Louisville Community Supported Agriculture: Vegetable Tips

add later.

To be added later.

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) originated in Mexico. Evidence suggests that it was first eaten some 5000 years ago and it was cultivated by the Incas by at least the 15th century. [1] Its coloring ranges from light tan to darker orange. It has a tough but thin skin and orange flesh with a color and taste reminiscent of sweet potatoes. It usually starts appearing in CSA boxes around September.

Nutritional Information per cup of mashed squash: 80 calories, 2 grams protein, 1 gram fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, with riboflavin, iron, Vitamins A and C. [2]

[1] http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/Archive/butternut_squash.htm
[2] http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/butternut.html
http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm

Spaghetti squash (Cucurbita pepo) is native to the Americas. True spaghetti squash is usually light yellow in color, although a darker orange version known as the Orangetti was developed in the 1990s.[1] The Orengetti version is commonly found in supermarkets. Spaghetti squash begins appearing in CSA boxes in early September.

Nutritional Information: Spaghetti squash has 45 calories per one cup. “It is an excellent source of folic acid, high in fiber, and contributes a fair amount of potassium and small amounts of vitamin A and niacin to the diet.” [2]

[1] http://www.fabulousfoods.com/features/featuring/spagsquash.html
[2]http://www.solutions.uiuc.edu/content.cfm?series=3&item=234&Parents=0%7C27%7C54
http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/squash.html

Obviously chicken is not a vegetable, but Kathy fro Misty Meadows has provided a wonderful recipe for chicken and dumplings.

0kra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is thought to have originated in the North African region of modern day Ethiopia. It arrived in the southern US in the early 1700s where it became popular in the French and Creole style cuisines of Louisiana. Okra is sometimes referred to as lady fingers because of the long and slender shape of its pods.

In some Mediterranean and Eastern countries, the mature seed is prized rather than the pod. Wikipedia describes the oil that is produced as a “greenish yellow edible oil [that] has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid.”

Most people in Louisville first encounter okra in gumbo or other stews where it is used as a thickener. It is also commonly sliced, breaded in cornmeal and fried.

Okra is a warm weather crop that grows throughout tropical and temperate regions. It generally starts showing up in local CSA boxes in July.

Nutrition information for ½ cup cooked okra [1]:
Calories = 25
Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
Protein = 1.5 grams
Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
Vitamin A = 460 IU
Vitamin C = 13 mg
Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
Calcium = 50 mg
Iron = 0.4 mg
Potassium = 256 mg
Magnesium = 46 mg

References:
[1] http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/okra1.html#9
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/vegetabletravelers/okra.html
http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa081401a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra

Description to come later.

Basil description.

Test

Test existing item.

In the cabbage family.

Green spears.

yellow

bulbs

Weird turnip looking thing.

Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) has large glossy green leaves with thick veins and stalks. The veins can be strikingly colorful in some varieties or light green or white in others. Chard is in the same family as beets and spinach. Its flavor profile lies somewhere between the greens of the two plants with a slightly bitter spinach-like flavor.

Among its many vitamins and minerals, one cup of boiled Swiss chard provides 716% of the daily value of Vitamin K, 109% of Vitamin A, 52.5% of Vitamin C, 22% of iron, and 10% of the daily value of calcium. Swiss chard is also a good source of fiber.

Swiss chard actually originates in the Mediterranean region, particularly Sicily. It is thought to have been spread throughout the Mediterranean, where it is still popular, by the Phoenicians. Its name honors the Swiss botanist Koch, who first gave the plant its scientific name in the 19th century. The ancient Greeks and Romans honored Swiss chard for its medicinal properties. The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote about the advantages of red chard in the 4th century BC.

Swiss chard begins appearing in harvest boxes in late spring.

References:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9733640
http://www.foodreference.com/html/f-swiss-chard.html
http://www.containerseeds.com/articles/chardarticle.html
http://www.kitchengarden.co.za/swisschard.html