Spend and Save at the Produce Stand THIS FRIDAY 11 am - 3 pm!

Join us this Friday from 11 am to 3 pm for the Stanford Produce Stand! Come get your weekly supply of delicious, fresh, organic, and locally grown items. We are located in the front courtyard of Tresidder Memorial Union.

Instant Produce Stand Savings This Week!

Starting this week, spend $5 at the Produce Stand, and get an instant 5% off your purchase! Additionally, spend $10 or more and receive a 10% off coupon redeemable next Friday! Remember: If you received a 10% off coupon last week, be sure to stop by this week to redeem it!

This Week at the Produce Stand

From the Stanford Community Farm and gardens: Leeks, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, rainbow chard, beets, green garlic, green onions, kale, turnips, and collards

From ALBA Organics: Avocados, strawberries, oranges, artichokes (for tips on how to cook and eat an artichoke, check out this website!), and salad mix

Spotlight on: Avocados!

Many have asked, and this week, we deliver. Avocados will be making their Spring Quarter debut at the Produce Stand this week! Who can resist avocados? They are rich, creamy, and just when you thought they couldn't possibly get better, it turns out they're GOOD for you! Contrary to popular belief, fats in the diet are essential for life. The key is getting the right kind of fat. Conveniently, avocados are a great source of the right kind. They're very high in monounsaturated fats, which have been shown to reduce heart disease by decreasing levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff!) and increasing levels of HDL cholesterol (the good stuff!)

So what are you waiting for? Eat to good health with this recipe, adapted from Simply Recipes, for the "Perfect Guacamole."

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
1/2 red onion (can substitute white onion instead)
1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced (can substitute jalapeno peppers instead)
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
dash of freshly grated black pepper
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

1. Cut avocados in half and remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. (For tips on how to cut and peel an avocado, visit this link.)

2. Mash the avocado. (The mashing instrument of choice is up to you. Popular methods include: a fork, a potato masher, the back of a spoon, or even your hands.) Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add the chili peppers/jalapenos gradually, and adjust according to your preference. (And be sure to exercise caution when handling peppers - keep those hands away from your eyes!) Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Mix in the chopped tomatoes just before serving.

Remember, feel free to experiment to find the taste profile that hits the right note for you. Some people prefer chunkier guacamole, while others like their avocado mashed up more. Some prefer more salt, others more spice. I prefer to add chopped up garlic and cheese as well. There is no one way to do it right, so taste and adjust as you go (or just keep tasting...).

To sum it all up: An instant 5% off when you spend $5 or more on a delicious selection of fresh, organic produce (not to mention those heart-healthy essential fatty acids)! What reason do you have not to stop by?

See you at the Produce Stand!

Photo credit: http://petitfoodie.wordpress.com

Produce Stand THIS FRIDAY 11 am - 3 pm!

Join us this Friday from 11 am to 3 pm for the Stanford Produce Stand! Come get your weekly supply of delicious, fresh, organic, and locally grown items. We are located in the front courtyard of Tresidder Memorial Union.

Special Produce Stand Promotion Continues This Week!

Remember, if you received a 10% off coupon last week, now is your chance to redeem it! Don't forget to bring a friend to save even more! If you did not receive a coupon last week, worry not, the promotion will be continuing for one more week. Spend $10 or more at the Produce Stand this Friday and receive a 10% off coupon redeemable next Friday!

This Week at the Produce Stand

From the Stanford Community Farm and gardens: Leeks, sugar snap peas, kale, rainbow chard, beets, carrots, and collards

From ALBA Organics: Strawberries, oranges, artichokes (for tips on how to cook and eat an artichoke, check out this website!), and salad mix

Spotlight on: Leeks!

Leeks are the often overlooked member of the Alliaceae family, which includes the more familiar onion and garlic. Leeks are a somewhat milder and sweeter version of an onion. Unlike the tight bulb onions form, leeks produce a long cylinder of bundled leaf sheaths. So which part of the leek do you eat? Typically, the white onion base and the light green part of the stalk. The farther you move up the stalk, the tougher and less edible it becomes.

Leeks are often used to flavor homemade stock and can be incorporated into a variety of recipes including (but certainly not limited to): Vichyssoise (a pureed potato leek soup), caramelized and served alongside any main entree (hint: porkchops!), added to pasta, thinly sliced and added to salad (raw), or sauteed along with any vegetable combination you fancy. But for today, we are honing in on one leek dish in particular: Caramelized Leek Risotto.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 large leek
salt and pepper
3/4 cup arborio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
~ 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmeson

1. Cut off the dark green part of the leek. Cut the remaining white base and light green part of the stalk in half lengthwise and then into 1/3" half moons.
2. Melt butter (or add olive oil) in pot over medium heat. Add leeks to pot and stir to coat.
3. Cook leeks, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown (about 25 minutes) (be sure not to let them burn!)
4. Season leeks with salt and pepper.
5. Now add the rice! Stir to coat the rice in the butter-y, leek-y goodness, about 2 minutes.
6. Add wine; allow the alcohol to evaporate.
7. Gradually add the stock in large ladle-fuls, adding more broth after the previous addition has been absorbed. Stir continuously during this process and keep the mixture at a light simmer.
8. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender and slightly al dente (start tasting the rice at about the 12 minute mark).
9. Once it's done, take it off the heat and stir in the cheese.
10. Enjoy!

*Note that while this risotto features caramelized leeks (yum!), you can, of course, add anything else you'd like. You can incorporate additional ingredients during the broth-ladling process.

Fun leek facts:

-The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales. It appears on the cap badge on the Welsh Guards (pictured below). (According to Wikipedia: "The leek arises from an occasion when a troop of Welsh were able to distinguish each other from a troop of English enemy dressed in similar fashion by wearing leeks.")
-People celebrate St. David's Day (the national day of the Welsh), by wearing a leek symbol.

See you at the Produce Stand!

photo credit: http://grubchico.org/

Produce Stand THIS FRIDAY + Special 10% discount for spending $10 or more!

Join us this Friday from 11 am to 3 pm for the Stanford Produce Stand! Come get your weekly supply of delicious, fresh, organic, and locally grown items. We are located in the front courtyard of Tresidder Memorial Union.

Special Produce Stand Promotion This Week!!!

Spend $10 or more at the Produce Stand tomorrow and receive a 10% off coupon redeemable next Friday! But wait, there's more! Return next Friday and bring a friend who also spends $10 or more, and we'll upgrade your coupon to 15% off!

This Week at the Produce Stand

From the Stanford Community Farm and gardens (pictured below): Sugar snap peas, kale, rainbow chard, beets, leeks, carrots, and collards

From ALBA Organics (pictured below): Strawberries, tangerines, artichokes (for tips on how to cook and eat an artichoke, check out this website!), and salad mix

By shopping at the Stanford Produce Stand, you are putting your food dollars toward a system that is better for your health, the health of the environment, and the health and livelihood of the people who grow your food - all while supporting the Stanford community and the vision of sustainability we are hoping to achieve. Why expend the extra effort driving to the supermarket? Delicious, nutritious, locally grown, organic produce is available right in the center of campus. So spread the word, take a stroll to the Stand, and stock up on fresh produce for this beautiful Spring weekend!

See you at the Produce Stand!

Produce Stand Returns THIS FRIDAY 11 am to 3 pm!

The Produce Stand is back in action for Spring Quarter!

Join us this Friday from 11 am to 3 pm for the Stanford Produce Stand! Come get your weekly supply of delicious, fresh, organic, and locally grown items. We are located in the front courtyard of Tresidder Memorial Union.

From the Stanford Community Farm and gardens: Sugar snap peas, kale, chard, beets, and carrots

From ALBA Organics: Strawberries, tangerines, and salad mix

Spotlight on: Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas: nature's candy. Snap peas are crunchy, sweet, and terribly addicting. They're delicious and satisfying when eaten raw, and are often enjoyed as a snack in their unadulterated state (the whole pod is edible!). The great thing about foods like sugar snap peas, which are already great on their own, is it doesn't take much to spruce them up if you're in the mood for doing a little more.

Here are a few quick ideas for what to do with snap peas. Note that before cooking snap peas (especially mature ones), you may want to "string" them (remove the membranous string running along the length of the pea by simply beginning at the tip and pulling it down).

-Saute with butter and sprinkle with sea salt
-Add to a stir fry
-Toss into a salad
-Add to any pasta dish

And for a light and refreshing meal for a sunny Spring afternoon, try this Quinoa and Sugar Snap Pea Salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound sugar snap peas
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup minced chives

Directions:

1. Simmer peas in a small pot of boiling, salted water until they are bright green and crisp-tender (about 1 minute). Spread them out on a large plate to cool, and pat try. Cut the peas on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.

2. In a small saucepan, combine bring quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until all of the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender (about 15 minutes). Uncover and fluff the quinoa, then transfer to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature.

3. In a bowl, combine the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the peas to the quinoa with the pumpkin seeds, chives and dressing; stir. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.

(recipe adapted from Food & Wine, http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/quinoa-salad-with-sugar-snap-peas)

See you at the Produce Stand!