Welcome to tomato season!

The fields at Ridge to Reef farm are pumping out pounds of luscious heirloom tomatoes. We're growing over 12 different varieties of tomatoes- including Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Striped German, German Johnson, Black Cherry, Pink Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Arkansas Traveler and Homestead, amongst others - which are starting to ripen and sweeten with the heat of the sun.

We're growing almost all heirloom varieties, which means the seeds have been passed down for multiple generations through families and farmers, and have been around since before the 1940’s. These tomatoes are juicy, sweet, decadent, meaty and unique - the fruits are often oddly-shaped, but loaded with flavor!

Heirlooms are open-pollinated, which in the seed-breeding world means they are either cross-pollinated (by insects, birds or wind), or self-pollinated, and reproduce "true-to-type" seed, so plants from the next generation will resemble the parent plant. In other words, seed-saving from open-pollinated plants is simple and fruitful.

This differs from hybrid seeds, which are produced from a natural but controlled method of pollination that results in "hybrid-vigor," which makes the plants exhibit desirable characteristics, like disease resistance and sweetness but are not "true to type," which makes seed-saving difficult. 

Make sure to check out the storage tips in the right-hand column, and try out some of the reipces below! We hope you enjoy your box this week!

Love and tomatoes,

Claudia Seixas & the crew @ Ridge to Reef Farm

www.ridge2reef.org 


Farm Recipes

We just finished another successful Slow Down Dinner here at the farm, and felt inspired to try our own take on the appetizer course today.


Ridge to Reef Tostones & Salsa

Tostones (fried green bananas) are easy to prepare and delicious to eat fresh, when they are warm and have that perfect texture combination of crunchy and chewy.

To make, just peel green bananas and cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Fry in oil until crispy, then place on towel-lined plate and mop up any excess oil.

Then take two pieces, one on top of the other, on a cutting board, and press them together with a bowl. Slightly twist bowl to remove, use spatula if necessary. Return to pan and fry until light brown.

Garnish with salsa:

• Diced tomatoes
  
• Minced onion and garlic
• Chopped cilantro
• Optional squeeze of lime juice
• Optional jalapeno

How about those tomatoes?! So sweet and juicy and beautiful!


We hope you enjoy this tasty and healthy snack. If you make any variations, please send us your own recipe to share!

What else can we make this week?


Here's a great use for those cucumbers and parsley, plus any island avocados you can find: Creamy Cucumber Soup

Try grating your radishes for a fresh take on your salad :)

This simple komatsuna saute would serve perfectly as a side dish with dinner. Add some pickled okra for a cool crunch session. And for anything you may have left over, check out these smart six habits to prevent food waste.
Until next time, bon appetit!

Sarah

View the recipe archives on our website for more inspiration.  
We encourage culinary creativity! Send your own recipe to r2rfarm@gmail.com, and we will add it to an upcoming newsletter.

This Week's Harvest

Heirloom Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Radishes
Okra or Eggplant
Braising Greens Mix
Komatsuna
Lettuce
Parsley

Storage Tips:  

Tomatoes - Tomatoes don't like refrigeration- instead of the fridge, keep them in a cool spot (around 55-60 degrees) out of direct sunlight.  If your tomatoes are ripe, enjoy them immediately. If they still have green shoulders, they will ripen fully in a day or two.

Parsley - Keep separately in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Cucumbers- Store in the refrigerator, however avoid extreme cold temperatures. Cucumbers like to be kept around 45-50 degrees.

Komatsuna - The leaves in this bunch of greens are tender and fragile- store them in the rerfrigerator, and enjoy!

Radishes - Store in the refrigerator. The whole plant is edible, but the greens do not last as long as the roots. If you'd like to hold on to them longer, just remove the greens and keep refrigerated.

Lettuce - loves cool temperatures! Keep it refrigerated.

Okra - keep in a paper (not plastic) bag in the refrigerator.

Eggplant - is best when kept at around 50 degrees, which is warmer than your refrigerator! Try storing in a very cool spot out of direct sunlight, or keep in the fridge, but eat them within a few days.   

For more storage tips, check out this handy flyer!  
 
Free Farm Stay for CSA Members! (A $125 value!)   Do you ever wonder what life at the farm is like? Well, we would love for you to experience it with us! Please take this opportunity to volunteer in the gardens, join us for a community dinner, and retreat to your private cabana after dark...
Call us at 340.220.0466 to make your reservations. See you soon!

THANK YOU HOSTS!

Gifft Hill School
St. John 4-6 pm Thursday


Barefoot Buddha
Havensight, St. Thomas 11 am -1 pm Thursday

Miriam's Restaurant
Christiansted, St. Croix 3-5 pm Saturday

Teres Veho
Frederiksted, St. Croix 2-4 pm Saturday
 
FARM WISH LIST

Got some things laying around that we can re-use in the CSA?
Last season we received egg cartons, more reusable bags, a blender, some garden hoses, a trash bin, and other great things that we use and were saved from going to the landfill or rotting in a shed. THANK YOU!

• BAGS - plastic, paper and/or re-usable bags
• T-posts -- the longer the better!
• Good quality scrap lumber -- 2x4's, plywood, etc UNTREATED
• any working garden tools
• coolers
• Banana and Pineapple boxes - intact
• Cash boxes, old cash-register trays
• Produce scales
• your CSA boxes!
• feedback

Ridge to Reef Farm @ the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute
PO Box 2903
Frederiksted USVI 00841

340.220.0466
r2rfarm@gmail.com
www.ridge2reef.org

We’re keeping ourselves busy here at the farm harvesting the abundance of food from the fields. The photo above pictures two of our farmers, Kalyn and Matt, carefully harvesting salad mix greens that went into last week’s CSA share. Days we’re not harvesting or at market, we have diverse projects and tasks to work on. Right now, we’re building trellises to provide support to our tomatoes, cucumbers and beans, irrigating the fields and weeding around our crops. At the same time, we’re thinking about next season – we’re propagating perennials like Okinawa Spinach, starting seeds for onions in the potting shed and planting winter squash out in the fields. Whenever we can, we spend time in the gardens, tending to the young and old – the plants put in the ground by those years ago, and newcomers just coming out of the soil. 

Thank you to all those who made it out to Agri-Fest in St. Croix last weekend! We had a blast. It was wonderful to connect with CSA members, market customers and farmers from St. Croix and other islands. 

Our builder/chef at the farm, Troy, whipped up a delicious coconut-basil pesto – made with all farm ingredients – just for the fair. See the recipe below for another take on pesto, made with arugula. Use your creativity when it comes to pesto- try arugula, basil and parsley all-together for a dynamic, flavorful meal!

You’re invited to our Slow Down Dinner this Saturday, February 23rd with Guest Chefs Negust Kaza of Tutto Bene and Tamla O’Brien of the Red Couch Café. Come indulge in our magnificent season's organic harvest. For more details, including how to make your reservation, see the full announcement here.

Enjoy your produce!

Happy eating,

Claudia Seixas & the crew @ Ridge to Reef Farm

www.ridge2reef.org 

Farm Recipes

This week, we received a message from Cindy, a share member from St. Croix:

We have had a marvelous time making salsa, collard greens and chicken soup, turnips sauteed with a pinch of sugar, the greens! - so fresh and yummy, really loved the beans (the red are so buttery tasting...just boiled with nothing!)...we've pickled the cucumbers and juiced at the end of the week with whatever is leftover (including all stems!).  This has made cooking a joy.  Thank you all!

I love her enthusiasm and creativity! And was just thinking yesterday how much better salsa makes everything -- so flavorful and versatile, just add a spoonful to soup, salad, rice, stirfry, and of course, fish tacos, and dinner is done!

We're expecting to be up to our necks in tomatoes soon -- seriously, we have entire fields dedicated to tomatoes, and though still green for now, they're getting bigger every day.

Hm....... maybe we should have a salsa contest! Members could bring samples to their pickup points, and we'll select finalists from each location (how could distributing organic produce to happy people at the beach could get any better? Oh, tasting their delicious creations in a competition! :) The winner would earn enough tomatoes to start a major scale salsa operation, along with some serious bragging rights. Extra consideration if you dance the salsa with your salsa!
Well, it's a fun dream for someday, anyway. :)

What can you do with your share right now? I am so glad that Cindy mentioned juicing. This healthy habit is a great way of getting much-needed nutrition without feeling the fullness of all that fiber -- perfect for a cleanse/fast, or whenever you need a power boost into light speed.

Check out the benefits of juicing cucumbers. And lots of juice recipes here! If you don't have a juicer yet, a refreshing alternative is to cut a few slices and add to a glass of ice water. Aaaaaahhhhhhhh....

Speaking of, how are you liking this okra(aahhh :)? The green and purples are so pretty, and I love their crunch and taste so much, I put them into stirfry and couldn't stop munching as I was stirring and frying. There was no okra left in the stirfry by the time it was ready to eat. :)

A nice way to spice up your stirfry is to top it with an arugula pesto. The arugula is a subtle (but flavorable, and favorable, I think) substitute for the traditional basil. Try using a local island nut like almonds instead of pine nuts! We use coconuts here on the farm.

The farm .... <3
Eat and be well, everyone!
Sarah

View the recipe archives on our website for more inspiration. 


We encourage culinary creativity!  Send your own recipe to r2rfarm@gmail.com, and we will add it to an upcoming newsletter!

This Week's Harvest

Cucumbers

Radishes

Red Noodle Yardlong Beans

Bok Choy

Arugula

Head Lettuce OR Salad Mix

Kale OR Collard Greens

Parsley

Basil


Storage Tips:  

Basil - We harvest the tips for you, which is the most aromatic part of the plant, but is prone to blackening if handled incorrectly. Just refrigerate it, but don't allow it to get too cold - it will bruise from cold damage. Don't get it wet - it does not require washing, and will blacken if exposed to water.

Bok Choy - Keep refrigerated. When preparing, cut and then wash the ribs and leaves. It has a tendency to collect soil at the base of the plant while growing, this is normal! 

Parsley - Keep separately in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. 

Collard Greens - Store in the refrigerator.

Yardlong beans- Store in the refrigerator.

Cucumbers- Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
   
Free Farm Stay for CSA Members! (A $125 value!)  
Do you ever wonder what life at the farm is like? Well, we would love for you to experience it with us! Please take this opportunity to volunteer in the gardens, join us for a community dinner, and retreat to your private cabana after dark...
Call us at 340.220.0466 to make your reservations. See you soon!

THANK YOU HOSTS!

Gifft Hill School
St. John 4-6 pm Thursday

Barefoot Buddha
Havensight, St. Thomas 11 am -1 pm Thursday

Miriam's Restaurant
Christiansted, St. Croix 3-5 pm Saturday

Teres Veho
Frederiksted, St. Croix 2-4 pm Saturday
 
 FARM WISH LIST

Got some things laying around that we can re-use in the CSA?
Last season we received egg cartons, more reusable bags, a blender, some garden hoses, a trash bin, and other great things that we use and were saved from going to the landfill or rotting in a shed. THANK YOU!

• BAGS - plastic, paper and/or re-usable bags
• T-posts -- the longer the better!
• Good quality scrap lumber -- 2x4's, plywood, etc UNTREATED
• any working garden tools
• coolers
• Banana and Pineapple boxes - intact
• Cash boxes, old cash-register trays
• Produce scales
• your CSA boxes!
• feedback

Ridge to Reef Farm @ the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute
PO Box 2903
Frederiksted USVI 00841

340.220.0466
r2rfarm@gmail.com
www.ridge2reef.org

Ok, so it just so happens to be Valentine’s Day week and a perfect time to expose what we are really doing here every week at Ridge to Reef Farm: sending you our love. 

We grow food because we love the act. We love what the act produces. We love sharing it. And oh! How we love to hear about your enjoyment -of the joy over being in the company of fresh, vibrant veggies; the pleasures of your culinary creating and the varied tastes that ensue; the feeling your body registers when you feed it with the love that was prepared, seeded, weeded, watered, defended, suckered, picked, sliced, washed, cooled, packed, and delivered right to your heart.

The cycle of love flows, with CSA member comments like this: “I had forgotten how fresh produce could/should be until getting your products!!!” 

and the thoughtfully capitalized, “THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the good food!! I LOVE my CSA!”

with lovely stories such as... “I began 'feasting' on the produce just by looking at it and enjoying the scents from all the goodies inside that box.” 

and... “Yesterday's CSA was the jewel in the crown of my Saturday Market Day.  The quality is great, the taste is well worth the price and I am very happy to help support the people who grow all of these wonderful, healthy things to eat.

while clearing the conscience for better things... “It is also great to get all of this food in top condition without the un-recyclable packaging that I feel guilty about discarding each and every time I do this.”

and a mindful reminder of where we are: “Keep up the great work and  thank you for bringing us the fruits of Ay Ay's abundance.”

Thank you for the love exchange, CSA members, and for your money which represents your work in life, which we in turn appreciate among our growing food community.

Now, let’s turn to this week’s family food extravaganza, the Agriculture and Food Fair of the US Virgin Islands, AKA Viagrifest. At least that is the web address. Seriously, look it up. I don’t know about you but I think someone is missing out on some major marketing dollars with a name like that!  We see yet again, it’s all about love....

So, please come see our return to Viagrifest in the middle of the growers area where Hovensa used to be (68C). Now we have the territory's only certified organic farm where the oil company used to be! I don't know how to fit all of our produce in the tiny table space they gave us but we'll make it work:) Sorry no free plastic green umbrellas and backpacks, but we do have lots of collard greens, beans, lettuce, and much more! There will be samples of some pesto and you can meet your farmers if you have not already. 

Truly Yours in Love, 

Nate Olive & the Ridge to Reef crew

________________________________________________________

FROM THE FIELD...

The landscape at the farm has been changing slowly but steadily since we started farming here a few months ago. The terraced fields are filling up quickly with vegetables, which you can see from your car going down the driveway into the farm.

At the same time, the lush green carpet from the rainy season in the rainforest is giving way to the hot, dry sun, making it critical for us to be conservative about water usage – we’re watering the fields just enough for the crops to thrive.

Another challenge farming in the rainforest is the abundant wild deer population, who love to eat the vegetables just as much as we do. They’ve set back a few of the crops, but the plants are continuing to grow and flourish in spite of it.

This week we’re pleased to provide you with an abundance of cucumbers – the sweet, crispy Suyo Long cucumbers are making a reappearance in your box.  

You’re also receiving the first of our okra and eggplant harvest, with more to come in following weeks. We’re growing burgundy and green okra, to give you a more colorful palate, and several different kinds of eggplant, both Italian and Asian varieties.  

The Joi Choi is a full-sized bok choy (different than the baby bok-choy you had in earlier boxes). The white stalks are sweet, succulent and have a nice crunch – they can be eaten raw like celery. To cook it, just roughly chop and stir-fry the ribs and the greens.

In the box you'll find a gourmet salad mix, made of a blend of mild and spicy baby Asian greens – mizuna, tatsoi, red mustard greens, arugula and komatsuna.

We’ve included several herbs for you- parsley, cilantro and basil – to add a fresh zest to your meals. Try a pesto with the basil and parsley, and a salsa with the cilantro. These herbs are best eaten fresh, within a few days of harvest. See the column to the right for more vegetable and herb storage tips.

We harvest each box specifically for you – please let us know if you will not be able to make the pick-up. Sometimes we can make alternative arrangements if planned ahead of time. We always love to hear from you!

Happy Valentine’s Day! We hope you enjoy your organic produce, fresh from Ridge to Reef Farm.

Lovingly,

Claudia Seixas & Jim Marzluff

R2R Farm Production Managers

________________________________________________________

WTF (What's That Food)?

Red Noodle Yardlong Beans

Yardlong Beans, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis are a type of legume that can be prepared and eaten just like green beans, even though they belong to a different genus than the common string bean. Despite the name, they are only actually about 1.5 feet in length. They are also known as chinese long beans or asparagus beans, and are a tropical/subtropical annual vine. There are several different colors and varieties, ranging from green to red.

Their flavor and texture are best when the beans are cut into smaller sections and sauteéd, stir-fried, stewed, roasted or cooked in a curry. The beans are an excellent source of protein, vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, phsphorus and potassium.

Please search our newsletter database to find strange foods and their uses from past CSA seasons.

________________________________________________________

Farm Recipes

Wondering what to do with your eggplant? For smart tips and techniques, check out this article: How to Cook Eggplant to Tender, Silky Perfection. I had no idea that salt pulls the bitterness out of eggplant! But it makes perfect sense -- kind of like how swimming in the ocean makes me feel even better. :)

And might I suggest this "Best in the World" Baba Ganoush recipe? It's similar to hummus, except made with eggplant instead of garbanzo beans. Make a big batch, keep it in the fridge and use it throughout the week whenever you need a spread for crackers and wraps, a dip for fresh veges, or a side for dinner!

If you try this, or any of your own recipes, please feel free to share on our blog or facebook!

This week's Member 2 Member recipe is shared from Eloise Anderson in St. John. The vinaigrette sounds brilliant, and we love finding new ways to use raw kale, which is so fantastically nutritious. Thanks so much for creating and sending in this recipe, Eloise! [See recipe in right hand column]

Love every day,

Sarah

This Week's Harvest

Eggplant - Asian and Italian mix
Suyo Long Cucumbers
Burgundy & Clemson Okra
Collard Greens
Joi Choi (bok choy)
Red Noodle Yardlong Beans
Baby Asian Green Salad Mix
Genovese Basil
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Caribe Cilantro

Storage Tips

Basil - We harvest the tips for you, which is the most aromatic part of the plant, but is prone to blackening if handled incorrectly. Just refrigerate it, but don't allow it to get too cold - it will bruise from cold damage. Don't get it wet - it does not require washing, and will blacken if exposed to water.

Baby Greens Salad Mix - These salad greens come pre-washed and bagged, ready to eat. Keep the bag closed and refrigerated for freshness. If you'd like, wash again in cold water and spin dry before eating.

Joi Choi - Keep refrigerated. When preparing, cut and then wash the ribs and leaves. It has a tendency to collect soil at the base of the plant while growing, this is normal! 

Cilantro & Parsley - Keep separately in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Collard Greens - Store in the refrigerator.

Yardlong beans- Store in the refrigerator.

Okra- Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

Cucumbers- Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Eggplant- Store in a cool spot in a paper or plastic bag.



Free Farm Stay for CSA Members! (A $125 value!)

Do you ever wonder what life at the farm is like? Well, we would love for you to experience it with us! Please take this opportunity to volunteer in the gardens, join us for a community dinner, and retreat to your private cabana after dark...
Call us at 340.220.0466 to make your reservations. See you soon!

THANK YOU HOSTS!

Gifft Hill School
St. John 4-6 pm Thursday

Barefoot Buddha
Havensight, St. Thomas 11 am -1 pm Thursday

Miriam's Restaurant
Christiansted, St. Croix 3-5 pm Saturday

Teres Veho
Frederiksted, St. Croix 2-4 pm Saturday
 
FARM WISH LIST

Got some things laying around that we can re-use in the CSA?
Last season we received egg cartons, more reusable bags, a blender, some garden hoses, a trash bin, and other great things that we use and were saved from going to the landfill or rotting in a shed. THANK YOU!

• T-posts -- the longer the better!
• Good quality scrap lumber -- 2x4's, plywood, etc UNTREATED
• plastic, paper or re-usable bags
• any working garden tools
• coolers
• Banana and Pineapple boxes - intact
• Cash boxes, old cash-register trays
• Produce scales
• feedback

Member2Member Recipe

Forbidden Rice and Roasted Vegetables over Kale
By Eloise in St. John

Forbidden (black) rice:

(note: if you can’t find black rice, I’m sure wild rice or another hefty grain would also be good—but black rice is EXTRA good!)

1 c rice + 2.5 cups water. Bring to boil, cover, turn to simmer for about 45 minutes—cook until soft all the way through

Vegetables: 5 cups of diced --anything—whatever is about to go bad!

Beets
Carrots
Parsnips
Tomatoes
Red pepper

Put olive oil on a baking sheet lined with extra sturdy tin foil. Pour vegetables on top, add salt and pepper, then toss and flatten to one layer. (Cook root vegetables first for about 15 minutes, then add softer vegs if you’re using them)—total time about 30 minutes.

Presentation: For each serving, tear up pieces of kale and squeeze in a little olive oil with your hands—set aside until the rice salad is ready

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3-1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 small or 3/4 large lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ t cumin
• ½ t garam masala
• sea salt and pepper

Whisk all and pour over rice/veg mixture, spoon on top of kale mixture.

View the recipe archives on our website for more inspiration. 

We encourage culinary creativity!  Send your own recipe to r2rfarm@gmail.com, and we will add it to an upcoming newsletter!

Ridge to Reef Farm @ the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute
PO Box 2903
Frederiksted USVI 00841

340.220.0466
r2rfarm@gmail.com
www.ridge2reef.org

Good Afternoon!

This week you'll find some familiar vegetables in your CSA box, along with some new treats. We had our first harvest of Suyo Long cucumbers - as the name suggests, they are quite large, and take on a straight or curved appearance depending on where they grew on the plant's vine. Slice them up for a refreshing and crispy addition to your salad, or soak it in vinegar, salt and sugar for a quick pickle. 

You are also recieving bananas this week! Bananas are actually the fruit of an herbaceous flowering plant that is a monocot, which means it's related to grasses (not trees). Bananas are harvested when they are fully mature, but still green. Their sweetness develops as they ripen and turn yellow, which takes a few days to a week once they are off of the plant. Green bananas can be eaten as a starch, like a potato- 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 other newcomer to your box is the Red Noodle yardlong bean. They are a tropical bean that can be prepared and eaten just like green beans - the only difference is the length (and color). Just chop them up into smaller sections (usually one or two inches) and enjoy! 

We're thrilled to be in the midst of the harvest season with you!
  

Claudia Seixas & Jim Marzluff

R2R Farm Production Managers

Tatsoi is an Asian green in the Brassica family, with a taste that's milder than mustard greens, and a texture and appearance similar to bok choy. Other names for it include chinese spinach and rosette bok choy; its leaves grow on a long stem and together form a rosette cluster. 

Tatsoi is delicious and versatile when cooked in a stir fry or soup, and can also be eaten raw.

This nutrient-dense green's popularity is growing, and with street cred like this, it's no wonder why: they are high in beta-carotene and Vitamins A, C, and K; they also have good amounts of calcium, potassium, phosphorous and iron.

Enjoy your tatsoi! Let us know what you think, and share with us any creative uses you come up with for it -- r2rfarm@gmail.com.

Please search our newsletter database to find strange foods and their uses from past CSA seasons.


Farm Recipes

I love a quick and easy harvest stir-fry with whatever fresh veges and greens are available -- today it was turnip roots (cut into half moons), romano beans (cute into bite-size squares), and mizuna greens and tatsoi (cut into 1" lengths).

After heating olive oil, garlic, roots and beans for several minutes in a covered  skillet, stirring occasionally, I tossed in greens for the last few minutes, until slightly wilted but still nice and green. That's it, done. YUM.  

Sometimes it's nice to let the flavors of the harvest come through on their own like that.  But if you're looking to spice things up a bit, see how long it takes you to salivate at the recipe below. Adding mizuna and mustard greens would give it extra mm's. :)

Remember, no matter what ingredients you use, the only one you really taste is love. We are so happy to grow this food, and the food is happy to grow for you (we can tell by how big and vibrant and healthy it is :) And your happiness makes us even happier! So have fun with your food, let it bring you closer together and nourish your body, mind and soul. We are so glad you are here with us, what a beautiful time to be alive and celebrate! There is abundance in the fields, in our communities, and our hearts.


One Love

~ Sarah


Gingery Sauteed Tat-Soi with Tofu Steaks

Serves 2

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into "steaks" [could substitute fish]
1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
2 small bunches of tat-soi [and any other CSA veges or greens you want to throw in!]
1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

In a small bowl whisk all ingredients from soy sauce through cayenne pepper.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add tofu steaks; cook for 5-7 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove from skillet. Add remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil to skillet; add tat soi; once wilted, add sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook just until sauce slightly thickens.

Divide greens on plates. Top with half of the tofu. Drizzle with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately, [with rice if desired].

Source: http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-is-tat-soi.html

View the recipe archives on our website for more inspiration. 


We encourage culinary creativity!  Send your own recipe to r2rfarm@gmail.com, and we will add it to an upcoming newsletter!

This Week's Harvest
Bananas
Cucumbers
Red Noodle Beans
Bok Choy
Collard Greens
Tatsoi (Chinese Spinach)
Mizuna
Green Leaf Lettuce
Cilantro



Free Farm Stay for CSA Members! (A $125 value!)  

Do you ever wonder what life at the farm is like? Well, we would love for you to experience it with us! Please take this opportunity to volunteer in the gardens, join us for a community dinner, and retreat to your private cabana after dark...
Call us at 340.220.0466 to make your reservations. See you soon!

THANK YOU HOSTS!

Gifft Hill School
St. John 4-6 pm Thursday


Barefoot Buddha
Havensight, St. Thomas 11 am -1 pm Thursday

Miriam's Restaurant
Christiansted, St. Croix 3-5 pm Saturday

Teres Veho
Frederiksted, St. Croix 2-4 pm Saturday
 
 FARM WISH LIST

Got some things laying around that we can re-use in the CSA?

Last season we received egg cartons, more reusable bags, a blender, some garden hoses, a trash bin, and other great things that we use and were saved from going to the landfill or rotting in a shed. THANK YOU!

• T-posts -- the longer the better!
• Good quality scrap lumber -- 2x4's, plywood, etc UNTREATED
• plastic, paper or re-usable bags
• any working garden tools
• coolers
• Banana and Pineapple boxes - intact
• Cash boxes, old cash-register trays

Ridge to Reef Farm @ the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute
PO Box 2903
Frederiksted USVI 00841

340.220.0466
r2rfarm@gmail.com
www.ridge2reef.org