Welcome to your tenth and final ReFresh newsletter of the season. Winter is coming and it’s time to let your garden rest and rejuvenate!
In this newsletter, you will find:
– Information about Spaghetti Squash in the “Featured Bag Item” section.
– A few simple recipes that you can make with the fresh ingredients in your ReFresh bag in the “Recipes We Love” section
– Details about ID Food Hub, the New Mexico Artisan Market, Three Sisters Kitchen Book Fair, and the 10th Annual Holiday Market at the Rail Yards in the “Community Resource” section.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter and thank you for your participation as we work together to build a healthy local food system.
There will be NO MORE ReFresh distributions for this year. Happy holidays!
Text your questions, photos, and comments to: (505) 226-3707.
Featured Bag Item
Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti squash is an oval shaped, yellow winter squash. It has a harder outer rind but an inside that separates into individual strands that resemble noodles when cooked. Spaghetti squash has a mild flavor, which allows it to be paired with a variety of sauces and flavors.
Nutrition Information: Spaghetti squash is a great source of both vitamins and minerals. It contains fiber, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, and niacin. The yellow-to-orange color provides alpha and beta-carotene. Because of these nutrients, it helps protect against some cancers, aids in digestive, eye, and skin health.
Fun Fact: Spaghetti squash comes from the Cucurbita pepo group, which includes summer squash, such as zucchini, and winter squash, such as sweet dumpling squash, kabocha squash, acorn squash, and butternut squash. However, spaghetti squash is usually available during the late autumn and early winter months of the year.
Storage: Spaghetti squash can be stored for up to three months in a cool place away from sunlight when it has not yet been sliced open. Once it has been sliced open, spaghetti squash can be kept in the fridge for five days.
Here is a great recipe that shows how spaghetti squash can be used to make a meal!
Check out the below recipe that will be featured in the ReFresh cooking class.
Disclaimer: The information shared by Three Sisters Kitchen (TSK) is for general informational purposes only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by a doctor or other health care provider.
Check out the below three recipes that you can use your Refresh bag with.
Napa Cabbage Stir Fry: This is a super easy and nutritious meal that can be made in a short amount of time.
Turnip Fried Rice: This is a great side dish that is very flavorful!
Crispy Roasted Sunchokes: This is a great side dish that pairs well with roasts or stews, or it can be a healthy snack.
Napa Cabbage: This type of cabbage is a great source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, manganese, and fiber. Because of this, napa cabbage helps promote digestive health, bone health, and muscle health. It also helps protect against some types of cancer and chronic illnesses.
Turnips: Turnips contain fiber, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin C. They play a key role in protecting against certain cancers, promoting bone health, and helping to regulate blood sugar levels.
Sunchokes: Sunchokes are a great source of fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B, and calcium. These nutrients work to promote digestive health, help regulate blood sugar levels, protect against some cancers, and help regulate cholesterol levels. The plant compound, inulin, helps regulate blood sugar.
Substitutions:
Napa Cabbage Stir Fry
Other veggies, such as carrots and onions can be used in addition to or in place of mushrooms
Shrimp, tofu, or seitan can be used in place of bacon if desired
Crispy Roasted Sunchokes
Rosemary is another option that can be used instead of thyme if preferred
Community Resources
ID Food Hub: Free food, food demos, clothes and toys! November 17th and every other Friday through December 19th from 3-6 pm 1110 Quincy St. SE, on the corner of Kathryn and Truman. More information at https://www.facebook.com/idfoodhub.
New Mexico Artisan Market: Purchase locally curated, handcrafted artisan goods on November 24th and 26th at the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town 800 Rio Grande Blvd. N.W. Albuquerque, NM 87104. More information at https://nmartisanmarket.com.
Three Sisters Kitchen Bookfair: Support Three Sisters Kitchen this holiday season by purchasing books at Barnes and Noble Coronado the Saturday after Thanksgiving on November 25th! A percentage of all of the in-store purchases that day will go to Three Sisters Kitchen!
Gluten-free crackers from Izaak’s Table- A Three Sisters Kitchen’s Food Business Training Program Graduate
The crackers are gluten, soy, dairy, and nut-free! Make sure to follow them on Instagram @izaaks_table. Contact [email protected] or text/call 505-585-3695 for purchase. The crackers can also be found for sale at Mouse Hole Cheeseshop on 300 Broadway Blvd NE (between MLK and Central).
Garlic powder from Regeneration Farm*
Potatoes from White Rock
*NM grown / NM made We raise money to purchase these foods from local farmers and food producers as a concrete way to invest in our local food system and get delicious, fresh, local food to our ReFresh families. Keep an eye out for these local farms and food businesses when you do your food shopping. ReFresh bags will always include local food items.
Special thanks to all of the farmers and food producers working so hard to feed our communities; to the staff, volunteers, donors, and ReFresh families who make the program work, and to our partners at MoGro who pack these beautiful ReFresh bags each week for us, and who do so much important work connecting communities to healthy food throughout New Mexico. There would be no ReFresh program without all of you – we love our partners
Thank You!
Special thanks to all of the farmers and food producers working so hard to feed our communities; our partner organizations who helped to recruit ReFresh families: Kids’ Cook, SWOP, Supportive Housing Coalition of New Mexico, Together for Brothers, Mandy’s Farm, New Mexico Asian Family Center, and YES Housing; to the staff, volunteers, donors, and ReFresh families who make the program work, and to our partners at MoGro Mobile Grocery, who pack these beautiful ReFresh bags each week for us, and who do so much important work connecting communities to healthy food throughout New Mexico. There would be no ReFresh program without all of you – we love our partners!
– All of us at Three Sisters Kitchen
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