It's another beautiful day on the farm! We're thankful for days like today, it means we can really get working in the fields and the fields finally have a chance to catch-up on some much needed growing.
I know what you're thinking, what about all the awesome fruit you grow? When is that going to be ready? We're supposed to be nearing the end of Haskap season right now and it hasn't even started yet. We're just as disappointed as you are. Due to the very wet and cold spring, the fruits didn't really have a chance to see the sun which is really important for their growth. Since May, we've really only seen the sun a few times. We're hoping that if this sunshine keeps up we'll be seeing those ripe Haskaps in the coming weeks.
We're also getting a lot of questions about our PYO strawberry season, that's also behind, again because of the cold, wet spring. Keep your eyes on What's 🌱 at Rochon Garden, where we will announce the opening of strawberry season, we'll also make an announcement on our social medial channels. We don't anticipate the strawberries to ready before the end of the month. They are predicting bumper crops for the strawberries this year, which means we will have an abundance of them, let's hope the predictions are right!
If you are a full or half-share member, here's what you will see in this week's box:
Asparagus
Radish
Spinach
Sweet pepper
Kale
Spring mix
Herb
Tomato
Lebanese cucumber
Regular cucumber
Beet greens
Rhubarb
If you are a lite-share member, here's what you will see in this week's box:
Asparagus
Radish
Kale
Tomato
Spring mix
Herb
Regular cucumner
Lebanese cucumber
Sweet pepper
Rochon Garden Purple Kale
A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains:
Vitamin A: 206% of the Daily Value (from beta-carotene)
Vitamin K: 684% of the Daily Value
Vitamin C: 134% of the Daily Value
Vitamin B6: 9% of the Daily Value
Manganese: 26% of the Daily Value
Calcium: 9% of the Daily Value
Copper: 10% of the Daily Value
Potassium: 9% of the Daily Value
Magnesium: 6% of the Daily Value
It also contains 3% or more of the Daily Value for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and phosphorus
Kale has a total of 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fiber) and 3 grams of protein.
Kale contains very little fat, but a large portion of the fat in it is an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic-acid.
Given its incredibly low calorie content, kale is among the most nutrient-dense food in existence. Eating more kale is a great way to dramatically increase the total nutrient content of your diet.
Kale Brownies
Have some people in your house who aren't a fan of Kale? Why not hide it with chocolate! Ingredients:
1 large bunch of Rochon Garden kale
1¼ cup flour
2 T. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 ounces dark chocolate
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
4 Bekings eggs at room temperature, beaten
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions:
Wash the kale and pat it dry. Gently tear the leafy portion away from the thick stems. Place the kale leaves in a steamer and steam for 5 minutes or until wilted.
Place the wilted kale in a food processor and puree the kale. Drain any excess liquid and set aside the kale. You should have about 1 cup of kale.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
In the top of a large double boiler, melt the butter, the chocolate chips, and the dark chocolate together, stirring until evenly melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let it sit until it cools to room temperature.
Add the eggs, kale, sugars, and vanilla and mix with the chocolate mixture until combined.
Gently fold in the flour mixture until just barely combined, taking care not to over-mix.
Prepare a 13″x 9″ pan by greasing it with butter and then lining it with parchment paper. Carefully pour the brownie batter into the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Yield: 24 brownies.
Note: As soon as possible after they come out of the oven, carefully lift the brownies up (by holding on to the parchment paper) and out of the pan (if they sit in the hot pan they may continue to “cook” and may get dry). Allow the brownies to cool while sitting on the parchment paper before cutting them.