Co-op Introduction & Meal Plan and Recipes for 1st Box
The Food Co-op is back! We’ve organized this program as a way to save our community money on fresh, local, organic produce this winter. It’s cold, and our farm isn’t producing many leafy greens at this time – but other farms in our region are (due to tunnels, better weather). We want our community to have access to a good nutritious spectrum of food without poisons. When we buy organic food wholesale, as a community, we reduce the price significantly. So this is what we’ve done. By joining this food co-op, you will receive a weekly box of twelve organic produce items sourced from organic farms in the region. Membership commitment is on a monthly basis, and vacation credit is available if you let us know in advance. The boxes are set, and rotate on a 4-week schedule. Please be aware that your box will always be diverse! This program is designed with your health in mind and there will always be a good selection of vegetables and fruit to get you through the week. Check out the co-op’s website at ourfarmcommunity.com for more information and to register.
If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you are already a co-op member. Thank you so much for being involved and helping us make pesticide-free produce affordable for all! Please continue to spread the word to your neighbors and friends… and don’t forget to check out whatsonmyfood.org for a list of all the pesticide residues found on conventional food. We strongly believe that everyone should be able to consume food devoid of these harmful residues. Our food co-op is one way in which we combat the harm that is prevalent in the food industry.
The first week’s box of delicious organic produce contains a standard selection of fruits and veggies. Keep in mind, this isn’t designed to be ALL your food for the week. But by saving money on these staple produce items, you have stretched your dollar.
With busy work and social schedules, that celery stalk in the refrigerator sometimes gets overlooked. We don’t want that to happen! So just in case you’re in need of some inspiration, here’s a quick meal plan to ensure that every veg goes to use!
Week 1 Box Contains:
Lettuce, Onions, Carrots, Celery, Broccoli, Potatoes, Kale, Cucumbers, Garlic, Apples, Oranges, Grapefruit
Lettuce, Cucumber, Onion, Carrots
Scrumptious Salad or Lettuce Wraps
Chop up your head of lettuce and garnish with other chopped vegetables for a wonderful, hearty lunch or side dish. Drizzle some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste for a simple, healthy dressing.
If you’re feeling like mixing things up, separate the lettuce leafs, keeping them whole, and use them as a wrap. Fill with chopped avocado, your favorite beans (refried or black?), tomato chunks, and perhaps a sprinkling of cheese. Get creative! Use what you have, and make it delicious.
Celery, Onion, Broccoli, Carrots
Stir Fry
Stir-fries make an excellent meal for lunch or dinner! This is a great way to use vegetables – the key is quick cooking on high heat. Use a high heat oil such as coconut oil (a few tablespoons). Heat pan with oil. You will then add your chopped vegetables to the pan in order of their cooking speed (first carrots, then onions, broccoli and celery). Fry the vegetables until they are tender and heated through. How thoroughly you fry your vegetables is a matter of taste. Some prefer a crispy texture, while others prefer very tender stir-fry vegetables.
Add soy sauce or a flavored oil once the vegetables are heated.
Potatoes, Garlic, Onions, Carrots
Oven roasted roots
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Cut vegetables into 1 ½ inch chunks. Toss vegetables in a large bowl with garlic cloves, thyme leaves, and 3 tbsp olive oil till evenly coated. Spread vegetables out evenly on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle vegetables generously with salt and lots of black pepper. Roast the vegetables in the hot oven for about 45 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking, until vegetables are tender and starting to turn golden. Serve hot.
Kale, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic
Portuguese and Kale Soup
This is a super quick, delicious soup. Seriously! Only 15 minutes! You can make a large amount and freeze the leftovers for a quick go-to meal. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a deep pot over medium high heat. Add potatoes (about 3, peeled and diced) and onions (2 medium, chopped), cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic (4-6 cloves, chopped), bay leaves (optional), and kale (the whole bunch, coarsely chopped) to the pot. Cover pot and wilt greens 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans (garbanzo beans or white beans are great – add 1 15oz can), tomatoes (1 can, diced), sausage (optional), and broth (1 quart, chicken stock) to the pot and bring soup to a full boil. Reduce heat back to medium and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.
Garlic
Medicinal
There are a plethora of health benefits associated with garlic. If you haven’t already used this wonderful herb in your culinary creations, you can make a cold-treatment tea. Just chop or mince the garlic cloves and steep in hot water for several minutes. Strain out and drink. Ginger and raw honey can be added to improve the flavor. Garlic is packed with antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal AND an excellent immune system booster.
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We want this project to be community-centered! It’s not a one way street! If you have some great recipe ideas based on the produce in the weekly boxes, we’d love to hear from you! Send us your recipes and we’ll post them for the community to enjoy. You can even include pictures. We will centralize all the recipes on a designated page so that it can be easily accessed.
Comment or e-mail geecreekcommunity@gmail.com, and we’ll add your recipe to the database.
Gee Creek Farm 