Going Off the Grocery Grid

Friday Night Greens

Pardon me, but I didn't properly introduce you to the magnificence that is Sunflower Fields. Let me take a few words to do that now.

Sunflower Fields is a farm in northeast Iowa  that lies just north of the Yellow River in Allamakee County near Postville and Waukon. The family that owns the farm sells what are called "farm shares." These are shares that individual families can buy that consist of a weekly delivery of a seasonal variety of vegetables from the farm. They also send out a newsletter with details on how the produce was grown, information about the nature of various veggies and fruits, recipes and more. The newsletter really helps you feel close to the whole growing process! Last year, I shared a small share with a coworker of mine. This year, I am sharing a large share with our next-door neighbors.

Last year, the whole farm share experience was a major highlight of my summer. I consider cooking to be my one must-have creative outlet, and the farm share offered some seriously new creative challenges for me. For one thing, I was forced to not only try, but learn to cook with vegetables that are not in my normal repertoire. Oddities like garlic scapes, white hakurei turnips and kohlrabi, to name but a few. For another thing, I either had to make up or find new recipes for these foods. And lastly, the thrifty cook in me gets a major buzz out of figuring out creative ways to use every root, every stalk and every leftover in my fridge.

Thus far, this new year has been no exception. The moment I got my farm share booty home on Friday night (despite the fact that the rest of the family had already eaten) I started chopping away. Well, first, actually, I paused to admire the sheer beauty of the vegetables and great care that obviously goes into not only growing them, but harvesting and delivering them.

Whenever I delve into my new box of farm share goodies I am instantly taken back to my grandma's garden. My grandma had the greenest of green thumbs and could and did grow just about everything. From spring to fall, Gram was busy morning till night growing, harvesting, cooking and canning her beloved fruits and vegetables. And I can honestly say that the Sunflower Fields veggies have the same quality as those of my grandma's -- you can just tell that they have been loved.

But, of course, I digress. Back to opening my box. I decided right away to make up a recipe using the kohlrabi, greens (from last week) and scapes. I just added some onion, oil, tofu, soy sauce and salt and pepper. It made a great high-fiber, high-protein yet low-fat dish that I ate all weekend long!

Here's the recipe:

Friday Night Greens with Tofu
1 peeled kohlrabi, chopped or diced
1/2 onion, chopped or diced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 garlic scape, minced (farm share item)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 small pkg. super-firm tofu
1 large bunch of greens
Fresh-ground pepper and salt to taste

Sautee onion and kohlrabi in oil on medium high heat for about 5 minutes until clear. Add garlic and sautee until fragrant (around 2 minutes). Add remaining ingredients and stir-fry for about a minute. Lower heat and let simmer until greens are cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed. Salt and generously pepper after greens are cooked and serve.

NOTE: this recipe is also awesome using beets, which will come later this year!

Sunflower Fields Farm Share Week 1

OK. I have a little catching up to do, but I didn't want to not include the first week of the farm share, even though, technically, we are now into our second week. So here goes.

The first dinner I decided to make was zucchini crab cakes with radish aioli "frosting." The frosting term was coined by my son, Gus, who kept asking for more "frosting" for his cakes. The rest of the veggies I used in a homemade soup and a simple salad. Here is the recipe for the crab cakes.

Zucchini Crab Cakes
2 cups coarsely grated zucchini, unpeeled (about 1 medium)
1 cup Italian or whole wheat bread crumbs
2 scallions, finely chopped (farm share item)
1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup of flour

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl (grate the zucchini and onion into a colander so some of the liquid could drain out). The texture can be adjusted -- if it's too dry, add another egg; if too wet, add more bread crumbs. NOTE: recipe can be doubled or tripled easily.

Heat some oil in a skillet. Form mixture into patties and dredge in flour. Drop into fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Makes 4 big or 6 medium cakes.

Radish Aioli Frosting
1 bunch radishes with the greens, diced (farm share item)
1 large garlic scape, minced (farm share item)
2 scallions, diced (farm share item)
3 tbsp. olive oil mayo
1 tbsp. milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Sautee the radishes, greens, garlic scapes and scallions for about 5 minutes until soft. Put in food processor with the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. Be sure to add salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Add a dollop of "frosting" to each crab cake.

The second thing I made combined the delicious radishes and my beloved garlic scapes. Here it is:

Radish and Garlic Scape Mashed Potatoes

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
5 or 6 radishes
1 garlic scape, minced
1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup half n' half
salt and pepper to taste

Put potatoes and radishes in cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until tender. Drain. Mash together remaining ingredients until smooth (will be slightly lumpy due to the scapes).  Serve  hot -- no gravy necessary! NOTE:  my children adore this dish. It is flavorful and hearty without being too spicy for them.

The Beginning

This blog is devoted to chronicling the twists, turns and back flips of going off the grocery grid. Right now, I am in an “up” period, having just finished my first week of my Sunflower Fields farm share. But first, a few words (OK, maybe a hair more) about how I got here.

A few months ago, I just sort of dropped off what I call the "grocery grid." That is, your typical big-box grocery store. Where I live in Cedar Falls, this happens to be Hy-Vee. (We won’t even get into the Wal-mart discussion here, but this is another “grocery” outlet in our community.)

This wasn’t a crusade per se. Rather, it grew naturally out of my love for Roots, a small locally owned "health food" store within walking distance of my house. The experience of shopping at Roots, versus shopping at Hy-Vee, is starkly different. And I think it demonstrates the natural shift taking place as the general public becomes more and more aware of how our eating habits are, well, quite unnatural.

My typical Roots experience starts with a brief walk through my neighborhood. It only takes about 10 minutes to get from my door to theirs, but it is one of the most relaxing 10 minutes of my weekend – a time to breathe easy, take in the finer details of the neighborhood and just not think.

When I get to the store I am greeted by the welcoming scents of fresh brewed coffee, homemade soup and, yes, a hint of patchouli. (For my husband, Chris, the patchouli part is not-so-very welcoming!) I am also greeted by the familiar faces of the staff, who often seem like they’re hanging out rather than working. This is partly because they can wear whatever they want (and I do mean whatever) and partly because they just seem to be having an awesome time chilling out with all the fresh goodness of the place.

Of course, the actual grocery shopping part of the trip is also a treat. I love taking my tiny shopping cart down the narrow aisles because I can grab several veggies and fruits all at once while only taking a few steps. The best thing, though, is the selection. The produce, meat and dairy in the store is carefully labeled, so I actually know where all of those foods come from (some local, some not, depending on season). Roots also participates in the Buy Fresh Buy Local program, so I can see – at a glance – those items such as maple syrup and honey, that are also made by local producers.

Now, you might be thinking, sure Roots is homey and cool, but how much does all of this hominess and coolness cost? The truth is, as food prices started to climb everywhere, the Roots prices stayed virtually the same. And because I try to stick to the perimeter of the store -- produce, dairy, bulk -- my bill is actually slightly less than it was at Hy-Vee because I am buying fewer packaged foods. (And lowering that pesky carbon footprint in the process.)

So, there you have it. I’m pretty much off the grid, although Chris still shops at either Fareway or Hy-Vee for some of his staples (Cheerios, Triscuits, kettle chips and some meats). But with the start of my new Sunflower Fields farm share, food-wise we’ll be even closer to the natural order of food than ever before. In the next few posts, I will share my experiences with that.