Grow-a-Row Day Camp Trip

I don't know if I ever mentioned what I do for a living, but I work at an after school program, and in the summers it's a six hour day camp.  I work in the inner city of Paterson, New Jersey.  The kids don't come from wealthy backgrounds and probably witness things no child should witness at any age in their neighborhoods.  During the day camp, we were provided food from New Jersey's Food Bank to serve the kids breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday.  The Food Bank offered a trip to a farm, called a "Grow-a-Row" farm.  Here's a link to learn more about what Grow-a-Row is.  The farm we went to was in Pittstown, New Jersey called Peaceful Valley Orchards.  This farm was very big, and we were there to have the kids pick their own corn and green beans.  The kids loved picking their own vegetables, some were very excited and ended up with bags too heavy for them to carry.  Hey, we warned them, "you pick it, you're carrying it." 

I brought home six ears of corn, which was very sweet corn, and many green beans.  Since I had brought some extra money, I thought I'd buy some things the farm was selling.  I bought some plums, two jars of jam, and a small cider drink.  The plums were very tiny, maybe a little bit bigger than the pits they encase.  They were also extremely juicy.  If I lived close to that farm, I know where I'd be getting my produce. 

I also mentioned I bought some jars of jam, and a bottle of cider.  The cider was peach cider, and I wished I bought more bottles, but that one bottle I bought was expensive. 

The jars of jam were worth every penny.  I have been using them on graham crackers, for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, as well as a morning English muffin or raisin cinnamon muffin.  I must  find this company and find out where they sell their products, since I don't live close to Pittstown. 

I never had a chance find a good corn recipe, so I just brought the ears over to my parents' to have for a Sunday dinner.  I did get to make a yummy vegetable medley with the green beans though. 

I cut up some zucchinis, red and yellow peppers, as well as the green beans and tossed them in some olive oil and garlic.  I think I served it as a side.  On the side of what, I can't remember.  This goes back to mid-July. 

Buddha's Delight

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, been very busy doing work while my boss was on a much needed and deserved vacation.  I've also been very busy with roller derby, I'm not a skater yet, but will be soon...hopefully.  Right now I do a lot of official stuff, like keep track of penalties, keep score, and time the penalty box.  Anyway, back to food.  This recipe is called Buddha's Delight and it's from The Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon.  I found it to be very easy to make and quite yummy. 

What you'll need:
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp raw sugar
2 cups cooked brown rice

You can also add broccoli florets, snow peas, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, tofu chunks, edamame, or any veggie you have on hand or enjoy in stir-fries.

First, cook onion in 1/4 cup of water over high heat. Once onion is translucent, add remaining vegetables.

Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, adding a little water as necessary until vegetables are cooked but still crisp, about 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix soy sauce and sugar together and pour over vegetables, stirring to coat.

Cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat and serve over a bed of cooked brown rice.

Enjoy!