Garden Happenings: Nasturtiums in the Garden, and Sticky Sesame & Scallion Carrots
#29: Fall Happenings @ Featherstone Garden
Welcome to Vol. #3 of Featherstone’s Fall Happenings Newsletter. Each week we will share a rotating variety of garden updates: from heirloom seasonal produce features, to veg-ed(ucation) content, farm stand news, plant-centered recipes, community partners, and more. As a subscriber, you will be the first to know all about our Garden Happenings. If you’re not a newsletter subscriber but would like to be, click below to sign up.
Nasties (Nasturtiums) in the Garden
Nasturtiums, affectionately referred to as nasties in our garden and in many kitchens, are important and dynamic plants in our little urban ecosystem. Planted in early spring, they are at their peak right now in the garden— looking extra bushy and beautiful along the perimeter of many of our raised garden beds. This year we grew two varieties: Empress of India, and Kaleidoscope.
Nasturtiums for Pest Control / Companion Planting
Planting nasturtiums with cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers may help repel cucumber beetles, white-flies, aphids, and squash bugs. Nasturtium flowers are also attractive to many pollinators who double as pollinators for the fruit and veggie flowers blooming nearby.
Culinary Uses for Nasturtium
Nasturtium leaves look like little lily pads and have a peppery-minty flavor that some liken to horseradish. Young leaves, and mature leaves (torn up) are a flavorful addition to salads. They also can be used as a substitute for fresh herbs to top stir fry and pasta (last week we topped our Szechuan stir fry kit with young nasturtium leaves). Nasturtium flowers are edible and have the same flavor as the leaves. The flowers are often used in restaurants to add a vibrant finishing touch to dishes and cocktails. Even unripe nasturtium seed pods are edible- they can be used to make a ‘caper’ of sorts (recipe here). Another culinary use for an abundance of nasturtium leaves is to make an herbaceous infused vinaigrette (recipe here).
Roasted Sticky Sesame & Scallion Carrots
By Renee Sandoval
Fall is officially here, and what better way to celebrate the beginning of the new season than with a healthy dose of root vegetables? This recipe was originally featured on Featherstone’s Garden Goodness Blog. We drizzled the carrots with our homemade orange sesame dressing (recipe here), which you may remember if you were a salad kit subscriber. In this recipe, I’m substituting an easier 5-ingredient tahini dressing to drizzle on top of the roasted carrots, and I find the nutty richness and velvety texture of tahini to pair perfectly and balance out the flavors of the sticky maple balsamic glazed carrots.
Yields: 2-3 servings
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots (about 6-8), halved
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinaigrette
1 Tbsp maple syrup (preferably grade A)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Pinch of toasted sesame seeds (black or white)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 scallions stems
Drizzle of tahini dressing (mix 1/3 cup tahini + 2 Tbsp water + 2 Tbsp lemon + 1 tsp olive oil + pinch of salt) *optional
Directions:
Step 1
Place a tinfoil lined baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450°F. (This step allows you to heat up the pan so the carrots start to cook immediately when placed on the pan, resulting in crispier carrots).
Step 2
Cut carrots in half lengthwise. In a large bowl, toss carrots with olive oil, balsamic vin, maple syrup, and pinch of crushed red peppers, salt & pepper.
Step 3
Remove the hot pan from the oven, and carefully place the glazed carrots cut-side-down. Drizzle the leftover glaze from the bowl, and add an extra dash of salt & pepper for good measure, then place at the bottom rack of the oven. Roast carrots for 14-18 minutes, or until slightly browned on top.
Tip: Take the opportunity to make your tahini dressing while carrots are in the oven.
Garnish
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, scallions, and a drizzle of tahini dressing.
Enjoy!
Notes to our Stir Fry / Microgreens / Bread & Spread Subscribers:
This week, our Culinary Subscribers will be receiving one (or all) of the sustenance below. Signup for the final 3-weeks of our subscription kits—details below!
Signup for our Culinary Subscriptions
It’s not too late! If you would like to sign up for the remaining 3-weeks of either of our subscriptions (Stir Fry / Bread & Spread / Microgreens), we will continue offering member signups on a rolling basis throughout the duration of our subscription timeline. Head to the link below to sign up.
*STIR FRY KIT SUBSCRIBERS: Just in case you need it, we’re sharing a digital (print-friendly) version of our Stir Fry Kit assembly instructions. Click here to download! If you would like to exclusively use our downloadable version and opt out of receiving a paper copy in your weekly kit, please email Annie at annie@featherstonegarden.com.
Links worth checking out
For your reading pleasure, the team members at Featherstone will occasionally share an article we found to be a worthwhile read, which we’re calling our ‘pick of the week’. We hope you enjoy!
Annie’s Pick: Ben’s Friends Comes to Hazel Park to Support Local Food Workers
This week the Detroit Metro Times published an article about a national organization, Ben’s Friends, starting a Detroit chapter that’s specifically for restaurant workers seeking help with addiction. Featherstone has sold to many restaurants over the years and it has given me the opportunity to meet and befriend many incredibly hard working and talented individuals in the industry- many of whom have struggled with alcoholism or addiction at some point in their life. I am encouraged to see local chefs and others leading the initiative to assist food-workers struggling with addiction. If think you or someone you know could benefit Ben’s Friends, the Detroit chapter meets at 11 a.m. every Monday at Frame, 23839 John R Rd., Hazel Park; framehazelpark.com. More information on Ben’s Friends, including information about national virtual meetings, visit bensfriendshope.com.
Renee’s Pick: The Weekday Vegetarians Cookbook, reviewed by Maya Meredith
I love reading cookbook reviews by Maya of The Kitchen Review of Books. In her latest newsletter, she highlights an approachable vegetarian cookbook, written by Jenny Rosenstrach. In an effort to decrease their meat consumption, Jenny & her husband decided to cook exclusively vegetarian dinners during the week for their family. Rosenstrach describes her fourth book and recipe approach as: “strategic, healthy, creative, and—most important—realistic...I know by now that we’re not going to win anyone over to our weekday meat-free side with complicated recipes that require cooks to break out a small army of appliances on a Tuesday night.” Read the full in-depth review, here. And find the book for purchase, here.
Thanks for reading!
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Have a great week,
Annie, Aaron, Renee, Jessi, Phoebe + Chili, Pepper & Bean (our farm cats)
Please note: Featherstone Garden is neither paid nor sponsored by any brands, organizations or blogs we feature in our newsletter. We share this content because we found it to be valuable and thought you might, too.
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