garden updates and boxs contents

A great service they provide..

Sun, 13 May 2012 03:55:00 -0500

Hi,
Everything is moving fast. The fruits and vegetables are growing quickly and so are the movements of all the dwellers in the garden, including insects. Remember - all garden dwellers are all important links in the chain of events that happens in our nature, and we mustn't harm any one of them in order to not ruin the entire chain. This is so even if it seems at times that they are "harming" our crops. These pests of course go especially to those crops that are having a difficult time, so take that into account when ordering winter leaves that struggle through the summer. They are likely to have tenants. Of course, we carefully inspect while packing, because when you expect it to be fresh, you don't expect it to move on your plate.... But we may have misses.
I always see the holes in the leaves as a sort of quality assurance done by the very small members of our quality control department. These tiny creatures, although tiny, instinctively know to eat only what is good for them. They will never eat poison, as opposed to us, big "smart" creatures that keep getting confused...

These holes also signify that the wonderful chain of nature exists and is working in our garden properly. In conventional agriculture the fields are sprayed in order to prevent this kind of nibbling, and insecticide poison enters into the leaf tissue. The insects are poisoned and the butterflies are missing, in turn the birds that feed on them are poisoned as well. The birds that help protect the garden by eating pests, disappear. It is sad not only because we miss their beauty and songs, but also because it allows the pest population to increase... this is a wondrous cycle and we mustn't harm it.
Rachel Carson described this horrifying quietness in her book "Silent Spring".
"in larger and greater areas the spring now arrives without the introduction of birds returning from their migration, and early morning hours, once full of birds songs, are now silent in a weird silence."
May the singing continue!
Look how much beauty is in it:

Slowly, slowly the winter produce diminishes and then all of the sudden, the patches have no winter crops. Just like the counting of the Omer, we are counting the amounts of ripe summer crops and preparing to reap the remaining winter plants. Spinach, which was in our boxes a month ago, gave about 100 portions, this week we got only 20. Broccoli and cabbage are no longer in the garden at all.
In the garden there are almost no wintery greens left. We spread and hung shade, so it will be easier on the wintery leaves that prefer the cold and will burn in summer, to hopefully give us a little more of the green greens even if it is really hot already.
The basil, almost the only summer green, will now be mostly from our garden and not from other growers. As a summer and heat lover, it required heating and protection in order to grow during the winter. Now the basil's favorite season is here and it can diligently grow outside with no assistance from us.
Tomatoes, zucchinis, melons, gourds of different shapes and types are already growing in the garden, but not fruitful yet. Hence the crazy price of tomatoes.

The garlic has dried

This year I decide to grow legumes as much as I can (green and purple beans) because they have the magical power of fixing nitrogen in the earth. This enhances the earth for the following crops later on.
The lettuces, in summer the only the leaf specie (romaine), are growing much more rapidly than they did in winter, and we are back to planting them every week or two.
In the last months the garden has transitioned from a green wintery abundance, to emptiness and enrichment treatments and will soon, soon be full of juicy summer fruits.
Have a juicy good week,
Yours,
Maggie

Our baskets this week look like this:Cucumber
Tamar Cherry tomatoes
Green onions
Zucchini
Lettuce
Celery root
Dry onion
Carrots
Small butternut squash
Some tomatoes - not certain
Mangold, Swiss chard

In the big ones also:

Cabbage
Beets
Mint
Potatoes

In fruit baskets:

Banana
Avocado
Oranges

May a Lady Bug land on you!

Sun, 06 May 2012 07:05:00 -0500

Hard to believe, but it's already May. It's hot in the garden and, yet, we were blessed with a bit more rain. Everything is growing quickly. The winter crops are being replaced by summer crops. Several crops are year-round, such as lettuce, green onion, leeks, and they can be found in the garden in all stages. Changes are rapid and activity increases in summer.

In addition to fast-growing crops, bugs and other creatures are waking from their winter hibernation and becoming more active. Some bother us but others are extremely useful. Since all are part of one big cycle, they all are necessary and we mustn't destroy any one of the links of this cycle. Otherwise, we will have an epidemic or problem that Nature will not be able to handle by herself. Organic farmers are accustomed to and ready to pay a small ‘bug tithe' rather than chance a more serious long-term problem.

Today, please meet the star of children's' stories. The star that children love to dress up as. The star with a very strange Hebrew name: ‘MOSHE RABBEINU'S COW' (‘ladybug' in English).

Her real Hebrew name is ‘Moshit Hasheva', and what does it mean? In Bulgaria, she is called ‘God's little cow'; in Romania and Russia, something similar. She has appeared in European folklore for hundreds of years as beneficial and a bearer of good fortune. In Italy, it is believed that a ladybug that enters a bedroom brings good luck. In Europe, it is believed that if a ladybug lands on the hand of a young woman, she will soon marry. In Russia, people lift a ladybug into flight and wish for a good livelihood. In Denmark, when a ladybug lands on someone's hand, they toss her into the air and wish for good weather. In the USA, if a ladybug lands on you, you can make a wish, then blow on her to make her fly away, and your wish will come true. In native American cultures, ladybugs represent gods and good luck in life, especially in love. In English, she is called ‘ladybug' or ‘lady bird' and in German ‘marienkäfer' meaning the ‘the beetle of Mary', i.e., the mother of Jesus.

In Yiddish, the religious association was maintained, but the benefits and good fortune of the ladybug are attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. In Yiddish, she is called ‘moyshe-rabeynes kiele', meaning Moshe Rabeinu's little cow, or ‘"moyshe-rabeynes ferdele" , meaning Moshe Rabeinu's little horse.

The nicest thing about her is that this cute little ladybug is a voracious devourer of aphids!!!!

The ladybug originated in Asia, Europe, and North America. In 1866 in California, the citrus industry was on the verge of collapse because of an infestation of aphids that eat the leaves of a tree, causing the tree to die. Farmers uprooted affected trees hoping to prevent spread of the infestation. There was little fruit, and the value of the land dropped. The Health Department called for help and an Australian named Albert Koebele came up with the solution - 129 ladybugs. The were released beneath the affected trees and within two weeks the situation was under control. Within half a year, the problem no longer existed.

The beautiful lady is not so gentle...

In 2000, New York City brought a huge number of ladybugs and distributed them throughout Central Park to clean out the insects. Ladybugs can be bought in plant nurseries in the USA.

The real Hebrew name is ‘Moshit hasheva", ‘Moshit' for Moshe and sheva because of the seven dots seen on her back when her outside wings are closed. Actually, she has eight dots, four on each wing, but when the outside wings are closed, two of the dots join together to become one.

Her red color rightfully suggests that she has toxic alkaloids. When alarmed or feeling threatened, poison is secreted through the leg joints and they acquire a repulsive taste and smell. The poison isn't dangerous to humans (in any case, don't eat one!), it doesn't harm us but the taste is repulsive. Somewhat like the Khomeini beetle (Maladera insanabilis, Maladera matrida), you know it?

We hope she comes back to us soon because we need her to protect the crops in the garden. Her poison is dangerous to animals that prey on ladybugs, and her red warning color does its work.

The scientific name of the ladybug is Coccinella septempunctata. The ladybug has what is called a full life cycle, which means that the mature female lays eggs, larvae hatch from the eggs, larvae change into pupae, and mature ladybugs emerge. The four stages greatly differ from each other, allowing the animal to use the products of different times. In this way, the animal adapts to seasonal changes in temperature and available food.

Most of its activity occurs in spring when there is abundant food for larvae and adults. At the beginning of spring, the first adults suddenly appear. Mature females lay eggs on the underside of leaves, near colonies of leaf aphids that which are perfect food for the little ladybug larvae

One female can lay about 500 eggs within 6-8 weeks

The small larvae secrete a pheromone that prevents other females from laying their eggs in the same vicinity to prevents overcrowding in an area that is already being used for food by ladybugs and to prevent cannibalism. (Never judge a book by its cover...a hungry caterpillar is a hungry caterpillar! Here is a caterpillar with an aphid in its mouth

The caterpillar will form its pupa on the underside of a leaf or in another shaded place and looks like this

During hibernation, the tissues in the body are reorganized and redesigned and this is how the ladybug looks immediately after coming out of the pupa and into the world

A few hours later, she looks just as we love to see her dressed, and here she is in action

Wishing you good luck in life, love, wealth, and weather and, most of all, may a ladybug land on you...

Your Maggie

בסלים:
Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes Tamar, potatoes, leeks, beets, purple cabbage, lettuce, peppers, parsley, onion
Larger ones also: Cauliflower, Baby cucumber, zucchini
Baskets of fruit: avocados, bananas and oranges

Proper Veggie Storage

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 05:15:00 -0500

Dear recievers of our goods,
These weeks after Passover are varied not only in terms of weather, but also in terms of feelings: mourning, pain and happiness.

Last Wednesday, which was hotter than usual (I haven't yet given up waiting for the last rain), during the picking and packing I was thinking of the fresh fresh vegetables that were picked for you. Until very recently they were still connected to the ground and to their support systems. From the moment they are picked or cropped they can no longer receive nourishment, but they are still alive - breathing and emitting gases, creating heat and losing liquids etc. On hot days you can see the effect of picking immediately. Lettuce can wilt its leaves or even completely faint within half an hour of being picked. An eggplant can lose its shine in a few hours...
Of course, we try to do the picking early in the morning or late afternoon when it is not so hot, in order to burden the vegetables as little as possible.. We also strive to pick immediately before the delivery to you. However, there is plenty you can do at home to maintain the produce in the healthy, tasteful and pretty state in which you receive it. (thanks to Nati too for the tips!).
First - do not wash the produce unless you must. Best is to wash immediately before use. If you must wash ahead of time, make sure it is dry dry dry before putting in the fridge. Stagnant water causes the decomposition process, also known as rot, to begin.
Second -- It is better to store produce that is not cut because the cut surface loses vitamins and minerals.
Third -- the fridge. In general, the cold slows down life processes including the ripening process of produce. However, the vegetable drawer is not suitable for all. Remember heat rises - the bottom of the fridge will be cooler than the upper section.
Most fresh produce requires humidity levels higher than that in our fridge. In order to prevent dehydration the produce should be kept in plastic bags. This is especially important for the leafy produce that has no outer peel. Placing a paper towel (or any absorbent paper) inside the bag will prevent excess moisture that may lead to rotting.
As for the root vegetables, it's best to separate the leaves from them before storage because the leaves will "suck" the moisture out of the root.
It is recommended to separate between the different kinds of produce because of the differences between them, especially in their rate of breathing and emitting ethylene gas. Yes, ethylene is emitted as part of the ripening process.
All fruits and vegetables emit amounts of ethylene and they are all sensitive to it, some more and some less. Produce that is sensitive to ethylene will undergo the ripening process faster when placed adjacent to emitters of ethylene. So we categorize all produce to two groups: the big emitters and those that are sensitive to it.
The big emitters are all the fruits: apples, papaya, melon, banana, avocado and tomatoes (yes, a tomato is a fruit).
Sensitive produce, that will ripen fast in the presence of the big emitters and hence should not be around them, include: lettuce and most leaves, broccoli and it's extended family, mango, lemon, orange, cucumber and carrot.
So, for example, in order to preserve the cucumbers longer it is not wise to keep them in the same drawer with the tomatoes, etc.
Of course, in our wondrous nature it works both ways and ethylene can be used to induce the ripening of an unripe fruit, for example, by placing a ripe apple together in a bag with an unripe mango.
Some specific tips:
"cool as a cucumber" - the cucumber (and also it's zucchini siblings) requires cooling, but prefers the less-cool section in the fridge, like the upper section. The cold causes microscopic "cuts" in the peel causing it to dehydrate and shrink. It is important to place in a plastic bag or even wrap each one with a paper towel. The bag will also protect it from the ethylene produced by its neighbor. Before storage make sure to remove the flower, if any, since they tend to begin the decomposition process.
The tomato, as appropriate for the summer queen, does not appreciate the cold at all. It should not be kept in the fridge unless it reached the desired level of ripeness. When you do so it is better to remove the stem because it might puncture its neighbor. Tomatoes on the vine - being connected to the vine helps ripening, so once they ripen enough separate them from one another. The tomato is a known ethylene emitter, so storage near a sensitive fruit will induce that fruit's ripening. The avocado is not ripe enough? Wrap it in paper and place it near the tomatoes. It works, of course, the other way around also. If your bananas are ripe, do not leave them near a tomato.....
Leaves, except basil - all leaves can be stored even up to two weeks, if done properly. First of all, always in a bag - best is a bag closed also at the top with many tiny holes. This will prevent accumulation of condensed water and will allow gas transfer. In spices, with the highest breathing rate (volatility), it is recommended to add absorbent paper to the bag to prevent dampness from condensed vapor.
Basil - one of the only summer leaves, does not like the cold. Store it as if it were a bouquet of flowers in a glass or vase with water and make sure to trim the stem with a sharp knife every day.
Bananas - not in the fridge, it will cause them to blacken. Separating them from each other will slow down their ripening.
Yams do not like the cold, Place them in a cool shaded place outside the fridge.
Eggplants - should be eaten as soon as possible. If you must store them, put them in the fridge in a bag and wrapped in paper. They get a bit chilly in there....
May we all have days of growth,
Yours,
MaggieEexpectations for our spring weekly baskets;

Swiss Chard

Lettuce

Beets

Regular cucumbers

tomatoes, Half kg
Tamar Cherry tomatoes half kg

Parsley

Cauliflower

Zucchini

Green onions

Larger ones also:

Leeks

Potatoes

Celery

And spinach

Baskets of fruit;

Avocado

Oranges

And bananas

Quick expectation list update

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 12:38:00 -0500

Just adding our expectation list for this week:

Tomatoes

Baby cucumbers

Swiss Chard

Lettuce

New Zealand spinach

Potatoes

Onion

Parsley

Eggplants

And celery

Larger ones also:

Radishes

Kohlrabi

Zucchini

Leeks

Baskets of fruit;

Bananas

Pomelits

Avocado

New Spring

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 06:03:00 -0500

Hi friends,
Hope you all had a wonderfull vacation! I missed you..
1. First, I wish to notify everyone of changes in deliveries for the NEXT WEEK due to Independence day.
Deliveries to Herzelia, north Tel Aviv, Yehud and Kiryat Ono are being moved to Monday, April 23rd instead of Wednesday April 25th. For those of you affected by this change, please be sure to order by Sunday at 12:00.
2.This week we have a huge variety of greens, just before we part from them for the summer.
3.Sale on beets!
4.I added walnuts and hazelnuts with a new, good price!

Spring and new beginnings,
The month of Nisan - - "החדש הזה לכם ראש חדשים, ראשון הוא לכם לחדשי השנה" (שמות י"ב, ב').
Nisan is the biblical first month of the year. How suitable to begin the new year with refreshed energy (after the slowness of winter when we almost forgot how hot it was last summer), and with a burst of color, smells, growing and extra activity: ours and of all creatures in the garden that carry out this magical cycle.
The name Nisan originates from the Accadian word "Nisano" and means bud (like Nitzan in Hebrew), like the beginning of a flower, future potential...
That's it, it is official, spring is here - the garden is bursting with blossoms, colors, scents, rapid growth and the activity of creatures large and small.
In the bible the term "spring" (aviv) refers to the phase at the start of the ripening of grain after the stems have hardened.
The barley is the first of the grains to ripen in our region and in the month of Nisan it reaches the stage in development called "spring". The spring of barley happens when there is less rain, higher temperatures and the sun comes out.
The hail in Egypt damaged the barley and the flax, species that ripen earlier, and not the wheat and buckwheat that ripen later. "כי השעֹרה אביב והפשתה גבעול... והחטה והכסמת אפילֹת הנה" (שמות ט, לא)
So this season, for us characterized by fickleness - one day hazy, one day cold, one day hamsin - is a good season to leave Egypt for a hike in the Sinai desert, as Rashi explains Exodus 13, 4: ".... Be grateful that your camel took you out in a good month for exiting, not hot nor cold and no rains....." (my translation.....) I can personally testify to the suitableness of this season, recalling the herds of Israelis coming and going at the Taba crossing.
The spring is a time that the farmers are energized from the revival and natural awakening in the garden. The winter had short days, some of which did not allow work outside, which were used for planning and organizing indoors, and also provided additional hours to sleep at night. Hence, farmers are now fully energized. This is the time to reap joyfully. At the end of the first holiday of Pesach it is customary to perform the ceremony that officially announces the beginning of the reaping season. Nowadays, when we have irrigation also during summer and we are not dependant only on rain water, this is when the garden changes its face. We say goodbye to the winter crops, some slowly and some all at once, and greet the summer vegetables, of which most are actually fruit which carry seeds inside them
So, bottom line, how does it work? What's happening now in the garden?
The patches of broccoli, cauliflower, radish, most of the cabbage, mustards and more are finally reaped and you probably noticed that they have occupied our latest boxes. We won't see them in the garden till next fall. The empty patches received additional organic compost, some cultivation and deeper hoeing to ventilate and assure proper water drainage.

All of this in order to enrich the many micro-organisms that live in the earth -- they are actually what cause the fertility of the earth. In intensive organic agriculture, like ours, we must always aspire to maintain optimal balance and allow nature to do its thing. As opposed to conventional industrial agriculture where they enrich the earth with specific nourishing agents at specific times, we make an effort to keep our earth balanced and healthy all the time. In fact that is the most important guideline in the garden -- always to encourage healthy micro-organism activity, so a cycle of seeds and then rest are very important in keeping the earth fertile.
Each kind of crop takes from the earth certain materials and also leaves some. Growing the same crop, in the same patch, for many consecutive seasons will cause depletion of certain necessary resources. Situations like this of "tired" earth are what brought conventional agriculture to depend upon chemical fertilizers. They use the earth as a "bed" only, because it lacks healthy micro-organism activity. Restoration of the healthy state of micro-organism activity takes much time and effort, so they continue adding chemicals year after year.
In our garden we find it important to vary the kinds of crops and not to repeat the same crop season after season. In fact we try to create an even longer cycle of at least 2 years. This is in order to allow the little smart guys in the ground to do what they know best. In addition we try to help by ventilating, moisturizing, adding compost and also planting crops that enrich the earth: crops that restore to the earth essential materials like legumes, that connect nitrogen to the earth.
As appropriate to the mountain region, in the last month we sowed summer spinach and kale so we will have some greens in summer.

The Swiss chard is still producing its lovely leaves and the lettuce, only the romaine which is more resistant to heat, will be planted in shorter intervals than in winter because of the rapid growth in the warmth and sun. Hopefully this will provide a constant supply to all of us.
The patches are festively prepared and awaiting the real summer plants! This week we will plant zucchinis, tomatoes, melons, eggplants and basil!! Also, planned to arrive are the green onions, leeks and chives.
This week we will also plant pumpkins (winter squash, actually zucchinis that completely mature and thus have seeds and a hard peel, which allows them to be preserved for winter, hence their name) of many types: Napolitan, giant Tripoli, butterscotch gourds, Thai in many shapes, colors and sizes.
So that's it, as part of the sweep of the cycle, we will wish the outgoing vegetables a blessing and thank them for the nourishment they have provided, and happily receive those that are beginning their way in the garden.

I'm all excited from the burst of activity and hope we all have a year blessed with honey and milk and produce from the garden. May all our buds develop into flowers and produce fruit that provide us with health and joy.
Yours,
Maggie

And we expect in this weeks spring baskets:

Mangold

Beautiful green curly lettuce

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Broccoli

Dill

Beets

Celery root

Eggplants

Kohlrabi

Larger ones also:

fennel

Spinach

Leeks

And parsley

Baskets of fruit;

Avocado, banana and citrus

Happy Passover

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:52:00 -0500

Another opportunity to wish you a Happy Pesach.

The expectation list for our Holiday Baskets, is updated in the site and you may reach it via the links on the left.

From now on you, please contact our delivery people for any questations about delivery hours etc.

מעכשיו לכל בירור, הבהרה, איחור, שאלה בנושא המשלוח עצמו תוכלו לפנות ישירות למשלוחנים שלכם.

ימי ג' Tuesdays

בית שמש וירושלים- אליוט 052-3321646 Beit Shemesh, jerusalem- Eliott

שריגים, עג'ור, ישעי, ג.ישעיהו, צפרירים- נילי 054-8084603 Srigim, Ajur, Givat yeshayho, tsafrimim- Nili

מודיעין, ת"א- עמית 050-5318984 Modin, Tel Aviv- Amit

ימי ד' Wednsdays

ת"א הרצליה, ק.אונו, יהוד, גבעתיים, רמת גן, חולון- עמית 050-5318984 Tel Aviv' Hertselya, k.ono, Yehud, Choolon, Givatayim- Amit

ירושלים- אלי 052-3280125 Jerusalem - Eli

פריפריית ירושלים וצפון ירושלים- רפאל 052-8929972 North Jerusalem and around the city- RefaelYour

Maggie and all the staff

I am reminding you that there will be no deliveries during chol Hamoed.

This week Tamar BaRahi is on sale- have a sweet holiday!

List for our festive baskets:

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Swiss chard

Leeks

Beets

Celery

Potatoes

Dry onion

Ramiro peppers about half a kg

Kohlrabi half kg

Green mustard

Lettuce

Large baskets also:

Coriander

Parsley

Fennel

Dill

And more potatoes or something else

Fruit baskets

Avocado

Banana

Oranges

And pomelos

To water or not to water? that is the question.

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 05:33:00 -0500

Dearest box receivers,
I'm reminding everyone that during the week of Hol Hamoed Peasch there will not be deliveries of boxes. Some of us will be on vacation and others will be busy planting....
if you want reinforcements for the holiday or because of the skipped week please let me know as soon as you can, or logon to our ordering system and see what is available. This is also a good opportunity to try out the ordering system, if you have not done so already. We will be glad to help.
In the week before the holiday, I expect a much bigger load on us all, and therefore there may be delays in the delivery. Your patience is appreciated. Sorry.

This beautifull heat has made some our cabbages fulfill their destiny without wanting to develop a full head. Cabbage leaves, especially these which are like the exterior leaves, are particularly healthy. (also great in green and purple smoothies).

To water or not to water? That is the question....
In the winter, especially this rich winter, the entire garden is irrigated in a sweet and natural fashion directly from the skies. It means that our irrigation system is not activated and not being used. When we irrigate the garden with our drip system, the water is transported inside tubes and will arrive only where there are tubes and drippers. Of course we sow and plant only where water reaches, so in summer we are limited to the tubes. In the winter we can take advantage of more ground and plant or sow between the beds, against a fence to climb on and other more original ideas. We are finished with these ideas until next winter, but we are still waiting for the Malkosh!... which is rain in the month of Nisan, just befor the harvest, that fills and hardens the produce.
(דברים יא יד): "וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּוֹ, יוֹרֶה וּמַלְקוֹשׁ, וְאָסַפְתָּ דְגָנֶךָ וְתִירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ"
The malkosh is the last rain. Think about this - it is a word that can only be understood retroactively. One cannot know that a certain rain is the last until much after it has ended.....
Always in spring there is much much work to be done. The plentitude of rain that has soaked in all parts of the garden holds a promise for each little seed inside the ground waiting for the right moment. Now each seed can identify the optimal conditions for it to sprout. And I'm not talking necessarily about the seeds we placed in the ground intentionally, but seeds from the weeds we pulled out this last season, seeds from the goat compost we bring over, seeds that blew over with the wind, seeds that fell from a bird in the sky..... so, along with the many weeds that germinate and begin to grow, this is also the perfect time for the summer crops to begin to grow. We are not yet sure it will be warm and cozy - the preferred temperature for summer crops, but we want to give them an easy start in nice weather which is warm and not too hot, and a strong start by enjoying the plentitude of water still absorbed in the ground.
Just as it is the time to clean the house, take out the leavened food, remove the old and ancillary from our lives (the equinox was last week), it is also the time to say goodbye to winter crops that are burdened by the recent warmth. It is time to weed, to enrich with compost and to cultivate the beds to prepare and renew them to receive life cycles of new plants.
Until it gets really hot there will be a mixture of winter and summer crops, but we already began the process of detaching from the winter plants. We thank those cycles for the nourishment and the green wonderful wintery flavor and are happily expecting the summer crops.
Next to be planted and sown in the coming weeks are eggplants of several types, beans, tomatoes, basil and a number of diffent gourds.
I wish us all a period of renewing, cleaning and sprouting, followed by a blossom of new ideas.
Yours,
Maggie and the team

Our expectation list for this week:

Tomatoes

Fennel

Cabbage

Lettuce

Dutch cucumbers half a kg

Swiss chard

Parsley

Peppers

Carrots

onion

Larger ones also:

Beets

Coriander

Potatoes

Green onions and something else ...

Fruit baskets;

Bananas

Avocado

pomelits

Orange

Transition season and Equinox

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 07:05:00 -0500

Shavoa Tov,

What spring, how pleasant, today the sun is shining, yesterday it was freezing, and three days ago rain glorious rain ......Happy to declare Israeli spring is here, although it's always a little sad to know the wet season is coming to an end.
ANNOUNCEMENT: THIS YEAR WE ARE NOT WORKING DURING HOL HAMOED PASSOVER, so there will be no box delivered that week!
Accordingly, Dear veggie lovers, if you wish to order additions for the holiday, or because we are skipping a week's delivery, please let me know as soon as possible, so we can accommodate your requests. This is a great opportunity to try out our online ordering system to see how well it works, if you have not done so already.
Have a happy and fun holiday.
Wednesday this week, the 21st of March, will be the spring equinox. On the day of equinox, the sun shines exactly in the east, and exactly 12 hours after then, sets in the west. During the days of equinox the axis of the earth is lined up with somewhere near the north star, so almost everywhere on the planet there are 12 hours of day light and 12 hours of darkness.

During the winter the days were shorter. We are accustomed to begin to work on our packing days at 5:00 in the morning. Each year in winter, we rise up early and wonder whether it is really 5 am, because in the winter it feels and looks like it is still the middle of the night. In the recent weeks, however, the sunlight has snuck its way in fairly quickly after we started.
The spring equinox is also the official beginning of spring. In our country spring is characterized by fickle weather, just as it has been in the recent weeks. Have you noticed that: 3 weekends ago it snowed here in Nataf! 2 weekends ago it was very dry and we even thought of maybe driving to the beach. Today, I'm writing to you on Friday, it's quite grayish, rained cats & dogs and is now wet and cool outside. Somewhat fickle I would say!
The beginning of spring is also a busy time for farmers and in many cultures the equinox day holds many meanings. To many it symbolizes a time of balance and a meeting point. A kind of calm and balanced point in time, for paying attention and learning, and possible change and transition between situations because the border between contrasts is almost non-existent.

Most areas in Israel have already gotten over 100% of the average annual rainfall - whenever I think of this I cannot stop myself from pointing out what happiness and wealth! In our garden, because of this abundance and the warmer weather, everything is awakening and beginning to move more quickly. Crops are growing faster, the warmth is pleasant for them, the sunlight allows good nutrition and their roots are deep in saturated soil. Also the weeds have shifted gears into growing. The blooming, the abundance of light and warmth invite various insects to emerge from their winter hibernation and begin fulfilling their destiny. There is also an abundance of singing birds in the garden, enjoying the many bugs and seeds that have sprouted, including those that we have sown.
All senses are active. The garden is as green as it gets, with a variety of colored leaves -- greens and also purple (cabbage) and brownish-red (lettuce) and all are bursting with new activity.
We are waiting for the summer crops to grow beside the last of the winter plants in our garden. We weed, fertilize, weed, sow, weed, plant and weed some more.... diligently! This gradual transition season, the slim meeting between seasons and vacant patches that are at rest, always call for attention and much learning.
An Israeli spring, as Naomi Shemer said in her song "spring march": "because here the spring is a couple of days old, here the spring dies young..." So enjoy it!
Have pleasant fickle days, enjoy the diversity!
Yours,
Maggie and the market & garden crew.

And we expect in this weeks baskets:

Tomatoes

Cucumbers - not for sure

Lettuce

Celery

Coriander

Green Fava beans - 0.5 kg

Spinach

Potatoes

Carrots

And beets

In Larger ones also:

Parsley

Half a pound broccoli

Green Garlic

Lemons

And avocado

Fruit baskets

Bananas

Oranges

Avocado

And pomelos

Green Garlic

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:13:00 -0500

Hi Friends,
First of all - how much rain!!! The earth is saturated and rich and healthy and simply delightful. What a blessing!!!

Now and only now is the garlic season. Garlic is one of the few vegetables nowadays that are still seasonal. Due to the many species available today, most vegetables can be grown also in seasons that they once did not prefer. The garlic is "sown" only in autumn. It is actually planting the garlic cloves. Yup, the same as those we eat, and just like in this season you'll notice that the dry garlic at home is sprouting. That is because it recognizes the correct time of the year, just as if it was planted in the garden, and it sends out roots and long green leaves. It is very similar to leeks and green onions, all part of the same family, but it has a very distinguishable delicate garlic scent.

The more it grows, the more you can identify its garlicy characteristics. The clove will look more garlic-like and become a bit pinkish. You can and should eat it entirely including the leaves. As a vegetable lover that is not fond of complicated recipes, I can guarantee that it is a special and healthy addition to practically everything - salads, sandwiches and any recipe. There are many traditional recipes that call for garlic only. You too can grow garlic relatively easily by planting dry garlic cloves at the correct season.

Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated crops. The love/hate relationship with humans began over 5000 years ago.
Not long ago, I came across the following quote: "'it's not you, it's me...you see...you're a wonderful person...I'm simply not built for a relationship, nor am I emotionally ready and, anyway,... you don't like garlic!!!' This is how my relationship with a blue-eyed Latin pilot, who was also a doctor, and an attorney, and a poet, came to an end... I'm sorry, but he doesn't like garlic?? How can I maintain a healthy relationship like that? Even I have limits...."
Garlic is definitely a vegetable towards which it is impossible to be indifferent. Either one loves it, or one very much doesn't, even though it is very healthful.
In the past, an order of garlic-hating knights was established, and there is still a special festival to praise garlic. Shakespeare, apparently repulsed by garlic, instructed his actors not to eat garlic or onion since "we should express sweet breath" while working on "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream".
Green garlic has a very short growing season. Garlic must be planted in the fall and can be harvested as green garlic for only a short period before the leaves dry out. In France they celebrate this time and harvest. Green garlic has a more gentle taste and may be eaten in its entirety raw in salads and sandwiches. It can also be used in cooking as regular dried garlic cloves are used.
So, this week, in honor of green garlic, we will learn about garlic from A to Z (actually aleph thru taph). Garlic - from Alef to Taf:
Aleph - Aioli is perhaps the most well known garlic sauce. There are celebrations in its honor in cities in Provence that continue from the afternoon into the evening in which they serve vegetables, fish, bread, eggs, etc., all to be dipped in the garlic flavored sauce.
Bet - Herodotus the Greek historian reported that the builders of the pyramids threatened to strike if they did not continue to receive their daily ration of garlic.
Gimel - Gilroy, a small town in California, has been the world garlic capital since 1979. Every year they hold a garlic festival which is attended by hundreds of thousands of visitors. It is said that Gilroy is the only place in the USA where it is possible to garlic-flavor a steak by hanging it on the laundry line (Originally stated by Will Rogers).
Daled - Many infections may be cured by garlic which has natural and strong antibiotic properties. Among them are infections of the intestines, ears, mouth, skin (cuts and abrasions), gums and throat.
Hay - Hippocrates said that garlic is a disinfectant and heals asthma, coughing, worms, leprosy and stomach problems.
Vav - Vitamins are more easily absorbed by the body if taken with garlic.
Zayin - Garlic was first mentioned in ancient Sanskrit writings five thousand years ago.
Het - The amino acid Allicin is released when the skin of a garlic clove is ruptured. This amino acid is responsible for the taste and smell of garlic. In addition, it helps to fight against free radicals and assists in weight loss.
Tet - An effective way to repel pests in a garden or to treat infested plants is to plant garlic nearby or to smear the leaves of plants with garlic juice or paste. In our garden we grow garlic in abundance in every possible place.
Yood - There are grandmothers who claim that toothaches may be cured by placing a piece of garlic on the tooth that hurts. Other grandmothers claim that the toothache may be cured by placing garlic in the ear. These grandmothers also claim that a cold may be cured by rubbing garlic on the sole of the foot.
Caf - When Satan was expelled from the Garden of Eden, garlic sprouted and grew from each spot his feet touched (A Muslim myth).
Lamed - It is not clear whether the garlic that grows wild in this country is indigenous or made aliyah with our forefathers from Egypt. These forefathers remembered with fondness "the onions and garlics" that they ate there and brought specimens with them to plant and grow here.
Mem - It "satisfies, pleases, increases happiness and kills mites (?)that are within our kishkes" was said about garlic by our wise elders in the Talmud (Baba Kama).
Nun - Rubbing garlic on your windows and the locks of your doors, as they do in the Balkans, prevents the entry of vampires.
Samech - Sacordilia is an ancient Greek garlic sauce. Jason and the Argonauts who set out on their adventurous journey to retrieve the Golden Fleece ate full bowls of this sauce:
6 potatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vinegar
3 egg yolks
Cook the potatoes and mash them with the garlic and the salt. Transfer to a food processer and slowly mix in the oil and the vinegar. When it is thoroughly mixed add the egg yolks and mix until fluffy. Serve with cut vegetables.
Ayin - Ezra the scribe states in the Talmud that "whoever eats garlic on Shabbat evening brings love and gets rid of bad impulses". (Talmud Yerushalmi, Masechat Megilla).

Peh - In the pyramids of Tutankhamen they have found ancient remnants of garlic, which proves that garlic was used during that period also for religious purposes.
Tzadik -Garlands of garlic are hung on houses to repel bad spirits and children's necks are decorated with necklaces of garlic cloves. Even King Henry the V was covered with garlic and wine at birth.

Koof - There is only one or two calories in each clove of garlic.
Resh - The smell of garlic may be decreased by eating parsley or any other green plant that is rich in chlorophyll (the material that makes it green). To get rid of the garlic smell from your hands, rub them with salt or lemon. It is recommended to eat garlic together with other people..
Shin - In the year 1330, King Alphonso the 11th founded in Castilia the order of Knights who carried the flag of garlic hatred.

Taph - "Garlic cures all!" The Greeks and the Romans recommended garlic as a medicine for all sicknesses. Parisians in the 16th century believed that if you eat butter and garlic throughout the month of May you will enjoy good health all year. In England they used garlic to help them treat infection during the First World War. In Russia, they stopped a rampant flu epidemic with garlic. Even today, garlic is prescribed and sold widely in pharmacies in drops, pills, etc.
Garlic is recommended to anemics because it is rich in iron and vitamin C. Garlic thins the blood, prevents clotting, raises HDL (the good cholesterol) and lowers LDL (the bad cholesterol). In Chinese medicine, garlic encourages the flow of "chi" (energy) and increases sweating. Garlic is related to your lungs and skin.
Have a great, Healthy and Green week.
Yours,
Maggie

And we expect in this weeks baskets:

Butternut squash!

0.5kg broccoli

Tamar cherry tomatoes half kg

Cabbage

Potatoes

Carrots

Onion

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Ramiro peppers

And Dill

Big ones also:

Cauliflower

Coriander

Beets

and green Garlic

Fruit baskets

Avocado

Lemon

Oranges

And tangerines

Happy Purim

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 05:48:00 -0600

Shavoa Tov

Hope this finds you all inside and warm without ruins outside...

Happy Purim

It's based on a "real" story I heard from my great great grandma Rosy McMaggie (but it could happen!)

During the fall of 1678, they didn't really keep track of dates then, on one of many voyages out to sea, my great great grandpa and his band of merry pirates encountered raging stormy waters. By far the worst storm to this day. Any pirate, even the youngest, is especially worried about the two worst mishaps at sea - storms and diseases!

Even before the storm threatened to capsize the ship, the disease had started to spread. More than half the crew spent their time in their bunks, while the others suffered through their work complaining. Everyone was weak, sick and miserable and everyone was counting the days until they reached land, any land. One evening, after the sun had set, the wind began to stir. My great great grandpa, Blue Scar McMaggie, was worried. He woke up those who were healthy enough to help, and they battled the aggressive storm. No doubt the crew functioned extremely well. There were no injuries and the damage to the ship was minimal.

The next morning was sunny and cloud free, the wind was perfect and sent them at 60 knots toward the Island of the Black Skulls where they planned to bury their treasure. The healthy few were about to make breakfast and went belowdecks to the grain larder. Oh no!! The hold of the ship had flooded! All of their dry crispy grain and legumes were now soaking wet. They couldn't understand why they were having such bad luck as there were no women on board.

Anyway, the crew worked long and hard to empty the ship of the excess water, and they were disgusted when they had to eat the soggy wet grain and legumes. After two days of eating this 3 meals a day (of course the food had began to sprout) everyone was back to good health! (Except for Captain Morgan who drank too much rum, and didn't really care).

So, I heard a similar true story about how it had been common for seamen to suffer from bleeding gums, loss of teeth and bleeding into the skin, muscle and joints after being at sea for a while. After a storm the crew of a ship had no choice but to eat their grains and beans which had sprouted. The sick seamen miraculously got better. From this experience, it was learned that the disease called Scurvy was caused by lack of vitamin C. From then on Grains and legumes were deliberately sprouted upon the ships regularly. Vitamin C, which usually does not exist in the dry seeds, is created in the germination process (like many more wonderful nutrients). High consumption of Vitamin C immediately heals the collagen tissue and the disease disappears.

Now a days, in the western world, our bodies our constantly exposed to contaminants in our food, water, air etc. These oxidants interfere with the body's proper functioning. It is well known that vitamin C is a strong anti-oxidant, and sprouts contain a large amount of it. The germination process increases the amounts of vitamins, minerals and amino-acids by 10 -100 percent, of that found in dry grain.

Lavrioot and Happy Purim

Yours,

Maggie

In Our baskets I expect this week:

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Carrots

Fresh onion

Swiss Chard

Parsley

Avocado half kg

Half a kg broccoli

Butternut squash!

green garlic

And potatoes

Larger ones also

Fennel

Cabbage

Green onions

And celery

Fruit baskets

Bananas and citrus and citrus and citrus and citrus ....

organic happy celery

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 23:02:00 -0600

organic celery

From A to Z

A. Apium Graveolens is the celery's botanical name, derived from Greek. Till today, the name Apium

describes a kind of marinade of celery very common in Greece and the Balkans.

סלרי אורגני 3 הגינה של מגי
B - Bi-annual is this plant, although, we grow as if it were seasonal because it is reaped as a whole or with it's root.
C - Customary Greek spiced wine, used to have celery seeds in it.
D - Duke Mirepoix, the "sacred trinity" for the French and an essential commodity in my family's chicken soup. Must include celery!
מירופאה אורגני 2 הגינה של מגי
This is how the history has it: Our past hero is a French Duke who served as general and ambassador, in the 16th-century in Paris, whose name was CHARLES PIERRE GASTON, DUKE DE LEVIS-MIREPOIX. The Mirepoix couple lived a medium life and one day were invited by King Louis the 5th (himself) to his court. What excitement! - New dresses and shoes for the wife, new colorful wigs for the Duke!
Mirepoix:

King Louis the 15th:

Mrs. Mirepoix immediately caught the King's eyes, who was a known fornicator .... and he gave clear orders. The duke shall return to his home while the wife was invited to an extended visit. Since there is no appeal against the orders of the King, our Lord returned home, feeling betrayed & sad, though he was accompanied by gifts of money and lands from the king. Like the saying says: "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach".

Poor Duke Mirepoix consoled himself with food and gave clear instructions to his personal cook of what he wanted to eat. He asked for each course, in every meal, to have a sauce made of finely chopped vegetables consisting of celery, carrots and onions.
This unique trinity of vegetables, not of the characters, has raised the Duke Mirepoix into the history books.
And also a recipe: from the magazine Paprika

1 / 4 cup olive oil
50 g butter
300 g white onion, diced small
150 g carrots, diced small
150 g celery, diced small
1 cup beef or chicken broth
1 / 2 cup dry white wine
Recommended but not required to add cubes of smoked goose breast

In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the oil and butter, add the onion. Later add the carrots and celery, you can now add the diced smoked goose breast. Continue frying until the onion becomes transparent. Add the soup broth, lower the heat and cook until the fluids are reduced to about half. Towards the end of cooking, add the white wine. Continue to subtly simmer for another 4 minutes.
This is the basis for dishes, sauces and more, or as an addition to meat or fish.
E -Egyptians and the Greek, in the ancient era, were the first to civilize the celery. In human history it was initially used as a medicinal herb and only later as an edible plant. Enjoys water and grows wild in swamps, on the sides of streams and near springs.
F - Fame and celery;
It's told that in 1960 in Chicago, a celebrity walked into the bar at the Ambassador East Hotel and ordered a Bloody Mary. Apparently his drink arrived without Stirrer (a mixing stick). Rather than waiting for service, our Celeb simply took a celery stalk and used it. Since then all respectful Bar-Tending books agree this is the correct way to serve the red Mary.
G - Garlands of celery decorated the heads of greek champion athletes. I dedicated one to my sister on her birthday. Greeks also decorated graves with celery. I've already written you about this story and it's here if you want to read it again.
H - Homer is the first to mention the celery in his famous Odyssey from the 8th century BC
I - In the ancient era the Egyptians and the Greek were the first to civilize the celery. In human history it was initially used as a medicinal herb and only later as an edible plant.
J - Jews use celery as "Karpas". In Passover it is required to dip "Karpas" but it is completely not clear if our ancestors meant precisely celery, maybe lettuce ....?
K - Karpas is the name in Hebrew.
L - Lose calories?? They say that chewing celery, in the process of eating it, burns more calories than it actually contains. It really has almost no calories at all!
M - mashed potatoes innovated: make with half potatoes and half celery, the rest as usual as you like.
N - The name celery was given by the Greeks, which means water celery. In contrast to petroselinon (parsley), which in Greek means rock-celery. Peter = rock Slinon = celery
O - Old Chinese medicine considers the celery as a blood pressure reducer.
P - 0.7 gr of protein, and -1.7 gr of dietary fiber in a hundred grams or about one cup of celery.
Q - Quote from a site for chefs: "Mirepoix - a mixture of aromatic root vegetables (onion, carrot, leek, celery), coarsely chopped are used to enrich broths, sauces, soups and stews." - relates to D....
R - Rambam recommended to treat urinary problems with celery. Celery seeds have been used to treat pain for thousands of years. Common medicine used it to clean the digestive system, stop bleeding, calm and strengthen. Nowadays it's considered a diuretic plant and helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol
S - Seeds of celery, in the garden, require a great deal of patience because sprouting is very slow. Another tip for garden owners amongst you, do not sow it near the parsley since their sprouts and leaves look very similar, as well as their Greek name (details below).
T - The celery root, like other roots, tends to turn blackish when it's peeled and comes into contact with air. A dribble of lemon, or soaking it in a bowl of water with lemon, will prevent this phenomenon from happening.

U - Umbelliferae - the latin name for the celery's family. Kind of resembles the words Umbrella and Flora. In Hebrew the family is named like a shelter (סוכך ), because its flowers are arranged in small umbrellas or awnings. In English they're called Apiaceae. The celery flower has 5 small sepals, 5 petals and 5 stamens. This family includes more than 3000 species among which the most toxic, as Hemlock Kingfisher (aka Mother Die in English). Strong plant poisoning disables the respiratory system. It's told that in ancient Greece they used celery to poison potions for executions. This is the way Socrates was terminated.
V - vitamin A is abundantly available in celery as well as calcium, iron, potassium, and some vitamin C.
W - a walk next to a spring, even here around Nataf, can reveal to you organic celery of the wild specie that grows here.
X - Xtract (extract) from celery seeds yields a valuable volatile oil used in the perfume and pharmaceutical industries. They also contain an organic compound called apiol which is used for the treatment of menstrual disorders. It is an irritant and in high doses it is toxic and can cause liver and kidney damage.
Y - Yeah!! Celery contains the male hormone Androsterone, naturally. This hormone is a kind of pheromone. Pheromones (from Greek, pheromone - Frain (to transfer) + hormone (trigger / stimulate) are molecules secreted by animal in order to convey messages between individuals of the same species. Androsterone is secreted in a male's sweat and is considered to be sexually arousing to women. (Quote from Wikipedia)
Z - Zealous celery eaters are guinea pigs, horses, birds, squirrels and small rodents. (Wikipedia)
Z - Zohary, Daniel and Hopf, Maria note that celery leaves and inflorescences were part of the garlands found in the tomb of pharaoh Tutankhamun (died 1323 BC), and celery mericarps dated to the 7th century BC were recovered in the Heraion of Samos. However, they note "since A. Graveolens grows wild in these areas it is hard to decide whether these remains represent wild or cultivated forms." Only by classical times is it certain that celery was cultivated. (wikipedia)
Have a healthy, Happy and fun week
Yours,
Maggie

We expect in this weeks baskets:

Lettuce

Spinach

Coriander

Green onions

Carrots

Cabbage

Potatoes

No green

Some pepper

Cucumbers?

Tomatoes

Larger ones also:

Avocado

Parsley

Mangold

Celery

Broccoli leaves

Baskets of fruit;

Bananas

Oranges

Clementines

Hope you had a fragrant shabbat

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:49:00 -0600

Good Week
Always fun to write to you in the rain! Hope we won't have picking difficulties this week...
This seems to be the last week we will have fresh ginger, until next season. I lowered its price since it is no longer beautiful, but by maintaining it properly (dry, in a bag in the fridge) it will last very long.
I am reminding everyone that you can find the expectation list for our Fruit and vegetable Baskets, on the weekly newsletter at the very very end. You can always get there via the link on this weekly newsletter, to your left and then click on the top post.
Furthermore, if you would like more information, nutritional values and stories, when you get there you will find on the left many links of vegetables and other topics. Clicking one of them to present all the relevant posts and everything I wrote about it in the past.

There are many recipes in the tab "recipes" on our site. You can look them up by name of the vegetable. We'd love to post any of your favorite recipes and share them with all the readers.

Dill! Could it be that I have not written about it?

Anethum graveolens ,
This fragrant plant is great for soothing abdominal pain, toothaches and improves milk production of nursing women. Till today it is customary to calm babies with Dill tea and early American settlers used to make biscuits with dill, to be chewed by tiny sensitive gums.
Imagine to yourselves how mothers, lacking sleep from crying babies, after hours of rocking, walking and singing, gave the plant it's name when they were able to have a relaxed, quiet sit down. It's real Hebrew name means "Saturday fragrant", what a beautiful name!
The Talmud says: "Caesar said to Rabbi Joshua ben Hanina: Why the Sabbath stew smell wafts? Said to him one spice and Saturday we have a name we Mtilin and smell wafts into it ..." (שבת קי"ט)
The English name- Dill comes from an ancient Nordic word DILE /DILAA meaning soothe and relax. Recent studies have found that the rich antibacterial compounds protect the stomach lining and relaxes the digestive system.
Unfortunately, the familiar Hebrew name, given by other people and not by the mothers- Shamir, is actually a strong wild bramble that is mentioned many times in the bible along with the plant Sheit, both are weeds that colonize abandoned fields and ruins. Prophet Isaiah mentions them many times in commemoration of the destruction.
We will stick with the nicer name! Saturday fragrant...

Fragrant dill belongs to the Umbelliferae family, together with parsley, cilantro, celery, carrots, and fennel and more ... It grows with lots of branching stems, slender leaves and blooms in the form of an umbrella or parasol. Hence the name of the family. We harvest it before flowering so we can enjoy its leaves and stems, but after flowering the seeds can be harvested from the flowers. The seeds are used extensively.
The greens are used for eating raw, cooked, in tea... and the seeds are used for pickling and seasoning as in the production of curry mixes.
Dills originated from the Mediterranean region and Russia, and has probably been cultivated for a long time. Was common in the kitchens of Babylon and Assyria. Talmud says: "Dill maasers it's seeds and greens and bunches" (my quick translation) (עבודה זרה ז ע"ב) which means that all the parts of the plant were used and should be maasered.
The Greeks considered the dill, for its smell, as a symbol of wealth and prosperity, and used fragrant their homes with oil enriched with dill seeds. Dill also supposedly evokes love and it is believed, even today, that adding dill to the bath water will ensure your lover will not be able to withstand your charm.
Pythagoras wrote that in order to prevent epileptic seizures, you should hold a bunch of dill in your left hand. These seizures were believed to be dominations by demons and even the most beginner witch knew that Dill prevents such dominations. If you have such a problem you should drink Dill tea and wear an amulet of dill branches.
Dill and other herbs from the Umbelliferae family, contain many phytochemicals that block hormonal activity associated with cancer development. Really!
Other than these folk medicine advantages, it is also recommended to use as eye compresses to relieve eye infections and chewing dill to refresh the mouth. Eating Dill at the end of a meal helps with digestion and hiccups.
Dill is rich in vitamins and minerals. Especially potassium, beta - carotene, vitamin C and folic acid.

Hope you had a fragrant Saturday, and have a week without abdominal or teeth pain, no demons and full of love
Yours,
The Garden staff, packers and Maggie

And our basket expectation list, there may be changes ...:
Dill or coriander
Cucumbers?
Tomatoes
Lemons
Beets
Radishes
Lettuce
Potatoes
Swiss Chard
And green Garlic

Larger ones also
Cabbage
Celery
Parsley
Peppers

Fruit baskets:
Avocados Bananas
Oranges
And pomelos

"That you shall rise fresh like a leaf of lettuce"

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:26:00 -0600

Good week my dears,
1. When a seed does not sprout it rots. In the ground that's not a problem, we only wait and hope in vein.... In the sprout growing process, where many seeds grow together, one rotten seed can spoil them all. In the last weeks, due to misalignment between the weather and I, my plan was lacking and there were failures. So I found alternative growers to supply sprouts. If you wish to receive sprouts grown only by me J please let me know.
2. Hardoof no longer produce Pita breads.
3. I apologize for my response time. most my work is done in the garden or packing. There is no reception in the garden and I am not near the computer. I promise to get back to you for any issue! It is important that you know - I am committed to solve, resolve and answer everything!! My apologies and thanks for your patience.

"May you rise fresh as a leaf of lettuce, for the glory of the state of Israel" quote from the internet.

On a sunny day like today, the green leaves are spotted with sparkling drops of rain. Weather like this is a special delight for us and for the cultivated leaves we chose to grow. Also weeds that identify these optimal conditions join in and begin their own life cycle. As far as weeds go, some are welcome to stay in the garden, like Hubeza, wood sorrel and nettle and there are those that we are in a never ending race trying to slow them down and keep them away from the garden.

In the winter season we manage to grow many kinds of lettuce, a winter crop of course, so we have an abundant variety now. In the summer we do well only with the leaf lettuce or by her other names as romaine and arab and Kos ( as the island of Hipocrates), which is more durable in our warm weather.

Lettuce for fertility or not? Arab or roman? In the beginning of the meal or at the end?

Hera, the greek goddess of motherhood and family, had 4 children: the god of war - Ares, the goddess of childbirth - Eileithyia, the goddess of youth - Hebe, and the god of Fire, Metalworking, Stone masonry, and the Art of Sculpture - Hephaestus. According to several versions, Hera was impregnated and gave birth to her children with no help from Zeus (or any other man) but by eating a head of lettuce!

The Egyptians believed that the lettuce, which discrete a "milky" liquid (when picking the liquid comes out of the stem, even more so in the summer) is a symbol of manhood. On the other hand -maggie to fill in this sentence..

The lettuce, a seasonal crop, a member of the Compositae family, is called in the botanical tongue - Lactuce Sativa.

The Latin name is derived from the word meaning milk. Same reason for the French name Laitue.
"Sativa" means it was grown from seed. There are almost 100 species of milk-like liquid that belong to the kind Lactuca. Most of them are not edible because they are very bitter or even poisonous. Only this kind is edible and includes all the species we eat. Still, when the plant flowers or gets hot it becomes bitter.
In Russian its called Salat and in german Gartensalat - no need to explain. To us that makes perfect sense, but in the far east it is grown for stem that is very tasty sautéed or cooked. Advisable and worth a try. I added recipes in the end.
History:
The Romans used to eat the lettuce (cooked) at the end of the meal to fall asleep better. Rufus claimed that lettuce obscures the senses and dulls the thought, and indeed lettuce contains alkaloids, a natural medicine believed to have attributes similar to those of opium! Glan, from Pergamon in ancient Greece, believed that lettuce increases the apetite and the Egyptians used to eat lettuce at the beginning of the meal... The personal physician of Augustus, the Roman Caesar, believed that lettuce regulated bowel movements and provided a deeper better sleep.

The use of lettuce for food and medicine is very ancient. It was grown by the Chinese for cooking back in the ancient period and murals of lettuce were found in Egypt dating from 4500 BC. In the Karnak temple there are carvings of the lettuce-milk being served to the god מין , to whom the lettuce was sacred. The romans were probably the first to grow lettuce in their garden and Columbus was the one who presented it to the new world. Such primitive lettuce is still grown for the purpose of extracting oil from the seeds.

In Persia, 2000 years ago, lettuce was considered the food of kings. The greek Hippocrates and the Roman Aristol wrote about its attributes; our ancestors grew lettuce in their garden; and it is mentioned in scriptures as follows: when the Lord spared the children of Israel " מאי חזרת חסא, מאי חסא, דחס רחמנא עליון" . The explanation why it should be eaten in Passover: "מה חזרת (חסא), תחילתה מתוק וסופה מר, כך עשו המצריים לאבותינו; מרור שתחילתו רך וסופו קשה ". Just like lettuce - in the beginning it is sweet and soft, as it matures it becomes bitter and hard.
In Israel there are a number of wild lettuces that are not at all similar to the lettuce we eat.

Contributions to the community:
The jews of Yemen - eating lettuce fresh and raw cures infections of the eyes, kidney and liver and stomach aches. Strengthens the heart.
Morocco - drinking boiled lettuce seeds cures infections in the kidney and liver; eating fresh enhances milk production of nursing mothers.
Iraq - drinking lettuce juice "turns on" the vision of people with eyes that are "turned off" and enhances milk production.
The milky liquid of lettuce contains alkaloids, and in natural medicine it is believed to have attributes similar to those of opium! Lettuce is considered a relaxant, a soother and a pain reliever. Brewing the entire lettuce plant is good to calm coughing.

Medicinal activity (by the Plant Society):
Calms and encourages a good sleep; assists the kidneys to extract liquids from the body; reduces blood sugar levels; calms the digestive tract; accelerates blood circulation; a warm extract of lettuce leaves helps during asthma attacks and relieves menstrual pains.

Special abilities:
In 2 cups of cut lettuce you can get 100% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin K, 80% of vitamin A, 30% of vitamin C and 40% of pholic acid. In addition, you also get calcium, potassium, iron and anti-oxidants.
lettuce, especially the darker ones, is one of the only common sources for the anti-oxidant (the pigment) Lotain. Lotain contributes to the health of the eyes and probably also to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
According to Chinese medicine and because of its green color, the lettuce is considered as a cooling and calmer. They also claim it has a soothing effect on the nervous system and that it improves sleeplessness. It is also good for treating constipation and anemia. The lettuce is rich in nutritional fibers and is easy to digest.
Lettuce is recommended, by folk medicine, for increasing milk production of nursing mothers. Lettuce can be added to fruit juices! Should do good to the liver.

Sensitivities:
Heat will cause early blossoming and the leaves will become bitter. Lettuce likes the shade, but not too much.

The ability to make the most also in lacking situations:
On a busy night with missing ingredients, the Italian chef Caesar Kardini that immigrated to Tijuana had agreat idea and invented the Caesar salad that the only vegetables it includes is lettuce!!

How to store:
Dry in the fridge in a sealed bag or container.

Have a fresh, healthy and fun week.
Yours,
Maggie and the team

Recipes for cooked lettuce:
Pasta with lettuce http://maggiesgarden.co.il/-109/
Lettuce soup http://maggiesgarden.co.il/-108/
Veal with lettuce http://maggiesgarden.co.il/-110/

and I expect our baskets to look like this:

Tomatoes

Cuccumbers

Lettuce!

Parsley

Celery

Sweet potatoes????

Cabbage

Potatoes

Little peppers

Avocadoes

In the big ones also:

Green Mustard

Corriander

another Lettuce

Spinach

Green Garlic?

Fruit baskets:

Apples

Bananas

Oranges

and Pomelit

Happy Tu Beshvat

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:31:00 -0600

Hi Friends,
There is a saying I believe in psalms that states that "....a tree growing on water will give fruit at it's time and its leaves will not wilt, and anything it does will succeed..." or something like that.

Last Wednesday it poured buckets of rain in nataf! I don't believe that we have ever had an entire day with so much constant rain. And the reason that I remember so well is because we were out in it.
At five in the morning when we start packing your boxes it is so cold and also dark, so in this season, we delay the picking a little bit, and we start by packing the dry products, the vegetables that were picked the day before and produce that arrives from elsewhere. I was waiting for a break in the rain to do our picking, but there was none! At around eight thirty or so I understood that there is no way, we must go pick in the rain, otherwise it will simply not reach you all. I decided to do the picking by myself until it brightens up a bit...but that never happened. But I did remember why I chose this job.
I was picking and picking in the mud and the water... such quantities of water, not all of it could be absorbed in the ground and created real big puddles in the aisles (where the earth is packed tighter). The growing patches are regularly turned over and a lot of organic matter is mixed inside the earth, so there is plenty of air and most the water is absorbed, still it was wet wet wet. You probably noticed that Wednesdays leaves were especially wet. (remember that in order to better preserve them they should be thoroughly dried before placing in a sealed bag in the fridge.)
After our short coffee break at 10:00am, I changed my pants and boots that were utterly soaked. My rain jacket reaches down to my knees and I remembered too late that I have a pair of rubber boots exactly for weather like this. In the last few years we must have been lucky and have not experienced such wetness on a picking day. In short, I usually hope for lots of "blessed rain", but not on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, our picking days. Despite the discomfort, the rain this last Wednesday reminded me what a blessing the rain is! How the rain enables the seeds to fulfill the potential hidden in them. How the rain is essential in our region and without it there is nothing... so it is welcome! Whenever it can come, as long as it comes!
A short rain update - so far we are pretty average for the season, we only now reached above half the average annual precipitation level for this region. Rashi said that Tu Bishvat was set in a date after most the rainy days. Tu Bishvat is next Wednesday. I really hope we will make the goals we all so dearly need, both here and throughout the world, in order to exist and live healthy lives, and that the earth will be saturated well enough so that crops next season can enjoy it.
Global warming? The issue of existing and preserving our environment is very suitable for Tu Bishvat. Nowadays we are used to immediate satisfaction, we see results immediately, we live "here and now". Organic agriculture is different. We must both preserve what exists and provide for the future. Planting trees is an investment for the future of our environment and our next generations, in addition to their immediate health benefits.
The birth of Tu Bishvat:
Tu Bishvat was issued as the "determining" day, used to calculate the Mitzvahs regarding trees in Jewish religious law. Our forefathers were farmers (organic of course!). so there were many questions: how do we determine how much tax to pay? How do we assist people to keep the Mitzvah of not eating Orla, which is the fruit of a tree that is less than three years old? how do we determine the age of the tree? From the moment the seed sprouted? Maybe from the moment it was planted? Or maybe just from the time it began bearing fruit? When a fallow year ends, how do you know if you can eat the fruit, the fruit did not appear in a day? The fruit began its development much earlier...etc, etc.
Clearly, there was a need for a certain date to begin all these calculations So Tu Bishvat was chosen to be the "determining" date (in addition to more interpretations like Rashi from above). Tu Bishvat is at the end of winter, beginning of spring. Like the end of year for taxes and a new beginning for crops, you can compare Tu Bishvat to the end of a civil year. Everything needs to be wrapped up, and all production calculated. Yet, on the other hand, it is a new clean beginning with new hopes and measurements.
In short it is a holiday that deals with crops, nature and how we, the humans, fit inside all this.
When our people were separated from the land, Tu Bishvat symbolized the longing for our nature here and for the country's fruits. In the Tu Bishvat Seder we drink 4 glasses of wine that symbolize the 4 seasons of the year and eat 30 kinds of fruit from the country. Since in exile, it was difficult to get fresh fruit from the country, they began eating dried fruit. Unfortunately, nowadays, most dried fruit in Israel is imported...
"וכי תבואו אל הארץ ונטעתם כל עץ מאכל" (ויקרא י"ט, כ"ג)
With the beginning of the Kibbutz movement, or to be exact in 1890, the Principal of a high school in Zichron Yaakov, Rabbi Zeev Yaabetz, went out with his students to plant trees - for the first time since the exile of our people. Prior to that it was said by Rabbi Natan, 2nd version, 31, "if you are prepared to plant and are approached by the Messiah,you must say: here is the messiah - go plant your plant and then return to accept the face of the messiah." Planting was always considered very important, and so much so that if the messiah arrives while you are planting you should first finish your planting and only after you are done you may go greet him. FYI...
That's it. Since then Tu Bishvat struck roots with us and it is not only a holiday of new plantings but also of preserving the nature that exists. This Jewish concept is expressed throughout the world. Tu Bishavt is not only a holiday for the trees but for admiration and preservation of all of nature as a whole. What we eat, how it is grown and how it is transported. It is not only a holiday to long for our land and care about our country, it is a holiday for the entire planet earth and existence in general, which is why people recycle paper and care for the tropical forests in other continents. As it was said (not only by our forefathers, also native Americans have an identical saying and I'm sure that more cultures have it as well) "when god created the first man, he it took man back to the tree in the garden of Eden and told him: see how nice my work is, pay attention so you do not ruin and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one to fix it after you" (Ecclesiastes)
Existence now - our responsibility for the future!

Have a good week,
Yours,
Maggie and the garden & market Teams.

And the expected weekly baskets:

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Lettuce

Parsley

Fennel

Sweet potatoes

Beets

Dill

And a little onions

In the larger ones also:

Cabbage

Lettuce

Peppers

And celery

Fruit Baskets ;

Citrus, citrus, citrus

Bananas

And avocadoes

Mazal Tov

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:44:00 -0600

Dear friends, good and wet week,

organic cauliflower, beets and broccoli

1. Last week I learned that there are a few of you who did not receive y weekly email. I apologize - I don't know why that happened. However, please be aware that you can always get into our website without an email from me. Simply enter out URL maggiesgarden.co.il and you are in. To get into the ordering system, click the top left button labeled "כניסה למנויים" or "הרשמה" if this is your first time and need to register. To read the weekly mail, click the button "English Newsletter" .

2. This week we have added to our range of products that we offer peeled almonds, with the brown inner skin and millet.

3. This week I am giving a vacation to the head of the editing / translation Department, my sister Anna, who corrects all of my errors, both in expressing myself intelligibly and in spelling, and without whom my emails would probably be unreadable, because of her recent marriage to her sweet man Yair.

Have a good, warm and wet week.

From Maggie and the staff

Our weekly organic baskets :
Parsley
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Tamar Cherry Tomatoes
Cabbage
Celery
Sweet potato
Ramiro peppers
Green onion
Lemons

Larger ones also
Radishes
Beet
Cauliflower
And potatoes

Fruit baskets
Avocado
Bananas and citrus fruits

The land of milk and Honey

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:42:00 -0600

Good week friends,
As always we'll begin with messages (more interesting things to continue):
1. Because this month ends on Tuesday, which is a packing day, I will be charging the credit cards before this weeks delivery. Accordingly, the charge will not include this fifth, and last, delivery of the month of January. The charge for this delivery will be combined with the month of February.
2. This week, again, we will add to the boxes an information sheet about the many more products that we have available, especially for the bi-weekly receivers. When you get this, let us know if you have any questions. We are always glad to help.
3. I'm still looking for help with the work, and will appreciate if you spread the word to anyone who might be interested in a good job workig with us.
4. Thanks to Dafna for the photo of the Cucumbird (cucumber-bird)

Have a good week, warm and wet.

Maggie and the team

This week I'm transferring the stage to Ido, our beekeeper from Moshav Klachim, who also has beehives in Nataf. His dear bees visit our garden. I see and hear them doing their crucial pollination work, especially around the gourd plants, which have beautiful and attractive flowers. So here he is:

Nice to meet you!
My name is Ido, a beekeeper from Moshav Klachim in the northern Negev. In our family beehive business we produce pure honey of various kinds, pollen, honeycombs, propolis and olive oil as well.
The extraction house in Klachim is the end of the long process that begins when the bees visit Maggie's garden and other natural growing areas and fill their combs with honey. The full honeycombs arrive and the honey extraction happens. The honey gathering process begins in the beehives that are placed in different areas around the country: the Negev region (from which we produce Tamarisk honey, eucalyptus honey, avocado honey and wildflower honey), the
Jerusalem mountains (thyme honey and wildflower honey) and south of the Kinneret (citrus and avocado honey).
Each region produces honey that is different in taste, color and texture.
As part of being a small honey producer, we favor manual work methods without machinery, while maintaining the values of environmental protection and the welfare of our bees.

Occasionally, we are happy to share stories and updates from the bee world, including telling about the honey producing process and our products. We also like to educate people about honey, so we have a small question for you - Does the fact that honey hardens over time indicate its quality?
The answer is yes. In honey extracted from a honeycomb there is always a certain concentration of flower pollen. During the winter, when temperatures decrease, this pollen becomes a center for crystallization - the honey components gather around the pollen granule and begin to crystallize.
To avoid this crystallization process, many honey producers heat the honey, because heating keeps it liquid. However, heating may harm the nutritional value of the Honey, because many of the protein and vitamins found in honey are destroyed in high temperatures.

Hence, honey that crystallizes over time indicates that it is indeed really real, of good quality and was not heated...
Have a good week,
Ido

and i couldn't help it, here is my Ari (thanks to Eyal for the pix)

And this week we can expect in our baskets:

Green onion

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Potatoes

Sweet potato

Ramiro peppers

And radishes

Larger ones also

Squash

Celery

Cabbage

And curly lettuce

Fruit baskets

Apples

Bananas

And citrus fruits

our organic cummunity

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:26:00 -0600

Dear garden community, happy rain and much of it,
Notices:
1. In the next weeks we will incorporate some new products from several more small local producers, based upon our faith in a healthy local economy, beneficial in many ways.
2. This week we have additional healthy green edible broccoli leaves and passion fruit. I added propolis, honeycomb, diffrent special honey and pollen. In addition, we will have a new delivery of fresh ginger.
3. The mushroom season is during the wet season.
4. I'm looking for help with the overall management of the garden project. Please spread the word to people who are responsible, have wide shoulders, clear thinking and problem solving, that are not afraid of hard work and are available and looking for a challenging and variable job in unconventional hours.
5. Thanks to all that are involvd with this project - family, workers, farmers, and basket consumers that allow the production of our healthy, local, sustaining community.
6. This week I'm attaching, especially for the receivers of boxes, an information sheet with some of the additional products available to you.

Good week,
What can I tell you - It's raining!! And that always causes great happiness. The amount of rain this winter is very average so far. I'm so happy that we are not extremely below the yearly average and I hope it will continue. This weekend is full of much rain, blessed rain that is not interfering with our work days.
The heavy cold, and it gets really really cold out in the garden, slows down the plant growth and makes it very hard for us to predict what will ripen and the produce we will have available at picking time. Last week the cauliflower was smaller than expected and the pea plants produced much less than we wanted. In the hotter sunny days you can actually see with your eyes the growth of the leaves and flowers in the garden... However, in the winter it often happens that I anticipate that a certain vegetable will be in our boxes this week but by the time of picking I feel it would be a waste to pick it so early.
Not long ago it was the American thanksgiving holiday. Now that I'm somewhat more organized regarding all of the changes due to the expansion of the garden-project and the increase in the number of products (which is now very wide and varied -- we are sending out an information sheet, especially for our regular clients that are used to receiving our normal weekly boxes), I feel it is now time to say my thanks.
Thanks to my family, that each contributes in his/her own way: consulting, translation, packing, ideas, facility maintenance, babysitting, encouragement, good cheer and therapy when needed.
To the team that works with me that accepted many difficult changes, that bore my tension, that help me learn and that work very hard preparing each and every box for all you veggie lovers.
And to you, the amazing community that formed around the garden - that accept our mistakes with understanding, that understand the changes in the boxes according to what nature throws our way (currently an abundance of healthy leaves and mud...) that encourage and frequently propose innovative ideas and, most of all, allow the existence of the garden and the many cooperative relationships with other organic farmers and producers.
I am very grateful for the entire community surrounding the garden, and to our amazing nature.
Maggie

Pasta and Broccoli leaves

Green soup

And our expectation list for this week

Lettuce

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Rocket

Cabbage

Beet

Lemons

Fennel

Cherry tomatoes-Tamar

celery

Larger ones also

Sweet potato

Carrots

Parsley

Dill

Fruit baskets

Grapefruit, pomelos, apples and bananas or avocados

Cruciferae Family and sweet rain

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 05:23:00 -0600

Blessed rain (but not on Wednesday when we're packing in Nataf)
I wish to remind you of two important matters related to our blessed wet weather:
1. Dry your greens before putting them in the fridge in plastic bags.
2. It is not dirt - it is mud, provided by mother nature to nurture your veggies.... (we try to clean them as much as possible)

3. I have written previously about each veggie here on it's own so please click on their names on the side for more infם and reciepes.

4.prices of tomatoes, Cabbages, cauliflower and fennel have gone down. Lavrioot!

The rain has saturated the soil, watered the plants and caused them to sprout and also made it a bit difficult for us to pick (especially the peas, where the picking is very time consuming). The rain also knew to make way for the sun... well done, the garden is a pleasure. The air is clean, everything is green, growing and enjoying water and sun... lots of weeds too....
This week is about a very respectful family in the garden during the winter, that preffers weather just like this. The Cruciferae Family - wide and variable, rich with anti-oxidants and proven as anti-cancerous and found in many shapes and colors. Something for everyone!
Here are 10 interesting facts about the Cruciferae Family for the young and the old (in age and in spirit), parents and children:
1. The family name, Cruciferae, in latin means "cross bearing" and is derived from the shape of the inflorescence. 4 petals arranged in two perpendicular pairs, like a cross.
2. In Israel approximately 150 species of cruciferae grow wild. The most familiar being the mustards and the radishes.

3. In this family we can eat all the parts of the plant. How great! If you get a broccoli with a stem and leaves, eat them. In my home, we all agree that the stem and leaves are tastier than the flowers.
4. This family is rich with nutritional fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B, iron, potassium, calcium, karatenoids... and low in calories.
5. This family has been cultivated for 2000 years in Europe and was an essential part of the menu in ancient Rome. Many years of artificial selection by man created several species throughout the years. How does this work? If my kids, that really like the broccoli stem, would plant broccoli, they would always keep the seeds from the plants with bigger stems. In time these seeds would be identified as a specie with an especially large stem - just like the kohlrabi.
6. Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi and brussel sprouts are all different species of the same kind Brassica Oleracea. A baked kohlrabi will taste almost exactly like a cauliflower. Try putting kohlrabi in a soup!

7. Turnip, Chinese cabbage and bok choy are different species of the same kind Brassica Rapa.

8. The name broccoli comes from "Brocco" in Italian and means something like " the top blossom of the cabbage".
9. For us they are seasonal, which means they terminate a life cycle in one season, the winter. They are sown in autumn and either completely picked (like kohlrabi, cabbage and cauliflower) or continuously plucked during the season (like mustard, kale and aurugula). When it gets too warm the plant identifies it as the time to blossom and produce seed and invests all of its energies in doing so, no longer caring about growing the leaves we like to eat. In tropical regions, where there is no drastic change in weather, one can actually grow a "cabbage tree" for a couple of years and pick off it leaves during all that time.

10. The magic corner: you can use the purple cabbage juice as an indicator of acidity. The red pigment antocianin, changes its color in according to the acidity level with which it comes in contact. Try mixing purple cabbage juice with lemon juice or with baking soda and see what happens.

Below is a healthy recipe that is fun to make!!
Have a magical, healthy & strengthening week,
Yours,
Maggie and the garden & marketplace teams.
Sauerkraut (Kim Chi)
FYI - Cabbage maintains its nutritional value also after being pickled and pickling adds one big advantage -the live microbial culture - proboitics. The pickling causes the carbohydrates and protein to decompose while still maintaining the levels of vitamin C found in raw cabbage. Pickling creates good bacteria that aid digestion and the immune system. It is also effective against inflammation, reduces the "bad" cholesterol, increases the "good" cholesterol and induces the creation of new body cells.
Forecast for our weekly baskets:

Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Lettuce maybe not Romaine

Leeks

Sprouted beans

Kayle

Ramiro peppers

Broccoli

Parsley

And butternut squash

Larger ones also:

Dill

Coriander

Green mustard

And cauliflower or Fennel

Fruit baskets

Apples, bananas, and citrus

Healthy new year

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:03:00 -0600

Hi dear friends

This week just a small basket prediction, sorry;

Dutch cucumbers

Tomatoes, more

Lettuce

Fennel

Beets

Celery

Green onion

Coriander or dill

Mustard

Kohlrabi

Sweet potato or butternut squash

Larger ones also:

Cabbage

Parsley

Kale or spinach

Broccoli

Fruit baskets

Bananas

Citrus fruits and citrus fruits and citrus

Spinach and Popai25-12-11

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:51:00 -0600

Happy holiday dear friends,
If someone received ginger that is not hard, please let me know so I can credit your account and send you new ginger. One of our boxes froze, sorry.

Best way to preserve your wet greens fresh, alot of sweet rain came down, is to dry them or wrap them in a towel and than put them in plastic bag in the fridge.

For those who have not yet heard - a green revolution in Jerusalem!More Details
A special Yoga class for Hanuka in Modi'in. Instructed by Maya, a veteran garden eater.

And our weekly green is... on the occasion of my son Ari's birthday, which is also Popeye's birthday (Jan 17), which this year is celebrated during Hanuka, an especially enlightening* vegetable - the spinach!!
Some facts and non-facts:
• Spinach does not give you super powers!

Notice it is local organic spinach!

• Spinach, Spinacia Oleracea, is native to central asia. Yet it was the Persians that cultivated it first, about 3000 years ago.
• In Europe it arrived first to spain, with the moors, and received it's name there. Spain = Spinach...

• "Ala Florentine" is a term in French menus that indicates that the dish is served with a side of spinach.
• Popeye the sailor man increased the sales of spinach in the USA by 50%
• Spinach is not extraordinarily abundant with iron - this myth was mistakenly born due to a typing error that misplaced the decimal point...
• Spinach has great nutritional value! It has plenty of chlorophyll, Calcium, quartzetin - an antioxidant and anti inflammatory, Vitamins A, K, and C, folic acid and beta carotene.
• Spinach probably has an enzyme that aids in reducing blood pressure, and spinach juice is regarded as a very good green juice in preventing cancer.
• Spinach can be eaten fresh, steamed, sautéd... in soup, quiche, omelet, stuffing...etc., etc.
• Most of the nutrients are water soluble, so in order to not lose the rich nutritional value it is better to steam spinach rather than to boil it. If you have boiled it, use the spinach-water in a soup, bread or just drink it.
• In the Jerusalem Talmud "Tardin (spinach) water was mentioned. Also Nissim Krispel recommends drinking spinach water to care for anemia, liver problems, colitis, diabetes, ulcer, and thyroid gland disorder.
• The Rambam recommended eating spinach to soften the stomach and prevent constipation.
• Happy birthday to Ari and Popeye! Wishing you lots of fresh spinach, healthy and organic, not canned. May you stay young and strong forever.
• More about spinach: http://maggiesgarden.co.il/no-winter14-11-1/
• And more: http://maggiesgarden.co.il/spinach17-1-10/
Happy holiday, strengthening and enlightening to all of us,
With big hopes for more rain, to allow for all this green....
Yours,
The gardeners, the market people and Maggie.
* So why is spinach especially enlightening? Because of certain acids it contains. Apparently, paper soaked in spinach water is flammable and was used as a firework in the past...

לביבות תרד וגבינה / איילת בן-יוסף

לביבות תרד ואגוזים של רונית מושל

And I expect in our winter baskets this week:

Lettuce

Parsley

Cabbage

Kohlrabi

Small broccoli

Avocado

Squash

Potatoes

Some Ramiro peppers

Tomatoes

And Dutch cucumbers

Larger ones also:

Celery

Fennel

Mangold

And Dill

Fruit baskets

Bananas

Apples and Oranges