Organic Harvest Box for March 5, 2010

The sun that has been shining in Ottawa the past few days is certainly paving the way for springtime and fresh and local organic food from the Ottawa area. Here is a look inside our organic Harvest Box for this week:


Blueberries!! Blueberries are super healthy and full of nutrition. They are widely known for their antioxidant capabilities and are ranked highest of all fruits and veggies for their ability to destroy free radicals. I guess you could call them the "superhero" of fruits! One of the best features of blueberries is how easy they are to include in recipes - just throw them into a fruit salad, a smoothie, a muffin recipe, and you're good to go! No peeling, pitting, coring necessary. Just wash and eat.

The BC Blueberry Council (a blueberry council?? how cool would that job be???) offers a list of fabulous recipes for blueberries, and I particularly liked their list of breakfast recipes. The Blueberry Stuffed French Toast is on my radar for an amazing weekend breakfast!

Wondering what that big turnip-looking root vegetable is in your harvest box?

It is a Celery Root or Celeriac. Celery root is a kind of celery grown as a root vegetable that tastes like celery and has a potato-like consistency. It is often mashed up or can be used raw, and grated in salads. I came across a few inspiring recipes for you. I'm planning on either trying this Celery Root and Potato Mash or even the Herb Grilled Chicken with Celery Root Puree, if I am a little more adventurous. And also take a look at the Celery Root Remoulade and Celery Root Salad - both look tasty and are not too difficult to prepare.

Now take a look at those delicious brown mushrooms. Crimini mushrooms are coffee-coloured and richer in flavour and nutrients than white button mushrooms. Try these tasty little mushrooms in an appetizing Maui Chicken or perhaps Marsala Chicken with Sage and Crimini Mushrooms. And for the vegetarians on our list, try your hand at these Red Lentil Burgers - they are packed full of nutrients and taste delicious too!

And, last but not least, grab those crispy green snow peas and toss them in a ,Shrimp and Snow Pea Salad , add them to a Spring Minestrone or dabble your dinner plate with this Pork and Pepper Stir Fry.

Have a wonderful week!! Check back in next week for more recipes . . .