THE FARM NEWS Volume 3; Issue 6R/10E July 18, 2011

Greetings,

We hope that everyone is surviving the heat!  Despite how hot it was this weekend, we had a nice turn-out for the open house Saturday.  We were saddened to learn that Dr. Amy had to cancel Saturday, due to a death in her family.  Our thought and prayers are with her and her family.  We are hoping to reschedule her talk at our next open house, but we will have to see what her schedule looks like.

We took an unprecedented move and took Sunday off!  We decided to take the day and spend it with friends – they helped us celebrate our anniversary!  We had a great time – doing nothing! And watching the US Women play Japan in the Women’s World Cup Soccer match.  If we had to loose, I’m glad it was to Japan, they have had a difficult year.

Thursday, we were excited to have head cabbage for every one, but Thursday night/Friday morning we got 2 inches of rain. Friday afternoon we got another 2 inches of rain.  And then Saturday, before dawn, we go another inch of rain.  Too much moisture – mixed with the extreme heat – the heads cracked open like Humpty Dumpty!  We keep trying. Thank you all for your patience! This has been a tough stretch of weather…

The honeys in your boxes this week are from BEE Happy.  The bees are located south of Anoka and the beekeeper is from Bloomington.  I took the time to provide this honey as a “thank you” to all of you for your over-whelming support in allowing us to “pause” a week on our deliveries.  For those of you who are sharing, we are sorry that it is only one honey bear.  But we are hopeful that you will be able to figure out how to “split” the honey.  Please enjoy the honey-mint recipe below and let us know how you like it.  Or how you “adapted” it to met your needs.

So from our home to yours,

Dan & Donna Moe

www.thefarmofmn.com

 

ITEM OF THE WEEK – MINT

 

Mint is a perennial herb.  It is easily grown in any temperature controlled climate.  As long as it has plenty of sunshine, you can grow mint anywhere.  It quickly spreads itself out and has small violet or purple-white flowers that bloom all of its growing season.  Most people are very familiar with peppermint and spearmint.  But did you know that mint comes in a wide variety of flavors?  Did you know that there is Banana Mint? Or Lemon Bergamot Mint? How about Pineapple mint? What about Apple Mint? What do you think about one of my favorites – Chocolate Mint?  There are over a dozen more varieties of mint.  How many can you name?

Mint has been around for a very long time and is best culturally known in India, the Middle East ad Europe.  Not only known for its wonderful aroma, soothing flavors and curative properties, Mint, both fresh and dried, are in a large number of recipes.  Mint is included in curries, soups, chutneys, salads, juices, juleps, candies and ice crème.

Mint has long been known for its medicinal aid with digestive issues.  Taken as a tea, mint soothes the digestive track and is wonderful at easing stomach aches.  A regular intake of herb mint tea will help reduce irritated bowel syndromes and help cleanse the stomach.  It does this by stimulating the biliary secretions and helps in the digestions of fats, known for their “upsetting” abilities.  Speaking personally, I (Donna) have used mint for many years to stay off of prescription medications for my “nervous” stomach.  Over the years, there have been several medications I had to take that really upset my system.  By drinking mint tea, I was able to keep the “upset” to a minimum or eliminate all together!

When mint is included in the diet on a regular basis it also helps reduce harmful bacteria and fungus in the body.  This reduction aids the body’s ability to stay healthy.  Mint is also a strong diuretic. This helps in eliminating toxins from the body.  Mint is known for helping get rid of headaches and migraines.  Its antifungal properties are associated with helping cure asthma and other allergic conditions – respiratory, as well as reactions to insect bites or stings.  Inhaled mint gives congestion relief from sinus infections and the common cold.

One other key point – current research indicates that mint has anti-cancer properties.    Mint contains a phytonutrient called perillyl alcohol.  This phytonutrient is believed to prevent colon, skin and lung cancers.  That is a lot of stuff for a small plant!

Recipes

 

Honey Mint Glazed Chicken Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 4-5 pound chicken, cut into parts
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2-3 Tbsp water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (or 2 Tbsp dried mint)

Directions:

 

1. Place chicken pieces in a bowl. Mix vinegar with olive oil and pour over chicken pieces. Turn chicken pieces so that all are coated with the simple marinade. Let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. In a small bowl mix honey, mint, and just enough water for a good basting consistency. Set aside for glazing the chicken.
3. Prepare grill for medium high heat. Remove chicken pieces from marinade. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place chicken pieces on the hot grill, skin side up. Cook for approximately 30-40 minutes, covered, turning every 7 or 8 minutes. For the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, baste all sides with the honey mint mixture. The chicken is done when the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast and thigh, about 165°F for the breast and 180°F for the thigh. Note that although the breast pieces are bigger, they may finish cooking earlier than the thighs.

Serves 6

 

Mint Chip Gelato

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole milk (for more richness, you can use Half & Half)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 bunch of mint (approximately 1 inch round), washed, dried and de-stemmed.  (You can use more or less depending on how strong you want your “mint” flavor.)
• 5 oz. dark chocolate (we used 72% cacao) – you can also use chips

Directions:

Make a slurry with about 3-4 tbs. of milk and corn starch in a bowl and set aside. Add the remainder of the milk to a sauce pan, mint, salt, and sugar under medium low heat. When mixture starts to bubble, turn off heat and allow mint to steep for about 1 hour. Then pour mixture over a sieve and squeeze out the fluid from mint and discard.

Reheat his mixture under medium low heat. When it begins to bubble, add your mixed slurry and stir making sure there are no clumps. Continue to heat until it thickens – you will know it is thick enough when you can run a line on a back of a spoon without the mixture coming together – it should be done. Cool completely (preferably over night) and then add to your ice cream maker, follow your ice cream makers directions.

Place the container that you plan on storing the ice cream in the freezer.

In the mean time, coarsely chop the chocolate into small pieces and heat over a water bath. When the ice cream maker is done, scribble the melted chocolate onto your cold container–it should freeze almost instantly. Scoop in a layer of ice cream and break up the chocolate. Scribble more chocolate and layer on more ice cream. Continue until done and freeze until firm. Before serving allow to thaw just slightly before scooping.

 

This Week’s Items – ½ Bushel:

• Mint
• Cilantro
• Basil
• Cucumbers
• Honey
• Radishes

This Week’s Items – Extended:

• Mint
• Cilantro
• Peas
• Chard
• Cucumbers
• Honey
• Radishes
• Chinese Cabbage

This Week’s Items – Large:

• Mint
• Cilantro
• Beans
• Kale
• Chard
• Cucumbers
• Honey
• Radishes
• Raspberries

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