This week's share feels really festive, probably because we're including roselle again, but also because there are other colorful foods to prepare fun meals with.  People often tell us that they join the CSA because it helps them get out of boring shopping ruts.  At the grocery store everything always looks the same and finding inspiration to make new and exciting meals out of the same limited selection of vegetables every day of your life is really hard.  We get it.  That's also part of the reason why we became farmers.  We were also bored with the options at the grocery store and wanted access to real food with as much variation as nature has to offer.  We hope this week's share inspires some sizzling colorful meals in your kitchen.

 IN THE SHARE THIS WEEK:

Purple daikon radishes are our new favorite variety.  They are relatively easy to grow (just gotta keep a keen eye out for aphids which LOVE radish tops and can wipe out a whole crop over a weekend if they are left to their own devices), they are super mild in flavor with a nice balanced texture somewhere between crisp and tender and most impressive is their coloring.  The shade of purple is really beautiful and the starburst of color at the core surrounded by a ring of color along the edge makes a striking pattern.  These guys are best eaten raw however you might enjoy a raw radish... as part of a crudite (crudites are traditional French appetizers consisting of sliced or whole raw vegetables which are typically dipped in a vinaigrette or other dipping sauce), on tacos, on toast (like fancy toast with cream cheese and herbs or avocado) or as part of a snack. 

Roselle is also known by many other names in different cultures, mostly cultures that surround us here in South Florida.  In Jamaica it is known as Sorrel, which also refers to a holiday drink made with this beautiful plant.  In Mexico it is known as Flor de Jamaica, which again is a refreshing drink you can get pretty much anywhere in Mexico.  We've also known it as Florida Cranberry and you've probably had it or heard of it as Hibiscus tea.  Roselle is in fact a hibiscus family member, but it's an annual crop that flowers only once and produces unusual fleshy pods after blooming.  Technically speaking the pod is the flowers calyx which swells around a woody seed pod after the flower fades.  The part used for eating and making drinks is the bright red and juicy calyx.  If you were to google this product you'd find it is plentiful in a dried version.  It is almost impossible to find it fresh because it is only in season for a few short weeks and only in the tropics.  We've been including fresh Roselle in our CSA for many years, but this year we are extra proud of our crop because for the first time ever it was grown by our main man Chris French.  Chris started French Farms 4 years ago and has been one of the main growers for our CSA.  You'll see his name pop up all over the place in the list of CSA veggies every week.  Ok, so Roselle, how to use it...  When you are ready to make a drink you'll want to  peel away the fleshy part away from the woody seed pod inside.  The seed pods are discarded.  The fleshy parts (pictured above after the seed pod is discarded) are either stored in the fridge for up to a week, dried in a dehydrator for long storage or used right away.  There are millions of recipes for making Roselle drinks.  We are particularly fond of adding lemongrass and honey to make an iced tea, but the Jamaican holiday version includes cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, rum and other fruits and it's good either cold or warm depending on the freaky tropical winter weather!

Did you know that grapefruit is full of amazing health benefits?  It's full of vitamins and antioxidants. Vitamin C: A powerful, water-soluble antioxidant that is present in high amounts in grapefruit. It may protect cells from damage that often leads to heart disease and cancer.  Beta-carotene: It's converted into vitamin A in the body and thought to help reduce the risk of some chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer and eye-related disorders like macular degeneration.  Lycopene: Known for its potential ability to prevent the development of certain types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. May also help slow the growth of tumors and decrease the side effects of common cancer treatments. Flavanones: Their anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. Grapefruit also contains a lot of water and is, therefore, very hydrating. In fact, water makes up most of the fruit's weight.  There are almost 4 ounces (118 ml) of water in half of a medium grapefruit, which accounts for about 88% of its total weight.  After all of those fun facts, check out this recipe for Broiled Grapefruit with Cinnamon, we think it looks like the yummiest and healthiest dessert!

Corn again because we gotta take advantage of it while we can! 

French Farms posted this picture on instagram of his brassica field a few days ago.  Impressively neat.  The brassica family includes many of the most common western vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and even arugula and mustard.  We like to give you guys lots of greens in the CSA and this season our bunching greens have been a bit late to start, but alas, this week we get to hand out the first kale and chard bunches of the year.  Hopefully we'll be able to keep them coming so get ready to sautee, steam, fill dumplings, juice or however you like to eat your greens.