Author: Adrian White

Adrian White is a certified herbalist, author, organic farmer, and freelance writer on subjects of health, wellness, nutrition, herbalism, and agriculture. Her book Herbalism: Plants & Potions That Heal was published through Arcturus Publishing and is available wherever books are sold. She is a past contributor to Healthline with bylines in The Guardian, Civil Eats, Good Housekeeping, and Rodale's Organic Life. Adrian is owner of Deer Nation Herbs and Jupiter Ridge LLC, an organic farm growing diverse vegetables, mushrooms, and herbs. On any given day you can find her jumping between writing or researching, reading books, experimenting with a new food or herbal creations, or tending to herbs, vegetables, or mushrooms on her farm in the Driftless Region of Iowa. Visit her Resume/CV page, hire her as a freelancer (writing, marketing, social media) for your projects, or book her for an herbal educational health consultation.
Beautiful Carrots | Iowa Herbalist

Jupiter Ridge CSA 2019 | Week 14

Adrian WhiteLeave a comment
Share This

Greetings CSA Members!

We hope you’ve been enjoying the fall weather (when it’s sunny out!) and the peak autumn foliage colors. It’s been a gorgeous show to observe up here in the Driftless….

For this week’s CSA share, you can expect:

  • Green Peppers
  • Spinach
  • Watermelon Radish New!
  • Acorn Squash
  • Purple Potatoes
  • Parsley
  • Mixed Orange and Yellow Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Sweet Onions
  • Red Onions
  • Garlic

For this share you’ll be seeing the return of some delicious favorites from the past — like Adirondack blue potatoes (though they look purple to most people), spinach, and (yay!) tasty carrots!

Beautiful Carrots | Jupiter Ridge Farm

We’ll also be introducing you to the wonderful watermelon radish (also called “beauty heart” radish) this week too, a veggie that is both beautiful and delectable. 

This lineup of produce we think will be perfect for getting those “autumnal” recipes going! Soups, stews, roasted root and squash medleys…if you have your own favorite recipes to share, we’d love to hear about them. (Someday, we hope to index a lot of our own favorite recipes here on our website, too!)

Watermelon Radishes | Explanation & Tips

Watermelon radishes are no doubt one of the top vegetables we look forward to in the fall. They’re a perfect addition to fall recipes and are very tasty, they last a long time…and they’re also some serious eye-candy.

Sliced Watermelon Radish | Jupiter Ridge Farm

Lots of people who come to our farmers market stand in Dubuque on Saturdays eye these roots and say “Turnips, right?” Our stock answer is of course “No – they’re arguably better. They’re watermelon radishes!” But in reality, another good answer would be “Kinda – yes!”

We then explain to them that yes, they kind of do look like turnips on the outside. But, after you slice them open (like above), they have gorgeous fuchsia-pink red flesh (giving the radish its name).

What’s wonderful about watermelon radishes (and winter radishes in general, the category watermelon radishes belong to – along with daikon radishes too!) is that you can use them either like a spring radish (fresh in salads) but also just like a turnip (roasted, cooked, boiled). With winter radishes, it’s like you get the best of both worlds– plus, they last a long time in storage through the cold months, just like a turnip or rutabaga. In some ways, they’re flavor is similar to a turnip – but notably less “creamy” and more “crisp.”

It’s true that many winter radishes can have some “spice” to them. Watermelon radishes fortunately tend to have the least heat of all, but if you don’t enjoy that heat, roasting and cooking them in any way completely obliterates it.

If you don’t mind some heat, we’re huge fans of cutting these radishes into matchsticks and mixing them into a salad — or, making them into a slaw with other tasty root vegetables like carrots and kale!

Need more winter radish (or watermelon radish) recipe ideas? Feel free to email us directly! | jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com

Watermelon Radish | Jupiter Ridge Farm
Sugar Snap Pea | Iowa Herbalist

Jupiter Ridge CSA 2019 | Week 13

Adrian WhiteLeave a comment
Share This

Hi CSA Members!

Our first bite of cold (REAL cold!) hit us this last Friday and set us up for a busy week! We spent the entire day (and part of the night, too) pulling in any possible fruit, vegetable, and herb that could be harmed by frost, with temperatures expected to dip to around 29 degrees Fahrenheit (and dip they did).

Sugar Snap Pea | Jupiter Ridge Farm
We harvested our sugar snap peas before the frost to make sure you enjoyed them at their highest quality possible.

What does this mean for all you CSA members? Though hot weather and various other crops have been damaged and/or killed off (such as basil, eggplants, peppers, and more), our walk-in cooler is stocked full of these foods to keep your CSA share varied, interesting, and delicious.

We also pulled in several varieties of winter squash, garlic, and onions into our indoor stores, too! As such, you’ll have plenty of these delicacies to enjoy up until the very end of your share, and even for Thanksgiving!

Without further ado, here’s what to look forward to this week:

  • Sweet (Red and Green) Peppers 
  • Hot Pepper Mix
  • Sugar Snap Peas New!
  • Kale Bunch
  • Small Cabbage
  • Eggplants
  • Norland (Red) Potatoes
  • Red Onions
  • Sweet Onions
  • Shallots
  • Garlic
What’s The Deal With Shallots? | Explanation & Tips

This week isn’t the first time you’ve gotten shallots in your share, and it most certainly won’t be the last.

Shallot | Jupiter Ridge Farm

These alliums (vegetable members of the onion family, which includes leeks, garlic, and onions) have the look and feel of a garlic clove, but a closer flavor to an onion.

When used raw, they are extremely flavorful; the epitome of the pungent onion! When cooked, however, their flavor softens to become sweeter and more mild. They are versatile in this way.

In our experience up here at Jupiter Ridge cooking all sorts of odds and ends, we think shallots go exceptionally well with beef, steak, burgers, shiitake mushrooms, and anything with a savory flavor – shallots really help elevate that. Shallots are especially well-known for being cooked with wine (both red and white) or sherry. 

If you’ve ever been to a grocery store and checked the price tag on shallots: yes, they’re expensive! They’re one fancy onion.

For this reason, take care to use your shallot(s) wisely and well – shallots aren’t like other onions, where they can play a “background” flavor in soups or stews, for example. The flavor of shallots is truly exceptional and divine, and you don’t want it to go to waste. Make sure to use it for a very, very special meal where its flavors can shine!

Wellness Spotlight On: Hot Peppers

Farmer Will here considers hot peppers his favorite “medicinal herb” (or food, depending on how you look at it). Nothing clears you up better than going out for a night of medicinal hot wings.

Hot Peppers | Jupiter Ridge Farm
Jalapeños, habaneros, and hot yellow pickling peppers pictured.

In classic herbalism, most folks might be acquainted with cayenne pepper as the go-to healing hot pepper. In reality, though, all hot peppers are therapeutic in the same way, but in varying degrees according to their Scoville units (heat levels).

All hot peppers also contain “capsaicin,” too, to varying degrees (the chemical in hot peppers that make them spicy) – but this is also the “healing” compound in the fruit. If you haven’t noticed yet, this capsaicin can really help clear out your sinuses! Some other things hot peppers can help with:

  • Boosting immunity
  • Increasing circulation
  • Improving heart health
  • Relieving topical pain (not recommended if you’re not a professional!)
  • Fighting colds and sinus infections
  • Detoxing/cleansing of parasites
  • Breaking fevers

In your share this week, you’ll be getting a good deal of jalapeños (fairly hot), yellow hot pickling peppers (don’t be fooled – these are surprisingly hot too), and a few serranos (about as hot as jalies) and maybe some habaneros (HOT!)

If you want to use these in a medicinal way sometime later (maybe in the winter when cold and flu season really ramps up), try pickling/canning them or drying them to help keep them preserved until you need them. Add them liberally to food when you’re feeling stuffy or a cold coming on – if you’re interested in the more “herbalist” aspects of using these, feel free to send us an email! (Or share with us your own suggestions/recipes!)

–  jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com – 

Sliced Daikon | Iowa Herbalist

Jupiter Ridge 2019 CSA | Week 12

Adrian WhiteLeave a comment
Share This

Hello CSA Members –

It finally feels like the cold and rain have officially pushed us into fall!

This Saturday it was so rainy, windy, and cold we decided to skip farmers market – a tough decision, but we’re grateful to have kept our onions dry. In all the time we would have usually spent picking and packing for market, instead we finished pulling in all our squash, picking the last of our heat-loving crops, and even dehydrating some food for winter.

It also means we’ll still have quite a bit of variety for you for the weeks ahead!

*Important Note!* CSA Deliveries will be taking place on Wednesday evening rather than Tuesday evening this week. Be sure to leave out your coolers and ice packs then!

Here’s what you can expect this week:

  • Acorn Squash
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Eggplants
  • Purple Daikon Radishes New!
  • Apples New!
  • Baby Beets
  • Kennebec (White) Potatoes
  • Cabbage
  • Red Onion
  • Shallots
  • Garlic
  • Sage
Daikon Radish: What Is It? | Explanation & Tips

Never had daikon radishes before? Then you’re in for a real treat – and for a brush-in with some truly beautiful produce.

Daikon Radish | Jupiter Ridge Farm

If you’re familiar with Asian or Middle Eastern cuisine, it’s very likely you’ve had a taste of this radish before. It’s sure to have been a memorable experience: daikon radishes can get HOT! (Though not as hot as horse radish!) Think of your typical small spring radish, but with more of a bite or a kick.

Don’t like the heat? No problem! Try roasting up this spicy root much like you’d roast up turnips, beets, or rutabagas – its heat will vanish through the roasting (or baking) process. (I especially recommend a “daikon radish fries” recipe, fried up in oil, salt, and spices!)

If you love its spiciness: try pickling it as a garnish for future preparations; or, better yet, grating or cutting it into matchsticks for a slaw or salad. It goes well with carrots, cabbage, lettuce, apples (which will also be in your share this week!) and many other fresh-tasting veggies. Mix it up with a creamy sauce, mayonnaise, or salad dressing. It is absolutely delicious.

If you like street tacos, it goes well with mahi mahi/tuna tacos with a bit of red cabbage!!!

Sliced Daikon | Jupiter Ridge Farm
Daikon radish sliced open. Beautiful!

Have any questions or want some tips, guidance, or recipe ideas on daikon radishes? Don’t hesitate to email us!

Also feel free to share your own recipes with us – we love to share!

– jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com –

Apples in Your CSA Share This Week!!! | Explanation & Tips

We have a couple apple trees on our property, and they’re all ripe and ready to go – so expect apples in your share this week!

Apples | Jupiter Ridge Farm
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Some info about these apples: they’re a “storage” type, meaning they’re just a tad less sweet and not so much for enjoying as a sweet crunchy snack eaten raw. On the other hand, since they have less sugar content, they last a much longer time in your pantry. They’re best used instead for making stuff like scrumptious ciders, breads, and pies! Since it’s fall anyway, we thought these would be a great treat for you to get ready for the fun baking spirit that usually comes with autumn.

Fun Apple Wellness Tip! Did you know apples have antimicrobial and astringent properties? This means they help kill bacteria/pathogens with some “cleansing” properties. One folk/herbalist tip I’ve gleaned in my studies: if you don’t have time to brush your teeth, eat an apple!

I know it sounds crazy, but apparently its astringent flesh and skins, plus its antimicrobial compounds, have a sort of “scrubbing” effect when you eat it (a bit of a “flossing” effect, too, when the flesh gets in between your teeth). Since these apples we’re sending you have less sugar (which is better for teeth), maybe consider giving it a try….though of course, brushing and flossing is HANDS DOWN better than eating an apple for your dental hygiene.

Apple | Jupiter Ridge Farm
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Let us know if you have any questions! ~ | jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com

Jupiter Ridge 2019 CSA | Week 11

Adrian WhiteLeave a comment
Share This

Greetings CSA Members!

We’re wondering if you’re asking the same question we’ve been asking this weather: is it fall yet? Or is it still summer?!

If so, we’re just as confused as you are. It’s been cool and rainy for a good stretch of days, but summer isn’t going quietly – we’re still getting 80 degree days and bright sunshine (October beach time plans, anyone?)!

Anyways, this week’s share will be full of a dazzling array of goodies, very much embodying the weird late summer/early fall season we happen to be stuck in – not that we’re complaining. This lineup of veggies looks pretty good to us, and we hope it looks good to you!!!!

What to expect this week:

  • Collard Greens New!
  • Bunched Spinach New!
  • Tomatoes (Slicers, Heirlooms, Cherries, or Mix)
  • Sweet Dumpling Squash New! (Very Sweet Squash!)
  • Potato Medley (Purple, White, Red, Fingerling)
  • Cabbage
  • Garlic
  • Parsley Bunch
  • Sweet Onion
  • Red Onion

…plus, once in a while, we include some extra surprise items in your share that aren’t listed last minute (we’re sure you’ve noticed!).

As you can see, we have some new produce for you to try mixed with some familiar staples and favorites. Since we don’t have anything TOO exotic or new that we’re sharing with you this week, we don’t have an explanation/tips section (and skipping our wellness section so we can stay on top of some stuff today up at the farm…but it will be back soon, don’t worry).

However….

…if you DO have questions about your share, don’t hesitate to contact us with your inquiries or ideas! We love to hear from you.

– jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com –

Collard Bunches
Collard greens! Use them much like kale as a cooked green (same health benefits, too). Its flavor makes a killer combo with anything pork-related: tenderloin, bacon, ham, you name it.

Jupiter Ridge 2019 CSA | Week 10

Adrian WhiteLeave a comment
Share This

Greetings CSA Members!

Rainy weeks are upon us as we edge into the very first “official” days of fall. We’re happy to report, however, that we still have plenty of summertime produce for our members – and the next couple weeks may be the the last few chances you get to taste it, as well as in this share going out tomorrow.

With that said, we do have some new items for you this week!

What to expect:

  • Summer Squash (Patty Pan, Zucchini, Crookneck, or Mix)
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Potatoes (Fingerlings)
  • Shallots (New!)
  • Tomatoes (Heirloom, Slicers, Cherries, or Mix)
  • Spinach (New!)
  • Cabbage
  • Basil
  • Thyme
  • Ground Cherries (New!)

Lots of new stuff for you to try, as you can see – and scroll down to read about some of the new items you’ll be getting.

Enjoy your share!

Ground Cherries: What Are They? | Explanation and Tips

Meet ground cherries: one of the new items in your share. I can only best describe them as a combination between a tomatillo, cherry tomato, strawberry, and fig in terms of flavor, texture, and use!

Ground Cherries | Jupiter Ridge Farm

Now that you’ve uncovered these in your CSA cooler, you might wonder: what do I do with these??? They may look strange, but using them and enjoying them is extraordinarily simple.

Our first suggestion: just eat them on their own as a treat. Carefully pull away their outer wrapping and munch away. You’ll quickly see why people grow them and why they’re so delicious and addictive on their very own! (The first time Will and I harvested these, we ate about 3/4 of them. 0% guilt, 100% satisfied). We’re sure kids will especially love them, too, as they are very sweet and easy to like.

Second suggestion: make them last: dehydrate them! If you have a dehydrator, slice each of them in half with a sharp knife and place them on your trays. I’d recommend you look up the exact specifications for temperature etc. for proper dehydration, though my guess is that the recommended settings are similar to cherry tomatoes or for homemade raisins/craisins.

Third: add them to a salsa or sauce. Delicious! If you’ve ever made a salsa or sauce with strawberry, you can bet that similar ingredients that pair well with that sweet strawberry flavor go well with the ground cherry flavor, too. Yum…just yum. (We recommend you look up recipes online, too).

Fourth: make a ground cherry jam! We’re not going to give you enough ground cherries in your share this week to make a jam (or jelly) most likely, but we’re almost 100% sure that once you taste these sweet treats, you’ll want to buy more – maybe enough to make a jam with them. (Ground cherries are fairly available, even in Cedar Rapids. Go looking for some more, though we’re sure ground cherry jam is something you can easily find and buy at local specialty stores/farmers markets!)

Wellness Spotlight On: Thyme

You’ve gotten thyme in your share before this year, and we’re sure you’ve probably already cooked once or twice with it, too.

Thyme | Jupiter Ridge Farm
A small sprig of thyme.

For those interested in the health properties of thyme, you’re in for a real treat: thyme may be one of the most important herbal healing remedies out there. It not only imparts great health benefits into the meals you cook using it, but it stands on its own as an amazing herb in and of itself (for teas, steams, bitters, you name it!)

So what does it do? Short answer: so, so, so much. Long answer: too long for a blog post! But, in summary:

  • Thyme is excellent for boosting immunity.
  • Thyme may support health while fighting colds and flu.
  • Thyme tea may help soothe a sore throat.
  • Thyme can help with coughs, especially wet coughs.
  • Did you know? Natural ingredients from thyme are used in Vapo-Rub and similar products (wow!) for helping with congestion!
  • Thyme has also been a popular “folk herb” for women, especially mothers who are either pregnant or post-partum.
  • Thyme can help with nausea and motion sickness, much like ginger.

That’s all for now!

We hope you savor every bit of produce, herb, and berry (er, ground cherry!) in your delicious share this week. It’s a pleasure being your farmer!

As always, let us know if you have any questions – email us your ideas or recipe suggestions, too. We love to share!

– jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com –

Yours,
Adrian & Will | Jupiter Ridge Farm