Fresh Fork Market

Summer Week 3

2013-06-18T09:52:36-07:00

Taco Themed Package – ground beef, cheese, corn chips, cilantro, and more

Remember those black beans you received during week 1? Well if you haven’t used them yet, this week might be the perfect chance to cook them up and use them for a delicious taco salad. This week’s bag features crunchy green leaf lettuce, ciliantro, aged cheddar cheese, and grassfed ground beef.

This week will also be the last week for strawberries. On the bright side, cherries are soon behind and we hope to have a good supply by the middle of next week.

Of all the items this week, I am perhaps most excited about a few of the items in the large bags. Green cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables, and I think anyone who has been to one of our cooking classes where Parker has made fried cabbage will agree. It is so simple and so tasty. Here is a link to the blog post about quick fried cabbage. For other blog posts about cabbage, click here.

One of my other favorite vegetables is the sweet, snow pea. This week is just the beginning of them and by next week we will have enough for all the bags.

A few of the items this week really showcase what we are all about. The grassfed ground beef is a perfect example. If anyone came to the open house, you likely heard me rant about the terms free range and all natural and how they have no meaning.

100% Grassfed, on the other hand, has a limited meaning. Cattle are ruminant animals. This means that they have a multi-chambered stomach that allows them to breakdown cellulose (plant based fiber) and extract all the nutrients they need for life. Part of their stomach, the rumen, is like a fermentation tank that is full of enzymes that help them digest the grass and dry matter. When they eat, they chew their food thoroughly, it goes into the rumen and then they regurgitate it. At this point, they have “cud” that is then re-chewed and digested a second time.

Because cattle have this unique digestive system, the only “all natural” diet for them is 100% grass. As a result, we sell only 100% grassfed beef. This beef is much leaner and has a slightly sweeter taste sometimes. The animals we are eating this week were finished in early June, when grass is abundant and they can put on a good finish (fat).

Another advantage of grassfed is that it is healthier for us. The meat, besides having less fat, has healthier fat that has a safer ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids and also contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is known to prevent cancer and actually help you loose weight. One of the most efficient sources of CLAs is in the fat of grass grazed mammals, such as the fat on the meat or fat in the milk.

One of our other showcase items are the corn chips from Shagbark Seed and Mill. Brandon and Michelle at Shagbark work with farmers throughout central Ohio to grow heirloom flint corns that can be ground into meal. Their cornmeal is then used to make corn chips with a simple recipe of cornmeal, salt, water, and oil (a nongmo, sunflower oil). I think you’ll be surprised at the fantastic flavor of these chips.

I bring this up because one of the most common questions I get is whether or not our food contains GMOs (genetically modified organism). The short answer is NO. However, I like to take a moment to educate folks about GMOs.

A GMO is a seed variety that is produced by a seed company and has a few characteristics:

- it can’t naturally reproduce a “true” offspring. The farmer must buy it annually from the seed company.

- it is engineered by scientists to have certain properties, usually allowing it to be resistant to different diseases and/or chemicals (such as roundup ready corn)

- its engineering allows the farmer to produce higher yields via less loss to insects or simply a more productive plant

GMOs are most prevalent in field crops such as soybeans and corn. These crops are grown to produce animal feed or are used for processing into oils, fuels, and different byproducts needed for manufacturing. Some field crops, of course, are harvested and used for human consumption such as making soy products (for about everything), cooking oils, or cornmeals for cereals. Fresh Fork Market does not use any GMO corns, soybeans, etc in any of our animal feeds OR products for human consumption.

GMOs, for the most part, don’t apply to specialty crops (fruits and vegetables we eat). Most specialty crops are considered hybrids. They are plants that have been bred to have certain characteristics, such as color, yield, shape and size. An heirloom is a plant that has not been cross-bred for generations and now consistently will produce a “true” offspring – one of the same characteristics as the parent plant. Heirlooms are generally more difficult to grow and transport.

For us, heirloom vegetables are easier to have grown. To find someone doing heirloom field crops, like flint corn, is amazing. Brandon and Michelle have done a great job working with their farmers and guaranteeing them a sale of the product at a price that rewards them for this alternative to GMO, field corn. We are proud to feature their product this week in the bag.

Some extra items available at the back of the truck.

At the back of the truck this week, you will find a good selection of salsas to go with your taco chip salad. The salsas from Blaze Gourmet range from mild to hot, with my favorite being the chipotle black bean and corn. All Blaze Gourmet salsas are $6 each.

Summer Week 3:

Small Share

1 lb grassfed ground beef

1 bag heirloom corn chips

1 bunch swiss chard

1 head green leaf lettuce

1 bunch radishes

1 bunch cilantro

2 ct zucchini

1 quart strawberries

1 piece, 6 oz, aged sharp cheddar (called Hull’s Trace)

Large Share

Small package plus:

1 bag spinach (8 oz)

1 head green cabbage

1 head cauliflower

1 lb snow peas

1 lb chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage)

Vegetarian Substitutions (in place of beef)…I got a little carried away this week on the veggie substitutes as a lot came on. I’ll adjust this in the future.

1 bag spinach

1 bunch beets

1 head broccoli

1 lb snow peas

1 bag baby greens

Vegan Substitutions (in place of cheese)

Vegetarian substitutions

1 bag broccoli raab

1 lb hoophouse tomatoes

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

2013-06-18T04:42:48-07:00

Stephanie says: “This is sooo easy.” I would use our local yello w cake mix, but we are not particularly fans of marshmallows….

Rhubarb

3/4 c. sugar

10 marshmallows cut in fourths

yellow or white cake mix

Remove leaves from rhubarb

only use the stalks chop into 1″ pieces

Place rhubarb in a 13×9 greased pan

sprinkle w/sugar

place marshmallows on top

make cake mix as directed

pour on top

bake 350 for 50 -60 minutes

cool 5 minutes

Turn Out

Beet Beet Revolution

2013-06-18T04:23:12-07:00

July 7, 2013 2:00 pm

Beets often get a bad rap. Why? They are nature’s candy in my book. They can be roasted, boiled, made into soup, used in a cake, juiced, pickled, and more. They are so versatile and often times I hear Fresh Fork customers ask me, “Trevor, what do I do with my beets?”

Join us for our third annual Beet Beet Revolution, an educational class focused on beets. The staff at the Grovewood Tavern has volunteered to help us on this. This event will be hands on where you will get to work with beets, help make some of the dishes, and also taste the food.

The event has a lab fee to help cover the cost of the dishes you will be making. Each guest will get 4 small plates of food at the event.

Macaroni Kid

2013-06-17T08:45:00-07:00

Support Local Businesses for Families!

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Visit Macaroni Kid Cleveland East (clevelandeast.macaronikid.com) and/or Macaroni Kid Cleveland West (clevelandwest.macaronikid.com) for information on how to nominate us. In exchange for your nomination, you will be entered to win one of two Macaroni Kid Cleveland Family Fun Packs.

The Cleveland Family Fun Pack includes:

4 tickets to Wildwater Kingdom
4 tickets to the Great Lakes Science Center
4 tickets to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (including passes to see Dinosaurs!)
4 tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
and more!

Macaroni Kid is a free weekly enewsletter and website that lists kid and family-friendly events in our community. Sign up today to Stimulate, Entertain and Exhaust Your Kids!

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

2013-06-17T05:46:54-07:00

Jill T Writes: I also made just the roasted rhubarb part of this salad the other day. I typically throw cranberries into a salad and this replaced those in a really yummy twist. I put mine with a chopped apple, red onion, pecans, and some goat cheese (would be delicious with the feta you guys offer).

INGREDIENTS

2 cups 1/2-inch pieces fresh rhubarb
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 cups mixed baby greens
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)
1/4 cup golden raisins

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss rhubarb with sugar in a medium bowl until well coated; let stand, stirring once or twice, for about 10 minutes. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, oil, shallot, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add greens; toss to coat with the dressing. Divide the greens among 4 plates. Top with the rhubarb, goat cheese (or feta), walnuts and raisins.

From Eating Well.

Collard and Mustard Greens

2013-06-17T04:42:32-07:00

One of our customers made these and her family loved them!

1 T olive oil

3 slices bacon (Purchased off the truck)

1 large onions,chopped

2 cloves garlic,minced(used 3 garlic scapes sliced in small pieces)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

3 c. chicken broth

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 bunch collard greens (scrubbed and destemmeed)

1 bunch mustard greens (scrubbed and destemmed)

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and crisp. Remove and crumble and return to pan. Add onion cook until tender

add garlic scapes cook until fragrant. Add greens and fry until they start to wilt.

Pour broth and season w/ salt and pepper and flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours. The longer the better….

So very good for your family and so tasty!!!

Shocking Pink Smoothie

2013-06-16T07:44:26-07:00

This recipe is from Marisa, our raw foods guru. Check out their site at Raw Trainer. They are the hosts for our Strongsville stop!

1½ cups coconut water (or purified water)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 large carrot

½ raw beet

¼ cup cashews, optional

4-5 pitted dates

1 tbsp vegan protein powder

12 frozen strawberries

Blend in a high speed blender and serve.

Be sure to use your beet greens in smoothies!

Beet greens have a mild flavor that is easily masked with fruit in a green smoothie.

Excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A, C & K

Brocoli Asparagus Soup

2013-06-15T06:04:50-07:00

Ashley Shaw at Tremont gave us this recipe…

Saute chopped asparagus (1#), broccoli (2 heads) and 3-4 leeks with dry sage and marjoram until cooked through. Add just enough vegetable stock to cover veggies in pan. Bring to a boil then transfer to blender to cool.

In the same pan, make a roux with whole wheat flour, butter, salt & pepper. Add about 2 cups heavy cream and whisk until mixture starts to thicken.

Puree veggies in blender and return to pan with cream sauce. Heat through then remove from heat. Stir in juice of one grapefruit. Add a drizzle of olive oil to each bowl before serving.

Greens Soup

2013-06-14T12:43:24-07:00

Jill T writes: Made this green soup tonight as soon as I got my bag home. Threw in the beet tops, kohlrabi and broccoli leaves, and half the mustard greens. Really versatile and tasted good. Just in case others are looking for ways to use up greens and creative ways to use leaves/tops.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons plus 3 cups water, divided
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 bunch green chard (about 1 pound)
14 cups gently packed spinach (about 12 ounces), any tough stems trimmed
4 cups vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade
Big pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

PREPARATION

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 3 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven; add rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of the chard (save for another use, such as to add to a stir-fry or other soup). Coarsely chop the chard greens and spinach.
When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the rice along with the spinach, broth and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.
Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the pot). Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil.

From Eating Well

Energy Wraps

2013-06-14T07:50:24-07:00

More from the Raw Trainer. Our Strongsville hosts!

1 very large collard leaves or greens of choice

4 tbsp any spread, dip, or pate such as hummus

handful of mixed greens or sprouts

1 carrot, julienne
½ of a green onion, sliced

¼ cup bell pepper, julienne

1 avocado, cubed, optional

small handful of raisins or shredded apple, optional

Lay the collard leaves flat with the insides facing up.
Place all the ingredients on one leaf and wrap tightly.