Dry Fields for Ontario Farmers

The Southern Ontario growing season has been badly hit by the current drought with stone fruit and berries taking some of the biggest hits. Our produce supplier talked with strawberry farms that saw a yield that was well over 50 percent worse than the typical year. Stone fruit isn’t fairing much better with a much later growing season, spotty fruit and lower yields. If the weather continues it will likely mean the Food Box will be paying higher prices and see many shortages on our typical local variety. The weather has taken a different turn with our friends in Northern Ontario seeing double and triple the levels of normal rainfall which is causing even more problems than the drought we’re facing here in the South.

We will all be crossing our fingers that the weather evens out in July in Ontario and we can see the beautiful Ontario stone fruit and  melons we wait so patiently for every year. Due to the late season we will still have two imports this week in Oakville with imported peaches and bananas.

Your Oakville Box for July:

In your $10 bag we have included:  Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Green Beans, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario Celery, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Pepper Ontario Spinach, Ontario Green Garlic, and Ontario Broccoli

In your $15 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity  with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Green Beans, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario Celery, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Pepper Ontario Spinach, Ontario Green Garlic, Ontario Broccoli as well as Ontario Jumbo Radish

In your $20 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Green Beans, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario Celery, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Pepper Ontario Spinach, Ontario Green Garlic, Ontario Broccoli, Ontario Jumbo Radish as well as Ontario Cabbage and Ontario Beet Bunch

 

Romaine Leaf Tacos

A healthier way to eat tacos and a great way to maximize your Fresh Food Box!

  1. Cook and stir bell pepper and yellow onion in a skillet over medium heat with olive oil and chicken broth until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
  2. Cut up ground into small pieces; place into a separate skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir ground beef with taco seasoning until ground is browned and crumbly, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
  3. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt in a bowl. Place Cheddar cheese into a separate bowl.
  4. Fill each lettuce leaf with about 2 tablespoons beef filling; top with 1 to 2 teaspoons green pepper mixture, tomato, sour cream and desired cheese.

Image result for lettuce leaf taco

 

Ontario Broccoli is Back!

We are into July which brings even more Ontario produce, it’s the first week for broccoli and we’re happy to see it back in the boxes. It’s still a bit early but we should be seeing some Ontario melons and stone fruit in the boxes in the  next couple of weeks.

For the second week we are lucky enough to have some beautiful green garlic from Busy Liz’s farm shop. Green garlic gives us the best of several worlds as they often include not only the garlic bulbs and greens but some beautiful garlic scapes as well. To use green garlic, trim off the root ends and any tough part of the green leaves. Chop or slice the white, light green, and the first few inches of the dark green leaves (as long as they are tender). Use green garlic you would green onions or garlic, noting that it is stronger than the former but milder than the latter. It’s quite sharp raw, and mellows tremendously when cooked.

Your Milton Box for July:

In your $10 bag we have included:  Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Celery, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Pepper Ontario Kohlrabi and Ontario Broccoli

In your $15 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity  with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Pepper, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Celery, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Kohlrabi,   Ontario Broccoli and Ontario Green Garlic

In your $20 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Peppers, Ontario Celery, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Green Garlic,   Ontario Broccoli, Ontario Kohlrabi as well as Ontario Green Peas and Ontario Beet Bunch.

 

Mini Broccoli Quiche

 

  • 1/4 cup chopped Ontario green garlic
  1. Place the piecrusts on a lightly-floured surface; if making your own, roll the dough to a thickness of just under 1/8-inch. Take a round, 3-inch cookie cutter (you can also use a glass of that size) and make 24 circles in the dough.
  2. Lightly grease the cups of a standard muffin tin, and then place a piecrust circle in each cup. Press down.
  3. Into each muffin cup, add an equal amount of the chopped broccoli and the cheese so that both ingredients are evenly distributed.
  4. Combine the eggs and milk in a mixing bowl, then add the dill, garlic, and salt, and mix.
  5. Add approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of the liquid ingredients to each cup; pour directly over the broccoli and Swiss.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and then bake the quiches for approximately 25 minutes.

Broccoli

 

Beets for Burlington

 

In your $10 bag we have included:  Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Green Onion,   Ontario Spinach and Ontario Beet Bunch as an extra item for May box issues.

In your $15 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity  with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Green Onion,   Ontario Spinach and Ontario Beet Bunch as an extra item for May box issues.

In your $20 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Green Onion,   Ontario Spinach as well as Ontario Rhubarb and Ontario Kohlrabi and Ontario Beet Bunch as an extra item for May box issues.

Beet Greens Pasta

Beet Bunches can be used for for a variety of recipes as both the beets and the greens attached to them can be utilized. Beet greens cook very similarly to swiss chard and can be used in many of the same ways.

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 bunch chopped green onion
  • 2 chopped garlic cloves
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Greens from 1 bunch of beets, washed, ribs removed, and coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 1/2 Cup Crumbled feta
  • Salt for taste
  1. Boil a large pot of water and heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is simmering add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the beet greens and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and reserve. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
  3. Return the pasta to the pot and place over low heat. Add the reserved pasta water and the beet green mixture, then sprinkle in the crumbled feta. Stir until thoroughly combined and heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Bunch of beets (and leaves)

First Halton Farm Direct Produce of the Season

Haltons own Busy Liz has been hard at work and has been kind enough to supply the Fresh Food Box with enough of her Rhubarb for all of our large boxes (All 293 of them) for Oakville this coming Tuesday. We always try and source from as close to home as possible and you couldn’t get much closer than Busy Liz and her farm shop located at 8405 Guelph Line Campbellville, L0P1B0.

Busy Liz Opening Times:

We are a seasonal farm shop, open from

mid-May 2016 to 24th December 2016.

(However, please note:  Busy Liz’s Farm Shop is

CLOSED from 1st to 14th November 2016)

Hours of Opening:

May, June and July:

Monday                                CLOSED

Tuesday                               CLOSED

Wednesday                          CLOSED

Thursday                              12 noon to 6pm

Friday:                                  12 noon to 6pm

Saturday:                              10am to 6pm

Sunday:                                10am to 6pm

August and September:               

Monday to Wednesday         CLOSED

Thursday / Friday:                12 noon to 6pm

Saturday & Sunday:             10am to 6pm

October, November and December:

Monday to Friday:               10am to 6pm

Saturday & Sunday:            10am to late

In Your Oakville Box this week:

In your $10 bag we have included:  Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Asparagus,  and Ontario Spinach

In your $15 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity  with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Asparagus and Ontario Spinach as well as Ontario Peppers

In your $20 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity with additional items: Ontario Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Ontario Green Leaf Lettuce, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Kale, Ontario Zucchini, Ontario Radishes, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Asparagus, Ontario Peppers and Ontario Spinach as well as Ontario Rhubarb and Ontario Swiss Chard

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb is extremely versatile in a crisp and can taste amazing with both strawberries (Nothing can beat) as well as the apples from your Fresh Food Box. You can also dice up the rhubarb and freeze it as rhubarb easily keeps its taste and isn’t overly affected by freezing.

1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups sliced fresh rhubarb or frozen rhubarb, thawed
2 cups sliced peeled apples or sliced strawberries
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1. In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add rhubarb and apples or strawberries; toss to coat. Spoon into an 8-in. square baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, butter, flour and cinnamon until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until bubbly and fruit is tender. 

It's that time of the year rhubarb out of the garden, time for crisps and to make wine. #garden #homesteader

Photo credit: Mermaid’s Aquarium of Life via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

A Tough May Leads into a Bountiful June!

Burlington and Halton Hills May Box Quality

It was a tough month of May with Ontario produce not quite ready and imports starting to wain in quality due to time of year and impacts of weather. Our Burlington and Halton Hills box packing were not up to our usual levels of quality and we will be including an extra item in the June box for both cities to make it up to our valued customers. We always do our best to source the highest quality of ingredients and we are extremely sorry if any of our boxes went out that didn’t live up to our normal standards.

Ontario Grown!

Ontario vegetables have come roaring to the Food Box even sooner than we hoped. Our vegetables for our Milton box day will be 100% Ontario and our hope is that by July we can follow along with some early season Ontario fruit and skip imports altogether. We are eager to work with as many Halton farmers as possible and any recommendations or calls about ultra local growers would be greatly appreciated.

Your Milton Box for June 7th:

 

In your $10 bag we have included: Ontario Apples, Peaches, Bananas, Ontario Jumbo Radish,, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Orange Peppers, Ontario Asparagus, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Eggplant, Mango, Ontario Carrots and Ontario Spinach

In your $15 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity  with additional items: Ontario Apples, Mango, Peaches, Bananas, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Jumbo Radish, Ontario Peppers, Ontario Asparagus, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Carrots, Ontario Spinach, Ontario Eggplant, and  Ontario Green Lettuce

In your $20 Box we have many of the same items in greater quantity with additional items: Ontario Apples, Mango, Peaches, Bananas, Ontario Sweet Potato, Ontario Tomatoes, Ontario Jumbo Radish, Ontario Peppers, Ontario Asparagus, Ontario English Cucumber, Ontario Carrots, Ontario Spinach, Ontario Eggplant, Ontario Green Lettuce as well as Ontario Mushrooms and Kiwi

 

Ontario Radish and Spinach Salad

1/4 cup  olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp  dill
6 cups torn spinach leaves
1/2 cup  sliced radishes
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 carrot, thinly sliced 

salt and pepper to taste

In salad bowl, mixtogether olive oil, lime juice, mustard, garlic,dill, salt and pepper.

Add spinach leaves, sliced radishes, cheese, and carrot. Toss.

from my garden

Photo credit: rayb777 via Foter.com / CC BY