Cascadian Farm Organic Goodness

Summer is winding down (as much as we don’t want to admit it) and aside from school starting soon; many kids are also getting back on the field for fall sports. Between getting your kids in their uniforms and driving the car pool to practice, the last thing on you mind is packing a healthy snack to keep them going during and after practice. But don’t worry, we’re here to help with a list of quick and healthy snacks that will keep your kids moving all season long. One of which is our spiced cereal trail mix your kids are sure to love.

Do you have any healthy snack ideas? If so, feel free to share them in the comment box.

Half-Time Snacks: Give your kids fruit during half time, this way they’ll get charged up without filling up.

•Orange slice

•Easy-peel Clementines

•Grapes

•Cantaloupe or watermelon chunks

•Strawberries

Post-Game Snacks: After the game, they will have more time to eat and they will surely be hungry.

Early morning games:

•Whole-wheat mini-bagels with cream cheese and jelly

•Mini-yogurt cups

•Granola bars

•Whole-grain muffins

Just before lunch games:

•String cheese

•Half sandwiches on whole-wheat bread (PB&J, turkey & cheese, etc.)

•Peanut butter on celery sticks

For afternoon games:

•Popcorn and baby carrots

•Whole-grain crackers and cheese

Spiced Cereal Trail Mix

There’s nothing more synonymous with summer than sweet corn. It has become an essential part of any summertime cook out. We love to eat it and we love to grow it. At Cascadian Farm we grow our sweet corn organically. Which means we don’t use any synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms (GMOs), making it good for you and for the land.

Yes, organic sweet corn tastes delicious, but it also has many great health benefits that you should take note of. It’s a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese.

Aside from eating sweet corn right off the cob, there are many great recipes to incorporate it into your diet. Here are some of our favorites. Enjoy!

Roasted Tomato- Corn Chowder

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Creamy Corn and Broccoli Chowder

Also known as a Dutch baby, pannekoeken are Dutch pancakes baked in the oven that become puffed along the edges. They are then filled with every variety of fruit, jams, baked apples and savory varieties with bacon and sautéed vegetables and a bit of shredded cheese and served for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

These were a favorite of mine when I was younger, made by the neighbor across the street. She shared her recipe with my mom one day and my love affair with the simple pancake was set in stone. Pannekoeken are easy to throw together, and they bake just long enough that you can whip them up, toss them in the oven and sneak in a morning shower while they bake.

We are finally seeing peaches here, and I have been patiently waiting for them as others talk of crumbles and cobblers. I ate half of mine fresh with my kids, not bothering with batters and baking, and then the other half were lightly cooked in a pannekoek after being tossed with some raw apple blossom honey for dinner later the same night.

Honey Peach Pannekoeken

¼ cup butter

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 ½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 ½ sliced ripe peaches

2-3 tablespoons of raw honey

Heat oven to 400º F.  Place the butter in a heat-proof 10" or 11" frying pan with rounded edges or cast iron skillet or a 9"x13" glass baking pan and set in the oven.  Beat together eggs and milk.  Add in the flour and salt and whisk until batter is smooth.

When the oven is preheated and butter in your pan is completely melted, carefully pour the batter into the pan.  Close the oven door and bake for 20 minutes until pancake is puffed around edges.  Mix together peaches and honey.  Place peaches in the center of the pancake and continue cooking 5–10 minutes more until edges are a light golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

This past weekend I was on a mission. Inspired by an amazing stack of Vanilla Blueberry Almond Pancakes (at my favorite breakfast spot, the Coffee Cup) I was determined to bake a loaf of bread that combined those delicious flavors. And since I love baking Banana Bread, because it’s so quick and easy, I wanted to come up with a bread recipe for the summer time – using blueberries. This bread makes a perfect breakfast or snack with your afternoon tea. Add a glaze, it’s a tasty dessert. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did – I baked 3 loaves!

1 cup organic blueberries, washed and dried

1/4 cup sliced almonds (plus a few more to sprinkle on top)

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (plus ¼ cup to coat berries & nuts)

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla

Pre-heat the oven to 325°. Grease a 8.5” x 4.5” loaf pan.

Toss the berries and almonds with 1/4 cup of flour to keep them from sinking in the batter.

In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of flour, oats, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Fold in the almonds and blueberries.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 55 - 65 minutes, rotating the pan partway through. Allow bread to cool completely before slicing.

Photos by Kari Burks

The farmers market is in full swing, with new vegetables and fruits being added each week. Just this past week we returned from the farmers market with eight different varieties of vegetables to use in our family meals, among them a large bunch of radishes and 3 heads of kohlrabi.

After using radishes on a steak sandwich and making a kohlrabi slaw, I moved on to pickling the rest. I appreciate pickling because it extends the life of the vegetables, but I also like having a bit of tangy crunch on the side of my plate at dinnertime. Something about the taste of a freshly pickled vegetable, still crisp and with a distinct bite.

I like to use pickled radishes and kohlrabi on burgers and barbecue, as well as to top off midday salads or in place of pickles on a sandwich. They're also wonderful alone, just sitting as a salad on the side of my dinner plate.

Pickled Radish and Kohlrabi Chips

1 bunch radishes (10-12)

2 heads kohlrabi

3 small onions

¼ cup pickling salt

1 ½ cups vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon celery seeds

1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

1 tablespoon mustard seed

Peel the green portion off the kohlrabi. Cut the bulb in half and thinly slice. Thinly slice radishes and onions. Add pickling salt and one quart of ice water together. Pour over the sliced vegetables and allow to sit for at least two hours. Drain the salt water and rinse vegetables thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, celery seeds, peppercorns and mustard seeds to a boil. Boil for three minutes and pour over vegetables. Store the pickle chips in an airtight container in the fridge. They can be processed and canned as well, or they can be eaten fresh from the fridge. Make at least one day ahead for best results if eating fresh.

Makes 3-4 cups of pickle chips with juice.

Hello Friends! Can you believe it’s the first weekend in August already? Out of any season, it’s summer that always seems to fly by so fast. It must be because we’re all having so much fun in the sun! Here to kick-start your weekend are some great links that came through our organic feed this week. There are a couple of great recipes here that would be great to whip up this weekend. Enjoy!

Friendship Bracelets- Are your kids bored yet this summer? Well here’s a fun project that they should enjoy. Here’s a great article on making friendship bracelets from our friends at Make it From Scratch- makeitfromscratch.blogspot.com

Sustainable NYC- There have been so many sustainable stores popping up all around the country. We’re really excited to hear about it. Here’s an article about one that opened in New York City. Check it out.- twitter.com/figandsage

Cherry Almond Crumb Bars- Here’s another great recipe to try from our friend Shaina. – foodformyfamily.com

Design & Print Your Own Organic Textiles- Create your own designs and get them printed on just about anything. How cool is that? Here’s a great article about how it works. -mysweetgreens.com

Sweet Corn- There’s nothing sweeter than sweet corn. And here’s a great article with some delicious recipes all about it. -simplegoodandtasty.com

Photo By: Shaina Olmanson

Growing up radishes to me were crudités on platter filled with more crudités like carrots, celery and cauliflower. I would eat them every once in a while, curious as to what the red orbs tasted like, and I was always surprised when they had a bite. I still am to this day.

For my husband, his radish experience started in the garden and ended atop a peanut butter sandwich. Yes, he consumed many a peanut butter and radish sandwich in his day, a combination I have not yet tried. Though I do have to say I’m intrigued at the texture addition to the peanut butter sandwich.

Then there is the classic bread, butter and radish combo that so many people speak of, and that is what I was considering when I veered my mind in a similar but different direction and landed on this sandwich, one that started in my garden.

As we readied to leave for a few days, I considered what would spoil while we were gone, and I knew I couldn’t let the cucumbers and radishes go to waste, not to mention the large crop of romaine or the tomatoes that seem to be turning red daily now. A few Greek seasonings later, a sandwich was born.

A Radish Sandwich

2 slices of whole wheat bread of choice

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 whole romaine leaf

3 thinly sliced tomatoes

2 tablespoons feta cheese

2 tablespoons homemade tzatziki

Layer sandwich: bread > tzatziki > radishes > feta > tomatoes > romaine > bread. Cut in half and enjoy. If you’re looking for a bit more, try grilling the sandwich after it’s assembled until the outside is nice and golden brown.

Makes 1 sandwich.

Photos by Shaina Olmanson

Can it be? Is this really the first week of August? Wow, the summer has really flown by. As we look back over the summer, we have had so many amazing recipes come through our organic feed. So, we thought it would be fun to pick our favorites and share them with you. We would love to hear how you enjoy them, let us know what you think in the comment box below.

Easy Summer Dessert: Strawberry-Apricot Galette:

Ginger-Soy Beef Tenderloin Kebabs:

Vanilla Bean Gelato:

Smoked Barbecue Ribs:

Grilled Artichokes and Easy Garlic Aioli:

Photos By Shaina Olmanson