Vegetable of the Week - Peas

This week's vegetable is green peas! Peas are technically a fruit, but we usually classify them as vegetables. Green peas are an annual plant that provide us with essential nutrition. Peas can be eaten immature, when they are green, or they can be picked at full maturity and are essentially dried, which then can be used in soups, curries, and other dishes. 

Fun fact: Peas aren't just healthy vegetables, they are scientifically important. In 1822, Gregor Mendel used pea plants to study genetics and inheritance. This lead to the principles of Mendelian genetics, which is the basis for genetics today!

Peas are an excellent addition to any garden due to their nitrogen fixing bacteria on their roots. Gardens can become nitrogen deficient if nutrients aren't replaced, so planting peas and other legumes can alleviate this problem.

Peas are quite sugary and starchy, however, they provide dietary fiber, and essential nutrients, like vitamin k,  vitamin c, manganese, copper, vitamin B1 and B6, as well as folate, among other nutrients.

This week's recipe is garlic snap peas! An easy and delicious way of preparing green peas (if you haven't already ate all of them picking them from your garden).

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil/canola oil
• 3 cups sugar snap peas/snow peas
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Freshly ground pepper and salt

Directions:

1. Heat a wok or large skillet on the stove. 
2. Add the oil and swirl around the pan. 
3. Add the peas once the oil has had some time to heat up a bit. 
4. Stir for 3-4 minutes, until the peas have started to soften, but retain their crispness.
5. Add the garlic and stir for one minutes
6. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

References:
http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/551/green+peas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea#Nutritional_value
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55
http://www.thewickednoodle.com/garlic-snap-peas-recipe/

Vegetable of the Week - Parsnips

This weeks vegetable is Parsnips! The parsnip is a root vegetable that is closely related to the carrot and parsley. The root is a cream colour skin, and it becomes sweeter in flavor after a winter frost. Interestingly enough, in sunlight, handling the stems and foliage can cause a skin rash in some people, so make sure you wear your gardening gloves!

Unfortunately, parsnips contain more sugar than carrots, radishes, and turnips. However, it only contains 75 calories per 100g. Parsnips are sweet and juicy and rich in many health-benefiting phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fibre.

Parsnips are an excellent source of dietary fibre, containing 13% of your daily fibre intake in only 100g! This reduces cholesterol levels, as well as can reduce the risk of obesity. 

Parsnips contain many antioxidants, and these compounds have anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer benefits. Parsnips also contain vitamin C, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin K, and vitamin E.

For this week's recipe, we have chosen to share with you parsnip fries, with horseradish rosemary mayo.

Ingredients:

• 2 large parsnips
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

For the horseradish mayo:

• 1/3 cup olive oil mayonnaise
• 2 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tsp dried rosemary 
• freshly ground pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit 
• In a bowl, sprinkle the parsnips with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and toss gently.
• Spread the parsnips on a baking sheet and place into the oven
• Bake the parsnips on one side for 15 minutes, remove from oven, and flip over and bake for another 10-15 minutes. 
• While the parsnips are baking, you can prepare the horseradish mayo buy mixing all of the ingredients together. 
• Enjoy!

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsnip
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/in-season-parsnips
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/parsnips.html
http://shrinkingkitchen.com/parsnip-fries-horseradish-rosemary-mayo/

Vegetable of the Week - Zucchini

This week's vegetable is zucchini! Zucchini is also known as courgette, and its a summer squash. It can be dark or light green, or a golden colour, which is hybrid zucchini. Technically speaking, zucchini is a fruit (its the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower), but its usually treated as vegetable.

Zucchini is low in calories and contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A. It also is an important food source of carotenoids/antioxidants. 

Zucchini is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of vitamin C. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin present in zucchini are helpful in protection of the eye, with respect to age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. 

Zucchini also aids in healthy blood sugar amounts, as well as anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

For this weeks zucchini recipe, we decided to share with you two of our favorites. One that is healthy, zucchini pizza sticks, and one that is not so much, chocolate zucchini cake. How could you not want delicious chocolate cake that secretly has vegetables in in! 

Zucchini Pizza Boats

Ingredients: 

6 small zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Salt and Pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 mini pepperoni slices
2 tbsp oregano (dried or fresh)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut each zucchini lengthwise into halves. If they do not lie flat, trim a bit off the bottoms so they will mostly lie flat. Pat the insides of the zucchini dry with paper towels and align on the baking sheet. If you want more toppings, scoop out some of the insides of the zucchini. Stir together the olive oil and garlic, and brush lightly over the tops of the zucchini. Sprinkle the salt and pepper to taste and add 1 tbsp of marinara sauce, evenly coating each zucchini stick. Sprinkle the sticks evenly with the shredded mozzarella cheese, then parmesan cheese. Top with the pepperoni slices. 
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-18 minutes. Remove from oven and add the oregano on top.  

*You can add or remove any toppings you want depending on your taste and what you like on the zucchini pizza!



Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2/3 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife
• 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee (optional)
• 2 cups shredded zucchini (from 1-2 zucchini), gently packed
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave for one minute, or until just melted. Stir in the brown sugar until completely smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until incorporated. (Be sure to add the eggs after the brown sugar is mixed in, as the hot butter alone could cook the eggs.)
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda and instant coffee (if using) in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. It will be very thick.
4. Stir in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. (It will still be thick -- that's okay.)
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (save for perhaps a smear from the melted chocolate chips). Let the loaf cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.
6. *Theres only 231 calories, 10 g of fat, 33 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of sugar per one slice, so they are THAT bad for you. Just don't eat it all at once!  

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchini
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=62
http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/06/zucchini-pizza-boats/
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2013/07/double-chocolate-zucchini-bread.html#tabrecipe

Vegetable of the Week - Swiss Chard

This week's vegetable is Swiss Chard! Chard is a leafy green vegetable that is a subspecies of beetroot. The leaf itself is usually green or reddish in colour. The stalks vary in colour, usually its red, yellow, or white. Chard has highly nutritious leaves, having high amounts of vitamin A, K, and C. It is also rich in dietary fibre, protein, and minerals. 

Swiss Chard contains 13 antioxidant properties, regulates blood sugar levels, and has anti inflammatory properties. Chard ranks second to spinach with respect of total nutrient-richness. However, Chard has a large concentration of oxalic acid, and is one of only 3 vegetables that are recommended to boil before eating. It is not recommended to eat the stems due to its toughness.

Chard belongs to the same taxonomic family as beets, spinach, and quinoa. The red and yellow pigmentations found in this family contain unique carotenoids, which is linked to our nervous system health. 

The featured recipe this week is Chickpea and Swiss Chard Curry. This is a nutritious and delicious way to eat Swiss Chard.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (5 mL) cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp (10 mL) finely minced gingerroot
• 2 tsp (10 mL) finely minced garlic
• 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) garam masala, (optional)
• 2 tsp (10 mL) tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) tumeric
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped whole canned tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
• 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups (1 L) chopped Swiss chard leaves
•  
• Directions:
• In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook cumin seeds until beginning to pop, about 1 minute. Add onion and chilies; cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
  
  Add ginger and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add ground cumin and coriander; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garam masala (if using); cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste, cayenne pepper and turmeric; cook for 1 minute.
  
  Add tomatoes and salt; cook, stirring, until softened. Stir in 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) water; bring to boil. Add chickpeas; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard; simmer until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
•  
• Serve over rice and enjoy!
•  

References
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_and_easy/chickpea_and_swiss_chard_curry.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chard
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16

Vegetable of the Week - Carrots

This week's vegetable is carrots! As a kid, your parents probably told you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes, well its true! Carrots are a root vegetable that are usually orange in colour, however, purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. 

Although carrots can be found year-round, locally grown carrots that are in season are the freshest and most flavorful. 

Carrots are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and fibre. They are an exceptional source of carotenes and vitamin A, which protect from skin, lung, and oral cancers. Beta carotene is one of the powerful antioxidants in carrots that promotes eye health, reproduction, and growth and development. Some compounds found in carrots may help fight against cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells in the tumor.

Carrots also have cardiovascular benefits, improve vision health, among other benefits.

Carrots are one of the most commonly consumed vegetable in North America, and are so easy to incorporate into your daily diet.

Although steaming carrots is the healthiest method for cooking, roasting them brings out the sweet and earthy nature of carrots. Here is a quick and easy way to roast your carrots and use as a side for a meal.

Balsamic Roasted Carrots 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 - 2 pounds baby carrots, tops removed (peel if desired)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of coarse sea salt
• Pepper 
• Dried or fresh parsley 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray
3. Rinse carrots and pat dry
4. Place carrots in a large bowl 
5. In a smaller bowl, add the vinegar and slowly add the olive oil while whisking
6. Add the oil and vinegar mixture to the carrots and toss until well coated
7. Place in the oven and roast them for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through
8. After they are done roasting, remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and parsley
9. Enjoy!

References:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/carrots.html 
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=21
http://www.cravingsofalunatic.com/2014/03/balsamic-roasted-baby-carrots.html

Vegetable of the Week - Kale

This week's vegetable is Kale! I know, I know. We can almost hear the groans coming from our computer. But don't fret, we are here to change your opinion on the amazing superfood that kale is! 

Kale is high in beta carotene, vitamin K and C, as well as its rich in calcium. Kale contains sulforaphane, which is a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. It also is a source of indole-3-carbinol, which is a chemical that boosts DNA repair in the cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Kale also contains elements that lower the cholesterol and decrease the absorption of dietary fats. Kale is also an important vegetable due to its anti-inflammatory properties. 

Fun Fact: Interestingly enough, kale, along with broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi are all derived from Brassica oleracea AKA wild cabbage! This includes the condensed shoot (=cabbage), flower cluster (=broccoli), lateral buds (=brussel sprouts) of wild cabbage. They have undergone hundreds of years of selection by humans picking the desired traits. These traits are selected based upon the genotype (what the plants "code" is) of the wild cabbage. That has therefore lead to the formation of different groups within the wild cabbage species that grow into the green vegetables we love to grow and eat!

Check out this healthy kale and quinoa salad recipe that is delicious and easy to make!

Quinoa Salad with Kale and Feta

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1/3 cup dried cranberries

olive oil, for cooking

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1 small bunch of kale, thinly sliced (discard the tough ribs)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

a squeeze of lemon

Directions:

In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover for 15-20 minutes. When finished cooking, add the cranberries and cover with the lid and set aside to cool.

In a medium pan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil into the pan and saute the onion for a couple of minutes, until soft. Add the kale to the pan and cook for approximately 5 minutes until it has wilted. If desired, add a small splash of water to the pan to create steam and cover for a few minutes. Season with salt. If you added water, remove the lid and cook until the moisture has evaporated. Add the kale and onions to the quinoa, along with the feta and almonds. Drizzle with oil and lemon and season with salt and pepper. Toss and serve immediately. 

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/quinoa-salad-with-kale-and-feta/

Vegetable of the Week - Spinach

Grow Calgary is excited to announce that we are going to have a vegetable of the week. These vegetables are ones we organically grow on the farm. We will be sharing nutritional information, benefits, as well as a recipe for you! This week's vegetable is spinach.

We all know that Popeye reached for spinach to increase his strength, and it turns out he knew what he was doing. Although eating a whole bag of spinach won't make you have super strength, it will however provide you with essential vitamins and nutrients. Spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables due to the fact that it is very nutrient rich. It is high in vitamins and minerals and concentrated in health-promoting antioxidants.

Spinach helps against anti inflammatory, oxidative stress, bone and cardiovascular problems, as well as cancer.

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C, to name a few. It also is a good source of dietary fiber and protein. 

Spinach is low in calories and carbohydrates, and has zero fat. In 1 cup of spinach, you have 987% of your daily vitamin K and 105% of your daily vitamin A!

You can incorporate spinach into your daily diet quite easily! You could add it to your smoothies (honestly, you can't taste it!! I promise!), eggs, pasta, use it in a salad, put it in a wrap, on your sandwiches, make spinach dip (although not the healthiest option, it is one of the tastiest), among other things. Below is a recipe for a fresh spinach and berry salad, perfect for a summer lunch!

Early Germination

As everyone knows, the weather in Calgary can be quite unpredictable! We are all familiar with the occasional snow and frost in April, May and sometimes June, which coincides with the start of our growing season. Due to the unpredictability of the weather, Grow Calgary tries ensure a top-notch growing season by germinating plants early in the greenhouses so that they are ready to plant once the weather starts to cooperate.

Weather isn't the only determinate when deciding to germinate plants. The type of plant, availability of water and sunlight are also important, as well as soil temperature and number of frost days prior to seeding/planting.   

Some may be wondering what is early germination and how does it work? Well, germination is the process by which a plant grows from a seed. Germination starts when a seed is provided with water and the appropriate temperature. The uptake of water by a dry seed is call imbibition, and as the seeds imbibe the water, they expand and the dried enzymes and food supplies then become hydrated. Once the enzymes have been hydrated, they become active and the seed is able to increases its metabolic activities to produce the energy needed for the growing process. The most common example of germination is the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm (flowering plants that produce seeds within an enclosure AKA a fruiting plant - Example: a Rose) or gymnosperm (seeds develop on either the surface of scales or leaves, often in the form of cones - Example: conifers). 

For some dormant seeds, germination depends on a number of environmental factors, some of which include:

• Water - Seeds are usually very dry and require a significant amount of water before cellular metabolism and growth can occur. Most seeds only need enough water to moisten them, but not enough to soak them.
• Temperature - Affects the cellular metabolic and growth rates. Seeds germinate over a wide range of temperatures, most of which have a set temperature range that they will not germinate above or below this range. Annual vegetables have an optimal germination temperature of around 24 - 32 C, although some species (e.g. radishes or spinach) can grow at significantly colder temperatures.
• Oxygen - Used in aerobic respiration, which is the main source of the seedling's energy until it is able to grow leaves for photosynthesis. Oxygen is found in pore spaces. If the seed is buried too deep in the soil, or if the soil is waterlogged, the seed can become oxygen deprived. 
• Sunlight - This can be an environmental factor, however most seeds are not affected by this.

Favourites like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini are just some of the vegetables that need to be germinated before planting due to their long and warm growing seasons.  

At Grow Calgary, we use mason jars filled with soil and water to early germinate the seeds. Once germinated they are transplanted into soil in the greenhouses until they are ready to be planted in the ground. 

Grow Calgary is looking forward to the upcoming growing season. Some of the vegetables that we will be growing will be:

• Kale
• Chard
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini 
• Cucumbers
• Spinach
• Radishes
• Green onions
• Parsnips
• Garlic
• Green Beans 
• Peas

We are always looking for new volunteers around the farm. If you are interested in helping with the early germination of some of these vegetables, contact us through our website at http://www.growcalgary.ca/ and click on the volunteer tab!

References:
http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/earlygrowth/germination/germ.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germination

Grow Calgary's Organics/Compost Collection Program

Since composting is so easy and rich in nutrients, Grow Calgary has developed an 
accelerated composting program. 

As you can recall from our previous blog post, compost is rich in nutrients and is beneficial to the soil. It acts as a fertilizer, soil conditioner, and can aid in the reduction of erosion. This addition of nutrients at Grow Calgary contributes to the overall health and fertility of the soils. This leads to an increase in yields, which directly benefits the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank Fresh and Local hamper program. 

To acquire the materials needed for a large scale composting program, Grow Calgary works with many local restaurants and food producers to access their commercially produced compostable materials. Some of the participating businesses are Cru Juice, Wild and Raw, and Red's Diner. 

We receive sod, leaves, grass, and chips from local landscapers and arborists around Calgary. In addition, we assist 20+ Calgary companies with the diversion of organic resources from the landfill for use in our accelerated composting program! This program is part of Grow Calgary's commitment to sustainable agriculture.

We are looking to expand our collection program and have room for 6 businesses. If you interested in contributing to our accelerated composting program, or have any ideas for additional collections sites, give us a shout at farm@growcalgary.ca or come by our website http://www.growcalgary.ca/