who, three and a half weeks later, became my husband and just like that, I became a first generation immigrant! I never really thought of myself that way until about a month ago, when I was asked to write my “Defining Moment.” Now, I have two homelands, both with room for growth, both full of wonderful people willing to spread goodness and happiness around the world.

At first sight Lima, Peru can be chaotic, loud and cloudy. Lima is a city full of contradictions. It sits in the desert, right next to the ocean. It is the second richest land in natural resources and is still categorized as a developing country. It also happens to be GMO-free.

One of the first things I do every time I come to Peru is visit a farmers market. What used to be an everyday way of life has now become a weekend event, in an effort to remind us of where it all comes from. Foods I grew up eating (and forgot about over time) are the stars of the show. Some I loved, like lucuma, forte avocado and chirimoya, and some I avoided, like the beloved quinoa, amaranth and noni. Today, I cherish them all.

By moving away, I learned to appreciate what I have here. Cooking became comforting – a way of staying closer to home even though I was thousands of miles away. I found that keeping our culinary traditions alive was a way of keeping Peru always in my heart. In my constant search for fresh ingredients, I am reminded that no matter where I am, every civilization begins with agriculture.

Human communities, no matter how sophisticated, cannot ignore the importance of agriculture. To be far from dependable sources of food is to risk malnutrition and starvation. In modern times, in our urban cities, it’s easy to forget this fundamental connection. Insulated by the apparent abundance of food that has come from new technologies for the growing, transportation and storage of food, humanity’s fundamental dependence on agriculture is often overlooked.

All this to say, let’s share with those around us the importance of supporting our local farmers. Locally grown food not only tastes better, it was probably picked within the past day or two. It’s crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. In addition, local food supports local farm families everywhere. For example, with fewer than one million Americans now claiming farming as their primary occupation, farmers are a vanishing breed. Therefore, local food is about the future. By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food.

Sara Balcazar-Greene (aka. Peruvian Chick)
Peruvian Food Ambassador
peruvianchick.com
instagram.com/peruvianchick
facebook.com/theperuvianchick

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#fueledbyklesickfarms

#fueledbyklesickfarms

Last week our family stole a few precious moments from the farm and headed off to Winthrop and Twisp for Father’s day. We wanted to take the kiddos away for a couple of days after school got out and we settled on the North Cascades. A brief excursion filled with rest and play. Of course we enjoyed the town of Winthrop, visiting galleries and shops and the Ice cream parlor!
 
The North Cascades are stunning. Sadly, I have not ventured this direction for several years, usually heading for the coast or the San Jauns, but that will change. A few hours away and you are in the middle of pristine mountains, crags, valleys and wildlife.  We just did the touristy things, like Fall Lake Falls, Pearrygin Lake, Twisp Salmon Ponds, the National Methow fish hatchery and the Smoke Jumpers Base. That Washington Pass Overlook was definitely worth a stop, stunning vistas! A full two days of fun.
 
We have a resident “selfie” taker who, of course, is a teenager. Let’s be honest I can barely answer the phone let alone take a selfie J. I do try, but when we are out and she is with us, I wisely defer to her abilities. So in front of Falls Lake Falls, it dawned on me. We are just like other families, who are out and about and why not have some fun with summer.
 
And Voila! Our new Summer campaign was born #fueledbyklesickfarms and #optoutside. Our customers are adventurous “outdoorsy” folks who love life and love good food.
What are the details? It is simple, while you are hanging from a rock or kayaking on the sound or watching/playing soccer or baseball anything outdoors, snap a photo and use both #fueledbyklesickfarms and #optoutside in your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram post and we will find it and send you Free Berries with your next delivery.*
 
And for everyone who uses the above two #tags in their outdoor photo, we will enter your name to win A Month of Free Produce. So start uploading those photos and share your summer fun!
 
Farmer Tristan

*Must be current Klesick Farms customer. Berries are: 1 pkg. free blueberries, while supplies last, if n/a, other berries may be substituted. Offer runs now – July 31, 2016. Limit one entry, and one delivery of berries, per customer, per week. A month of free produce value of $112.

 

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Wow!

One would think that after almost two decades of farming I would have this farming game figured out! I do have the basics mostly down, but every year, around Father’s Day, I am overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with what? Thanks for asking. WORK! All of the sudden, everything needs to be harvested: lettuce, spinach, peas. Everything needs to be weeded: lettuce, spinach, peas, beets, tomatoes, beans, squash, cucumbers, strawberries. And more needs to be planted: lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, squash, beets, kohlrabi, corn, etc. I know it is coming, but it always catches me off guard, like a sneaker wave at the beach – all of the sudden you’re wet.

A lot of this has to do with timing and trying to figure out the changing climate patterns and the changing availability of willing workers. The climate impacts are just unpredictable. Last year at this time we were burning up and this year we have had huge swings in temperatures and a fair amount of rain.

This year I got out early and planted some summer loving, heat loving crops in early May, expecting it to get hot early, but June is looking more like “Junuary.” Although hitting a high of 58 degrees in early June really slows down the crops, it also keeps things from bolting, like spinach and lettuce, and peas from burning up. This is farming though: I do my best, I get the weather I get, I adapt, then I get to harvest what crops liked the weather best.

But the weeds, well, they love all types of weather. On our farm we are a hand-weeding operation, and it is hard to find people excited about rows and rows of vegetables to be weeded, sometimes with a hoe, other times on your hands and sometimes we just throw up our hands and use a tractor and start over. We have managed to stay almost caught up, but you can see the “tide” of weeds rising. This week will be the week to stem that tide!

As always, we work hard to grow the healthiest, tastiest and freshest fruits and vegetables for you and your family. We want to be that bright spot in your week, where on your delivery day a box of good food brightens your day and nourishes your body.

More locally grown good food is on its way.

Cheers to your health!

Tristan

 

Recipe for this week’s box: Asian Cucumber & Carrot Slaw

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1 cucumber

2 medium carrots, peeled

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (or other oil of choice)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

  1. Using a julienne peeler or grater, shred the cucumber and carrots into long strips.
  1. Toss the vegetables in a medium bowl, along with the vinegars, water, sugar, and sesame oil.
  1. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.
  1. Chill until ready to serve. Best served cold.

Recipe adapted from wayfair.com

 

Know Your Produce: Stonefruit 101

IMG_20150427_100811

“Stonefruit” refers to members of the genus Prunus, which includes peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, cherries, and apricots. The season for summer stonefruit is short-lived, and delicious! With the fruit coming and going so quickly, we don’t want you to miss out by having to toss spoiled or improperly ripened fruit. Here’s some info on proper storage in order for you to make the most of these short-season gems.

Care – Store unwashed fruit at room temperature until ripe (usually only 1-2 days), then place in sealed container in the fridge.

Ripeness – Gently press around stem and when flesh gives slightly to pressure fruit is ripe. Stonefruit ripens from the inside to the outside, so if fruit is soft all over it is more likely overripe.

Tips for Preventing Spoilage – Stonefruit’s biggest enemy while ripening is moisture coupled with lack of airflow. Set ripening stonefruit on a cloth or paper-covered countertop or in a place where it gets plenty of airflow. Try setting them stem side down to ripen. This lessens the chance of then rolling and bruising. Once your stonefruit is ripe, it deteriorates very quickly. Within a day of being fully ripe, if left out of refrigeration, you can have overripe/spoiled fruit and some very attracted fruit flies. Check daily and place in refrigerator as soon as you notice the stem area has begun to soften. Take special care when handling your stonefruit – never squeeze to check for ripeness! Even a small bruise will be cause enough to turn into a rot/bruised spot on your fruit as it is still ripening.

Use – Once fruit is ripe, and you’ve placed in the refrigerator, plan to use within a day or two (this gives you a total keeping time of about 4-5 days). Stonefruit is refreshing as a healthy breakfast paired with yogurt or hot/cold cereal, as a topping to a green salad, and as an ingredient in fruit salads. For grilling, or for topping green salads: use slightly less ripe fruit, it will hold up better without breaking apart/juicing. All Stonefruit bakes up fabulously into crisps, pies, and sauces!