Blog – Page 62

Green Beans

Nutrional Data
1 cup of raw green beans has 34 calories, 2 grams of both protein and sugar, 4 grams of fiber and 30% of your daily intake of Vitamin C. Green beans are a low sodium food and considered a good source for Vitamin A, folate, and iron.

General Facts
Green Beans are available year round, but peak of the season is May thru October. They were first served by the French but were initially found in hot regions of the Americas, India, and China. They are considered nitrogen fixers, which means they have the ability to draw nitrogen from the air and return it to the soil. Because of this, farmers often plant beans and legumes in their crop rotations to replenish the soil. Green fruits and vegetables help maintain vision health and strong bones and teeth. They may also lower the risk of some cancers.

Offbeat Fact
Green bean casserole was invented in 1955 by the Campbell Soup Company test kitchen.

Storage
Store unwashed fresh green beans in a resealable plastic bag for up to 4 days. Wash just before using, removing strings and ends if necessary.

Recipes

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Butternut Squash

photo via thebittenword

Recipes

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Mushrooms

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Sage

Post author By Sunnyside CSA Core Group
Post date January 31, 2000

via Casers Jean

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Rhubarb

History
Rhubarb is a very old plant, dating back to 2700 BC in China where it was cultivated for medicinal uses. It is available in the spring.

General
While rhubarb is used as a fruit it is actually a vegetable. Field grown rhubarb (aka cherry rhubarb) has deeply colored red stalks and tends to be more juicy, with a bolder acidity than a hot house produced rhubarb (aka stawberry rhubarb). The leaves of rhubarb are INEDIBLE and toxic when eaten in large quantities. The stalk has a sweet tart, lip puckering taste that is good for baking and in compotes.

Nutrition
1 cup of rhubarb is just 26 calories. It is a good source of Vitamins C and K. It is also a good source of Magnesium and Calcium.

AKA
pie plant

Cooking tips
Use in pies, compotes, muffins and cakes.

Storage
Rhubarb will keep up to a week when stored in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Recipes

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Swiss Chard

There are two varieties of Swiss Chard, red or green. The wide leaves taste much like spinach, but the edible stems taste more like celery.

Cooking Tips
The stems need a little more cooking time than the leaves, so slice them off where the stems meet the leaves and add them a bit sooner.

Nutrition
1 cup has 35 calories, 4 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.
Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber.

AKA
Acelyas

Storage
To store, place unwashed chard in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It will keep fresh for several days. If you have large batches of chard, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze them.

Equivalents
1 lb = 1.5 cups cooked stems + 1 cup cooked leaves
1 lb = 4 cups raw stems + 5-6 cups raw leaves

Recipes

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Red Norland Potatoes

Storage
Store in a cool, humid (but not wet) location. Store in burlap, brown paper, or perforated plastic bags away from light, in the coolest, non-refrigerated, and well-ventilated part of the house. Don’t store onions and potatoes together.

Cooking tips
Red Norland Potatoes are a red-skinned, white flesh variety of potato. They are perfect for potato salads or just boiled and tossed with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Recipes

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Corn

General Facts
Corn was planted in NY state as early as 500 AD. There are hundreds of varieties of corn and they all orginated from Native American Indians who first starting cultivating corn 6000 years ago in Mexico.
Iowa is now the heart of the Corn Belt, with over half of their cultivated land producing corn. Corn is the largest crop in the US, as well as the most largely distributed crop in the world.

Nutrion
1 cup of corn has a whopping 606 calories! It also has 8 grams of fat, which is equivalent to a chicken drumstick or a cup of pinto beans. On a positive note, it has 16 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. Corn is also a decent source of B6 and Iron.

Preparation Tips
Cutting kernels: An average ear of corn weighs from 10 to 14 ounces and yields about 1 cup of kernels. To remove them, with a large, sharp knife, cut off and discard the stem end of each ear down to the beginning of the kernels. Pull off and discard the husks and silks; rinse ears. Holding each ear upright, shear off the kernels close to the cob.

Storage
Corn should be cooked and eaten soon after picking for the best taste. As fresh corn ages it loses its sweet taste, its nutrients, and it becomes starchy and tough. After buying, wrap unhusked ears in a plastic bag and refrigerate until preparation time. Do not remove husks before storing fresh corn as the husks help retain freshness.

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Cippolini Onions

Nutrional Facts
A 5 ounce serving has 60 calories. Onions contain vitamin A, vitamin B-complex, calcium, magnesium, potassium and a surprising amount of vitamin C. They also provide 2.8 grams of fiber, twice as much as a one-half cup serving of kidney beans and only half the calories.

General Facts
Cipolini onions look like they are flattened onions and encased in a yellow thin papery skin. They have firm flesh that offers a sharp and deliciously unique flavor. Native to Italy, cipoline or cipollini onions are botanically the bulbs of a flowering plant. They are also known as the Italian spring onion.

Storage
To store, keep cool and dry.

Recipes

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Cherry Tomatoes

General
Tomatoes are a fruit rather than a vegetable. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat more than 22 pounds of tomatoes every year. More than half this amount is eaten in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce.

Nutrition
1 cup of cherry tomatoes is about 27 calories. It has 4 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein. It is a good source of vitamin C, A, and K. Tomatoes have of late been cited as an excellent source of antioxidants because of there high lycopene content. Lycopene has been proven to prevent and fight certain types of cancer.

Storage
NEVER REFRIGERATE FRESH TOMATOES! Cold temperatures make the flesh of a tomato pulpy and destroys the flavor. Always store tomatoes at room temperature stem-end up.

Recipes