Shrimp  Salad w/ Cucumber & Mint

Ingredients:

2 pounds medium shrimp, cleaned

1 cup fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 lemon, zested

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

Cook shrimp in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and cool in refrigerator.

Put mint and lemon juice in food processor and pulse to coarsely chop the mint. Drizzle olive oil into processor while pureeing until mint is finely chopped.

In a serving bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, mint mixture, zest, salt and pepper to combine.

This will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Farm Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients:

Cabbage   (Julienne)

Squash      (Sliced thin)

Red Choi     (Quartered)

Onions     (Julienned)

2 cloves crushed garlic     (minced)

Canola & Sesame Oil

Procedure:

In a wok or large skillet, heat canola oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add the Cabbage and onion while stirring constantly. While continuing to stir, add successively the squash, , and teriyaki sauce. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the bok choi, and salt and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more.

Stir in snap peas and sesame oil and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Kale Chips w/ Lemon

Ingredients:

2 bunches fresh kale, stemmed, torn into bite-size pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil

Flaky sea salt

1 lemon

Crushed red pepper flakes

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the kale in a large bowl and dress very lightly with olive oil so the leaves are barely coated. Season with salt. Spread the leaves out across 2 roasting sheet trays so they aren’t stacked up on each other too much. Roast in the oven until crispy but still green, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and dress with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 pints whole strawberries, hulled

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Add chilled butter and cut into dry ingredients with a pastry knife until crumbly. Add cream and stir with a spoon until dough comes together.

Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut to fit over the baking dish.

Mix strawberries in baking dish. Top fruit with cobbler dough and brush with meltedbutter and remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Get Inspired!

Hopefully your CSA pick-up day is quickly becoming your favorite day of the week.  There is nothing better than the taste of fresh vegetables…especially when you have new ways to prepare them!  It’s very easy to make the same things over and over again…I often find myself on auto-repeat when it comes to meal planning, but it’s always way more fun to eat something new.  Even if it’s just a simple side dish, it can really change the flavor of  a meal and turn something familiar into something fresh and exciting!  This week we’ve come up with a number of side dishes that will allow you to use some (if not all of) your veggies so that you can really take advantage of what spring in the low country has to offer your palate.

Green Goddess Quinoa

www.tastespotting.com

The amounts in this recipe are not exact because a dish like this is meant to be made with handfuls of green, drizzles of this, and pinches of that, all of which will be different from person to person.  Adjust everything accordingly.

You can prepare all of the components ahead of time and toss together right before serving.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

wild arugula, a generous handful

1 avocado, peeled and cubed

1 cucumber, diced

kale, sliced into slivers and dropped into boiling water for about 30 seconds

2 green onions, sliced thin

2 hardboiled eggs, cubed

english peas, about a handful, cooked

anchovy vinaigrette

salt and pepper to taste

For the vinaigrette:

1 or 2 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 small shallot, chopped

2 anchovy fillets

salt

pepper

handful of parsley leaves

juice from 1/2 lemon

2-4 tablespoons warm water

pinch of sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:  Place all ingredients in a food processor on medium speed until combined.

Alternatively, very finely mince the garlic, then mash with a fork with the anchovies, salt and pepper.  Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine.

Toss all of the ingredients except the vinaigrette, salt and pepper in a bowl to combine.

Drizzle with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinaigrette and toss.

Taste, add more vinaigrette if needed.  Season with salt and pepper.

Zucchini Pasta with Heirloom Tomato Sauce

www.roostblog.com

For the Sauce:

4 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes (or any Sweetbay Tomatoes)

1 small shallot, coarsely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic

3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup coarsely chopped basil

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

5-6 medium zucchini

salt and pepper

Put the first five ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth.  WIth the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil and continue blending until fully emulsified.  Transfer to a bowl.

Trim the ends of the zucchini.  Using a spiral slicer or vegetable peeler, slice the zucchini into ribbons or curly noodles.  Toss with sauce, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top with pine nuts and some extra basil.  Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Shredded Napa Cabbage Salad with Radishes, Golden Raisins, and Dijon Dressing

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons sugar

1 head napa cabbage

4-5 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives

coarse salt and pepper

Whisk together vinegar, mustard and sugar.  Toss together cabbage, radishes, golden raisin, and chives.  Drizzle dressing over salad.  Season with salt and pepper.

Radish Butter

This simple veggie spread will knock you out first with its speckled-magenta beauty.  Then you’ll be impressed by how it synthesizes the old-school delight of peppery, cool radishes from the garden, dabbed with a dot of good butter and a pinch of salt.  Spread it on a baguette, unsalted crackers or crunchy romaine hearts.

1/2 pound radishes trimmed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, completely softened

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Thinly sliced baguette

Put the radishes in a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into a very fine dice, four or five 3 second pulses.  Transfer the contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out the excess liquid.  Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of butter.  With a rubber spatula, cream the radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and serve immediately.  Remove it from the fridge 15 minutes before serving it to let it soften.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the radish butter before serving.

Great KTC Specials This Week:

- Hearty Breakfast Special

One Dozen Eggs and Breakfast Sausage 15% off – $9

- Vegetable Bags this Week

Both the CSA and KTC vegetable bags this week will include Eggplant, Green Beans, Cucumbers, Squash, Cabbage, Torpedo Onions, and Berries.

**Please remember that substitutions may be necessary.

Blueberries and Blackberries by the pint are now available on Kitchen Table Cuisine!

Summertime…and the Veggies are Growing!

- Green Beans, Eggplant, Squash, and Cucumbers are finally here! You’ll find them in this week’s CSA bags, in the KTC Vegetable bags, at the Farm Store and at the Farmers Markets! Blackberries and Blueberries are also ripening now and are available through Our Local Foods.

- Beautiful Cut Flowers are also available at the Farmers Markets. Don’t forget—we’re at the Pawleys Island Market on Wednesdays, the Mount Pleasant Town Center Market on Saturdays, and the Downtown Charleston Market also on Saturdays. See you there!

- Other summer produce is still developing. We should start harvesting the tomatoes in two weeks. The cantaloups should be ready in two to three weeks. Watermelons and Okra will come later in the summer.

- Unfortunately, we weren’t able to grow Corn this year. If anyone is interested, we can get local but non-organic corn. Let us know if that’s something you’d be interested in!

Weather on the Farm

As you know, our area is experiencing drought conditions right now. So far, our fields are hanging in there and still producing strong…but we’re praying for rain! Keep your fingers crossed that we get some soon!

See you at the Farm Store and the Farmers Markets!

Place Your Kitchen Table Cuisine Orders Today!

KTC Take Home
- Italian Meatballs with Marinara Sauce – $17.95
Delicious easy family dinner with Rio Bertolini’s Garlic and Chive Spaghetti.

Great Specials This Week on KTC

-Chicken Leg Quarters 20% off!
Limit 3 per customer please

-Ground Beef – $1 off/pound
Limit 3 per customer please

-Garlic Beef Bratwurst – $1 off/pound
Limit 3 per customer please

-Drinkable Yogurt Quarts 15% off!

Did Anyone See Adaptive Gardens in the Post and Courier Today?

Congratulations to Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry for a wonderful Earth Day celebration at MUSC yesterday. It’s wonderful to have Jodie, Leslie, and the kids be recognized for what they do together. There was a beautiful display of organic vegetable and herb starts for everyone to enjoy.

We’d also like to thank the community for all their support of Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry.

Thank You CSA Members!

The Spring/Summer CSA has officially begun. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to the CSA, we appreciate your support. Overall it was a wonderful first week. Thank you for your patience with the few bumps and bruises we had.

We hope to have strawberries in the bags as often as possible. Although we may not be able to have them every week, they are growing strong and looking good

The CSA bags for next week will include Swiss Chard, Red Russian Kale, Hakurai Turnips, French Breakfast Radishes, Strawberries, Broccoli Raab, Yellow Squash, a Spring Salad Mix, and Green Onion or Garlic.

As the season progresses the quantities will increases.

Farmers Markets in the Area

If you are not a member of the CSA or KTC, please be sure to find us at the farmers markets. We are at the following markets this year:
- Mount Pleasant on Tuesday afternoons
- Pawleys Island on Wednesdays
- Daniel Island and Park Circle on Thursdays
- Charleston on Saturdays

Happy Easter!

KTC Take Home

• Asian Noodle Bowl Soup with Mepkin Abbey Oyster Mushrooms for $9.95.

The Noodle Bowl is a satisfying way to inject the goodness of fresh vegetables in their own healthy broth into your culinary repertoire. It utilizes the simplest cooking technique and captures the flavors and nutritional elements into a light meal.

• Korean Chicken Wings for $14.95.

Korean Chicken Wings are heralded as something special in all the right places! From the New York Times to Guy Fieri of The Food Network, and now KTC!! We love fried chicken, and the satisfying stickiness of a well seasoned Korean Seasoned Chicken Wing is a great way to indulge in an updated and hip menu item! Enjoy with our “Noodle Bowl” Soup this week for an internationally sensational weeknight meal!

Great Wallet Friendly Specials this Week on KTC
* Sparkman’s Cream Valley Drinkable Yogurt Quarts 20% Off! Four delicious flavors now only $3.31. Choose from Natural, Mango, Peach and Strawberry.
* KTC International Combo Price: $22.50 Purchase one Asian Noodle Bowl Soup with Mepkin Abbey Oyster Mushrooms and one Korean Chicken Wings and receive 10% off the combined price. Use coupon “Take Home” BEFORE checking out. If you have any issues using the coupon, please call the store or send an email before you place your order.

Vegetable Bag Suggestions
We’ve all been enjoying the pea tendrils as the perfect spring salad, but there are other ways to enjoy pea tendrils as well. Use it with our farm fresh eggs in omelets and frittas for a heavenly Sunday brunch. Food process it into pesto sauce instead of basil and toss with al dente pasta. Or wilt the pea tendrils and toss into a light pasta salad. Enjoy!

KTC Welcomes MUSC!
Next week, on Friday April 1st, Kitchen Table Cuisine will make its first delivery to the MUSC community. Orders will be delivered to the lower lobby of the Wellness Center by 11:00 am on Fridays. All new customers will receiver their membership kits to include coolers and bags. please pick-up your membership kit even if you don’t place an order this wee. We suggest picking them up over your lunch break. Don’t forget to have your orders in by 10:30 am on Monday to get delivery this week!

Adaptive Gardens Out in the Community

• April 9: McClellanville Garden Club Plant Sale from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Come visit to pick up all your seedlings for your summer garden!
• Also come by the farm for an open house. The first 25 visitors will receive a free one dozen eggs.
• April 16: Visit Joe Riley Stadium and Dogs with a Cause to support Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry. Contact info@adaptivegardens.org to purchase tickets. Game starts at 7:05 pm on Saturday April 16th.
• April 21: Earth Day Celebration at MUSC Horseshoe from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, raffle prizes will include organic produce from local farms and Adaptive Gardens’ herbal soap. Come join the celebration for Mother Earth!

Now available on KTC

• Firm Tofu from the Soy Shop in Atlanta, GA
• Marinated and Encrusted Fresh Trout Fillets from Sunburst Trout Co.
• An assortment of spices from Alchemy Spice Co. including Chive Jive, Steak City Sizzle, and Bella Garlique.

KTC Take Home This Week!

Asian Tofu with Bok Choi, Mepkin Abbey Oyster Mushrooms and Napa Cabbage - Four delicious generous servings - $17.95 Puree of Carrot and Ginger Soup - 32 ounces - $9.95

A Note About Our Meats
- We have asked our meat processors to make certain that the ground beef is a minimum of 85% lean.
- In addittion, the sodium in our sausages has been reduced by 20%.

News from the Farm

We have been taking advantage of the spring-like weather we’ve been having by planting like mad. We’ve planted carrots, beets, potatoes, peas, arugula and lettuce in the ground. We are planting onions now. Tomato starts are being seeded now and the hoophouse is still full. We look forward to a bountiful harvest this year.

We currently have two new sheds under construction on the farm. We hope that the increased organization of tools and such will help us as we continue to expand our growing areas.

CSA Open to Subscribers

We’d like to thank everyone who has already subscribed to our CSA this year. We will be sending out information about the pick-up locations and asking you all to update your information within a couple of weeks.

We haven’t yet reached our capacity for the CSA this year so if you’ve already received an invitation, please respond soon. If you are interested in signing up this year, please let us know and we will send you the information by email.

Tips From Jacqueline on Cooking Asian

Americans are in love with Asian Cuisine; so much so it has made it into mainstream cooking. The lovely colors, the delightful mixture of flavors and the beautiful way you can arrange an Asian dish make it very appealing even to the very young! Here are some healthy recipes for the family using lots of vegetables and a few readily available spices.

The 2011 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program from Our Local Foods is in the sign up phase now. If you haven’t received an email from us outlining the signup process, and you would like to be a part of the CSA, please email us.