Know Your Farmer Series: 7 January 2023

Kale, Sage, Garlic, Onions, Carrots, Vegan Plain Bagels, Mixed Greens, Oyster Mushrooms, Freeze Dried Blueberries, Dried Puffball Mushrooms

This were my finds from the Culver Farmers’ Market this week.

The kale, orange carrots, garlic, and onions were from Flower Hill Farm. The bagels, heirloom carrots, sage, mushrooms, and freeze dried blueberries are from Hole In The Woods Farm.

There are many benefits to getting your food from the local Farmer’s Market:

1) Healthier eating because you increase the amount of vegetables and other plants in your diet.

2) Food has higher nutritional density because it is not transported through long distances and it is harvested at peak season.

3) You support local businesses and families.

4) It tastes better!

As part of our Get Healthy With Dr. Adame Program, we will feature our haul from the Culver Farmers’ Market and showcase full meals using their ingredients.

I tend to “batch cook”. I will make only a couple of meals per week which can be then eaten as left overs or “repurposed” as part of other meals.

With these goodies, I made some fresh mushroom pate (different than the dry mushroom pate), creamed kale (frozen and saved for later in the week), and roasted the carrots with olive oil, salt, and garlic power from Flower Hill Farm.

Mushroom Pate:

Ingredients: 2 chopped onions, whole head of garlic (peeled and halved), 4 packs of blue oyster mushrooms, 2 sage bunches (leaves chopped), 1 cup nutritional yeast, 1 1/2 cups unsalted dry roasted peanuts, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Saute the onions and garlic in a large cast iron skillet with either water or olive oil. Cook until fragrant. I avoid using non-stick. Add the remaining ingredients, and cook for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms shrink down. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to cool down, then place in a food processor. Blend until smooth. You may need to add more peanuts or olive oil to get the texture you like.

How To Use Mushroom Pate

The mushroom pate can be served in sandwiches, in tacos or tostadas, as a topping for soups or casseroles or veggie bowls, or as a dip with raw veggies and crackers.

Creamed Kale:

Ingredients: 2 chopped onions, whole head of garlic (peeled and halved), 1 cup nutritional yeast, 16 oz kale (stems removed, coarsely torn into small pieces), 2 cups oat milk, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Saute the onions and garlic in a large cast iron skillet with either water or olive oil. Cook until fragrant. I avoid using non-stick. Add the kale and mix until wilted down. Add the remaining ingredients, and cook mix or whisk frequently 5 minutes until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

How To Use Creamed Kale

The creamed kale can be served as a side dish, in sandwiches, as a pizza topping, as a heart pasta sauce, mixed with veggies as a casserole dish, in tacos or tostadas, or as a dip with raw veggies and crackers.

This dish freezes well for use later in the week.

Meal Ideas

Mushroom Pate with toasted Bagels, Mixed Greens with Baked Tofu, Orange Juice, and Olive Oil, Side of Oranges from Texas (gift from my mom)

One of the mushroom pates was the one I made with the dried mushrooms last week, the lighter one is the one with the fresh mushroom. The one with the fresh mushrooms was tastier.

Mixed greens topped with roasted potatoes from our garden, roasted carrots, dollop of mushroom pate, side of Texas oranges. I topped the roasted veggies/greens with some orange juice and olive oil. This is a tasty, detoxifying meal. My son said, “I can feel my body purifying”, when he was halfway done with his dish.

Freeze Dried Blueberries

Xenia from Hole in the Woods Farm freeze dries these blueberries from another local farm (from North Judson) for tasty treat. They seriously taste like candy even though they have no added sugar! You can eat them as a snack or an easy breakfast on the go or as a heartier breakfast with some coconut yogurt or peanut butter.

Round Two: Left Overs!

Reheat the roasted carrots and potatoes in a cast iron skillet. Top with avocado, mushroom pate, a little salt, and lime juice. Texas Grapefruit (gift from my mom!) as a side dish.

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