Chicory Greens : Grumolo

I can't say enough about these greens - cooked or raw - greens and beans, salads, sautéed like spinach - they are ever-loving good!

The bonus to these seeds - I purchase from seeds of italy - growitalian - or Baker Creek - rareseeds - is they are PERENNIAL!  all of the plants came back this spring.  Our frosty winters are -20 below so anything that comes back each year is HARDY...


If you dig below the surface you will find long taproots similar to dandelion - as chicory is the larger  plant category.  These greens are highly nutritious.  good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins C and B9...

Ambrosia Farms...Flavor and Sustenance, Heirloom Veggies, Grown For You

Ambrosia Farms has been farming naturally since 1988, with complete focus on open pollinated, heirloom vegetables.  Our pride in conserving open spaces, maintaining natural ecosystems, preserving cultural traditions, supporting the arts, and adopting wild horses, and hound dogs is our way of giving back to the Earth and Our Community.

We get our seeds from Baker Creek, Seeds of Italy, and save our own seeds, when time permits.  Our favorite varieties include tomatoes (Pantano Romanesco), winter squash/Pumpkins (Marina di Chioggia, Kabocha, Kuri, and Banana), Kale (Tuscan and Curly), Lettuce (Grumolo Chicory), Basil (Lettuce Leaf)...We grow varieties to suit your specific needs!

if you need a crop custom grown for you, please call our cell phone 315-749-8942

PROTEIN BARS

http://www.beardedbros.com

Herb Salad

See this end of season salad with nasturtium flowers, dill, lettuce, arugula, parsley, cilantro - dressed with lime, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil

Saying goodbye to a wonderful 2015 season - weather wise.  I will try to remain upbeat until the first summer day of next year!  All the nutrients I put up in the freezer will be a big help!

The last rainbow of the season reminds me of the spectacular days of summer!

Sunchokes

These can be trouble to gardener - they multiply - as a tuber - they come back each year  - so they should be planted in spots they are not going to be used for something else.  They flower like a small sunflower.

Sunchokes are good to eat - tasting like a potato and an artichoke.  I prefer them sauteed or as chips - pureed - used in soups - roasted whole - any way you like a potato.  Leave the skin on when grown in organic soils for greater nutrients.

"Jerusalem artichokes are about 80% water, 15% protein, 1% fat, 60% inulin, 4% fiber and 5% ash, 0.099% phosphorus, 0.023%, 3.4 mg iron with traces of aluminum, chlorine, iodine, magnesium, potassium, sulphur, zinc, vitamins B and C." ... from eattheweeds.com

Inulin
Inulin is a root starch and is a non-digestible soluble fiber; it works as a pre-biotic, working in the large intestines as a useful “food” for the healthy gut bacteria.  It is used in the production of fructose - better tolerated by people with diabetes.  Colder regions produce a tuber lower in inulin than tropical regions.

Jerusalem artichokes are a good source of hair health promoting nutrients such as iron, copper and vitamin C
Jerusalem artichokes provide even more potassium than bananas. 
Jerusalem artichokes are packed with B vitamins, particularly thiamine, or B1

Source: http://healwithfood.org/health-benefits/jerusalem-artichokes.php#ixzz3GJOq4PcQ

cloves

the nutrition value of cloves is impressive - use a pepper or coffee grinder to add these fresh to jams, cereals, baked goods, winter squash and sweet potatoes, apples... whenever you can!

excellent source of manganese, a very good source of vitamin K and dietary fiber, and a good source of iron, magnesium, and calcium. plus a variety of flavonoids, including kaempferol and rhamnetin, which also contribute to clove's anti-inflammatory (and antioxidant) properties.

Wild Mustard Greens

One of the best wild edibles is mustard greens - I have to thank a friend eating green in the Hudson Valley for his great referral of these greens - so I am passing it on to you so more people are aware of this wonderful wild edible.  Wild greens are more nutritious than cultivated.  There are many types in the brassica family - the ones I like the best are 1/ garlic mustard

this forms a white flower - this is one of the first wild greens to emerge in the SPRING!

and 2/ the larged leaf mustard forming a "broccoli rabe" type head

these are prolific NOW! - we are picking them along with GARLIC SCAPES - and saute with olive oil for that garlic leafy green combo - add beans - chickpeas or cannelloni beans - for a fantastic and nutritious meal...

Learn more from this video.  Once I start posting videos -  I'll show you how to cook these Italian style as opposed to the boiling American style as Steve is doing here.  Cute and informative videos from eat the weeds.com

Nutrient Density: Fruits & Veggies

Not surprising - cabbage, chard, beet greens, chicory, parsley, collards, Romaine, endive - all are highly nutritious veggies.  I always wonder - would the findings vary from field to field and growing methods?

One of the misnomers of nutrition labels is it represents the individual products - rather they are standards of a unit measurement of raw materials that go into the product.  There is no regard to where and how it's grown and harvested.  A lab test of the particular item may result in a different nutrition panel.

One thing that is known for sure - a diet rich in dark leafy greens and cruciferous veggies is a healthy one!  To learn more about this list of nutrient dense foods - go to:
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0390.htm

Item	Density
Watercress	100.00
Chinese cabbage	91.99
Chard	89.27
Beet green	87.08
Spinach	86.43
Chicory	73.36
Leaf lettuce	70.73
Parsley	65.59
Romaine lettuce	63.48
Collard green	62.49
Turnip green	62.12
Mustard green	61.39
Endive	60.44
Chive	54.80
Kale	49.07
Dandelion green	46.34
Red pepper	41.26
Arugula	37.65
Broccoli	34.89
Pumpkin	33.82
Brussels sprout	32.23

^a Calculated as the mean of percent daily values (DVs) (based on a 2,000 kcal/d diet) for 17 nutrients (potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B₆, B₁₂, C, D, E, and K) as provided by 100 g of food, expressed per 100 kcal of food. Scores above 100 were capped at 100 (indicating that the food provides, on average, 100% DV of the qualifying nutrients per 100 kcal).

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Oysters

One of my favorite foods is clams or oysters cold "on the half shell" with a spicy sauce and lots of lemon!

Recently, I got the moment to eat out - a rate event for us - we dined at The Horned Dorset Inn in Leonardsville, NY.  
The Horned Dorset Inn

I ate one dozen fresh oysters - I should have taken a photo beforehand - temptation got the better of me - the restaurant presents everything with such taste - on the plate and the palate!

"Oysters are a good source of essential minerals including phosphorus, calcium, potassium and zinc. High in  vitamin B-12 and protein. 
to learn more about Blue Point Oysters, visit:
www.blueislandoyster.com

Chia Seed Drink

I ordered chia seeds in bulk to save money on the expensive price per pound.  I lowered the price per pound from $10 to $6 on Amazon (back when they had free shipping.)

The parts I use is Black Cherry organic juice, Pelligrino water sparkling, chia seeds 2 tbls. Combine these altogether in a bottle and store in the refrigerator for drinks in the morning, anytime you need a refreshment.

The chia seeds are reported to be high in Omega 3s, potassium, fiber, and provide energy- recommended serving = 2 tablespoons per day.  The main vitamins are: A, B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), C (ascorbic acid), E, choline, and Folate (folic acid).     "Chia also contains vitamins B3, B5, B6, B15, B17, D, K, inositol and PABA.   The main Minerals are Boron, calcium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, silicon, sodium, strontium, sulfur, and zinc. It also has amylose and plenty of electrolytes. And they also contain 18 of the 22 amino acids, including all nine essential amino acids."
Read more at http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/chia-seeds-frequently-asked-questions/#Jc292XAHokxeeE9A.99