From my small garden I canned 10 pints of tomatoes. With my new membership to the Ozone Park CSA I hope to can even more this year. Canning is easy and doesn’t require a lot of expensive equipment. If canning isn’t for you, then freeze your produce. Most importantly, don’t let anything go to waste.

For canning you do need to purchase lids and jars, which can be bought at Target, Wal-Mart or even some supermarkets. You need a large pot for the water bath and then a small area to store your canned produce. You will sterilize the lids and jars; prepare the produce and the place the sealed jars into a large pot of boiling water.

The Ball canning guide is the best source for canning recipes both for beginner and experts alike. They have simple recipes with easy to follow instructions. Below is an easy one for canning whole tomatoes that I followed last year. So I was able to enjoy tomatoes all winter long!

RAW-PACKED TOMATOES WITH NO ADDED LIQUID

You will need:

- 3 lb whole, halved or quartered tomatoes per quart jar
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid
- Salt, optional
- (32 oz) quart or (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) WASH tomatoes. Dip in boiling water 30 to 60 seconds or until skins start to loosen and crack. Immediately dip in cold water. Slip off skins. Remove cores and any bruised or discolored portions. Leave whole, halve or quarter.
3.) ADD 2 Tbsp bottled lemon juice or 1/2 tsp citric acid to each hot quart jar. Add 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice or 1/4 tsp citric acid to each hot pint jar.
4.) PACK raw tomatoes into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Press tomatoes into the jar until the spaces between them fill with juice leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar, 1/2 teaspoon to each pint jar, if desired. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding tomatoes. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
5.) PROCESS filled jars in a boiling water canner for 85 minutes for both pints and quarts, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool.

Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Enjoy!

— Wende

But today, to close well the season, we have a couple of surprises and two mystery items. Read on for the complete list:

- Onions
- Greens
- Shallots
- Leeks stalk
- Garlic stalk
- Eggs
- Shallots
- Honey or Chicken
- Yogurt
- And, 2 Value added items!

Not bad, uh? See you all later.

Gardening can be one of the most rewarding eco-hobbies. It provides healthy exercise with nourishing results.
Now grab your tools and your DIY (party) hat, and put that green thumb to work!

1. DIY Compost Bin
Start collecting kitchen scraps for composting. Skip the pressure-treated wood and opt for creating the compost bin using more sustainable option.

2. Start a Spa Garden
Whip up recipes for spa treatments from easy to grow herbs.

3. Garden Tote
Organize gardening tools is easy with this handy repurposed gardener’s bucket.

4. Seedling Cups
Make planting cups from newspaper. Why? Soy-based ink newspaper becomes biodegradable compost.

5. Repair a Leaky Hose
Hoses crack and leak. Save money and repair them yourself.

6. Build A Birdhouse
Do you love birds? Then build them some beautiful abodes.

7. Sharpen Garden Tools
There’s nothing worse that a dull tools. Sharpening will make your garden chores go faster!

8. Bring A Lawn Back to Life
Wake up and revitalize your dull winter lawn.

9. Build A Garden Edge With Wine Bottles
Like wine? A collection of colorful wine bottles provide the perfect material for upcycled border edge for your garden.

10. Build a Folding Plant Stand
If you start your plants from seed, why not keep those babies displayed on a stand.

Click on each project to read how-to. Enjoy!

I’m the first to admit that the term “superfood” gets thrown around a lot in media and marketing, but that doesn’t mean we should turn our backs on the bursting-with-nourishment, lovely, potent, and delicious foods that fall under the moniker. Especially when these foods are known to lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and, while we’re at it, put you in a better mood.

Although some people have run rampant with the term and have made a mint by promoting the “miraculous! fountain-of-youth! death-defying!” benefits of superfoods, I hope that there won’t be a backlash against good, old-fashioned, super nutrient-exuberant food. As I’ve said before, I’m a crusader for most edibles in their pure forms–and the majority of them are superfoods in my book. There are few whole foods from the plant world that don’t have some health-boosting element to brag about–so how to decide what to eat? That’s why I like to think about (and eat) superfoods by season. (…)

1. Artichokes
2. Asparagus
3. Avocado
4. Blueberries
5. Fava Beans
6. Fresh Figs
7. Leeks
8. Oregano and other fresh herbs
9. Spinach
10. Strawberries

Click on each to find what makes it a superfood and how to use it.

- Onions
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Beets
- Fingerlings
- Celery root
- Shallots
- Value added: yogurt, dry beans, chicken or ground beef (ratio 4:1 chicken to beef)
- 1/2 Milk, from last month’s share

Also, there was a mistake last month when Mark—our driver—forgot to include the milk in our shares. So, Zaid is sending it again to make up for the missing item. Yay!

See you all mañana.

“When the food is sold directly from the farmer to you, you can be sure more of your dollar benefits the farmer who actually raised or grew your food. Through traditional food markets, only 19 cents of every food dollar goes to the farmer, while the remaining 81 cents goes to suppliers, processors, transportation costs, middlemen and marketers.”

http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723731/k.3F72/Take_Action_Ensure_that_your_food_dollars_support_family_farmers.htm

Though they might not be the most economical choice, they are by far the healthier and “greener” choice. Locally grown vegetables and fruits where you know the farmer and the soil where he grows them. These should be the easy choices, eat clean and healthy foods and your body will thank you.

How does organic food help the environment? With organic farming you are no longer contaminating the land with harmful chemicals. Farmers take measures to produce foods without hazardous chemicals and grow crops that are indigenous to the area. This sustainable farming practices preserve and save the land for future generations.

By joining CSA’s that support organic farmers, you are supporting the movement towards a “greener” world and getting delicious vegetables and fruits without all those harmful chemicals.

Enjoy your organic veggies. Make a small change for a healthier environment and an even healthier you!

- Wende

• Don’t wash the dirt off the vegetables—they keep better that way.
• Check your vegetables periodically for little bad spots. It doesn’t mean you have to toss the vegetables, but make sure to cut those spots out before the rot spreads…and then use that vegetable sooner than later.
• When you store vegetables in plastic bags (good for carrots, turnips, rutabaga, cabbage, etc.) make sure to remove as much air as possible from the bag. Then close tightly.
• For veggies that you aren’t storing in the fridge, make sure they are covered. Light is not good for storage—potatoes will turn green, garlic and onions will start to sprout faster if they are in the light, etc.
• Chop off the tops (such as carrots, beets)—the greens rot faster and that rot can spread to the rest of the veggie.
• Aside from the fridge, a good place to store vegetables is a dry, cool (around 50 degrees), dark place, although some people recommend damp, not dry for potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
- However many Jerusalem Artichokes you want to use up (I did about 1lb)
- A liberal splash of Olive Oil
- A couple cloves of garlic minced
- Zest of half a lemon
- A sprig of basil torn up (I used about 6 leaves from some I had frozen)
- Sea Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Scrub the artichokes then dice them into pieces (I made them about 1″)
3. In a large bowl mix oil, garlic, lemon & basil. Toss in the chokes and make sure they are coated
4. Put in a baking pan single layer
5. Bake about 20 min shaking/stirring occasionally (don’t brush your arm on the oven door when you do this. It hurts!)
6. Sprinkle with a bit of salt & serve up hot

Alternate Plan – In the original recipe the garlic, lemon & basil are blended together in a mini food processor then added about half way through the baking time. I suspect that it would give the dish a little more of a zip.

Peace, Love & Veggies!

~ Angel