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Our First Week: We have been working10 to 12 hour days since March.  All that hard work paid off for a wonderful first start.  I am grateful for the abundance. 

Week One Product:  Nettle, comfrey, calendula, garlic scallions, mustard greens,  salad, arugula, basil, radishes, carrots, spinach, herbs, evergreens,  kale and collard greens. 

Nettle:

Nettle Pesto

Makes: 1 generous cup

1/2 pound nettles
4 large garlic cloves, smashed or garlic scallions
1/2  teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated raw organic cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer for the nettles. Add the nettles directly from their bag and cook, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes. (This denatures their sting.) Dump into a colander to drain. When the nettles are cool enough to handle, wrap them in a clean dishtowel and wring out as much moisture as possible, like you would for spinach. You’ll have about a cup of cooked, squished nettles.

In the food processor fitted with the paddle attachment, whirl the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste until finely chopped. Add the nettles, breaking them up as you drop them in, and the lemon juice and whirl until finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow, steady stream, and process until smooth. Add the cheese, pulse briefly, and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice.

http://mcminnvillehealthdefense.ning.com/profiles/blogs/spring-time-super-tonic-food-nettle

More Nettle Recipes: 

http://www.thekitchn.com/stinging-nettles-8-recipes-for-145582

Comfrey: Comfrey Infused Grapeseed Oil/Olive oil is  used in  salves, creams and lotion recipes.  I like to apply the salve to acne scars and inflamed skin rashes.  You can also just use it as an infused oil.  The magic of Comfrey is from the active component contained in the leaf and root called allantoin which helps to boost the production of new skin cells.  In fact it works so fast that you should NEVER use it on open wounds, dirty wounds or broken skin.  You should only apply it to areas that have already scabbed over.

A Recipe for Infused Comfrey Oil:

You will need:

• A clean, dry jar
• Cut and dried Comfrey leaves
• An oil of your choice, enough to fill the jar.
• A spoon
• A square of thin cotton material, or a sieve.
• A clean, dry, glass bottle.

Carrier oil: The oil can be chosen to suit your needs:
Pure sunflower oil is cheap, cheerful and perfectly good; olive oil is a little more luxurious and my favourite for medicinal purposes; other possibilities include sesame, jojoba, avocado, hemp seed, almond and many others.

Method:

• Fill a third of the jar with Comfrey leaves.
• Fill the jar to the top with a carrier oil.
• Using a clean spoon press the Comfrey leaves down to ensure that there are no air bubbles.
• Put the lid onto the jar and leave in a warm, sunny window for at least one week and no more than two weeks.
• Strain the mixture and pour into the glass bottle.
• Store in a cool, dry place.

This oil can be used to hasten the healing of abrasions, bruises and sore muscles.
It must NOT be used on deep cuts as it is capable of healing the skin’s surface so quickly that the deeper part of the wound could fester.

http://www.freshpickedbeauty.com/2012/01/comfrey-infused-oil.html

http://www.thekitchn.com/stinging-nettles-8-recipes-for-145582

Calendula Tea: 

The simplest use of calendula flowers - it's just weld Calendula as tea.
Pour one cup of boiling water over 2 tablespoons of fresh calendula flowers OR one to two teaspoons of dried calendula petals. Steep for ten minutes, then strain. By drinking two to three cups daily there will be a great improvement in blood circulation.

To help in the healing of skin wounds:
Soak a compress in Calendula Tea, and apply to the wound for 30 minutes twice daily.

Calendula can also be used to treat sore throat. Gargle with warm tea several times a day. This will help relieve the inflammation caused from the common cold.

Other Calendula ideas:

http://blog.esgreen.com/2010/04/marigold-flower-tea.html

http://mountainroseblog.com/healing-calendula/

Evergreen Tea: 

½ cup of pine needles (or other needles from fir or spruce trees)

Crush the needles slighly & add to a pot of boiling water (3-4 cups). Simmer for 15-20 mins, or simply steep the needles in not yet boiling water.

You can add a spoon of honey or other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc), as well as herbs such as rosemary or green tea, to this wonderfully aromatic brew.

Left over tea can be added to a bath, poured over the stones in a sauna, or used as a rinse for the hair to combat dandruff!

Evergreen Tea: 

Other ideas for evergreens: 

http://mcminnvillehealthdefense.ning.com/profiles/blogs/evergreen-healing

Evergreen Infused Olive Oil.   Infuse for 6 weeks, strain and drizzle on meat, rice, bread etc. 

Arugula  And Spinach Stir Fry: 

Spinach  arugula, coarsely chopped.

Garlic scallions chopped

Basil chopped

Balsamic vinegar

A few dashes of coconut aminos or organic Brags liquid aminos 

Link to coconut aminos:http://www.coconutsecret.com/aminos2.html

Heat pan with oil of choice: 

Add chopped garlic scallions, cook until tender

Add arugula and spinach, sauteing for about one minute

Add chopped basil, sauteing for about a minute

Add 4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar and then steam it down for another minute or two

Add coconut aminos or Brags

Optional:   add some organic cooked and chopped turkey bacon, or organic beef sausage

Serve with couscous, quinoa, or any one of your favorite starches!

Mustard Green Stir Fry or use your wild greens: 

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mustard_greens/

Make sure you use organic broth

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/07/balsamic-glazed-chickpeas-and-mustard.html

I would take out the soy sauce and use organic Brags or use coconut liquid aminos

Thank you Mountain Mama Members for your awesome support.  If you have any questions please e-mail me.

Gnocchi anyone?  My family loves it!    

I just came across this recipe this morning and I will be making it this weekend.  I have plenty of arugula and spinach growing in the gardens ( a rare breed spinach that I have been growing for the last 4 years and saving it seeds). 

 Making gnocchi sounds complicated, but it's actually fairly easy.  They can be frozen for later use, just add a couple more minutes to the cooking time.  

1 pound yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled

4 ounces fresh arugula

1 cup white flour ( white spelt would work to)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced/or more is you are a garlic lover

1/2 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes

2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 cup filtered or spring water

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

6-8 ounces baby spinach and arugula

Shredded raw cheese for garnish

sea salt and pepper

Use organic ingredients

For those of you who eat gluten free, like my daughters, here is a recipe for gluten free gnocchi.  I would follow the recipe and then add your chopped arugula to it.  

http://thedomesticman.com/2012/10/23/gluten-free-potato-gnocchi/

1.  In a large pot, cover potatoes with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until soft, 40 minutes.  Meanwhile, add arugula to another pot of boiling water for 10 seconds.  Drain, run under cold water.  Pat dry and chop fine.

2.  Cool cooked potatoes for 5 minutes, then peel and mash smooth.  Combine with chopped arugula, flour, salt, and egg to make a dough ball.  Divide into 5 pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a log about 3/4 thick.  Cut each log into 1 inch pieces.  If you would like a pretty look, you can press a fork along one edge of the gnocchi.

(If freezing, place on a baking sheet and cover tightly with plastic, when froze, transfer to zip-top bags.) 

3.  Bring 3 quarts lightly salted water to a boil.  add gnocchi and cook until they float.  Drain

4.  In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high.  Add cooked gnocchi,  minced garlic season with sea  salt and pepper.  When browned, turn and cook other side for 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar, cook 2 minutes.  Add water, cook 3 minutes. Toss in parsley and taste for salt and pepper.

5.  On plates, top spinach and arugula with gnocchi and sauce; garnish with shredded raw cheese.  

My rare spinach that I have been growing