Week 40--Strawberries

I realize Summer is behind us but our Farmer's Market is still bursting with strawberries all around so I decided to feature them this week.   Yesterday we spent the day at Alba Organics and we had the opportunity to pick super sweet and ripe strawberries.

Here is a description from their website : http://www.albafarmers.org/ALBA%20Organics.htm "The Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA) creates opportunities for aspiring and limited-resource farmers, including farm workers and others, to start small farm businesses. We are a non-profit organization that provides classroom education, hands-on training, and access to farmland and equipment. These resources are crucial for small-scale, beginning farmers, but selling produce is often the greatest challenge.

In 2002, ALBA established ALBA Organics as a licensed produce distributor to support the sales and sales training needs of ALBA farmers. The on-farm coolers, warehouse, and delivery infrastructure at the ALBA farm near Salinas are major assets for both the farmers and the organization. ALBA Organics connects its customers with the highest-quality product available in season, and offers the opportunity to support small-scale, limited-resource and beginning farmers."

In college, as a final project for an Environmental Justice class our group worked with ALBA.  We learned a lot about small scale farming and what difficult work it is for organic farmers to remain afloat, reach markets, and compete with big agricultural corporations.  It is perhaps for this reason that I don't mind shelling out top dollar for local organic produce because I know that the price reflects the real cost of production because organic produce doesn't get kickbacks from the government like some agricultural commodities such as corn, soy, alfalfa, etc.

So, on with the food.  This week I prepare a Kale, Beet, and Carrot Slaw with Strawberries. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of dino kale, stemmed and sliced thinly

3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

5 carrots (I used purple, orange, and yellow, freshly picked too!) shredded.

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

1 cup of strawberries, sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Dressing

Juice of one lemon

3TB apple cider vinegar

1TB Olive Oil

1tsp thyme

salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine kale, beets, carrots, onion, and strawberries.

2. In a small bowl whisk all dressing ingredients.  Pour into large bowl and combine.  Top with almonds and serve.

3. Enjoy!