The summer heat is carrying on, but the farm looks pretty darn green and happy.  Mornings are quiet as farmers rush about to water plots and harvest before the sun wilts their tender crops.  Most farmers take a long break during the heat of the day.  The real fun happens in the “cool” evenings as the farm comes alive with extended families helping out and kids playing in the fields. Want to see the farm for yourself? Join us for a tour and potluck dinner!

Farm Tour & Potluck

Meet other New Roots supporters and share a meal with your favorite farmers!

Please bring a dish to share.  To help reduce waste, please bring your own plate and eating utensils.

Saturday August 4^th at 4:30pm

Informal farm tour at 4:30 followed by potluck

Juniper Gardens Training Farm

100 Richmond Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66101

This tour is part of an ongoing series of farm tours and potlucks hosted by the KC CSA Coalition.

Check out other upcoming farm tours on the flyer below!

 

Exciting eggplant varieties arriving at a market near you!

As we approach high summer, farmers are bringing in eggplants of all shapes, colors and sizes. Though the varieties grown at the garden may not be the large, deep purple ones to which Americans accumstomed, fear not! Try one of these eggplants and you'll find they're just as delicious.

Halima at the Northeast Market at the Don Bosco center in Missouri (Fridays from 9am-12pm) with a purple and white Nubia eggplant, a deep purple Beatrice eggplant, and a white Clara eggplant

A box of small and slender Japanese eggplant

Mary at Northeast market with her hands full of Petch Parisa eggplant, a Thai variety. Keep your eyes peeled for tiny red, white, and green eggplant under New Roots farmers' market tents as well - these are another Thai variety, and are only the size of a quarter!

For a fresh, tangy summer soup, try whipping up okra coconut curry. Slice up ten to fifteen okra pods and fry them in a big pan. After they are almost done cooking, add a large handful of Thai eggplant and three or four chopped garlic cloves. Continue frying until the garlic has browned. Add one cup of coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and zest, salt, and sugar to taste, and a handful of chopped basil - serve over rice, and enjoy!

A heartier way to cook your eggplant is in a cheesy bake. Slice up several small to medium sized eggplants into half inch discs and put them on a baking sheet. Brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with a chopped garlic clove. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Sautee a couple fresh tomatoes, a handful of spinach, chopped onion and garlic in oil. Place a layer of eggplant in a baking dish, top with sauteed vegetables and a layer of your favorite cheese, (or cheeses!) and repeat until you've used up all of your ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes, and enjoy your cheesy eggplant goodness!

We hope you enjoyed last night's rainstorms as much as we did, and we look forward to seeing you at markets in the coming days.

The brand-new Bhutanese community garden in full swing!

 It's been a while since the last blog update on the Bhutanese community garden, so it's high time for a few new photos and info!  Just to catch everyone up to speed, here is a little photo progression of what's been happening this spring:
  

OCTOBER 2011:  The original site at 14th St & Allen Ave, KCK

MARCH 2012:  Jhampi Biswa hired as the garden coordinator

APRIL 2012:  Just a few of the Bhutanese community gardeners.
We have 28 families involved this year!

MAY 2012:  We gained ownership of the land at the end of April,
and quickly got to work developing it into a garden!
First steps included building a fence, then plowing and tilling. 

JUNE 2012:  The irrigation system was completed the first week of June,
and we distributed seeds, tools, compost and transplants to the gardeners.  

JULY 2012: Despite the sweltering heat, everyone's
new plots are looking lush and beautiful. 

Stop by for a visit--you won't believe that this was a vacant lot just a couple months ago!

Creative ways to use your beets this 4th!

Get your beets while they're fresh! New Roots farmers grow several varieties, including the classic Detroit Dark Red, bullseye-patterned Chioggia, beautiful Golden Detroit, and long, slender Cylindra. Beets are rich in potassium and Vitamin C, and their incredible color is too good to pass up. 

Beets at KCK Greenmarket at Catholic Charities, every Tuesday from 9:30am - 12:30pm.

Farmer Nyakang at the Catholic Charities market

To ensure that your beets stay fresh, cut off the leafy green tops. This way, the plant puts its remaining energy into the root and not the leaves, keeping the beet firm and delicious for longer! Don't toss the greens in the compost, though - sauteed with garlic, onion and oil, they make a great side.

If you're looking for a creative new way to prepare your beets, try an easy beet chip recipe - simply slice your beets thinly and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Drizzle them with a bit of olive or vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes, turning the beets over once and cooking until crisp. Beet chips are a healthy alternative to potato chips, and make a festive (red!) addition any 4th of July spread.

Another fun way to use up any extra beets, and to take advantage of their wonderful color, is tie dye! To make beet dye - puree several beets with water in a blender, strain out the left over pulp, and add water until you have the color you want. Tie up a shirt, socks, bandana, or whatever you've got, spritz with beet dye, and see what pattern you end up with!

Happy 4th of July, and we hope to see you at markets this week.

Farmer Upendra at market on Tuesday