Pies and Greens

Don’t miss out on Keep it Simple’s gluten free ready pie crust, pie crust mix, or possibly whole pies for Thanksgiving! (NGLG will be open for pickup Wednesday Nov 25th)

In regard to the beautiful greens in the picture above, and a shout-out to Leah Lake Farms for their year-round production of wonderful leafy greens, here are a few of them ranked and rated (I love the comments on number 10):

“Greens are the No. 1 food you can eat regularly to help improve your health,” says Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, a culinary educator and the author. That’s because leafy vegetables are brimming with fiber along with vitamins, minerals, and plant-based substances that may help protect you from heart disease, diabetes, and perhaps even cancer. Even so, Americans are not eating as many vegetables each day as dietary experts recommend.

To encourage you to put more leafy vegetables on your plate, WebMD asked Nussinow to rank the country’s most widely-eaten greens from most nutritious to least. Here’s our top 10 list:

1. Kale: This nutrition powerhouse “offers everything you want in a leafy green,” says Nussinow, who gave it her first-place ranking. It’s an excellent source of vitamins A C, and K, has a good amount of calcium for a vegetable, and also supplies folate and potassium. Kale’s ruffle-edged leaves may range in color from cream to purple to black depending on the variety.

Before cooking with kale, collards, turnips, and chard, Nussinow recommends swishing the greens in a water-filled sink, draining the sink, then repeating this rinse until the leaves are dirt-free. Her favorite cooking method for these four greens is to rub the leaves in olive oil or tahini (sesame paste) and cook them for five minutes with garlic, olive oil, and broth.

2. Collards: Used in Southern-style cooking, collard greens are similar in nutrition to kale. But they have a heartier and chewier texture and a stronger cabbage-like taste. “Collards are an under-appreciated vegetable and most people don’t know about them,” suggests Nussinow. She says they’re also popular with the raw food movement because the wide leaves are used as a wrapper instead of tortillas or bread. Down South, collards are typically slow cooked with either a ham hock or smoked turkey leg. A half cup has 25 calories.

3. Turnip greens: “If you buy turnips with the tops on, you get two vegetables in one,” Nussinow tells WebMD. Turnip leaves are another Southern favorite traditionally made with pork. More tender than other greens and needing less cooking, this sharp-flavored leaf is low in calories yet loaded with vitamins A,C, and K as well as calcium.

4. Swiss chard: With red stems, stalks, and veins on its leaves, Swiss chard has a beet-like taste and soft texture that’s perfect for sauteeing. Both Swiss chard and spinach contain oxalates, which are slightly reduced by cooking and can bind to calcium, a concern for people prone to kidney stones. Chard contains 15 calories in one-half cup and is a good source of vitamins A and C. Nussinow likes to make a sweet-and-sour chard by adding raisins and vinegar to the cooked greens.

5. Spinach: Popeye’s favorite vegetable has 20 calories per serving, plus it’s packed with vitamins A and C, as well as folate. And because heat reduces the green’s oxalate content, freeing up its dietary calcium, “cooked spinach gives you more nutrition than raw,” says Nussinow. Spinach leaves can be cooked quickly in the water that remains on them after rinsing, or they can be eaten raw in salads. Bags of frozen chopped spinach are more convenient to use than block kinds, and this mild-flavored vegetable can be added to soups, pasta dishes, and casseroles.

6. Mustard greens: Another Southern green with a similar nutrition profile to turnip leaves and collards, mustard greens have scalloped edges and come in red and green varieties. They have a peppery taste and give off a mustardy smell during cooking. Their spiciness can be toned down by adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, toward the end of cooking, suggests Nussinow. Cooked mustard greens have 10 calories in one-half cup.

7. Broccoli: With 25 calories a serving, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, and folate. Americans eat about 6 pounds of it a year. Its stalks and florets add both crunch and color to stir-fries. While some kids may call this veggie “trees,” they often like it best raw or steamed with a yogurt-based dip. Nussinow mixes fresh broccoli into her pasta during the last three minutes of cooking so both are ready at the same time.

8. Red and Green Leaf and Romaine Lettuce: A familiar sight in salad bowls, these lettuces are high in vitamin A and offer some folate. Leaf lettuces have a softer texture than romaine, a crunchy variety used in Caesar salads. Fans of Iceberg lettuce may go for romaine, a crispy green that’s better for you. Nussinow points out “the darker the lettuce leaf, the more nutrition it has,” making red leaf slightly healthier than green. If you don’t drown lettuce in a creamy dressing, one cup contains 10 calories.

9. Cabbage: Although paler in color than other leafy greens, this cruciferous vegetable is a great source of cancer-fighting compounds and vitamin C. Nussinow considers this versatile green “the workhorse of the kitchen.” Available in red and green varieties, cabbage can be cooked, added raw to salads or stir fries, shredded into a slaw, or made into sauerkraut. It’s also a staple of St. Patrick’s Day boiled suppers and can give off a strong smell when cooking. One-half cup cooked has 15 calories.

10. Iceberg Lettuce: This bland-tasting head lettuce is mostly water. But it’s the country’s most popular leafy green and each of us eats about 17 pounds of iceberg a year. While tops in consumption, it’s last on our list for its health benefits. “It’s not devoid of all nutrition, but it’s pretty close,” Nussinow tells WebMD. Although we’re eating less iceberg than we did two decades ago, it’s still a common ingredient on hamburgers and in taco salads. “It can be a starter green,” says Nussinow, to draw people into a broader array of salad greens. source
Shop local leafy greens now >>

Market Open!

Good Evening Locavores,

Northeast Georgia Locally Grown is now open for orders!

Reminder: You will still be able to order and pickup orders the Wednesday before Thanksgiving this year!

Stay dry,

Andrew in Hall
Chuck in Rabun
Teri in Habersham

Don't Fret!

Hi Locavores!

I hope you enjoyed the extra hour of sleep… or the hour less of daylight… or at least contemplating how relative the construct of time really is.

For those of you who found yourself missing the great variety of leafy greens while shopping last week, don’t fret; Leah Lake Farms is back this week… just in time to compensate for all the candy you’ve eaten!
Shop Lettuces now >>

Honey Time

Jay describes how he collects bees that have swarmed into houses, and how he believes adapted bees are the best approach to healthy colonies. He allows the colonies that do well to raise a new queen and breeds the new bee queens himself. Of course, they each have their own personalities and some can be downright mean on occasion. But the beauty shines forth through their mathematical approach to how, when, and where the bees select the nectar surrounding them. As a beekeeper, Jay is constantly in touch with which plants have displayed their pedals to the world around him. He described the approach to understanding where the bees are getting their nectar from and how it translates to the color, viscosity, and taste of the honey. Although I didn’t get to see the sheen he described when the bees feed from the different blooms, it was easy to imagine. He has a great desire to raise his bees using the most natural ways possible, and is proud to be Certified Naturally Grown. Dances with Bees has apiaries in Norcross and tucked away along the Chattahoochee River in Habersham County. Jay has been keeping bees for a while now, but just recently has set out to make it a full time venture.

This is where Jay collides with you! Of course he makes the trek down to a very selective market around Atlanta and sells through a few other markets, but wouldn’t it be great if he can truly feel the support of his local community!?

Thus northeastgeorgia.locallygrown.net has a new addition! Jay with “Dances with Bees” has now been approved and is ready to supply this market with Honey on a weekly basis! Thanks for letting me introduce you to Jay. Now you know who produces your honey and where it comes from. Be sure to check out his grower description page and their website for more information.

As we near the holidays, keep a look out for bath and beauty products and candles that his wife Patti supplies using beeswax and honey. Click to browse honey products

Northeast Georgia Locallygrown availabity list

Good Evening Locavores
The market is now open for orders. Good shopping and plan some hearty comfort food for this chilly fall weekend.

Eat Well!

Good Evening,

There are Raspberries, Eggs, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Beans, Beets, Carrots, Eggplant, Garlic, Okra, Peppers, and Butternut Squash to name a few items available for this week’s market!

Eat Well, Buy Local
The market closes at 9pm tomorrow (Monday)

Andrew in Hall,
Teri in Habersham,
and Chuck in Rabun

Locavores

Locavores,

Those who have been a part of local food scenes for some time may have experience with a random box of goodies… and are probably better off for it. Some do really well with opening a big box of produce, getting ideas for meals from the item of most abundance, and highlighting the seasonal ingredient. Some find that idea terrifying and need a recipe along with a cooking mentor. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) was, and still is, a great business model for small farmers not relying on subsides and loans. The goal is to support the farmer with a financial commitment before the produce is harvested! This typically takes the form of a subscription to a single farm but happens in all forms and fashions. It’s a way to say “I support what you do, and I will pay you upfront for your commitment to growing food.” Some CSA’s encourage you to volunteer on the farm, some allow to you to pick items from their market stand, while others have a weekly box ready for pickup on their farm. The key component is that the community is consistently supporting the farmer throughout the year. This is also one of the goals behind Northeast Georgia Locally Grown. This is a year ‘round market so you continue to get fresh food and farmers continue to have a source of income. We have many farmers that grow produce for only the summer months, some that use the winter to regenerate healthy soil, and some able to extend their production into the winter months. Some growers even prefer the colder months due to less pests and extended life cycles! Regardless, I am excited to see what will make its way to the market throughout the year! Every season, subtle changes happen as individual growers take different approaches based on their resources, past experiences, and customer feedback.

This market combines elements of CSAs, Farmers Markets, and Food Hubs. We are not having an identity crisis, but rather one of the puzzle pieces in rebuilding food systems based off of the demand for fresh, local, and sustainable foods. It is pretty amazing to be able to support farmers throughout the year, and it wouldn’t be possible without YOU!

Eat Well, Buy Local All Year

Andrew in Hall,
Teri in Habersham,
and Chuck in Rabun

Good Evening Locavores

Good Evening Locavores,

I hope this finds you well. It’s Sunday evening again with another short message hoping you accomplished everything you planned to this weekend. If you didn’t, add a half pint of Bramberi raspberries to your cart, go for a walk, and know that everything will be just fine.

Market is open until Monday at 9pm at https://northeastgeorgia.locallygrown.net

Andrew in Hall,
Teri in Habersham,
and Chuck in Rabun

Locavores

Locavores,

Have a wonderful and glorious Labor Day, from everyone here at Northeast Georgia Locally Grown!

Chuck and Amy in Rabun County,
Teri, Staci, Lynn, Chrissy, and Annaclaire in Habersham County,
Andrew, Hildreth, Ron, Will, Lynn, and Jennifer in Hall County
(and Justin in spirit!)

Market is open until 9pm at http://northeastgeorgia.locallygrown.net/market

Locavores

Locavores,

I hope this email finds you well. This weekend is turning out to be full of community and food. What more could one ask for. Last night I shared a meal with some Locally Grown customers and friends… and when I walked in to the kitchen our host said “This food is just so exciting to me!” With a huge smile and agreement, we dove into peeling, cleaning, chopping and cooking the local goodies. It was the first day in the United States for their friend Joost, who was visiting with his Wife who’s name I don’t believe I can spell correctly from memory. They brought some local cheese from the Netherlands for an appetizer, and we all hummed and haahed while trying the delicious cumin infused cheese that was aged for over a year. They too enjoy new foods. She picked up a turnip and we talked about the different vegetable names in Dutch and English and if they grew back home. They shared pictures of travels and family, and we talked about what they plan to do while exploring the States. Dinner was served under the hickory tree as the sun gained vibrancy over Lake Lanier. The squirrels seemed to have fun aiming for our heads with partly consumed tree ammunition. The roasted root veggies, green beans, chanterelles, and a big salad was gobbled up as we enjoyed each other’s company.

Community is so important, and I look forward to planning some ways we can increase the connections we have besides the hustle of picking up local food. Which reminds me, I hope you say “Hi” to the others that you may see at pickup. I find it especially interesting in Gainesville to see so many different walks of life come together for fresh food. That’s all I have for now, because I’m off to another dinner with market friends. Anyone that knows her cooking would be jealous, so I will spare the names! I hope this rainy evening was full of good food and good company as you use up the rest of last market’s goodies.

Market will be open until Monday at 9pm. Don’t forget to place your order this week! https://northeastgeorgia.locallygrown.net

Andrew in Hall,
Teri in Habersham,
Chuck in Tiger