Hello all and Happy Friday!
I hope you had a very happy and filling Thanksgiving yesterday! If you received a delivery from us earlier in the week and used your items for your meal, we would love to hear how! Share your recipes on our Facebook page!
What’s New This Week: We will be getting Collard Greens from Western Washington. Collards are delicious, hearty and versatile. They are packed with nutrients and can be in so many different dishes! Take a look at these healthy and different collard recipes we found! Crimini Mushrooms, also known as baby portobello’s, will also be available this week. They are fantastic sautted until golden brown. We will also have Hass Avocados. They may be firm, but will ripen with a few days on a counter!
Broccoli is back this week after being on a brief hiatus. Broccoli is a really great vegetable because it is so versatile, nutritious and really delicious. Whether you add it to a stir fry, steam it for a side dish, or make creamy soup, broccoli is great in the dish. Plus, broccoli is rich in dozens of nutrients. In fact, it packs the most nutrients than any other vegetable! Broccoli’s noteworthy nutrients include vitamin C, vitamin A (mostly as beta-carotene), folic acid, calcium, and fiber.
A Little History: Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean. It was engineered from a cabbage relative by the ancient Etruscans, who were considered to be horticultural geniuses. Its English name, broccoli, is derived from the Italian brocco and the Latin bracchium meaning arm, branch, or shoot. It did not become a popular veggie in the United States until the early 1920s.
How to Prepare: Broccoli is best when quickly steamed or stir-fried. Overcooking enhances its strong flavor and aroma, dulls the color, and leaches out nutrients. It should be cooked a minimum amount of time until tender, but still crisp. If you plan on using the stalks and florets in the same dish, begin cooking the stalks 1 to 2 minutes before adding the florets. The stalks take longer to cook. Do not wash broccoli until just before you prepare it. Lemon juice and mustard seeds can liven up cooked broccoli. Do not add acid until the cooking is complete. Check out these yummy and easy broccoli recipes!
We are also very excited for beets this week! Many people feel that beets are limited to salads; however, beets can be roasted, boiled, pickled, or baked! They can be sweet or savory, in a side dish or part of your main dish!
A Little History: Beets, like broccoli, are native to the Mediterranean. Although the leaves of beets have been eaten since before written history, the beet root was generally used medicinally and did not become a popular food until French chefs recognized their potential in the 1800’s.
How to Prepare: This root vegetable is naturally sweet and nutritious. As an added bonus, the leaves are also edible and can be prepared in the same manner as Swiss chard (also known as the spinach beet). Be gentle when washing beets. You want the thin skin to remain intact for cooking. To retain nutrients and color, boil, bake or steam without peeling first. The skin will easily rub off under cold running water after they are cooked. For best flavor, bake beets instead of boiling or steaming. Wrap them in foil to avoid staining.
As always, if you have any questions or need to get in touch with us over the weekend, feel free to contact us! Also check us out on Facebook and Twitter for the latest on all things New Roots Organics! Have a great weekend!
