Got Veggies? Then Juice!

This time of year, this farmer gets so darn busy that enjoying the fruits (um veggies) of my labor sometimes just doesn't happen.  Who has time to cook when there are SO MANY vegetables to pick? (Not to mention water, fertilize, weed and plant).

Not that I don't eat them, I just tend to "graze" a lot on raw things while in the fields (carrots, kale leaves, turnips, raw potatoes) and then collapse with a piece of toast and a fried egg when the necessity for sleep hits me.   But this year my husband has helped us to take the next step in actual eating all the Willowood Farm veggies in a quick and convenient way for this ridiculously busy farmer - he got a juicer!
Now this thing is a bit scary!  It's got a lot of bottoms and some scary looking blades, numerous screens and assorted wonky gadgets and straps and what not.  (And my husband says I HAVE TO clean it IMMEDIATELY after every use.  Okay, yes, okay honey....)
But after about a month of being completely intimidated by the thing, I finally conquered my fear and...what fun!  Turning my fresh veggies into an elixir of tasty goodness (the fine dry pulp it spits out is great for the compost pile too!).  This combined with the fact that I've been delivering fresh veggies to the new health food store on Front Street in Coupeville and sampling all the delicious smoothies they make has really sparked my interest (and taste buds!) in juicing.  Check out Eagles Song in Coupeville if you want to try some really great fresh vegetable/fruit juices without the hassle of cleaning the juicer - http://www.eaglessonghealth.com

Some of the things we have been juicing from the garden are "green" leaves of all types, including kale, lettuce, pac choi, mustard greens, collards, turnip greens and then beets and beet greens, carrots and kohlrabi.  And this is just a start!
Now, according to what little I've read about the topic, juicing is a great health benefit because raw juice is chock full of nutrients and because it allows you to easily eat a lot more of your veggies than you might on a given day.  But..."green juice" (i.e. the juice made from green leaves) is such powerful stuff that it is best to start out slow and not overdo it.  They also tend to the bitter side so adding a "sweetener" either carrots or apples is a great way to naturally cut the bitter.  And a half a lemon or lime is also a great "brightener" and seems to give the juice that extra little oomph.  Ginger is good too - but not too much!  Here is another great website with loads of tips on juicing - www.juicingbook.com
And so why am I talking about all this today?  Well...because we have a lot of great veggies that are perfect for juicing this week at the farmer's markets in Coupeville and Bayview!  And on that note, here is the complete list...
Coming FRESH FROM EBEY'S PRAIRIE today to the Coupeville and Bayview farmer's markets:
From Willowood Farm:
* "Green Juice" bags (aka saute/braising bags...a mix of baby pac choi, turnip greens and mustard greens)
* Carrot bunches
 * Kohlrabi
* Lettuce heads
* Mesclun (aka spring mix) bags
* Arugula bags
* Lettuce Mix bags
* Broccoli
* Romanesco Cauliflower
* Shelling Peas
* Basil
* New Potatoes
* Kale bunches
* Japanese turnips (red and white)
* Walla Walla Onion bunches
* Garlic scapes
* Fresh garlic
* Bulb Fennel
* Artichokes
From our friends and neighbors at Prairie Bottom Farm:
* Spinach
* Chard
* Cress
* Endive
* Head Lettuce
* Lettuce Mix
* Broccoli
* Cauliflower
* Beets - Golden and Red
* Spring Onion bunches
From Ebey Road Farm:
* Emmer
And Michael from Whidbey Green Goods will have (Bayview market only):
* Snow and sugar snap peas
* Cherries!

Hope to see you at market!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie