• Home
  • Shop
    • Farm Shares/CSA
    • Recipes
  • Visit
    • Bush Skills
    • Farm Stays
    • Tours
    • Map & Directions
  • Email News
  • Jobs
  • Volunteer
  • Little LaGrange Farm
RIDGE TO REEF FARM, ST CROIX USVI
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Farm Shares/CSA
    • Recipes
  • Visit
    • Bush Skills
    • Farm Stays
    • Tours
    • Map & Directions
  • Email News
  • Jobs
  • Volunteer
  • Little LaGrange Farm

9 Month Update

6/7/2018

0 Comments

 

 Where to begin. Well we just got internet back at farm last week! Very exciting. I can now update our website and our farm blog from the Community Center and respond to emails! Hence how so much time has passed since last farm blog updates. Its now Thursday, slightly cloudy, with a cool rain forest breeze passing through the valley. I just finished pumping water for the morning. There's some familiar bird sounds close by working on nests. Leilah, Farmer Mary's beautiful little geriatric poodle, is doing her usual frantic efforts to keep up with her as she goes garden to garden. With once empty skies void of birds after the storm, its such a serene experience to be here now listening to familiar bird calls that are repopulating the rain forest as I type: American Kestrals, Grey King Birds, Bananaquits, Grassquits, Mangoquits, Smooth billed Ani tribes, Redtail hawks, Bridled Quail doves, Zenaida doves, and of course Pearly Eyed Thrashers (Trushies). I'm still waiting to hear back again Mangrove Coucoo. There's so many beautiful memories to recount, here's just a few that had photos to go along side them. ;)
-Shelli
Picture

June 2018 So far

I'm sure everyone is also wondering about the tractor as Nate and I are too. Tractor hasn't left the dealer as yet. They seem to be taking their time. It still needs to get to Florida to then get here. We're ok for now though. We know recovery isn't a fast process for many and for us. Luckily we've had so many great volunteers that have helped us get some of our gardens back into shape without the help of a tractor. Power of community has been strong and continues to motivate us. So grateful for all those who have given to our recovery. There are still areas on the farm we haven't been able to get to. We are waiting for a shipment of new solar panels for cabana land. Farm to school is slowly picking up speed again. We are expecting 2 new staff members towards the end of the month. Its a good transition time into summer. And mangoes are just starting to ripen.


May 2018

May happened fast. We finished our last month of CSA. Nate and I arrived back on St Croix second week in May right into Farm to School deliveries, organizing last CSA pork share delivery, weekly CSA deliveries, Agriculture Fair the last weekend of the month, and a farm dinner during Ag Fair weekend, and the departure of 2 of our most seasoned farmers, Matt and James. It was sad to see them leave but we are so happy for their next adventure. They're currently sailing to the US before Matt leaves for Ireland for his masters program in Sustainable Agriculture. James is off to visit family and friends and do some exploring. We said our goodbyes and wished them well on their journey. We know we'll see each other again and it will probably be right back here on St Croix.

April 2018

April was life changing for us. Second Danish group since Maria. They were such a good helping hand around the farm. Most importantly, Nate had his hip replacement surgery. What an experience. In the end, he left the hospital in tact and the surgery itself went smoothly. Every thing before and after was unpleasant. First began by them giving him incorrect information as to when to check in. Turns out we had to wait in a hospital room 3 days before surgery so they could monitor his vitals. And from there on, it was all sorts of incomplete, untimely, incorrect information for days that kept us and his mom on our toes second guessing, double checking, and correcting during the whole time we were there.  The worst part was 2 hours before his 6am dressing for surgery, he got food poisoning from one of his favorite GA restaurants. Unable to drink anything after midnight, he had to endure 2 hours of all the symptoms of food poisoning without drinking any water to wash down all the acid in his throat or to rinse his mouth. When assured by doctor the surgery could continue but could be postponed if he wanted, he mustard up the strength to follow through even while sick. So they continued. While I was in the waiting room with his mom, the hospital alarm system goes off. There was some emergency in the hospital and everyone was to stay away from elevators and doorways. It eventually goes off and out walks the surgeon to me. At this point, I'm watching him walk towards me and thinking why isn't he in the operation room. He hands me a jar. He said here is the screw. All done. He did great. Should be back in his room soon.  

March 2018

Our first CSA since storm began in March. What a relief for us and CSA members to have access again to local fresh organic produce post-storm. We went into it knowing it would be Matt and James' last CSA season with us, Nate was about to get his hip replacement we've been dreading yet needing for years, and we had to prepare for the Danes coming soon. We took in pigs to arbitoire, gathered coolers, ordered CSA produce boxes, ordered coffee, trellised, weeded, harvested, packed, did Farm to School deliveries.


Bush Skills was in March. For many, our farm dinners was a return to normalcy. For us, it was having Bush Skills again.  Was such a great one, yet saddest part was that the attendance wasn't more, it was less. this was our smallest one yet. Many just couldn't make time for it with all to be done in this post storm life. We hope to see a jump back to better attendance these upcoming ones. Some of this year's highlights: guest instructor Boudi, Bush Chef featured ingredient was a Redtail Boa Constrictor Snake meat, and Mrs Gibbs' students from Complex. 

February 2018

 Moringa Month! We got the go ahead to harvest Moringa. We planted about 500 moringa plants beginning of last year to get to this point where we could harvest leaves for a local company. Unfortunately the storm left us with only a handful of our young ones. Good part is our old ones stood strong in the storm and recovered well. So February was filled with planting for CSA, opening up gardens that were damaged, getting irrigation back online, and lots of seeding. Lots! Farm dog Saba has a visit to the vet. We find out her systems are slowly shutting down but none of her vitals. Those are doing good. Its just about making here comfortable from here on out.

January 2018

0 Comments

Photos of Farm after Hurricane Maria 2017

10/9/2017

0 Comments

 
These were taken first week of storm. Its only been 19 days since Hurricane Maria struck St Croix.

Photos by Nate.
0 Comments

Mission Flights a Success-Post Maria

10/9/2017

0 Comments

 

Special Thanks to Jennifer and Ali

 Recap:
On September 6, 2017, category 5 Hurricane Irma passed north of STJ and hit our sister islands of St Thomas and St John and Tortola, amongst many island in its path. Ridge to Reef Farm was sending food and supplies to St Thomas food banks when on September 19, 2017 category 5 Hurricane Maria passed just a few miles south of St Croix and the west end where the farm is located received the brunt of the storm.
Right after, all ports were closed and communication channels struggled to come back online.

The first wave of responders came from our farm friends Jennifer Lockwood in Florida and Ali Avalon in Colorado. They organized immediately a fundraiser to send relief supplies via private plane company St Pete's Air out of St Petesburg, Florida. If it wasn't for these two main Farm First responders who mobilized a way to get supplies to the battered island of St Croix, then family members and friends wouldn't have been able to get immediate food, water, and basic supplies to our farm crew.

To Jennifer and Ali and to all their friends and family that supported them, you were our angels in a serious moment of need. On behalf of everyone connected to the farm, thank you.

Up to this first week in October, there have been no agencies/aid that have made it into the rainforest where the farm is located. The only aid the farm crew had received was what arrived through your supply trips.

Thank you to all the friends and family that have sent supplies, prayers, and love. We so appreciate you. Thank you for thinking of us. With you help, we will rebuild, we will replant, and we will continue on our mission of teaching, living, growing, and sharing regenerative agriculture for small communities. Thanks to you, we can continue with our commitment to local and organic food for all and especially to our Virgin Islands Farm to School program.

There is so much work to be done, its incredible. With your support, we know we will get it done.

Ridge to Reef Farm.


Click here to learn how to support these two fundraising campaigns that help us as well as other people in our community.

http://stpeteair.org/usvi/

https://www.gofundme.com/RidgetoReefFarm




To all the angels helping us and others... I am in awe of you. This is Jennifer Lockwood with ziggy at the trashed STX airport receiving a charter flight that she organized with St. Pete's Air in Florida that brought ziggy, ridge to reef farm, and many others critical supplies after the devastating hurricane Maria. Others have been just as dedicated and action oriented in fundraising and lifeline support through limited satellite phone such as Ali Avalon, Allison Howroyd Klusmann, Shelli Brin Olive Olive, Sarah Haynes, Bobbi Matthews, Tim Olive, Dave Matthews, Claus Marquart Jørgensen, and the MANY people who have stepped up and helped. I am still stunned. The losses to the farm production for the next years, the loss in business, in farm to school sales, in other contracts and markets, costs of so many needed repairs just to get s where we were.... Then the realities of mortgage, of debts, obligations, hopes and goals.... Ain't easy to take in. just chainsaw another tree till we run out of bar oil. We are still piled up and the work has only just begun. From the deepest cavern of my being I thank you all for your love and support. Despite all this I know it's a blessing. - Nate Olive
0 Comments

Farm updates 9.26.2017

9/26/2017

0 Comments

 

Post Hurricane Maria 2017

Hello Farm friends and Family,

Thank you for checking in on us. Our community and farm are only 7 days in from just being hit with a category 5 hurricane. Island disaster relief efforts are taking place on some levels, and hasn't begun on others.

Farm:
Farm crew is alive and ok. Still waiting for confirmation that the pigs made it too. Our sheep and donkey did make it with a few deaths between Irma and Maria from dog attacks. Farm crew hasn't been able to re-establish internet at the farm as yet. They also are still working to fix water system damage in order to get drinking water again. We have lost all our crops. Still waiting to hear if any of our fruit trees/orchards have made it.  More updates coming soon.

Island:
Updates on the ground describe the island very badly damaged. With short curfew time giving only 4 hours, it creates incredible hours long lines for basics like gas, food, ATMS, pharmacies, for the ones that have opened for business. Farm crew has only been able to make it from farm to plane so far. Distribution centers are still struggling to get food and supplies for people. Residents are showing up and there being no food. There have been public statements it was from communication errors. So hopefully residents can get food this week.

What's happening now:
Thank you to all those Farm First Responders that have sent supplies to the Hurricane Relief Plane this week. Special thank you to the moms and dads for loving us so! Farm crew got first supplies yesterday and second arrives today. Next arrival of supplies is next week on the freight boat.

These next few weeks are incredibly critical for dealing with this major disaster crisis. It is a complex situation with many parts involved. On this territory-wide scale there are complicated problems that can only be solved that takes more than one person.

Our immediate farm issues to deal with are with our solar systems, water system, crop production, animal husbandry, farm equipment needs, getting our markets up and going again (CSA and F2S), and our farmers' overall wellbeing and peace of mind. They just came through a category 5 hurricane, the highest on the hurricane scale. Our entire community just came through a traumatic experience. Lets send them all some love and support these next few weeks.

The ability to get our fellow Farm 2 School farmers, our neighbors and our farm producing food again is incredibly important to us. I wish I could put out a clear outline of our next set of needs and steps to take, but really this will take time. Luckily I know you are with us for the short and long run as we are with you! Please do stay in touch. Stay connected.

Thank you for all the love we are already getting and those who have sent support in the form of donations, time, supplies, and prayers. If you are able to help in any of these areas above, please do reach out to us via our Facebook or email [email protected].

Thank you so much!

R2R Farm
LLG Farm
Shelli




0 Comments

Farm Update post Maria

9/21/2017

0 Comments

 

Hurricane Maria Sept 19, 2017


Farm Update as of September 21, Thursday.
 
So good to hear from our farm crew yesterday, Wedensday Sept 20th.
 
Latest update was that they were all ok and that our sheep (still waiting for word on our pigs) and structures survived a direct hit of category 5 hurricane, the highest on the wind scale.

This is only 15 days after a category 5 Irma hit our sister islands St Thomas and St John, and BVI. Most of my family lives on St Thomas.  We were in the middle of sending supplies and food to them when the worst case scenario happened, a cat 5 directly hit us.
 
With 68 more days left in hurricane season, the farm crew has to move fast to save any crops and trees that can be resurrected in time. We are so blessed to have farm family and friends who are fundraising for the farm’s speedy recovery. Please see these two links.

If you are able to give, please do consider giving or sending supplies today to either of these links. Especially today. These next few days are critical to get supplies to farm to save certain tree crops in time. If you can send $ to both of these farm friends, they are buying and collecting supplies and sending them.

 
Claus Marquat Jorgesen
https://www.facebook.com/events/162780354274931/permalink/163825890837044/
 
Ali Alison
https://www.gofundme.com/hurricane-help-4-ridge-2-reef-farm
 
Thank you so much for all your support!
We will get through this together!

Shelli B. Olive
Farm mama for
Ridge2Reef Farm
Little La Grange Farm

VI Strong!


Supplies list will be updated regularly as needs will change week to week. Thanks for following!
 
 
 

0 Comments

CSA 2017 now offers a Mini-Season

7/27/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

This Community-Supported Agriculture starts on Aug 19 with Ridge to Reef Farm

St Croix, VI July 27, 2017 – CSA members 2017 now have the option to get local certified organic produce in St Croix through a Ridge to Reef Farm mini-fall season. This means that unlike their traditional 14-15 week season, this one will be only for 8 weeks starting August 19th ending October 7th, a Saturday to a Saturday. It provides St Croix residents who are reserved about trying a long season CSA with the opportunity to join other long term seasonal R2R Farm CSA members who are committed to:

  • eating healthful foods and preparing them for their families;
  • supporting their local farmer;
  • being kind to our planet;
  • learning something new; and
  • being adventurous in the kitchen.

What is a CSA?
CSA (community-supported agriculture) is a subscription to a season’s worth of sustainable, locally grown produce that is distributed to members throughout the harvesting season. It is a form of investment that allows small farmers to continue growing on a scale that may not be sustainable without the CSA model. CSA members enjoy the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables for their family, while supporting their local farmer.  
 
How does it work?
Getting food from Ridge to Reef Farm CSA is different from going to a farmer’s market or using a grocery delivery service. A CSA member makes a seasonal commitment to a small farm, and the produce is either home or office delivered on Saturdays or available for pick up on Saturdays at the ‘Chan’ Hendricks Market Square, next to the Post Office in downtown Christiansted between 10am and 12pm. A CSA member takes pleasure in knowing where and how their food is grown, and typically have an open line of communication with their farmer, and are getting local certified organic food directly from farm to their kitchen. “Our fruit, egg, and meat share has been, literally, life-changing.” Summer 2017 CSA member.
 
“CSA is all about getting 100% nutrition from the foods you eat that are grown in a sustainable way,” according to Shelli Olive, the farm’s fruit farmer and market coordinator is at the Christiansted pick up location. She walks a CSA member through the ingredients, and teaches how to prepare new items learning through recipes how to substitute with local ingredients.
 
Community Impact
One of the biggest community impacts of the CSA is that the farm also grows food for the public school system through the National Farm to School Program. This means that when a CSA member buys a share, they not only are feeding their own families, they also are feeding students through the F2S program.
 
How to Sign up
If you would like to join the Early Fall CSA and support Ridge to Reef Farm, sign up for a share this July through the website www.ridgetoreef.csasignup.com/members/types ,  You can also read more about the CSA at www.ridge2reef.org/csa for more information.  
  “Sign-up is easy and best part is it’s affordable,” says Shelli. “To learn more and to join us for the Early Fall 2017 season, you can reach us at 340-220-0466, www.ridge2reef.org, [email protected], AT THE FARMER’S MARKET, downtown Christiansted Saturdays 10a-12p, and payment can be done by check or paypal.
 
About Ridge to Reef Farm
Founded by Dr. Nate Olive in 2010, Ridge to Reef Farm is the only USDA certified organic farm in the USVI that follow over 100 best practices outlined in the National Organic Program. No synthetic chemicals or pesticides are used to grow food. Produce is 100% GMO-free, powered by the sun.  
 

 

0 Comments

R2R Farm at 21st Mango Melee Festival!

7/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

We're in a new spot this year! July 9, 2017

21st Annual
MANGO MELEE
Festival
July 9, 2017   12p-6p

R2R Farm will have a booth in the 21st Annual Mango Melee Festival at Botanical Gardens this weekend!
We've been participating in this event for over 9 years now. This is one of our favorite crucian celebrations! If we had a festival every year for a tropical fruit, yes, we would pick mangos too!

R2R Farm grows several varieties of mangos. As a matter of fact, many on that grand variety exhibit come from R2R Farm. 

Our sell our mangos in our CSA program and on the vi.locallygrown.net online farmers market, where you can find them at Frederiksted pick up location on Mahogany Rd on Wednesdays 12p-5p. We also sell mangos at our Christiansted CSA pickup spot, at the Chan Hendricks Market Square on Saturdays 10a-12p, next to the post office.

This year, we'll be in a new location. We'll be in the center grass field to the west of the main building. Come look for us! We'll have some amazing delicious varieties of mangos for your to buy and try. We'll also bring other fruits for sale and a few value added products too. 


Hope to see you there!
Fore more Festival info, visit www.sgvbg.org

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Watermelon Memories in Summer of 2017

6/8/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

First day of Summer Approaches: June 21, 2017

And we're starting early with watermelons!

CSA members got watermelons this week!

Watermelons are a great summertime snack. This juicy fruit, about 92 percent water, is a refreshing bite on a hot summers day. In addition to getting hydrated with each bite, you get loads of Vitamin A, B6, C, antioxidants and amino acids while only eating about 40 calories per cup. 

This watermelon photo is by Nate from the day he harvested the first set for the farm crew to taste. Look at that pattern!

 

   



0 Comments

R & R       @ R2R

5/21/2017

0 Comments

 

Its like being in Nature's nest...

Here's a unique experience, to stay on a farm and get your hands dirty. Truth is, most people just need a weekend to relax more than anything, so don't feel like its all about work unless you want to. With our busy schedules, high pressured jobs, family demands, sometimes we just need a moment to drown out all the busy ringing sounds of tech and bosses to rest and relax off-grid.

Farmstays give our visitors just that, a complete break from city life, and a total submersion experience into an island natural environment.

But even that, can be a stressful situation if you've never done anything like it before. So let me give you a heads up. When I say total submersion, I mean total. Nature is alive and well, she can be really loud the first night,  especially the first time. There are symphonies of bird sounds, frog sounds, crickets, grasshoppers and more that play at night and throughout the days. You'll see by your feet millipedes, frogs, birds, mongoose, lizards, bees, etc.  Your cabanas are screened in, so they are bug free; however, there will be occasionally the beneficial heroes that check in on visitors to make sure they are safe, like lizards and geckos.  Nothing to be scared of, just to be aware of.

Nature has a way of opening up senses that were once dormant, as well as putting to rest our stresses when we can let go and relax in her rhythms of the wind and clouds and rain.

Natural settings like at the farm, provide just that, the Yings and Yangs of being in relationship with our natural environment.  You'll have sore legs from walking you haven't done in awhile only to find new found strength and energy levels increasing over time. You'll probably sleep restless the first night only to find the next day you'll have the best nap in a hammock in years, finally able to read that book you've been meaning to read. You'll get a little nervous in having bush tea, a break from your normal coffee or tea routine, only to find it was exactly what you body needed.

At least the first time! I recommend a farmstay at least once a year! Your new found peace of mind will thank you!

R2R Farm




Learn more about Farmstays
0 Comments

COASTAL LIVING The Resort Issue

5/19/2017

0 Comments

 

Eating St Croix, A Weekend romp through America's most understated island foodie paradise.

0 Comments

Farm Tours for Students

5/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

What a great way to learn about Food, visit R2R Farm!

Tours last about 1/2 to 2 hours, on foot. Great for all ages and grades.

The US Virgin Islands’ only certified organic farm is located in the rainforest region of St Croix. Come visit and tour around the farm learning about growing food for a living, types of crops we grow, swale designs, bamboo, organic vs non-organic, farmers’ markets and more. We grow several varieties of organic fruits, vegetables, and raise livestock.

We seek to feed our islands and inspire its visitors. By protecting our watersheds with organic and peaceful practices, we help heal the land around us and the sea below.

Our primary goals: 
*Feed 1% of Virgin Islands population healthy, local, organic food
*Share sustainable living & island heritage experiences
*Inspire action for a more healthy island and global community


We have two sites to choose from:
Ridge to Reef Farm
and/or
Little La Grange Farm, home of the Carl and Lawaetz Museum.

We offer customized tours for educational groups, and discount rate for school students for both sites. Not possible to do in the same day, yet worth scheduling both. We tailor the tours to each group’s time frame and topics of interest.

Ridge to Reef Farm. Here you will learn about the purpose of food and why we eat, the function of food in the body, what organic means, organic vs non-organic, the labels we see in the grocery stores and what they mean, off-grid living, watershed concepts, major crops, the seed to soil process, wild plants, local and exotic fruits, and really just space to roam in a nature environment and explore.

Little La Grange Farm. Here you will get to experience what it is like being a 21st century farm on a 18th century property. Learn about the history of agriculture, the Danish-American Lawaetz family history, as well as orchard management practices, and rotational pig farming.


We hope you join us for a tour!

To book contact us today at:
340.220.0466
[email protected]

Truly Your Farmers @
Ridge to Reef Farm
St Croix, Us Virgin Islands



0 Comments

Taste of St Croix Chef Cook Off 2017 @ R2R

5/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Congratulations to all Taste of St. Croix winners and congratulations to Chef Shawn Riley of Beachside Cafe Sand Castle on the Beach Hotel -- St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, who will be headed to Miami for Taste of the Caribbean on the USVI Culinary Team.
Picture



















http://viconsortium.com/virgin-islands-2/taste-of-st-croix-cook-off-names-chef-shawn-riley-of-beach-side-cafe-as-2017-winner/
Monday’s Cook-Off brought the chefs together to select a top winner. Mr. Riley won the fun, friendly competition and has earned the coveted spot on the USVI Culinary Team and will be joining the team for the Taste of the Caribbean, a culinary competition held in Miami, Florida.

The competition, held at Ridge to Reef Farm in the hills of the West End of St. Croix, offered the chefs a huge cornucopia of local products including beef, fish, greens, herbs, fruits and the first mangoes of the season and more. Mystery ingredients that chefs were required to incorporate into the dishes included white bread, local Surinam cherries, and bread nut.
Based on the rules of the National Association of Professional Chefs, each participant was judged on use of indigenous products, teamwork, taste, timeliness, portion sizes, sanitation and more. Each chef had 90 minutes to prepare an appetizer and an entrée. They had 10 minutes to write the recipe, 30 minutes to create and present the appetizer; 40 minutes to create and present the entree; and 10 minutes for clean-up. Volunteer judges included Jessica Cuyler of TV2, Angela Kim of the Squishy Monster, and Janet Simonsen of Steve Simonsen Photography.
Mr. Riley won first place with his brilliant approach to the competition. For an appetizer, he created a watermelon and spicy Asian green salad with roasted bread nut topped with a coconut and lime vinaigrette and herbed toast points. His winning entree was a spice-rubbed pan-seared Mahi over cinnamon dusted local pumpkin with sautéed spicy greens and tomato and Surinam cherry relish.
Mr. Riley completed his formal chef training at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Maryland. Prior to moving to St. Croix, he was the executive chef at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Baltimore, Md.


Feature Image: (L-R): Katherine Pugliese (Founder of Taste of St. Croix), Shawn Riley, Sean Skerrett, Michael Matthew, Nate Olive of Ridge to Reef Farm. (Credit: Steve Simonsen)



0 Comments

R2R Farm welcomes Summer Intern 2017 Bryceton

5/12/2017

0 Comments

 
 
R2R Farm welcomes Summer Intern 2017 Bryceton! Wishing you much success in the fields and on St Croix!

Your organic farming adventure begins now. Welcome to the team!
-R2R Farm


------
Interested in a farm internship or apprenticeship? Click here to see current season openings.


0 Comments

Getting Hooked on Cooking with CSA

5/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Great tips from Katherine on 'Cooking with what You Have.'

For CSA members, especially first timers, getting such a box of food can be a little bit intimidating.  What we at Ridge to Reef Farm want to avoid is you feeling overwhelmed by your box.  So take some time to prepare your schedule and your pantry to receive your box. Here is a great article to help you do just that.

Your R2R Farmers

------------------



by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have


A CSA share offers a plethora of produce every week and with it varieties we may have never seen before, let alone cooked—a delight and a bit of a challenge, for sure.

Fresh, delicious vegetables chosen for me week after week is my idea of heaven. It hasn’t always been but I get more hooked every year. I’m hooked on the deliciousness, on not having to make any decisions about what vegetables to purchase, and on the creativity it inspires.

So, how does one get hooked?

Stock your Pantry, Two Ways:
Shop mostly to restock rather than for specific dishes. You’ll spend less time (and money) running to the store for last minute items and can instead spend your time cooking, eating, and creatively using what you already have.

This is a basic list but you certainly don’t need everything listed to cook many dishes. And, your pantry will reflect your particular taste. This is just a loose guide.
Purchased Goods for Pantry, Fridge and Freezer:
  • Lentils; French green, red, brown
  • Beans: black, pinto, white, chickpeas
  • Grains: brown and white rice, barley, farro, cornmeal/polenta, quinoa, pasta, couscous, bulgur
  • Seeds & nuts: sunflower, pumpkin, hazelnuts, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, etc.
  • Spices: cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, dried chilies, turmeric, caraway, paprika, cardamom
  • Herbs: thyme, oregano
  • Vinegars: cider, rice and red wine
  • Oils: olive, sunflower, coconut, sesame
  • Hot sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce
  • Dairy products
  • Eggs
  • Lemons and limes
  • Meat and fish in freezer: sausages, bacon, chicken, etc.
Semi-prepared Items:When you have a little spare time you can add semi-prepared items to your fridge/ pantry that will make life much easier and tastier when you don’t have those extra few minutes to get a meal on the table.
  • Make a jar of vinaigrette and keep it in the fridge. Dress lettuces and greens as well as roasted vegetables or plain chickpeas/beans with the same vinaigrette, adding some chopped herbs and toasted seeds. Be creative!
  • Cook a good quantity of beans. Put beans out to soak before you go to work in the morning. Cook them that evening while you’re in the kitchen cooking something else for dinner anyway and have them ready for the next day or freeze half.
  • Cook twice as much rice, barley or farro as you need for any given meal and freeze half of it to make fried rice, rice and beans or a soup the following week on a particularly busy night when you need the head start.
  • Toast a cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds and keep in a jar. Your salads will be better for them; your soups will have added crunch; your snacks will be cheaper and more nutritious!
  • Use a whole bunch of parsley or cilantro to make a quick, savory sauce with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar. Stir in some thick yogurt for a creamy version. Having a flavorful component like this on hand means a plain bowl of rice or beans or a fried egg turns into a meal in no time.
  • Make chicken or any other meat, fish or vegetable stock and freeze.

Free Yourself from Strictly Following a Recipe
& Learn to Improvise and Substitute.The more you cook—and you will be cooking (!)—the easier and more fun it is to substitute and adapt as you go. Families of vegetables such as brassicas and alliums have certain common characteristics that in many cases let you substitute one for another. However, there is no real shortcut to learning how to do this so experiment as much as you can—you’ll have plenty of opportunity. Here are a few general guidelines to get you started.

Root vegetables love to be roasted as do brassicas like kohlrabi, cauliflower, romanesco, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Cut up, tossed with a little oil and salt and roasted in a single layer, they are delicious as is or can serve as the foundation for soups, mashes, salads, etc.

Onions, like their allium compatriots, shallots, scallions, leeks and garlic, are pungent raw and quite sweet cooked. If you don’t have an onion by all means use a leek, though leeks are sweeter and you might add a little acidity to balance it out and leeks are not so good raw. Scallions (green onions) and shallots can be substituted for onions and vice versa in many recipes, raw or cooked.

Sweet potatoes, potatoes, celery root, rutabagas and turnips and sometimes winter squash can often stand in for one another in mashes, gratins, soups and stews.

Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spring rabe and romanesco, all brassicas, have similar flavors and behave similarly in many dishes, though certainly not all. Mashed cauliflower is delicious but I would not mash Brussel sprouts.

Leafy greens are eminently substitutable. Chards, beet greens, kale and collards, are all good raw (very thinly sliced) when young and tender. They behave quite similarly when cooked and can be mixed and substituted for each other at will. Turnip, radish, and mustard greens are all tender and often interchangeable, though radish tops are a bit fuzzy raw. Make sure to blanch those.

Get Good at a Handful of Dishes that Showcase most any Vegetable.It’s not so hard to keep up when you have a handful of recipes that can accommodate most any vegetable and in a variety of combinations.
A simple frittata elevates most vegetables, from leafy greens to peppers, peas, herbs, potatoes and both summer and winter squash.

Pan-fried vegetable fritters/savory pancakes/patties transform mounds of vegetables of all kinds into savory nuggets. Broccoli with parmesan, leftover mashed potatoes, leeks and plenty of parsley, rutabaga and carrot latkes, Japanese-inspired cabbage pancakes with scallions, sesame oil and soy sauce. . .
Fried rice with loads of finely chopped vegetables; simple Thai-style coconut milk curries; and soups and stir-fries, of course, are all good vehicles for delicious CSA produce.

A quick, stove top version of mac ‘n cheese with whatever vegetables you have, chopped finely, never fails to be devoured.

Finally, recipes can often accommodate way more vegetables than they call for. Perhaps a recipe calls for 1 lb of pasta and 3 cups of vegetables. Invert that ratio and use ½ lb of pasta and 6 cups of vegetables or just add more vegetables and have plenty of leftovers. You’ll figure out how to make such changes and have recipes and tips work for your particular selection of produce.

Get comfortable making a few of these dishes and make them your own, with different spices, herbs, cheeses.
And then. . .Cooking (with a CSA) can in fact simplify one’s life—a way through the general madness and a treat for the senses and body. Yes, this is work and it takes time and organization but the deliciousness of that regular infusion of produce is well worth it!

Cook With What You Have offers subscriptions for both CSA Farms and individuals to an online Seasonal Recipe Collection, organized by vegetable. It includes not only 600+ recipes but posts such as Lettuce Management and the Dressing Jar and recipe categories such as CSA Heavy Hitters and Meals that Make Great Leftovers and Pantry Stocking Guides. Katherine Deumling, owner of Cook With What You Have, wrote custom weekly recipe packets for CSA Farms in the Willamette Valley in Oregon for years before expanding her cook-with-what-you-have approach to cooking to this more accessible platform for farmers and eaters everywhere. The Seasonal Recipe Collection covers 80 vegetables, herbs and some fruits. Katherine’s enthusiasm for vegetables, any time of year, never wanes and the site is regularly updated and expanded with tips, recipes and lots of reasons to love produce!

0 Comments

Hello again!

5/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Wow its been a while since out last farm post! Phew! We haven't had much time to post these days, we've had to focus all our energies onto our farming goals these past few years.

We've just began our Summer CSA 2017; and there's just so much great info to share with CSA members, it would be too tough to fit all in their weekly newsletters. So here we go. These new summer posts will be a great way to get more info to CSA members and market members to help our communities eat more locally and seasonally.

Do visit our website often this summer, it'll be a great way for farm Family and Friends to stay up to date with the Farm Times!

Have a great summer!

Your Farmers @ R2R Farm


 
0 Comments

Fall Week 10 - Ridge to Reef Farm CSA Newsletter

11/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
From the Field

Happy November!

As the 2013 season draws to a close this week, Jim and I would like to express our deep gratitude and appreciation to all of you – we could not have farmed organic produce for the island without our devoted CSA members! 

We’d like to announce that after this season at Ridge to Reef Farm we are moving on to start our own organic farm on family land in south-central Pennsylvania.  This has not been an easy decision, and we will sincerely miss St. Croix and all of its beauty – the beaches, the rainforest, and most of all the people.

We’re also pleased to introduce you to Shiloh Moates and Emma Haynes, who will be your farmers for the coming seasons! Most recently they were farming in North Carolina, but they originally hail from mountains of Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia. They are thrilled to be here, and are already well into preparations for the 2014 CSA season. They have heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, collard greens, bok choy, seasoning peppers and cilantro already growing for you, and a seed order on the way. 

Jim and I have learned a lot about agriculture and life through the challenges and rewards of farming together in the Caribbean.  We also learned a lot about each other, and last month after over 5 years together, we got engaged on the beach at Cane Bay!  If you find yourselves stateside, you are welcome to visit us at our farm in rural Pennsylvania.

We'd also like to thank the amazing team at the farm, whose dedication to farming make the whole CSA program work -- especially Dakota, Nate, Jillian, Jamison, among many others!   

Yours,

Claudia, Jim and the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm 


Photo above: Gaia Garden with lemongrass, bananas, malabar spinach, seasoning peppers and tulsi basil.

Scheduling Reminders

This is the tenth and final week of the Fall 2013 CSA!

Registration for the Winter/Spring and Summer 2014 seasons of Ridge to Reef Farm’s CSA program is now open for current members only at:

http://ridgetoreef.csasignup.com/

Sign-ups will open to the general public in one week. 

The Winter/Spring Season is 14 weeks and runs Jan 9th - April 12th. 

The Summer season is 14 weeks and runs starts May 15th.

What's in Your Share 

Seminole pumpkin is a wild squash, native or naturalized in South Florida. It gets its name from the Seminole tribe, who cultivated it in remote areas of the Florida Everglades. This “pumpkin” is botanically Cucurbita moschata, related to a butternut squash. Like butternut, Seminole pumpkins are tastier when allowed to sit at room temperature for a few weeks in a cool, dark, well ventilated area. This “curing” process stimulates the pumpkin to convert its starches to sugars and finish ripening, resulting in sweeter, smoother flesh. So, if you can wait, it should be perfect for Thanksgiving! It’s still tasty eaten fresh.

How to cook: We like to simply halve or quarter it, scoop out the seeds, coat it with olive oil and salt and roast it in the oven at 350 degrees until tender (30min to over an hour, depending on the size).
Picture
Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is an herb native to the West Indies and continental tropical America that is often substituted for its close relative, Cilantro. Known as recao in Puerto Rico and Ngo Gai in Vietnamese, culantro is an integral part of Caribbean cuisine. Culantro is typically stronger and more pungent than cilantro, so a general rule of thumb is to use about half the amount of cilantro you would typically use. It is excellent in salsas, noodle dishes, curries and more! Try the recipe below for Sofrito, a traditional Puerto Rican seasoning. 
Picture
Scotch Bonnet peppers are related to the more familiar Habanero, but have a slightly different shape and more vigorous growth habit. Enjoy these extremely hot peppers as part of a jerk seasoning rub (see the recipes below!), or use a small amount in any recipe calling for hot peppers.
Picture

Farm Recipes

Sofrito
"A condiment, a sauce, a basis for beans, rice, and stews – sofrito is all this and more. There are as many recipes for sofrito as there are cooks in Latin-Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic, but just about everyone would agree it's an essential building block in the kitchen.

Aromatic and savory, sofrito has its origins in Spanish cuisine (and the Spanish word "to fry") and typically consists of onions sautéed in oil with ingredients like garlic, hot and/or sweet peppers, tomatoes, and herbs such as cilantro, culantro, and oregano. Some sofritos are red, others are green, some chunky and others puréed. Sofritois also known by dozens of regional names including sazón in the Dominican Republic and hogao in Colombia.

Most cooks make up big batches of sofrito to store in the refrigerator or freezer and reach for it as needed. The flavorful mixture can be used as a foundation for stews and rice dishes like arroz con pollo, or to perk up everything from beans to eggs, steak, and vegetables. It can also be eaten as a dip like salsa."

                                                -From The Kitchn blog 

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered 
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 seasoning peppers or 1-2 sweet peppers
8-10 culantro leaves, roughly chopped
Salt, to taste
Hot pepper(s), to taste (optional!)
Oil 

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until thoroughly mixed but still slightly chunky.

When ready to use, heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a pot and cook through then add meats, beans, eggs, etc. This quick cooking is typical of sofritos and takes the edge off of the raw flavors. If you are baking a pork roast or something that will cook for a while, you can skip the step of pre-frying.

To reserve for later: Pour into ice cube tray, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and freeze. You can pop them out when needed, or transfer to a freezer bag. Two to three cubes will season a can of beans (1-2 Cups if using soaked beans from dry).



Jerk Recipes
From the Fiery Foods & BBQ Supersite 

Jerk Rub/Seasoning
Here is a typical Jamaican jerk rub that can be used on any meat or fish. Feel free to improvise and add ginger, bay leaves, and coriander if you like.

3 teaspoons ground Jamaican allspice
6 to 8 Scotch bonnet peppers, seeds and stems removed, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce

In a food processor or blender, process all the ingredients together to make a paste. Store the paste in a glass jar in the refrigerator.


Jerk Sauce
Fiery foods aficionados will love this sauce that is often served over jerked meat.

12 Scotch bonnet peppers (or substitute habaneros), seeds and stems removed
3 onions, chopped
2 clove garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons ground allspice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup minced scallions

In a food processor or blender, process all ingredients until smooth. Serve over cooked meat. Extra sauce will keep for months in the refrigerator.


Vegetarian Jerk Tofu
1 pound firm tofu
1 cup vegetable stock
Pinch salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Jerk Sauce (see recipe)

Slice the tofu into bite-size pieces.

Bring the vegetable stock to a boil, adding salt, garlic and thyme. Add the tofu and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove tofu and drain on paper towels. 

Sprinkle black pepper onto the tofu, then carefully roll the pieces in jerk sauce and set aside for at least 1 hour. 

Place the tofu in the oven at low heat for about 3 minutes. Serve with jerk sauce.



This Week's Harvest

Seminole Pumpkin



Eggplant 

Sweet Bananas

Scotch Bonnet - hot peppers

Okra

Bok Choy

Green Onions

Salad Mix

Culantro 

































THANK YOU HOSTS!


Gifft Hill School

St. John 3:30 - 5:30 pm Thursday


Barefoot Buddha

Havensight, St. Thomas 11 am -1 pm Thursday

The Pickled Greek

Christiansted, St. Croix 3-5 pm Saturday

Teres Veho

Frederiksted, St. Croix 2-4 pm Saturday

0 Comments

Fall Week 9 - Fruit Share Newsletter

10/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Happy Halloween!

The strange red pointy pod in your bag this week is Achiote - a regionally native plant used for thousands of years in food. Inside each pod is a collection of small red forming seeds. The coating around the seed portion produces a red dye, which is one of the most well-known safe food colorings in the world. Ever wonder how many latin-cuisines get their red, such as rice and pork? This is the stuff! 
Picture
One word of caution, however. It is a dye, so watch it an your clothing when you handle it. You will see it on your fingertips if squeeze them. Since does wash out, this is a perfect and completely safe and edible skin coloring, which gives it's common name "lipstick bush." It is wonderful for face painting with kids, with its nice rosy red hue. So if you're feeling adventurous, you can feel free to play with your food here! Mix with a little egg white for a high-quality non-toxic body paint! 

For more information check out this website, and try the recipe for Achiote Paste below!

Enjoy the harvest,

Claudia & the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm

Recipes

Achiote Paste
Achiote paste, favored in Yucatán and Oaxacan cuisine, is made from the slightly bitter, earthy flavored, red annatto seeds, mixed with other spices and ground into a paste. Achiote is a distinctly colored and flavored mainstay of the Mexican kitchen.

A typical preparation mixes:
1/4 cup annatto seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon salt
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup bitter orange juice (Seville) or 1/3 cup white vinegar

Grind the spices (annatto, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, oregano and cloves) in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. Blend the ground spices with the salt, garlic and the bitter orange juice until it is smooth. Rub the mixture onto chicken, pork or fish and let it marinate for 4–6 hours then cook as usual. Or use the achiote as an ingredient in another dish.

The paste is dissolved in either lemon juice, water, oil or vinegar to create a marinade, and marinated or rubbed directly upon meat. The meat is then grilled, baked, barbecued or broiled. Sometimes it is added to corn dough to create a zesty flavor and color in empanadas and red tamales.   

-from Wikipedia
0 Comments

Fall Week 9 - Ridge to Reef Farm CSA Newsletter

10/26/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
From the Field

We're shifting gears here at the farm -- while the fall harvest season is winding down we are preparing for the main growing season, which starts with the New Year. We seeded our first round of over 1,000 tomato plants in trays in our potting shed, and they're growing bigger by the day. We're ordering seeds, watching the nutrient-rich cover crop grow, and preparing fields for planting. So while we take a break from CSA pick-ups these next few months, your farmers will be hard at work in the gardens, fields, orchards and pastures at Ridge to Reef. Keep an eye out for the Winter 2014 CSA announcement -- we expect to open sign-ups soon, with a start date in early January.

This week we have a few new items for you! Seasoning peppers are small sweet peppers that are widely grown throughout the Caribbean. They look like hot peppers, but are actually extremely mild, sweet and flavorful. Think of them as habaneros without any of the heat, and use them as you would any sweet pepper or bell pepper!  
Picture
 Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is an aromatic grass prized for its essential oils like citral and geraniol, which is used for cooking, teas and chlorophyll, herbal remedies and cosmetics. Lemongrass Tea is used to treat digestive problems and fever, and is known to be anti-inflammatory. To use in cooking, tie several pieces into a bundle and add during the initial stages of your dish, then remove it at the end like you would a bay leaf. To make hot or iced tea, bring water to a boil, then steep a bundle of lemongrass (and any other herbs) in a cup or pot with a lid for 10 minutes, then sweeten or ice as desired. 
Picture
Malabar Spinach can be eaten a variety of different ways. This week we harvested the tender new shoots for you. The entire red vine can be eaten, along with the nutritious green leaves. Try the recipe below for Coconut Dahl with Malabar Spinach. 
Picture
You are also receiving a bunch of fresh Green Onions - use both the green tops and white bottoms, raw or cooked in any recipe that calls for scallions, onions or green onions.
Picture
There is more of our unique blend of Salad Mix -- a blend of young, mild Asian greens that is best eaten raw just like a lettuce mix, but can also be blended into a green smoothie or cooked like spinach. 

With this week's eggplant and parsley, try the recipe for Broiled Eggplant below.   

Happy eating!

Claudia and the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm 


Photo above: Salad mix, Bok choy and bananas in the CSA fields

Farm Recipes   

Coconut Lemongrass Soup

1 can (or equivalent) coconut milk
3 or more lemongrass stalks, knotted
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped (both green tops and white bottoms)
5-10 Seasoning peppers, seeded and chopped
1 chilli pepper, chopped (optional)
2 cups water
1-2lbs sweet potato or local pumpkin, peeled and diced (optional)
3 curry-lime leaves (optional)
salt (to taste)
vegetable oil

In a large soup pot, lightly sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in oil for about 5 minutes until lightly carmelized, so that the flavors release. Add the peppers and the white part of the green onions, and cook 1 more minute.

Tie the lemongrass stalks in a knot. Add the remainder of ingredients, excluding the coconut milk and and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste the soup frequently, check the sweet potato or pumpkin for doneness and add salt as to your liking.

Add the coconut milk, stir, and simmer on low heat for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, and remove the lemongrass stalks and lime leaves. Serve with the green onion tops as a garnish.


Coconut Dahl with Malabar Spinach
You can use all the Malabar Spinach plant in this recipe, from the stems to the leaves.

Ingredients:
2 cups red lentils, washed
4 large ginger slices
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons salt
1.5 tablespoon curry powder
10 curry leaves (optional)
1 can (about 2 cups) coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 bunch of Malabar spinach stems and leaves, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons Garam Masala

Directions:
Place the lentils into a medium sized saucepan with ginger, tumeric, salt and curry leaves and cover with 4 cups water.

Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered for 40 minutes or until the lentils have broken down and the mixture has reduced and thickened quite considerably.

Add the coconut milk and leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes or until it has thickened once more.

Meanwhile, in a small frying pan, heat the oil on a medium-high heat and cook the onion for a few minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and the Garam Masala stir to coat the spices with the onion and cook for a further 5 minutes.

When the Dahl is cooked add the onion mixture and the Malabar spinach and stir to combine. 



Broiled Eggplant
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For an eggplant recipe with rich, meaty flavor, we turned to salting. We found that eggplant must macerate for at least 1 1/2 hours, preferably for two to three, to allow the salt to do its job. Salting alone, however, was not sufficient. The flesh of the eggplant also had to be firmly pressed between sheets of paper towels; pressing extruded the juice and compacted the flesh. Finally, no matter what the cooking method, we found eggplant always came out firmer, browner, and sweeter when cooked slowly rather than quickly.

As an alternative to broiling, you can bake the eggplant in the upper third of a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, turning it once. The effect is virtually the same. If you want to make these slices as a main course, the recipe will serve 2.

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium eggplant)
1 tablespoon table salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 - 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves or finely shredded fresh basil
Ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut off and discard stem and bottom end of each eggplant. Do not peel. Cut eggplants crosswise into 3/4-inch slices. Lay slices out on a work surface, sprinkle tops with half the salt, and rub it in with your fingers. Turn eggplant slices over and repeat procedure with remaining salt. Place eggplant in a colander, set colander over bowl or in sink, and let eggplant stand for at least 1 1/2 hours, preferably 2 to 3.

2. Rinse eggplant under cold, running water, rubbing slices lightly in your hands. Shake colander to drain. Lay slices about an inch apart on triple thickness of paper towels; cover with another triple layer of towels. Using your palms, press each eggplant slice very firmly until it looks green and translucent and feels firm and leathery when pressed between fingertips. Repeat pressing process on fresh toweling if eggplant has not yet reached this stage. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. (Can refrigerate up to 3 hours before cooking.)

3. Heat broiler. Mix oil, vinegar, and garlic in small cup. Arrange eggplant slices fairly close together on a baking sheet; brush tops with half of oil mixture. Turn slices over and brush with remaining oil mixture. Broil eggplant slices about 8 inches from heat source until tops turn mahogany brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn slices over; broil until other sides brown, an additional 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle eggplant with herbs and pepper, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated




This Week's Harvest

Eggplant 

Sweet Bananas

Malabar Spinach

Okra

Seasoning Peppers

Green Onions

Lemongrass

Salad Mix

Parsley  


0 Comments

Fall Week 8 - Fruit Share Newsletter

10/19/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Carambola, also called star fruit for its shape when sliced, is from the  Averrhoacarambola tree. Native to Indonesia, the Phillipines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, starfruit is now grown in many tropical and subtropical countires throughout the world. The starfruits are great for fresh eating (like an apple), but can also be juiced or sliced into salads.                                         
Green Papaya is used like a vegetable instead of a fruit, with a flavor reminiscent of summer squash or a light potato. Peel them and shred the green interior for use in an Asian slaw, or cube the flesh and cook as you would a potato in soups or stews. 

Pomelos are a member of the citrus family.  These ancestors of the grapefruit are large with sweet, juicy pulp.  Enjoy them juiced or eaten whole like a grapefruit.

The mangoes this week are from the orchard on our farm in the rainforest. They are very sweet, juicy and meaty with minimal stringiness. Watch out for insect damage, because some of the trees we harvested from have had problems in the past - if you do notice any critters just discard those sections - the rest of the fruit is fine to eat. 

Today's cooking bananas are Saba, an excellent variety to accompany savory dishes or use in baked goods. Use them green, or give these certified organic fruits time to ripen and you will be rewarded with decadent sweet flavor!

Everyone this week is receiving a coconut - don't be alarmed by the hard exterior, they are easier to open than you might think! These coconuts have delicious, nutritious water inside, and young meat called "jelly". Everyone at the farm has their favorite way to open coconuts - Jim likes using a cordless drill, for efficient and effective access to the tasty coconut water. Nate likes practicing his bush skills by using a sharp machete to chop off one end until the coconut breaks open. Tell us your preferred method!

Enjoy the harvest,

Claudia & the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm



This Week's Harvest

Pomelo

Cooking Bananas

Mangoes

Limes

Green Papaya

Drinking coconut



0 Comments

Fall Week 8 - Ridge to Reef Farm CSA Newsletter

10/19/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Happy Saturday!

While it sometimes seems like summer never ends in the Virgin Islands, we have a harvest this week that may remind you of Autumn if you're from the states.  We are particularly excited about harvesting our pumpkins, which are described below.

We've harvested some fresh greens for you this week - Bok Choy and our unique blend of Salad Mix. The variety of bok choy we grow is called Joi Choi, and has sweet, succulent white stalks with a nice crunch that can be eaten raw like celery. To cook it, just roughly chop and stir-fry the ribs and the greens together. Ridge to Reef Farm's salad mix is a blend of young, mild Asian greens that is best eaten raw just like a lettuce mix, but can also be blended into a green smoothie or cooked like spinach.                                  
Picture
Picture

You'll also find a slice of our local pumpkin! These calabaza squash are varieties of the species Curcubita argyrosperma and Cucurbita moschata, including Tohono O'odham "Ha:l", Green-Striped Cushaw, Middle Rio Conchos and our own Cruzan Calabaza that we saved seed from our last crop. The flesh will vary between varieties from light yellow to a deep orange, but all are delicious - especially when cooked in stews or soups or roasted with olive oil. These carribbean squashes cook much more quickly than the traditional pie pumpkin, so adjust your cooking time accordingly if you substitute it for pumpkin in a recipe. The seeds are also a tasty snack when roasted - just remove any flesh and place the seeds on a baking tray in the oven at 350 degrees, or in a heavy skillet (like a cast-iron) on the stovetop until golden brown, generally 10-15 minutes.
Picture
There's another helping of okra this week - try it baked roasted, grilled, fried, stir-fried, or used in a soup or gumbo -- okra is an excellent thickener!

With this week's eggplant, try a traditional Eggplant Parmesan dish, or change it up and try an eggplant dip like Babaganoush - see the recipes below!

The dill goes well in salads and salad dressings. Try the Lemon-Dill Tahini Dressing recipe below paired with your mixed greens.           
Picture
Happy eating!

Claudia and the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm 


Photo above: Salad mix in the CSA fields

Farm Recipes   

Calabaza and Coconut Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro stems or other herbs
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 (2-4lb) piece calabaza squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk (12 ounces)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne  

Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro stems and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Add squash pieces and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Stir in water, coconut milk, salt, and cayenne and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup in batches in a blender or with a hand blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, transferring to a 2-quart measure. Serve warm.
Recipe adapted from Gourmet magazine


Stir Fried Bok Choy with Ginger and Garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 cups chopped fresh bok choy (1-2 heads)
1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add bok choy and soy sauce cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and stalks are crisp-tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. 


Eggplant Parmesan
2-3 pounds sliced eggplant
Flour
Olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup basil leaves.

1. Dredge sliced eggplant in flour, then brown in batches on both sides in olive oil; remove from the pan.
2. Layer in a 9-inch baking pan with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil leaves.
3. Bake at 375 until bubbly.



Baba Ganoush
2 or more large eggplants
1 lemon, juiced
2/3 cup tahini (sesame seed paste, available in the international aisle at the supermarket)
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley, basil, or other herbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pita chips, for dipping

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork (this keeps the eggplant from exploding in the oven, so don't skip this step). Place on a baking sheet and roast until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Once the eggplant is cool enough to touch with your hands, carefully peel the charred skin off the eggplant. Scoop the flesh into a bowl or blender.

Add the lemon juice, tahini, garlic, parsley, and a little salt and pepper. Blend together until smooth. Feel free to add more lemon juice, more salt and pepper, it will vary depending on the size of your eggplant. Serve with pita chips.
Recipe adapted from Suzie's Farm


Calabaza Rice
2 cups long-grain rice (or brown rice - adjust cooking time according to package)
2 tbsp. oil (use annato-infused, if possible)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 lb. calabaza squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1/2" pieces
3 sprigs cilantro or other herbs
Salt

1. Put rice into a large bowl, cover with cold water, and swish rice around with your hand until water clouds. Drain and repeat process until water remains clear, 3–4 times more. Drain again and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 5–8 minutes.  Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until it is lightly toasted, about 1 minute.

3. Add squash and cilantro in pot, stir in 3 cups of water, and season to taste with salt. Increase to medium-high and boil, undisturbed, until liquid barely covers rice, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender about 20 minutes. Serve with plantain tamales in spicy shrimp sauce, if you like.


Lemon-Dill Tahini Dressing
1/4 cup tahini
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh-squeezed OR 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbs water, more as needed
1 clove of minced garlic
1/4 cup dill, minced
Dash of salt

With an immersion blender mix all the ingredients together. If you don’t have one you can whisk this together easily. Enjoy!




This Week's Harvest

Eggplant 

Sweet Bananas

Bok Choy

Okra

Local Pumpkin

Dill

Salad Mix



0 Comments

Fall Week 7 - Fruit Share Newsletter

10/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Pomelos are a member of the citrus family.  These ancestors of the grapefruit are large with sweet, juicy pulp.  Enjoy them juiced or eaten whole like a grapefruit.

The mangoes this week are from the orchard on our farm in the rainforest. They are very sweet, juicy and meaty with minimal stringiness. Watch out for insect damage, because some of the trees we harvested from have had problems in the past - if you do notice any critters just discard those sections - the rest of the fruit is fine to eat. 

Today's sweet bananas are either Ice Cream or Dwarf Cavendish, both excellent varieties for eating out of hand. Just give these certified organic fruits time to ripen, and you will be rewarded with decadent flavor!

Everyone this week is receiving a coconut - don't be alarmed by the hard exterior, they are easier to open than you might think! These coconuts have delicious, nutritious water inside, and young meat called "jelly". Everyone at the farm has their favorite way to open coconuts - Jim likes using a cordless drill, for efficient and effective access to the tasty coconut water. Nate likes practicing his bush skills by using a sharp machete to chop off one end until the coconut breaks open. Tell us your preferred method!

Enjoy the harvest,

Claudia & the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm

This Week's Harvest

Pomelo

Sweet Bananas

Mangoes

Drinking coconut


0 Comments

Fall Week 7 - Ridge to Reef Farm CSA Newsletter

10/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
We've harvested some new greens for you today! Komatsuna is a delciously mild Asian green that can be chopped and eaten raw in salads, substituted for lettuce, or cooked lightly like spinach. Versatile and nutritious, komatsuna is a wonderful addition to any meal.
Picture
Chaya is one of my favorite green leafy vegetables. It has a delicious, meaty texture and considerable substance for a green. Cnidoscolus aconitifolius, also called Mayan Spinach, Tree Spinach and Mexican Spinach, is a perrenial tropical shrub native to the Mexico, and a proflific producer of nutrient-dense green leaves. It has been used in the traditional cuisine of Central America and southern Mexico since pre-Columbian times, and is still consumed widely today. Chaya is high in protein, calcium, iron, beta carotene and vitamins A, B and C - significantly more so than most other green leaf vegetables.

The leaves should be chopped and boiled for about 10 minutes prior to eating due to the presence of hydrocyanic glycosides, which are removed by cooking (HCN boils off as a gas, making the broth and leaves suitable for consumption). Try the recipe below for Chaya Hummus from CSA member Kathy Guidi!

After the initial boiling, Chaya is often strained, then prepared and seasoned just like cooked spinach in meals like pasta, lasagna, pizza, eggs and burritos. Boiled and drained chaya can also be fried or sautéed in oil with onion and tomatoes. It is delicious puréed into dips and spreads, or sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Some traditional preparation include Dzotobilchay (Chaya Tamales), Pibxcatic (stuffed chilies) and tacos filled with boiled, fried chaya, cooked with tomato and chilies then rolled in roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Picture
You'll find another bunch of Maxixe ("muh-shee-sh") in your share this week. Also called "bush cucumber", it can be cooked like summer squash, or eaten raw just like cucumbers.  It is unnecessary to peel them, although some recipes may call for it. Cut it in halves orquarters, boil 10-15 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency, then season with olive oil and salt or add to any dish. It also goes well with okra - try them chopped, sautéed together and seasoned with onion, garlic, paprika and tamari soy sauce. More information on Maxixe can be found at the World Crops website.

Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum), also called Tulsi Basil or Sacred Basil, is a relative ofbasil in the mint family. It is commonly cultivated in South Asia for medicinal and religious purposes, and is often grown around temples and homes. Holy Basil is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogen, to reduce cellular sensitivity to stress. It can be used as a seasoning similar to basil in Thai cooking, or it can be taken as an herbal tea - more reminiscent of mint than basil tea. You can place the stems in a vase or jar of water like a flower bouquet, or store the bunch in a plastic bag in the fridge. 

Our burgundy okra plants are growing phenomenally well, and some are over 8 feet tall! Try using this week's hearty helping  to make a batch of fried okra for a farm-fresh appetizer. You could also try okra baked roasted, grilled, stir-fried, or used in a soup or gumbo -- okra is an excellent thickener!
Picture
Cranberry Hibiscus is in your share today - try this burgundy leaf in a salad, or cook it briefly like spinach either alone or mixed with other greens. You can also make a tea with the leaves - try it mixed with the Holy Basil for a pleasing and nourishing blend.

We have more eggplant for you -you'll find a pleasing selection of heirlooms like Listada di Gandia and Rosa Bianca (purple and white colored eggplants) in addition to Snowy, a slender all-white variety, and Traviata, a deep purple violetta-type. We've seen several eggplant converts since we started farming, so if you're usually not eggplant's greatest fan, give these sweet organic fruits a shot. 

Happy eating!

Claudia and the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm 


Photo above: Bananas, eggplant and hot peppers in the CSA fields

Farm Recipes

Chaya 'Hummus' Dip (or spread)
Here's a really yummy recipe from CSA member Kathy Guidi in St. John!  It’s a terrific way to use this healthy green, and it’s similar to a spinach dip (sans the mayo).

1. Boil one bunch chaya leaves in plenty of water for 10-15 minutes.  Drain and chill till ready to make the spread.
2. Use a food processer to chop/mince the chaya leaves (about 2 cups) realy fine.
3. Add to the chaya: 
    -  4 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp oilve oil
    -  juice of one lemon (or 2 key limes)
    - 1 tsp cumin and approx 1/2 cup greek yogurt. 
4. Mix well and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. 

Suggested servings:
* It's really nice as a spread or as a dip with cucumbers. 
* For dinner, stuff a pita with sliced bush cucumber, greens and chaya hummus!


Prize Winning Pickles
(Maxixe pickled in brine)


Brine Recipe:
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 quart water
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup salt
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp each brown and yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
5 dill fronds   

Wash maxixe and slice in large chunks 
Combine vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan
Place spices in cheesecloth and add to vinegar mixture
Simmer for 15 minutes
Clean and heat 6 pint jars and lids
One at a time:
Pack cucumbers into hot jar leaving ¼ inch headspace
Ladle hot vinegar mixture over cucumbers or tomatoes
Remove air bubbles
Seal jar with two piece cap
When all jars are filled, process for 15 minutes in a boiling water canner
Rest jars for 24 hours and then check seals
Store in a cool dry place

Note: You can add other vegetables to the mix, like okra.


Maxixe Sautée
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped,
1-2 pounds maxixe, peeled and sliced thin
Optional: additional vegetables (like okra), chopped.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Wash and prepare vegetables and herbs. 
2. Heat skillet with oil.
3. Add onion, parsley, maxixe and other vegetables if desired.
4. Sautee until the vegetables are tender but firm, and serve.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.


Holy Basil Tea

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Pour over 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of Holy Basil leaves and flowers. Let steep 10 minutes, covered. Enjoy hot or iced.

Variations:
- Add lemongrass, mint, cranberry hibiscus or other herbs with the basil. 
- Sweeten with honey or agave, if desired.


Chaya Quiche
For the dough:
½ cup plus 3 tablespoons chilled butter or vegetable shortening
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 to 6 tablespoons cold water

For the topping:
2 cups milk or cream
1 cup shredded cheese
1 onion, chopped in cubes
3-4 eggs
bunch of Chaya (boiled for 15 minutes), cut in slices
salt, paprika, nutmeg

Directions:
Mix the ingredients for the dough and spread it out in a buttered pie dish. Make sure that you have dough standing out on the sides so the liquid topping will stay inside. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 F.

Beat the eggs and mix with milk and the seasoning. 

Get the dough out of the oven and put the egg-milk mixture on top. Add the chopped onion, the sliced Chaya and the shredded cheese.

Put back in the oven for about 30 more minutes. Check on it when it starts to smell good. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy.

Recipe by Nadja Hofmann, former apprentice (based on the "Joy of Cooking")




Classic Iron Skillet Fried Okra
  • 3/4 - 1 pound of small okra pods, cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1/2 cup of cooking oil, more or less, divided
  • 3/4 cup of all purpose cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
  • Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and Cajun seasoning (optional), to taste
Rinse okra in a colander and let drain. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning, if using, in a paper bag or medium sized bowl.

Toss the okra to coat evenly and transfer to the skillet using a large slotted spoon to shake off excess. Cook in batches, allowing to fry on one side until lightly browned, then begin to stir fry, moving the okra around the skillet and scraping the bottom of the skillet to avoid burning.

Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with sea salt or kosher salt, to taste. Prepare next batch, adding additional oil to skillet as needed between batches. Serve hot.


Okra Gumbo With Chickpeas & Kidney Beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup flour
1 medium sized onion, diced large
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch maxixe, diced
2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned is fine)
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
8 springs fresh thyme (or other herbs- basil, parsley, etc)
2 1/2 to 3 cups vegetable broth at room temperature
2 cups okra (about 10 oz) sliced 1/4 inch thick or so
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (a 15 oz can, rinsed and drained)
1 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (a 15 oz can, rinsed and drained)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Rice for serving 

Directions
First we’re going to make a roux, but it has a little less fat than a traditional roux, which means it doesn’t get as goopy. If you’d like a more traditional roux, just add 3 more tablespoons of vegetable oil. Okay, so, let’s proceed.

Preheat a large, heavy bottom pot over medium-low heat. The wider the pot the better, so that you have lots of surface area to make your roux.

Add the oil and sprinkle in the flour. Use a wooden spatula to toss the flour in the oil, and stir pretty consistently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the flour is clumpy and toasty.

Add the onion and salt, and toss to coat the onions completely in the flour mixture. As the onions release moisture, they will coat more and more. Cook this way for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so.

Add the tomatoes and cook down for about 10 more minutes. As the tomatoes break down, the mixture should become thick and pasty.

Season with fresh black pepper, add bay leaves, smoked paprika and thyme and mix well.

Stream in the 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Add the okra, maxixe and beans, then turn the heat up and cover to bring to a boil. Stir occasionally.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew is nicely thickened and the okra is tender. If it’s too thick, thin with up to 1/2 cup vegetable broth. If it’s not as thick as you like, just cook it a bit longer.

Add the lime juice, and adjust salt and pepper to your liking. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems (if you can see them) then serve in a big, wide bowl, topped with a scoop of rice and garnished with fresh thyme.

Recipe adapted from Post Punk Kitchen


This Week's Harvest

Eggplant 

Sweet Bananas

Maxixe - "Bush Cucumber"

Komatsuna - Asian Greens

Tusli Basil - Holy Basil

Okra

Chaya

Cranberry Hibiscus



0 Comments

Fall Week 6 - Fruit Share Newsletter

10/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Pomelos are a member of the citrus family.  These ancestors of the grapefruit are large with sweet, juicy pulp.  Enjoy them juiced or eaten whole like a grapefruit.

Everyone this week is receiving a coconut - don't be alarmed by the hard exterior, they are easier to open than you might think! These coconuts have delicious, nutritious water inside, and young meat called "jelly". Everyone at the farm has their favorite way to open coconuts - Jim likes using a cordless drill, for efficient and effective access to the tasty coconut water. Nate likes practicing his bush skills by using a sharp machete to chop off one end until the coconut breaks open. Tell us your preferred method!

Carambola, also called star fruit for its shape when sliced, is from the Averrhoacarambola tree. Native to Indonesia, the Phillipines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, starfruit is now grown in many tropical and subtropical countires throughout the world. The starfruits are great for fresh eating (like an apple), but can also be juiced or sliced into salads.                        

Wait until the avocadoes just begin to soften (at least 3-5 days) before cutting open.

Sour Oranges are high in Vitamin C and can be used in place of lemon or lime in any recipe, or made into a drink like orangeade. 

Enjoy the harvest,

Claudia & the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm

0 Comments

Fall Week 6 - Ridge to Reef Farm CSA Newsletter

10/5/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome to October!  We're half way through the CSA season and we have officially finished our plantings for this seaon.  We are keeping busy making sure the plants stay happily weeded, watered, and trellised.

We'd like to introduce you to Maxixe ("muh-shee-sh") or Bush Cucumber (Cucumis anguria), making its first appearance for this season. It is a relative of the cucumber we all know and love (Cucumis sativus). It can be eaten just like cucumbers - sliced raw in a salad or pickled - but it can also be cooked like summer squash or christophene. It is unnecessary to peel them, although some recipes may call for it. Cut it in halves or quarters, boil 10-15 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency, then season with olive oil and salt or add to any dish. More information on Maxixe can be found at the World Crops website.
Picture
This week, there's more eggplant for you! You'll find a pleasing selection of heirlooms like Listada di Gandia and Rosa Bianca (purple and white colored eggplants) in addition to Snowy, a slender all-white variety, and Traviata, a deep purple violetta-type. If you're not sure how to prepare eggplant, try some of the recipes below. We've seen several eggplant converts since we started farming, so if you're usually not eggplant's greatest fan, give these sweet organic fruits a shot.                     
Picture
Parsley pairs well with egpplant - try it in the Mediterranean eggplant spread 'baba ganoush' (recipe below), or finely chopped as an addition to any Italian or Mediterranean dish. Parsley is one of the main ingredients in Tabboulleh, a fresh bulgur salad - try the recipe below!                
Happy eating!

Claudia and the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm 

Photo above: Rainbow over the CSA fields

Farm Recipes

Maxixe Sautée
1 medium onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped,
1-2 pounds maxixe, peeled and sliced thin
Optional: additional vegetables, chopped.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Wash and prepare vegetables and herbs. 
2. Heat skillet with oil.
3. Add onion, sweet pepper, parsley, maxixe and other vegetables if desired.
4. Sautee until the vegetables are tender but firm, and serve.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.


Hot and Spicy Brazilian Maxixada
This dish is eaten over rice or a mixture of rice and beans. Traditionally, it’s cooked with dende oil (red palm oil), but you can substitute olive oil if you can’t find dende.

1/4 cup dende palm oil  (or olive oil )
2 cups onion, minced
1 pound maxixe
1 chayote, diced (peeled zucchini can serve as a substitute)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 cups tomato, chopped
8 ounces picked cooked crab meat (try local land crabs for locavore bonus points!)
1 cup coconut milk
2 or 3 tbsp chopped cilantro or basil, to taste
Zest of half a lime
Salt and freshly chopped or ground hot pepper to taste 
Optional garnish: 4 boiled crabs cut in half

Heat oil in a large sauté pan or skillet and add onion, maxixe, and chayote or zucchini. Cover and cook 6 minutes over medium heat, then add garlic, tomato, picked crab and coconut milk. Stir and cook uncovered until the tomato is reduced and the sauce turns light orange (about 8 minutes). Add cilantro and lime zest, then season to taste with salt and hot pepper. Once the liquids are well combined and hot (about 5 minutes), serve over rice with hot boiled crabs as a garnish. 
Recipe adapted from Mother Earth News


Okra with Rice and Beans
½ cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup okra, sliced into ¼”-thick rounds
½ cup vegetable broth
2 cups rice, cooked
1 cup canned black beans, heated

In a medium saucepan, sauté the onions and garlic in oil for 5 minutes. Add the okra, tomatoes, and the broth. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot over the rice and beans.


Baba Ganoush
2-3 medium-sized eggplants
1/2 cup  tahini (roasted sesame paste)
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves


Directions
Preheat the oven to 375F . Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.)

Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance. Remove from oven and let cool. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips.

Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.
Recipe courtesy of Trusted Earth Farm & Forage CSA


Tabouleh Salad
1/2 cup medium grain bulgur 
1 1/4 cups water 
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 
1 1/2 cups diced cucumbers (peel if desired)
1/4 cup green onions chopped, both white and green parts
1/4 to 1/2 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped mint leaves (optional) 

Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 
Pinch kosher salt 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

Bring water to a boil, pour in bulgur, stir, cover, and turn off heat. Let stand 20 to 25 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and bulgur is fluffy and tender. Pour off any remaining liquid.

To prepare dressing, in a small non-reactive bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, salt, and oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.

In a large salad bowl, toss together parsley, tomatoes, green onions and mint. Add bulgur. Pour dressing over salad, toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.



This Week's Harvest

Eggplant 

Sweet Bananas

Maxixe - "Bush Cucumber"

Arugula

Basil - Italian Genovese

Okra

Parsley

Beans or Sweet Peppers




0 Comments

Fall Week 5 - Fruit Share Newsletter

9/28/2013

0 Comments

 
Your bananas are one of our sweet varieties, and will ripen in roughly 7-10 days. You could also try cooking with them as a starch like potatoes. The simplest preparation is to boil them, with the skins removed either before or after cooking (click the link for this website for instructions).                                
The mangoes today are picked ready but are still green - use them in a savory slaw or wait 5-10 days for these tasty fruits to ripen. 

Wait until the avocadoes just begin to soften (at least 3-5 days) before cutting open.

Genips, similar in taste and related to lychee, are the fruits of Melicoccus bijugatus. They are known by various names throughout the Caribbean - guinep, ginnip, and kenep in Dominica, Guyana, Haiti, Belize, the Bahamas and the U.S. Virgin Islands; guaya, gnep, guinep, and skinnip in Jamaica and St. Kitts; talpa jocote, canepa and quenepa in Puerto Rico; and Spanish Lime, limocillo, genepa and xenepa in the Dominican Republic. 

To eat these, just crack open the protective outer shell, then suck the tasy pulp off of the large central seed. The seeds are often discarded, but they can actually be roasted or boiled then eaten like chestnuts. Check out this old newspaper article from the USVI on the nutritional content of genip seeds and some ideas on preparation

Enjoy the harvest,

Claudia & the crew at Ridge to Reef Farm

This Week's Harvest

Sweet bananas

Mangoes

Avocadoes

Genips


0 Comments
<<Previous

    About Us

    Ridge to Reef Farm serves the US Virgin Islands with certified organic produce grown with sustainable permaculture practices (and a lot of love).

    Learn more about our CSA and sign up at the top of this page (when available), or scroll down to view archives of our past CSA newsletters.

    You can also search or browse our recipes page for fresh inspiration, and share your own favorite creations in the comments, email, or Facebook.

    We love to see new visitors and volunteers at the farm :)
    Thanks for growing with us! 

    Archives

    June 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    RSS Feed

Picture
All Content Copyright 2023-2026
PO Box 2903
#1 Ridge to Reef Farm Rd, Frederiksted, St. Croix, USVI 00840
www.ridge2reef.org Contact: [email protected] 340.473.1557
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Farm Shares/CSA
    • Recipes
  • Visit
    • Bush Skills
    • Farm Stays
    • Tours
    • Map & Directions
  • Email News
  • Jobs
  • Volunteer
  • Little LaGrange Farm