How to Prepare...Black Radishes

Radishes have been featured on the blog before, those were smaller more delicate ones. This time it's a about the larger Black Radishes. These radishes came from Lakeside Organics in Watsonville CA. Rich in folic acid and potassium; also good sources of vitamin B6, riboflavin, and magnesium.

These radishes had great taste, unfortunately because of the size they were a little woody and chewy in texture. When that happens the best thing to do is to shred it. Rinse and lightly scrub the radishes. The scrubbing removes the smaller roots. The larger roots can be trimmed with a knife when you cut off the tops and bottoms.  

Cut the pieces to fit into the food processor chute. They can be shredded by hand easily also, but when your doing 25lbs, the machine is your best friend. 

After the radishes are shredded, they are tossed with olive oil, salt and a splash of cider vinegar. Let the radish chill in the fridge for a couple hours,  the salt and vinegar will bring out the sweetness and tenderize the radishes. 

Right before serving sprinkle with parlsey. 

A recipe my mother taught me was for Radish Salad. Shredded radish and carrots, green onions, dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Works great as a side dish or on a sandwich made with toasted bread, sharp cheddar and lettuce. Trust me it's great. 

Get to know...Black Beans

I fairly certain that ChildRoots families are no stranger to the Black Bean. The most common variety is the Black Turtle Bean, in fact there's a good chance that they're the only kind you've ever had. The brand that we use is organic and grown in California. High in protein and a good source of iron and dietary fiber. Black Beans are most common in Latin cuisine, often as a side dish. Spanish explorers brought the beans to Europe, and they slowly migrated to Asia. In Asia Black Beans are often fermented and used more as a flavoring or a sauce. 

It takes over 20 cups of dried Black Beans to feed the kids at CR. They are simmered on the stove for hours;   in the broth is no-salt stock, oregano, granulated garlic, some dried onion and a little salt (Black Beans are naturally high in sodium). 

Black Beans also make great cold salads or salsas. They can also be substituted for Garbanzo beans in a Hummus Recipe, Black Bean Hummus is gaining popularity at CR.  

CR's First Sampling Event.

This past Thursday was our first sampling event. We wanted to share with the parents some of the healthy and hearty snacks that their kids get to enjoy. Hummus, White Bean, Spinach Miso Tofu, and Herbed tofu represented the dips excellently. Carrot Ginger Bars, Flax and Oat Bars, Banana Oat Bars, and Sesame Sunflower Bars prove that baked goods don't have to be loaded with sugar to be loved. Of course it was a success, who doesn't like mingling around snacks?

Recipe packets were available and quickly snapped up. If you missed out on the packet we'll be printing more up this week.

A big thank you to Kitchen Assistant Extraordinaire Breana for manning the table while I was upstairs getting ready for the teacher training day's asian lunch buffet. She also did most of the cooking for the event.

I'm hoping we'll be able to do another sampling event again in the future. We'll keep working on new recipes, we don't want the kids to get bored.

How To Prepare...Rapini

I've wanted to serve Rapini (also know as Broccoli Rabe) at ChildRoots for quite some time. Farmers must have found themselve flush with Rapini recently because for a couple of weeks the price dropped and we were able to give it a try. Rapini, on the surface anyway, seems like a cross between Kale and Broccoli. While Rapini is in the same family as those it is actually a closer relative to the Turnip. The flavor of Rapini is distinct, it has the bitterness of green and a slight nutty flavor. Like it's greeny relatives Rapini is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. Potassium, Calcium and Iron are also well represented. When shopping for Rapini look for slightly tough leaves, and tender (not soft) blossoms. Don't let some yellowing leaves or bug hole deter you. 

At CR when trying out a new vegetable, I generally go for the simplest preparation. So for Rapini I went the steaming route. As with most leafy greens the first step is soak in cold water for at least ten minute. 

After soaking, swish the bunches around in the water to loosen up any dirt or grit still present from the farm. Take the Rapini out of the water, give it a good shake to get rid of excess water and let drain (in a stainer or something it can stand up in) for a few minutes.

Lay the bunch down a large cutting board. If the bunch is unruly, separate it into a couple of smaller bunches. 

Using a sharp knife slice down the bunch.All but the very ends of stems can be used. Be sure to keep those fingers curled under. 

At CR veggie are steamed for around 20 minutes in our tightly cover steam table. A home one bunch of Rapini would steam in less than five minutes. 

Once steamed the Rapini is tossed with salt and olive oil. 

The Rapini was a resounding success with the kids and teacher alike. I hope that I'll be able to get more soon.

My favorite way to do Rapini is to sauté it with pasta. When doing that blanch the chopped Rapini in the pasta water first (for no more than two minutes), using a slotted spoon to lift the Rapini out of the water and place in a bowl of cold water. Boil the pasta, any kind will do, I recommend angel hair. In a sauté pan (large enough for the veg and pasta) ,on medium, sauté a  chopped clove a garlic with olive oil for a minute, then add the Rapini, about a tsp of salt, and the juice of a lemon (or a splash of white wine). Some red pepper flakes can be added now, if your family likes the spicy. Sauté for another couple of minutes and add the pasta. Keep the pasta moving until it is all mixed and warmed through. Pour in a little cream and toss well, more cream can added if you want it saucier. Place the pasta on a large platter and sprinkle with Parmesan. I've done this recipe using plain unsweetened soymilk and nutritional yeast also, and it works great.   

G.R.O.W. Bananas.

Bananas, kids love them, they are super nutritious and easy to eat. They are also one of the few foods that ChildRoots offers that have to be imported another country. Our produce distributor, Organically Grown Company, works with Organics Unlimited to provide our bananas. Please go here and read their Mission Statement. Organics Unlimited has set up the G.R.O.W Fund, Giving Resources and Opportunities to Workers, a non profit that is dedicated to helping farm workers. Go here to learn more about G.R.O.W.

Look for this sticker next time you buy bananas.  

How to Prepare...Peppers

First off, a confession. Although we did just have peppers last week, the pictures used here are not them. The pictures here are from last summer when Gee Creek Farms had these wonderful Purple Peppers. The peppers we had last week were red and from a hot house farm in California. Despite being totally out of season, they were delicious.

 

Peppers are rarely served as a side dish,  they are usually used more like a garnish to enhance the rest of  the dish. That's really a shame because peppers can stand on it's own. Not much can beat a crisp fresh pepper. Next time your not feeling well, you should turn to peppers instead oranges. One cup of chopped peppers has over 200% of your RDA of vitamin C, and a good dose of vitamin B6 to help with the immune system. 

At ChildRoots we try to expose the kids to a variety of food experiences, not just mush. The best way to serve peppers as a side is raw and lightly salted. 

Start by washing the pepper and finding it's most stable base. If  it is bottom of the pepper, thats great. If it's one of the sides, lay it that way and cut off about 1/4 of the bottom. 

Using a sharp knife carefully slice down one of the sides. 

Turn the pepper and slice down another side, then lay it flat and slice the last two sides. 

 

Then if you hadn't already done so, slice off the bottom. 

The peppers are then chopped to the appropriate sizes. Remember to remove the fibrous rib first and chop peppers with the skin side down. And be very careful. 

Once the peppers are chopped, they are tossed with a little salt and refrigerated for a couple hours.  

The couple of hours in the fridge with the salt sweats the peppers, they will soften and release some liquid.  

It may seem weird at first to have peppers as a side, but give it a try. 

Get to know...Spelt

The children at ChildRoots are introduced to many different foods. For the most part I talk about the produce here. Well, lately the produce has gotten a little humdrum, I thought I would throw some attention at the beans and grains. Spelt gets the first post in the series.

Spelt has a history that goes back to the Bronze Age. A relative Common Wheat, spelt came about when the wheat plant hybridized with wild goat grass. Spelt has never been a very well none grain. It's tough outer husk makes it harder to process. That outer husk also makes it more resistant to pests and doesn't require much fertilizer, so it's easy to grow organically.

Spelt is a strong source of fiber and protein. Also present  are the very important B vitamins, essential for skin health, metabolism, cell growth, and immune system functions. Spelt being a grain is also packed with carbohydrates to us as fuel. It's also worth noting that some people with wheat intolerance have good luck eating spelt, due to it's lower gluten content and lack of pesticides.

Spelt is easy to cook. At ChildRoots it's made in the trusty rice cooker. 

When cooked spelt has a nutty flavor and a chewy texture that often feels like they're popping in your mouth. 

Spelt can be served as a side, added to soups, and even made into a "risotto" like dish. While you can't always use it in place of rice, it's usually safe to try. My favorite way to use spelt is cold salads.