Thanks to everyone for a successful first Saturday market of the year! The Wednesday market opens today from 4-7pm at 5th and Sherman in downtown Coeur d’Alene. There will be a wide variety of veggies, and hardy, local plant starts that do well in our region (it’s planting time!). This week is your best opportunity to find the widest variety of starts. We hope you will join us as we kick off the season!
The rainy, cool temps meant a slow start to this year’s crops. But the leafy greens are starting to come on in a big way! Kale, lettuce, chard, salad mixes, spinach, beet greens… for those of you who like to eat seasonally, now starts the “Month of the Salad”, so dust off the spinner and make space in your crisper! Here’s what’s fresh this week:
| FRESH THIS WEEK!
Arugula, Beet greens, Spinach, Lettuce, Salad mix, Kale, Chard, Green Onions, Rhubarb, Potatoes, Cut Flowers, Radishes, Salad Turnips, Fresh Herbs, Plant Starts |
To make the most of early season leafy greens, here are some tips from mother-of-5 and gardener extraordinaire, Kristine Winniford, of Winniford Family Farm and Cold Hollow Hogs.
Q: What tips do you have for handling and preparing leafy greens?
“Salad greens should always be treated with great care to avoid bruising. They need to be harvested, cooled, and kept cold or they wilt. Baby greens are easy to work with for most people but to make an awesome salad just remove the core from any head of lettuce quarter (into wedges) the whole head and then chop.”
A: You have a huge garden that feeds your family. Do you have any advice for helping other parents to get their kids to eat leafy greens?
“To get kids to like it add fruit or sweet dressing, let them choose the toppings (nuts, seeds, veggies, cheese, whatever strikes their fancy). If kids really don’t like their veggies then think outside of the box like a fruit salad with whipped cream and some chopped spinach. Or a taco salad with some greens.
Most importantly I tell people that since greens are bitter and young children are biologically designed to seek out sweet foods (like milk) then don’t fret too much. Just keep introducing them in fun ways and some day it will click for them. Some kids have major sensory disorders and can’t do the texture of greens, so don’t forget you can cream spinach into soups, smoothies, etc. Even lettuce can be used in a smoothie or a soup.”
(Kristine Winniford and her family grow organic garlic and raise pastured, Animal Certified Humane pigs on their farm in Rice, WA.)
| RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
DIY Salad Dressing Fundamentals Save money and eat healthier with these simple tips for creating your own delicious salad dressings. |
We’d love to hear from you! What are your tips, tricks or favorite recipes for using seasonal produce? Comment below, or e-mail beth@cablecreekfarm.com.
| Beth Tysdal is a Board Member and blogger for the Kootenai County Farmers’ Market. She and her husband own Cable Creek Farm in Post Falls, Idaho. She can be reached at beth@cablecreekfarm.com. |
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