Three Sisters Kitchen ReFresh Newsletter
Welcome to your ReFresh newsletter!
In this newsletter, you will:
– Find ReFresh 4/8 online cooking class information.
– Learn more about beets and their health benefits in “Ask a Registered Dietitian” with Lisa.
– Find a few simple recipes that you can make with the fresh ingredients in your ReFresh bag!
– Find a community resource section for registering the COVID-19 vaccine by the NM Department of Health.
We hope you enjoy this newsletter and thank you for your participation as we work together to build a healthy local food system.
Next ReFresh distribution: 4/21/21
Last ReFresh distribution: 5/19/21
Text your questions, photos, and comments to: (505) 226-3707.
Click HERE to register for the online cooking class!
Sign up today for you and your family!
Ask a Registered Dietitian
With Lisa Chen
What are beets and what are their health benefits?
Beets are vegetables that have different varieties that come in different colors, such as chioggia, golden, and red beets. Beets are high in dietary nitrate, which is beneficial for the health of blood vessels because it helps them to expand, making the blood flow better. The plant compound, betalain, which makes beets bright red and yellow is beneficial for our cholesterol health. You can store your beet roots and leaves separately in plastic bags after you rinse them. For beet greens, try sautéing them with a little olive oil and chopped garlic and onions, or add them to soup like you would with chard and spinach. Check out our featured recipes for this month’s online cooking class (don’t forget to register via the link in the previous section!):
Beet salad with homemade vinaigrette
Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
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2 cups lettuce, rinsed
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1 beet, rinsed, peeled, and shredded
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1 avocado, rinsed
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1 handful cilantro, rinsed
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Cheese curd crumbles
Vinaigrette
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2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (or any vinegar you have)
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6 Tbsp. olive oil (or any oil you have)
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Salt and pepper to taste
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Play with the flavors in your pantry: add a spoonful of honey, mustard, chopped onion or shallot or garlic, or chopped fresh herbs!
Instructions
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Chop or tear lettuce into bite-size pieces.
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Use a grater to shred the beets.
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Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, scoop out the flesh with a spoon, and slice or chop.
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Chop the cilantro into small pieces. Add lettuce, beets, avocado, and cilantro to a salad bowl.
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Pour vinegar and oil in a small bowl, add a few pinches of salt and pepper (this is where you can add honey, mustard, onions, garlic, shallots, or fresh herbs, if using).
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Whisk the dressing until mixed (or pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake it!).
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Dip a green leaf in the dressing, and taste to make sure you like the flavor.
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Drizzle the dressing on the top of the salad. Top with cheese curd crumbles. Toss and enjoy!
Do you have a question about food and nutrition for us to answer in future newsletters and Q&A videos? Send your questions to [email protected].
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.
Recipes We Love!
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This roasted beet recipe is simple and versatile. You can add the roasted beets to a salad, other roasted vegetables, a rice bowl, and more!
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This citrus cilantro coleslaw is easy and refreshing! You can use the lettuce and radish from Silver Leaf Farms to make a citrus cilantro salad a well. If you have questions for future recipes, please send them to [email protected].
Photos by 1) The Diabetes Food Hub, 2) Emmett Paul
Community Resources
With Blythe Maunders
The NM Department of Health (NMDOH) makes registering for the Covid-19 vaccine easy. Visit the registration page here, and click on “I want to create a new profile & schedule an appointment”. Once you’re finished, NMDOH will update you on when and where you can get your vaccine, this may take several weeks. If you wish to learn more about the vaccine, click on the “learn more” button on the top left of the page.
This week your Refresh bag will include many of the following delicious fresh and staple items:
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Lettuce and purple daikon radish from Silver Leaf Farms*
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Red, golden, or chioggia beets from Tesuque Pueblo Farm*
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Flour tortillas from Sabroso Foods*
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Cheese curd from DeSmet Dairy Farm*
OR
Cheese from Tucumcari Mountain Cheese* -
Pinto beans from Ness Farms*
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Posole mix from Fiesta on Wheels*- Graduate of the Three Sisters Kitchen’s Food Business Program
Lilia Avila and Silvia Ochoa, owners of Fiesta On Wheels, invite you to enjoy their wonderful products. Use the posole mix and vegetables in the ReFresh bag to make delicious posole soup! You can substitute meat with tofu.
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Avocados, green onions, cilantro, and guava from Quality Fruit & Veg
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Potatoes from White Mountain Farm
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Eggs from Organic Valley or Monte Azul Farms*
* 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 boxes will always include local food items.
Thank You!
Special thanks to all of the farmers and food producers working so hard to feed our communities; our partner organizations who help recruit ReFresh families: Kids Cook!, YES Housing, Together for Brothers, SWOP, Centro Savila, Encuentro, and Mandy’s Farm; 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