Explore the taste Joi Choi this month

Joi Choi's stalks and leaves have quite different textures and cooking times, it's like getting two vegetables for the price of one!

Basic Stir-fry with Peanut Oil and Garlic using JOI CHOI!

1 pound joi choi 
2 Tb peanut oil
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
salt or soy sauce to taste

Cut stems into 1-inch pieces and slice leaves coarsely. 
Heat wok or heavy frying pan. Pour oil in. Add stems and toss over moderately high heat until somewhat softened, about 2 minutes. 
Add sugar, garlic, salt and soy sauce. Add reserved leaves. Toss another 2 minutes. Serve. (Yield: 2 servings)

http://www.freshlink.org/JoiChoiRecipe.html

Veggie of the month...CARROTS

Low Fat Carrot Cake ingredients list:

CAKE:
3 medium eggs.
2 cups of grated carrots.
1 ¼ cups of unbleached all-purpose flour.
1 cup of whole wheat flour.
1 cup of unsweetened apple sauce.
¾ cup of packed brown sugar.
½ cup of vegetable oil.
½ cup of raisins.
½ cup of walnut pieces.
2 teaspoons of baking powder.
2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
1 teaspoon of baking soda.
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg.

FROSTING:
5 oz of cream cheese.
1 ½ cups of icing sugar.

Instructions for Low Fat Carrot Cake:

In a suitably sized mixing bowl, combine both the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flor, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, raisins and walnuts. Whisk together the carrots, apple sauce, sugar, vegetable oil and eggs; then gently stir into the flour mixture.

Transfer to an oiled 9inch spring-form pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 60 minutes.

While the cake is baking, begin preparing the frosting by mixing your desired amount of starsol icing sugar into the cream cheese.

Once the cake is cooked, allow to cool then add the frosting

http://www.carrotrecipes.net/low-fat-carrot-cake.html

Veggie of the month....GARLIC!

The vegetable for the month of March is GARLIC!

Health Benefits and Uses
Garlic health benefits and medicinal properties have long been known (1). Garlic has long been considered a herbal "wonder drug", with a reputation in folklore for preventing everything from the common cold and flu to the Plague! It has been used extensively in herbal medicine (phytotherapy, sometimes spelt phitotherapy). Raw garlic is used by some to treat the symptoms of acne and there is some evidence that it can assist in managing high cholesterol levels. It can even be effective as a natural mosquito repellent.

for the full article, visit: http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html


How to Grow Garlic
Garlic is grown from the individual cloves. Each clove will produce one plant with a single bulb - which may in turn contain up to twenty cloves. Growing garlic is therefore self-sustaining.

When planting garlic, choose a garden site that gets plenty of sun and where the soil is not too damp. The cloves should be planted individually, upright and about an inch (25 mm) under the surface. Plant the cloves about 4 inches (100 mm) apart. Rows should be about 18 inches (450 mm) apart.

It is traditional to plant garlic on the shortest day of the year. Whether this is for symbolic or practical reasons is unclear.

See the dedicated sowing page for advice on when to plant garlic.

for the full article, visit: http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html

Yummy Recipe featuring...Broccoli!

Broccoli Stir Fry

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 inch piece of ginger, minced
1 portabello mushroom, chopped
1 head of broccoli, chopped how you like (I like my pieces sort of big)
Crushed red chillies to taste
3 Tbsp (give or take) Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, tamari, etc)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp water

Heat oil in large wok on medium heat. Sautee onions until starting to be translucent. Add in garlic and ginger and sautee another 1-2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and sautee for another 2 minutes. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook until broccoli is tender.

This would also be good with brown rice, or soba noodles.

taken from: www.laurensveganjournal.org/pictures/BroccoliStirfry

Broccoli is a super food!

Broccoli was developed in Italy and is well established as one of the major anti-cancer foods. Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have concluded again and again that people who eat an abundance of broccoli have fewer cancers of the colon, breast, cervix, lungs, prostate, esophagus, larynx, and bladder. Broccoli contains indoles, which can help inactivate harmful estrogens that can promote the growth of tumors, sulforaphane, which stimulates cells to produce cancer-fighting enzymes, and beta-carotene, another cancer fighter.

Broccoli contains some 3% of protein and is one of the richest vegetable sources of calcium, iron and magnesium. Moreover, broccoli is very rich in vitamins A and C, exceeding even oranges in the concentration of the latter.

taken from: http://health.learninginfo.org/broccoli-nutrition.html

The Great Garden: a brief background

The Great Garden project was conceived in 2004 to provide an opportunity for students and community members to learn about healthier eating habits, and the skills to be able to grow their own food in a fun, hands-on environment. In addition, a percentage of the garden's harvests will go to local food banks, providing them with fresh produce. This also teaches students the importance of giving back to their community.

Working with UCAN, Great Afternoons arranged for an AmericorpsVISTA (Volunteer In Service To America) to spearhead the project. In 2006, the Reedsport School District granted use of 1/4 acre of land for the garden project. Since then, the learning portion of the garden project has been very successful. Students are very excited about learning new skills to plant, and to grow their own food. The garden currently has several community plots for rent, as well as many volunteer opportunities available, and is passionate about encouraging involvement to build a stronger community.

What is a community garden?

Very Simply, it is:

Any piece of land gardened by a group of people.It can grow flowers, vegetables or community. It can be one community plot, or can be many individual plots. It can be at a school, hospital, or in a neighborhood.

-taken from www. communitygarden.org

Benefits of Community Gardening:

• Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
• Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
• Stimulates Social Interaction
• Encourages Self-Reliance
• Beautifies Neighborhoods
• Produces Nutritious Food
• Reduces Family Food Budgets
• Conserves Resources
• Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
• Reduces Crime
• Preserves Green Space
• Creates income opportunities and economic development
• Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
• Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections