The first heirloom tomatoes of the season have arrived from Atlas Farm! We have 2lb bags of heirloom tomatoes available as add-ons, and we also have pints of smaller sized heirlooms available. Other produce highlights this week are Spanish onions from Atlas Farm, Mung bean sprouts from Jonathan’s Sprouts, and sweet corn from Lakeside Organics. We still have Vermont blueberry add-ons this week, and they should continue for 1 to 2 more weeks. Check out the newsletter!

This week’s box is bursting!

Great box this week! Our network of growers are delivering some amazing produce.  In addition to a nice assortment of leafy greens, we also have corn and cherry tomatoes as well as more delicious blueberries from Dwight Miller and Son Orchards. Check out below to see what else is in this week’s Dogma Box.

Corn on the cob has arrived this week from Lakeside Organics in Hadley, MA.  Juicy and sweet these husks will keep you well fed and happy.  Wonderful when simply grilled, corn can also be prepared in a variety of ways.  Fresh kernels make a great addition to every meal from salads to bread and baked goods.

Because synthetic pesticides are not applied to organic corn, worm damage is normal and part of the organic growing process.  This week’s corn is looking pretty clean, but if you encounter a worm, they pose no harm and the damage is usually isolated to the tip of the corn. So that you do not miss out on one of summer’s finest eating experiences, you can simply chop off the tip with the worm.

This week’s Dogma Box includes:

• Bunched Beets – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Calaloo –   Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Green Bell Peppers  -  Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Kale -  Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Green Leaf Lettuce   -  Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Blueberries -   Dwight Miller & Son Orchards (E. Dummerston, VT)
• Cherry Tomatoes -Lakeside Organics (Hadley, MA)
• Sage -  Happy Valley Organics (Hadley, MA)
• Corn on the Cob - Lakeside Organics (Hadley, MA)

The included recipes utilize many of the produce items that you’re receiving in this week’s Dogma Box.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Cheddar Sage Cornbread

Green Pepper and Tomato Salad

What are you cooking this week? Feel free to share with us at any time! For more recipes, check out the Produce Info, Storage Tips and Recipes section on our website and browse recipes by item. Here you can find nutritional information, preparation tips, and recipes for each produce item we offer.  Happy eating from your friends at Boston Organics!

The local produce keeps rolling in! This week we’ve got summer squash, bunched carrots, sage and lots more! Some boxes will receive corn. We also have those delicious blueberries from Vermont available in a few boxes as well as add-ons! Check out the newsletter to see what else is in store!

Corn on the cob is for sale at most grocery stores this summer and depending on where you shop it may be Monsanto’s Bt sweet corn.  Since this corn is unlabeled, it’s quite possible that you might be buying it without knowing it. Here’s some basic information to help you understand more about this corn variety and why it’s a concern.

This unlabelled item is a new kind of ready-to-eat corn.  It is genetically modified with Bt, the bacteria Bacillus theringiensis, commonly used on crops as a pesticide.  Once the bacteria Bt is ingested by an insect, the insect’s intestinal tract fails, killing them within a couple of days.

Bt has been used as a pesticide spray for decades but farmers found that it washes off and biodegrades in sunlight.  Now Bt is genetically tied into the corn plant as a built-in pesticide.  This is the first genetically engineered Monsanto product being eaten directly by consumers with minimum processing.   Bt Corn has been on the market since 1996, but had only been used in processed foods like corn syrup.  The Bt-toxin is claimed to be safe for humans and animals, supposedly destroyed by the human digestive system.  It is unclear what, if anything, will happen when an unprocessed food like sweet corn is eaten by consumers.  The long term health and environmental risks which GMOs pose have not yet been adequately investigated.

Widespread cultivation of Bt corn could have major environmental and societal ramifications.  Farmers must be careful to avoid creating  Bt-resistant strains of the very pests that the poison targets.  It also theorized that such genetically modified produce could explain the drastic increase in childhood food allergies.

The corn that we offer here at Boston Organics is certified organic and is never genetically modified.  Whenever you see the “USDA Organic” seal it means that the food has been certified to conform to this set of legal definitions and rules.  Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) such as genetically modified seeds and foods are prohibited in Organic standards. Organic certification is one of the only safeguards against GMOs.

Talk to your grocers and ask where their produce is coming from!

For more information on what it means to be certified organic visit the Organic Consumers Association

Learn about Bt in Organic Farming vs. Bt in GM Crops.

Photo by Alison Miksch

While it’s hot outside, it doesn’t have to be inside!  Beat this week’s sweltering summer heat with a refreshing dessert: Honey Glazed Grilled Plums.  Boxes this week feature plums and/or pluots and these sweet stone fruits taste great with the added smokiness of the grill.

Honey Glazed Grilled Plums
Ingredients:
4 firm plums, halved and pitted (about 3/4 pound)
6 tablespoons honey
3 cups vanilla frozen yogurt

Method:
1.  Preheat a grill to medium.
2. Toss plums and 2 tablespoons honey in a large bowl. Liberally brush a grill rack with oil. Grill the plums, flesh side down, on the rack until lightly browned — about 3 minutes. Turn and grill on skin side until plums soften and are warmed through — 2 to 3 more minutes.
3. Serve 2 plum halves with 3/4 cup yogurt immediately.

Recipe adapted from The Daily Green .

Beet the heat! This week’s all-local Dogma Box is a colorful mix of New England bounty.  Purple Chioggia beets and green bell peppers complement bunches of carrots with tops on, blueberries and the white Daikon radish.

This week’s Dogma Box includes:

• Chioga Beets – Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Zucchini –   Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Green Bell Peppers  -  Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Kale -  Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Romaine Lettuce   -  Atlas Farm (S. Deerfield,  MA)
• Blueberries -   Dwight Miller & Son Orchards (E. Dummerston, VT)
• Bunch Carrots -Lakeside Organics (Hadley, MA)
• Chives -  Happy Valley Organics (Hadley, MA)
• Daikon Radishes - Deep Root Organic Coop (Johnston, VT)

Below are a few recipes chosen to satisfy your palate even in this heat! The recipes utilize many of the produce items that you’re receiving in this week’s Dogma Box.

Jazar wa Kusa (Zucchini and Carrots)

Quinoa Salad with Beets, Daikon Radish and Feta

Crispy Baked Radish Chips

What are you cooking this week? Feel free to share with us at any time! For more recipes, check out the Produce Info, Storage Tips and Recipes section on our website and browse recipes by item. Here you can find nutritional information, preparation tips, and recipes for each produce item we offer.  Happy eating from your friends at Boston Organics!

Boston Organics has started a new series of posts for Meatless Monday recipes in order to offer ideas for vegetarian dinners and also to encourage a reduction in weekly meat consumption.  This encourages a more sustainable lifestyle.  Meatless Mondays are a way to show our customers that vegetable-based meals can be hearty and delicious and that they are a nutritious and environmentally responsible way to eat.   This week’s featured recipe is for BBQ Beet Burgers.

    Image from The Hearty Herbivore

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup grated beets
1/2 cup cooked oats
1 cup uncooked oats
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. BBQ Sauce
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Kale or other leafy greens for topping
More BBQ Sauce for topping (optional)

Method:

Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Chill mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Using your hands, form patties (about 3 inches in diameter). Place patties 2 at a time in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until the patty begins to brown. Flip and repeat.

Serve over toasted bread or hamburger buns, topped with kale and BBQ Sauce.

Recipe adapted from The Hearty Herbivore

http://theheartyherbivore.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/bbq-beet-burgers/

It’s time for this week’s Summer Sweepstakes Bonus Point Challenge!  From now until the middle of August, customers can earn points for each delivery received during the Sweepstakes time period and for participating in our Weekly Promotion for bonus points.  Why accrue points?  So you, Loyal Customers, can win prizes!

If you have 10 or more points at the end of the Sweepstakes, you will be eligible to win one of our amazing prizes like your very own iPad!  This coveted tablet speaks for itself.  Connect to the internet and use it to read your weekly Boston Organics newsletter and to access our recipe index no matter where you go.

To earn a bonus point this week, we’re asking you to share your favorite recipe to make on a hot summer day! We’re looking for recipes that include fruits or veggies and don’t require much cooking. Post a recipe to our Facebookpage, share with us on Twitter, or email it to us to earn a point!

For more information on our Summer Sweepstakes, read about it on our blog!

What’s that colorful thing we see? Is it a candy cane? A target? Nope! It’s a delicious Chioggia beet, and we have plenty of them this week from Atlas Farm in Deerfield, MA. Chioggia beets are brightening up the boxes along with a plethora of local and organic summer veggies. Check out the newsletter to see what else is in store!

Carrot Tops.

While some roots have inedible greens, the leafy fronds atop carrots are indeed edible.  Like their cousin parsley, carrot greens are a brightening, refreshing accent to other foods.  The stalks may be a bit too fibrous at times, but the leaves taste like a more bitter version of a carrot and are great in salads, wilted on the stove top, or juiced.  They complement a tangy vinaigrette as well as sauteed vegetables.

The Color Wheel.

Carrots originated from the Middle East and became staples across Europe and America.  While most commonly recognized by their orange color, heirloom varieties come in numerous colors, each offering valuable nutrients.  This week we have bunched carrots in from Lakeside Organics in Hadley, MA.

Orange: The body converts the high content of beta carotene found in orange carrots into Vitamin A, essential to the immune system for general well-being and healthy eyes.

Yellow:  Yellow carrots are rich in xanthophylls, which help develop healthy eyes and aid in the fight against macular degeneration.  They may also be useful in preventing tumors associated with lung and other cancers.

Purple: Still usually orange on the inside, purple carrots get their pigment from an entirely different class, the anthocyanins.  These pigments act as very powerful antioxidants, grabbing and holding onto harmful free radicals in the body.  Anthocyanins also help prevent heart disease by slowing blood clotting.

White:  By their very nature white carrots lack pigment, but may contain other health-promoting substances called phytochemicals.  One would say these are the least healthy of carrots.

Each carrot  possesses a unique profile, but, regardless of color, they are all delicious and nutritious.   Using a variety of colors in your next meal may not only make it healthier, but certainly more beautiful.  This idea should always be kept in mind when cooking since we first eat with our eyes and then our mouths.