Week 8! We're Back!!
Hello Followers!!
Week 8 is upon us! Thank you to everyone for your understanding during our "week off". If only it was actually a week off!! We hit the gas hard on a lot of our big projects, and were busier than ever!
🥕 What’s in the Box:
A quick list of what you might find in your box this week.
Head Lettuce
Salad Mix/Spring Mix
Broccoli
Cucumbers
Radish/Green Onion
Peppers
Large Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Herb Mix (Basil, Thyme, Sage)
🌿 Featured Item: Radish
We're beyond excited that Lisa Stravakas from Renew Wellness has decided to contribute her wealth of knowledge on the health benefits of eating and utilizing fresh produce and herbs. Thank you Lisa!!
From an Ayurvedic perspective, radish (known as Mūlaka in Sanskrit) is a well-documented root vegetable with powerful medicinal and dietary uses. It has been traditionally used in various forms—raw, cooked, pickled, and even juiced. Don’t forget to eat the greens! Radish is a sharp, heating, and cleansing vegetable in Ayurveda, ideal for detoxification, digestion, and Kapha-related imbalances such as excess and congestion. Radishes are also low on the glycemic index and are a negative calorie food. This means you burn more calories digesting them than they contain. Radishes are high in potassium which is helps keep blood pressure at safe levels. Potassium lowers blood pressure because its effects are opposite of those of sodium. Salt, which is sodium based, increases water retention. Potassium, on the other hand, is a diuretic that flushes water from the body. The National Institute of Health DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) recommends increasing potassium, calcium, and magnesium to keep blood pressure at healthy levels. It clears food stagnation and has a laxative effect due to its diuretic nature, all while having a cooling effect on the blood. However, RAW radishes are also in the brassicas family and contain chemicals that can block thyroid function called goitrogens. These chemicals are easily inactivated by steaming or cooking.
Therapeutic Uses in Ayurveda:
1. Digestive Fire (Agni) Stimulant
- Radish kindles Agni and helps relieve Ama (toxins).
- Used for bloating, gas, and constipation, particularly when cooked.
2. Liver & Gallbladder Support
- Traditionally used to stimulate bile flow and support liver detoxification.
- Juice of white radish is used in some texts for jaundice and gallstones.
3. Urinary Disorders
- Acts as a diuretic and is used in Ayurveda for painful urination and urinary retention.
4. Respiratory Health
- Especially raw radish, helps dissolve excess mucus and congestion in the chest and sinuses.
- Used in asthma, bronchitis, and cold-related cough.
5. Worm Infestations & Skin Disorders
- Mūlaka is mentioned in classics for parasitic infections) and skin diseases due to its sharp and heating qualities.
⚠️ Cautions
- Raw radish can cause bloating in Vata types or those with weak digestion.
- May be aggravate for those who already have a sensitivity to heat (Pitta)—watch for symptoms like acidity, skin rashes, or heat.
- Should be avoided at night due to its gas-forming nature and strong digestive stimulation.
- Avoid excess use in people with ulcers or inflammatory bowel conditions.
🍽️ Recipe of the Week: Spicy Thai Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Broccoli Salad
6 cups broccoli florets
3 cups red cabbage, shredded
3 scallions, sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 small Thai red chilis, sliced (or jalapeno)
1/4 cup salted peanuts
Spicy Peanut Dressing
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp Jalapeno
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp water
Instructions
Spicy Peanut Dressing
Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.
Broccoli Salad
Prepare the broccoli by boiling for 3 minutes until bright green. Remove from boiling water and add to an ice water bath to stop cooking. Remove from water bath and add to a with shredded cabbage, scallions, cilantro, and sliced chilis.
Pour peanut dressing over salad – NOTE – you may not need all the dressing. Try the salad using 1/2 the dressing, and then add more as needed.
Toss the salad well and top with salted peanuts and additional chilis.
Serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
📣 Farm News & Notes:
It was so nice to be able to focus on some of our large projects last week. We made a TON of progress! We planted almost 5000 onions transplants and have our 3rd greenhouse done and ready to house our overgrown cucumber plants. Two major things that have been on our list to do since the beginning of the season.
It may have been a blessing in disguise that the cucumber transplant has been delayed, as the penny size hail we received Monday would've absolutely destroyed our already stressed out plants. As some of you may have seen, our kale and swiss chard were not so lucky. We are hopeful these hardy plants will prevail and make a comeback soon.
We spent the other part of our time clearing out old plants and replacing them with new successions, sanitizing, dialing in the nutrients in all of our deep water culture tanks, and many other maintenance-type tasks that have been put off.
We also did squeeze in a quick family night away, taking Bev on her first ever camping trip. She had a blast and will definitely love to tell you all about it when you come and visit the stand. S'mores will most likely be mentioned!!
We are ready to hit the ground running this week and were extremely pleased with the plants this morning during harvest. Besides the tomatoes, (holy smokes what a harvest) all the plants enjoyed the vacation.
See you all soon!
💬 Your Turn:
Got a favorite way to use radishes? Tag us on Instagram @moonrivercsa or reply to this email—we love seeing your creations!