It's now December, just weeks away from the official start of winter. Hanukkah's begun. Holiday shopping is in full swing. And an onslaught of Christmas carols ushering you through every public space is unavoidable. So does all of this mean that we're officially finished with the local growing season? Nope. Not even close.
This week we have nutrient-rich seasonal roots like beets, carrots and potatoes from Atlas Farm in South Deerfield, MA. From "up Maine" we have sweet Buttercup Squash from Nature's Circle Farm. But one veggie we're getting from one of our new farm partners is organic collard greens, coming from Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, RI.
Wishing Stone Farm is a small growing operation located on the coast of Rhode Island. Dedicated to keeping soil as healthy as possible, they use cover crops in the off-season and rotate out crops every fourth season to ensure the soil can rest and rejeuvinate for the next year.
Even though the beautiful organic collard greens we have this week are fresh from the field, Wishing Stone also uses a method of growing that makes use of unheated greenhouses (Little Compton's advantageous oceanfront location boasts a longer frost-free growing season than other areas) and agricultural cloth blankets called remays, which help to keep the plants at a desirable temperature. And we're grateful that they do, because we can enjoy local organic greens well into December!
While collards are grown throughout the Northeast, they aren't quite as popular here as in the Southern states where they are commonly served in side dishes. You can utilize them as you would other organic leafy greens like kale and chard, except take note that the dense leaves and stems can sometimes require a little extra cooking time. (Check out this video on how to savvily stem greens.)
Try them in this classic recipe for Southern-Style Collard Greens and they'll quickly become a new favorite veggie.
Atlas Farm
Beets | Cabbage |
Dwight Miller and Son Orchards
Apples
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All of the fruits and vegetables we deliver are grown without synthetic pesticides and are USDA certified organic. Interested in receiving produce that's both organic and locally sourced all year round? Check out our Local Dogma Box.
Similar to a CSA or farm share, our Local Dogma Box is filled with the best organic produce from local and regional farms and brought right to your door each week. It's the easiest way to eat like a locavore!