Oct 5, 2022 / The Weekly Dirt / persis

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The Weekly Dirt 10.5.22

10.5.22

Around The Farm

By Audrey Sun, Public Health-Global Health: Nutritional Sciences Major, UW Farm Fall Nutrition Education intern.

Hey all! My name is Audrey Sun (she/her) and I am the Fall Quarter Nutrition Education intern at the UW Farm. Each week I will be creating my own recipes each week using produce from the UW farm. The recipes will be utilizing seasonal items featured in our CSA boxes. Additionally, I will be including one item to star in the Nutrition Corner so you can learn more about what you are consuming!


    Pictured above: Me and my mom picking chestnuts at a relatives grove in Korea this past summer.

A little about me: I was born and raised in Washington. I’m currently a second year student at the UW, majoring in Public Health Global Health Nutritional Science (a mouthful I know). One of my favorite hobbies is cooking which is one of the reasons why I pursued this internship along with my desire to make the task seem a little less daunting.

I first encountered the UW Farm through a Nutrition class in my first ever quarter at UW, I have been volunteering ever since. The Farm is truly a wonderful space where you can learn about how food is grown, what it takes to grow it in different environments (urban and rural), and even get some free produce to experiment with.

My philosophy when it comes to cooking is a bit chaotic as I tend to improvise and not follow recipes. However, I believe that many of the recipes I will share, like soups and stews, can be modified to fit the ingredients you have on hand without requiring many trips to the store. I am so excited to be this quarter's Nutrition Education intern and share some delicious recipes!

 

Veggie Key for This Week's CSA

This Week's Recipe

 

Photo from Feasting at Home
 

Beet Vegetable Stew – A Variation on Borscht 

by Audrey Sun, Public Health-Global Health: Nutritional Sciences Major, UW Farm Fall Nutrition Education intern.

This week’s CSA box features beets. People are often scared of the lumpy bright purple root vegetable but once you liken it to carrots it becomes much easier to use. Both will be utilized to create a hearty Borscht inspired stew for this week’s recipe.

Borscht is a Slavic word used to describe all sorts of sour-tasting soups, but its most famous variant features beets. Historically, it would be made from a stock of sauteed vegetables, meat, and beets. My version includes many of the vegetables from this week's CSA box as well as inexpensive pantry staples. Again, if you don’t have some of these ingredients, don't sweat! You can either replace them with things you do have or leave them out! Also if your beet roots have leaves on top, don't throw them out. Beet greens can be consumed like any other leafy green in soups, chopped for salads, and added to smoothies.  Saute them with some olive oil and garlic and they taste almost exactly like swiss chard, a close garden cousin.

Ingredients:
3 medium beets, peeled and diced
4 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of chopped tomatoes (alternatively you can chop a couple of fresh tomatoes or even use a can of tomato paste)
32 oz of beef broth or 4 bouillon cubes
1 can of any bean (alternatively soak about a cup of dry beans for a few hours)
Vegetable oil
3 tablespoons vinegar (white or apple works well)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional herbs (if you have): 1 bay leaf, a teaspoon of thyme, red pepper flakes

Instructions:
Chop the beets, carrots, and onions into small pieces that will fit on your spoon.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot on high and add onions. Once they brown on the edges add carrots, beets, a teaspoon of salt, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes (optional). Cook until softened.
Add your garlic, tomato, and bouillon cubes if using. Pour in beef broth or water, and add drained beans.
Finally, add in your herbs (optional), vinegar, and salt and pepper as needed. Boil on high for about 10 minutes before reducing it to medium-low and simmer for another half hour. If you have any bread I recommend you toast up a slice and eat it with your soup.

Nutrition  Corner: Beets

One cup (136g) of raw chopped beets provides:
Calories: 58
Total Fat: 0.2g
Sodium: 106mg
Total Carbohydrate: 13g
Dietary Fiber: 3.8g
Sugar: 9.2g
Protein: 2.2g
Calcium: 21.76mg
Iron: 1.09mg
Potassium: 442mg

Beets are a low-calorie vegetable packed with vitamins and minerals that are good for your gastrointestinal tract and your heart! It’s a great source of dietary fiber that can help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Thanks to its bright red pigmentation (called betanin), it is rich in antioxidants that can be anti inflammatory, protecting you against heart disease and cancer.

Source: Good Housekeeping

News and Noteworthy:



Percussion Farms Volunteer Work Party


Taste of Seattle



After six fantastic Taste events and a two-year pandemic hiatus, Seattle Made is thrilled for the return of their biggest annual event. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for a Taste of Seattle Made!Get your local cold-brew coffee and chai, plant-based chicken nuggets, tasty local ciders, warm biscuits, and more! The Seattle Made network of local food and beverage producers have worked hard to bring you these tasty treats showcasing their talents.

When: October 9, Tasting Sessions from 12 – 2 pm or 3 – 5 pm.
Where: AXIS Pioneer Square
Tickets: Purchase tickets using this link [strangertickets.com]
Tickets include three sample alcohol pours ( for 21+) and mini bites from our 25 participating food and beverage members.



Agriculture and Food Systems Employment Opportunities:
photo of 2 pitchforks in the ground with someone's shoe behind them. This is taking place in a garden plot.

Food Access Resources

The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.  

Help The Farm Grow!

Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online

 

The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.

This issue's contributors:

Around the Farm: Audrey Sun, UW Farm Fall Nutrition Education Intern, UW Nutrition Sciences Program
Editor: Chrina Munn, AmeriCorps Volunteer 2022-23
Photo Credits and Other Content: UW Farm Team, Chrina Munn, Dannette Lombert and Perry Acworth
Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections 

Copyright © 2022 The UW Farm, All rights reserved.

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The UW Farm
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