Green Garlic
One thing that surprised me when I started to get to know the garlic plant is that the whole thing is jam packed with the garlicy essence that we all generally associate with just the bulb. In addition to the bulb, I have eaten the stalk, the leaves, the scapes, and their tiny little roots and it is all garlic, the whole thing. And why wouldn't be?
Next week, for the first time ever we are harvesting spring garlic for our boxes. We plant our garlic in the fall, and this spring garlic is the immature shoot that come up early in the season. It will still be a while before our growing season really kicks into high gear so I'm happy to have the chance to harvest this as a bit of teaser for the season.
As a general cooking tip, you can use green garlic the same way that you would use garlic scapes - think about your omelet's, soups, stews, stirfrys and rubs. It is milder than the garlic bulb so you don't have to worry about overpowering your meal.
For more info about green garlic and some recipe ideas check out this link: https://www.thespruceeats.com/green-garlic-and-garlic-scapes-2216459
Dandelion Greens
The bitter taste has been extremely important to humans throughout time but in the modern diet we do not eat many bitter foods. Bitter foods helps us to salivate and start producing the digestive enzymes and digestive juices that help our digestive system work efficiently so that we can absorb nutrients. For more info about the benefits of bitter foods check out this link: https://www.besthealthmag.ca/list/5-health-benefits-of-bitter-foods/
Wild dandelion greens are very bitter, especially if you are not regularly exposed to the bitter flavor. If you add these to your basket this week I would recommend finely chopping just a small handful and adding it to your salad. Here are some delicious looking ideas for dandelion greens that you can add to your meals this week: https://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-use-those-dandelions-recipes-from-the-kitchn-188774
Referral Program - Did you know that we have a referral program? Each time you refer a new customer to us each of you will receive a $25 credit. Once you are logged into your account you will see a "Refer a friend" tab at the top of your page. Click on that and share the link. When someone signs up using that link you will both automatically have a $25 added to your account. Here is a quick how to if you need more help: https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044975613
Customization cut off time - your box is open for customization until this Sunday at 10:00 pm. Please take a look at what is in your box and make any adjustments necessary.
Missing Items - Please let us know about any packing errors so that we can give you a credit for any missed items. Please reach out to info@steelpony.ca to let us know about missed items.
Quality - if any items you receive from us are not up to your standards please let me know so that we have a chance to make things right for you.
Setting preferences - if you haven't already set your preferences - and even if you haven't done so recently - doing so will help you to get the most out of this program. Here is information on setting your preferences - https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021794754-How-do-preferences-work-
Home Delivery - if you have signed up for home delivery and don't expect to be home on Thursday afternoon you can leave a cooler out for us to put your order into. If the forecast is cold, putting a hot water bottle into your cooler will help to keep the chill off.
Missed pick ups - if you know in advance that you will not be able to make it to your pick up please reschedule or cancel your order through your Harvie account. Here is a how to on doing that. https://harvie.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001542514-How-to-skip-reschedule-or-change-a-delivery-location. You can make these changes until the customization cut off period on Sunday night at 7:00pm.
If after the cut off period you learn that you are not able to pick up, please let me know via email at mike@steelpony.ca or text at 403-506-3634. Please do not contact drop site hosts about missed pick ups.
Any orders that are not picked up 24 hours after the pick up window will be donated or used as we see fit in order to minimize waste.
Thanks so much for working with us to support the local economy, strengthen the local supply chain, and connect farmers and producers with eaters.
Enjoy!
