This Week’s Box Featuring Spigarello – Week of November 8

November 8, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week, we have spigarello from Ho Farms!

Spigarello is a primitive heirloom varietal of the broccoli family and is native to Southern Italy. Spigarello is a variety of leaf broccoli, is related to broccoli rabe, and looks like a cross between kale and broccoli. The taste is similar to broccoli, with the leaves having a mild taste and the texture is succulent and crunchy.

How to Prepare Spigarello:

It is recommended to trim the stems and the leaves can be enjoyed as a salad green, wilting green or soup green.

What else is in the bag?

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Orange
Adaptations

Papaya
Twin Bridge Farms

Spigarello
Ho Farms

Sweet Potato
Twin Bridge Farms

Zucchini
Aloun Farms

Try out these recipes!

Spigarello Salad with Lemon Apple Vinaigrette

Spigarello Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This week’s Plant Based Meal Prep Box by Open Kitchen:

This Week’s Box Featuring Cremini Mushrooms – Week of November 1

November 1, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week, we have Cremini Mushrooms from Small Kine Farms

Cremini mushrooms are a coffee-colored variety of the world’s most commonly eaten mushroom, commonly called the “button” mushroom. Most of the table mushrooms we eat – “white button,” “cremini (or crimini)” and “portobello” – all refer to this same scientific category of mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. The difference between all of these mushrooms is just age – white button being the youngest and portobello mushrooms the most mature, left to grow out into large meaty caps!

Cremini mushrooms are between the two varieties, more mature than white button but younger than a portobello. Deeper and earthier in flavor than white buttons, they are used frequently in stews and soups since they hold up better in liquid. Their hearty, full-bodied taste makes them an excellent addition to beef, wild game, and vegetable dishes.

Preparation

Mushrooms are so porous that if they are exposed to too much water, they will quickly absorb it and become soggy. This also means that they are great for marinating. The best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, simply wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.

If using the whole mushroom in a recipe, simply slice off the very bottom of the stem, which is usually a bit spongy. If your recipe only calls for the caps, gently break off the stems with your hands and discard (or save for making soup stock).

Sauté, broil, microwave or cook these mushrooms in almost any way. Some quick recipe ideas:

Sautéed mushrooms and onions
Add finely chopped mushrooms to some homemade pasta sauce.
Remove the stems, and stuff with your favorite vegetable medley or soft cheese.
Mushroom omelet

Farms that grow Mushrooms

Small Kine Farm

Recipes

What else is in the bag?

Cremini Mushrooms
Small Kine Farm

Japanese Cucumbers
Kahumana Organic Farm & Cafe

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Longan
OK Farms

Sweet Potato
Twin Bridge Farms

Watermelon
Aloun Farms

Try out these recipes!

Quinoa with Chard and Mushrooms

Simple Stuffed Peppers

This Week’s Box Featuring Avocado – Week of October 25

October 25, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week, we have Avocados

Now sometimes lovingly known as the avo, avocados are divided into three categories: West Indian, Guatemalan, and Mexican. Thanks to cross-pollination, however, there are hundreds of hybrids with varying characteristics, and in the islands, trees produce some of the biggest, best avocados in the world. Here’s why: The microclimates and supreme soils result in larger fruits with larger amounts of healthy oils, like polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and nutrients.

Hawaii’s main avocado export is the Sharwil (a cross between Mexican and Guatemalan types)—but only recently. Just within the past five years, the United States Department of Agriculture lifted an embargo from 1992, which banned this island cultivar from reaching the mainland. Prized for its buttery flavor and small pit, this breed of avocado grows especially well in the Kona district of Big Island. But different regions bear different fruit—so there’s plenty to choose from.

Avocados are a source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados contain high levels of healthy, beneficial fats, which can help a person feel fuller between meals.

Preparation

How to cut or slice avocados in half:

Be sure to fully wash before cutting or slicing.
Place the avocado lengthwise on a secure surface.
Hold the avocado securely with one hand, and slice slowly down the center lengthwise around the seed, starting at the narrower end.
Holding the avocado in the palm of one hand, use your other hand to twist and rotate the two halves apart.
Use a teaspoon to remove the stone from the center of the avocado. Use a dessert spoon to scoop the whole avocado flesh out from the shell if required. Cut into slices, chunks, or mash with a fork.

What else is in the bag?