Week of October 22, 2017

Lenny Hodgdon shopping at the Peekskill Farmer’s Market Saturday

Produce for This Fourth Week of October 2017

Autumn Salad Mix,  Kale,  Parsley,  Fennel,  Beets,  Carrots,  Italian Dandelion Greens

Meet Lenny Hodgdon

Lenny first came to our stand at the Peekskill Farmer’s Market this May after just having moved back to his hometown of Peekskill.  He had worked and lived in South Carolina for several years, and was happy to see greens on our table at the market.  He had said that the season for fresh greens in South Carolina began early and worried that New York’s season had yet to start.  Early preparations at Eight Mile Creek Farm allow us to provide these veggies early in the season.  If you have read through our website, you may have noticed the quote from Hippocrates from 460 B.C., which embodies our belief and passion: “Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be food.”  Lenny lives this!  Each week he picks up healing foods and cooks them for himself and his parents.  He plays an active role in helping to improve his father’s health, primarily by cooking for him. Lenny felt first hand the healing power of food.  Going back to organic foods grown in fertile soil that provide the signals the body needs to be healthy has been very powerful for him.  Now he is showing his family and friends a way to power health with quality ingredients the way nature intended.  Lenny tells us, “My family has been so healthy and happy with the foods that we make each week from the market, they don’t even miss the processed stuff we’ve removed and now my sister is coming to feed her family.  It feels good to know we are helping to support the local farming community that is supporting our health while removing the financial sponsorship we were providing to the industrial farming practices that could care less for our health or the health of our farm lands.”  Well said Lenny!  We are proud to be a part of Lenny’s and his family’s healthy diet!

Italian dandelion greens in our field

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulghur

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup minced scallions

1 cup chopped mint leaves

1 bunch chopped parsley

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

 Place the bulghur in a large bowl and pour the boiling water in.  Add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.  Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.  Add the scallions, mint, parsley and pepper.  Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, then serve.

Laying hens on pasture at Eight Mile Creek Farm

Dandelion Greens Smoothie

This liver cleansing smoothie will give you a burst of energy and help cleanse your digestive system.

1 cup chopped dandelion greens

2 1/2 cups chopped kale leaves

1 wedge of a Meyer or organic lemon, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 apple, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small banana (optional)

1 tsp chopped ginger

2 cups water

Place all ingredients into a blender.  Blend on high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth.  Add more water if needed.

Kale in the field on Eight Mile Creek Farm

Dandelion greens, kale and parsley all make awesome pesto!  You can make a pesto from each one or combine them.  Pesto freezes well and when you take some out of the freezer in the middle of winter, it will be like a bit of summer relived!

Have a wonderful week!

Next week we should have celery (now that we’ve gotten some rain), and more healthy greens!