Aley Chubeza #159 May 20th-22nd 2013

Posted on 22 בMay 2013 by bat ami

 Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night

Last Thursday, due to the school holiday, I was fortunate enough to host five sweet little girls in our field (three of them were second-generation Chubeza). We took a stroll in the cucurbitaceae beds, beginning with the smaller family members (the cucumbers) and concluding with the larger ones (the big pumpkin). We loved figuring out who was hiding under the leaves in this bed or that one. When we reached the melon and watermelon beds, the girls noticed metal arcs spread the length of the bed like thin gates, under which the plants grow. I suggested maybe the gates are used as goals for soccer games between the melon and watermelon teams, but they didn’t seem to buy that, and requested the truth and nothing but the truth. I thought perhaps you’d like to know the reason as well.

We grow our vegetables in an open field, where they are less-protected from the surroundings. This is, of course, a wonderful advantage, as their natural integration in the outdoors creates a balance where useful carnivores insects devour harmful insects (the vegetarian kind), thus allowing the plants to withstand the hardships. The air is laden with all sorts of fluttering creatures who buzz in and out of the flowers to pollinate them, and the combination of different crops contributes to the fertility of the earth, to disease prevention, and to damage and affliction control. Best of all, the field is beautiful in its varied hues, sizes, colors and shapes.

And yet, our plants are still domesticated and human-cultivated. And just like us, with all our love for nature and the outdoors, they need protection from the great outdoors where there are always others interested in sharing them, taking a bite, stinging, inflicting or just landing on them and depositing a vegetable virus as a souvenir.

During wintertime, the onion fly is active and not at all put off by the pungent aroma of the onion family. On the contrary, the onion and leek are excellent beds for the female fly to lay her eggs, and for some years now we have been bitterly disappointed by the bulbs over the winter. This year we received good advice, and covered the young bulbs with thin agril cloth. There were fewer fly bites, and the light material enabled the crops to grow, so when they reached the thickness of a pencil we removed the veil and rejoiced at the fact that we would finally be able to enjoy the onions this year (hopefully you did too!).

Summertime is a lively, vigorous season, and the pace is fast and rhythmic. The insects do not rest for a moment. They want to woo, suck, and procreate, and do not notice if they drop off some hitch-hiking viruses on our tomatoes. The blackbirds in our field are smart, and they can figure out where we planted our watermelons. They wait patiently as the melons fill up with sweet nectar and then they pounce. In the past, we could tell which watermelons were ripe and sweet by the telltale blackbird pecking.

Which is why our watermelons were covered, exposed, and now will be covered once more under camouflage. When they were young, we covered them (along with their fellow squash, melons, cucumbers and fakuses) to protect them from the various flutterers who spread viruses and diseases that could bring them down. The arcs scattered along the bed held the thin cover over the young plants. Now that they have matured, we removed the cover in order to allow the pollinators to reach the beautiful yellow flowers and fertilize them. Now, when the green watermelons are already rounding out and filling up in the fields, it is time to cover them once again, hiding them from the greedy eyes and beaks of the blackbirds (though Alon maintains that the blackbirds are clever enough to still know exactly where they are.)

In defense of those crows, I really must say that somehow, probably unintentionally, they help us to face other pestering, dangerous birds, the mynas. The common myna is an intruding bird who was first brought to Israel for research and display, but escaped from captivity and quickly spread out all across the central part of the country. They cause tremendous damage to orchards and vineyards. When Hilaf, the Karmei Yossef fruit farmer, sees the mynas in our field he is horrified. And yet, we haven’t been hurt by them (tfu tfu tfu), perhaps thanks to their competitors the crows, who keep them mellow by devouring their eggs and chasing them away from food sources.

Here are the two: to the left, Mr. Crow, to the right, Ms. Myna.

Photo by Lior Almagor, www.tiuli.com

 

Photo by Amir Balaban, www.nrg.co.il

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together with you, we wish our lovely watermelons the wherewithal to reach full maturity and sweetness, and hope the blackbirds find a nice piece of cheese to stick their beaks into and forget about us….

May we have a good week, bereft of pecking and annoyances,

 Alon, Bat Ami, Ya’ara and the Chubeza team

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 WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S BOXES?

Monday: Lettuce, beets, parsley, tomatoes, scallions/chives, garlic, cabbage, cucumbers/fakus, Swiss chard/spinach, potatoes, zucchini, dill

In the large box, in addition: carrots, leeks, coriander

Wednesday:

In the large box, in addition:

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Aley Chubeza #158, May 13th-16th 2013

Posted on 14 בMay 2013 by bat ami

Reminding you that Wednesday boxes will arrive on Thursday this week!

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It’s a Cucumber! No, it’s a Melon! Yes, it’s Time to Welcome…….. the Fakus!

Last week, (nibbling away) we harvested our first fakus beds. I know that I will soon be getting phone calls claiming that “this week I received two portions of zucchini and no cucumbers.” To take preventive measures, I suggest using the trick I learned from Tzipi of Jerusalem (and it’s so simple, of course): the fakus’ stalk resembles that of a cucumber, not zucchini! If you received a light-colored elongated vegetable you cannot define, check out its stalk (the part where it attaches to the plant): if it is wide and star-shaped like a zucchini, well… it’s a zucchini. If it’s thin and willowy like a cucumber, then, say hi to our friend the fakus.

 Who is he? Here is The Fakus, in all its glory.

Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus was known for his fondness for cucumbers. He would eat cucumbers every day of the year, necessitating the Roman farmers to develop artificial methods to grow the vegetable year-long. According to The Natural History of Pliny, by Pliny the Elder (Book XIX, Chapter 23), “Indeed, he [Tiberius] was never without it; for he had raised beds made in frames upon wheels, by means of which the cucumbers were moved and exposed to the full heat of the sun; while, in winter, they were withdrawn, and placed under the protection of frames glazed with mirrorstone.”

However…

Tiberius was probably not munching on the cucumber we all know and love, i.e., the Cucumis Sativus, but rather on the light and somewhat hairy fakus, aka Armenian cucumber, which is actually… a melon. Also coined the “snake melon,” in botanical terms, it is the Cucumis melo var. flexuosus melon. However, we do not let the fakus mature like our melons—we pick it in its crunchy sweet youth, like the cucumbers (which is a good thing, really, because the fakus just wouldn’t ever become a real tasty melon at full maturity).

There are all sorts of fakus varieties: light green, striped, long and curved or short and light. At Chubeza we grow two types: the small fakus (about the length of a cucumber), and one which is long and curved, resembling its English name “snake melon.”

Melons and cucumbers belong to the same family, but they are two different entities with diverse characteristics. When you look at the different leaves, you can tell that fakus leaves are rounder and less serrated, similar to their melon brothers. Its taste and appearance are closer to the cucumber, which is why it is easy to confuse them, but not really: the fakus is not thorny at all. It is covered with soft fuzz and is sweeter and crunchier than the cucumber. However, like the cucumber, it is picked in its youth, before its seeds mature, which is why it is not as soft as a melon.

The fakus sometimes tends to be bitter. Various attempts to overcome this bitterness have proven that we must carefully choose the plants whose seeds are to be kept for next year, making certain that they are non-bitter plants. We hope you will not receive a bitter fakus, but to be on the safe side, when you slice them up into a salad, first nibble at the point where the fakus was attached to the plant. That’s where the bitterness begins. If you like what you taste, slice away, straight into the salad bowl. If it’s bitter, take a bite further down. Sometimes the bitterness remains contained at the end.

The fakus is lauded by chefs as part of the trend to return to local, homegrown baladi food. It does look like the cucumbers eaten here in the past, before the arrival of the garden cucumber. Last week we were visited by Dr. Moshe Ra’anan, who has written many articles about plants and animals in the Scriptures. He photographed our nice fakus, and wrote a few words about them.  I learned from him that during the Mishna there was actually a verb “to fakus” (“לפקס”), related to the ripening of the fakus. Our commentators offered two different interpretations for its definition: 1. the stage at which the fuzz is shed from the fruit 2. the stages at which the flower dries up and falls from the fruit. Either way, when the fakus’s are fakused, you can place them in your wicker basket, sling it over your shoulder, place the flowers in your hair and join the parade of the first fruits… straight to the kitchen! Because the nice thing about it is that other than to wash, slice, add some salt if desired and joyfully bite into it, the fakus can be preserved, just like a cucumber, producing delicious pickles, and even fried or stuffed like a zucchini. And all this while being …a melon!

Confused? That’s OK, as long as you eat in good health!

Wishing you a Shavuot festival of first fruits full of happiness and hope. May we reap in joy and rejoice with family and friends.

Chag Sameach!

Alon, Bat Ami, Ya’ara  and the Chubeza team

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What’s Joining the Fakus in This Week’s Boxes?  

Monday: Lettuce, beets, dill/coriander, tomatoes, scallions/leeks, celeriac, cucumbers/fakus, spinach, purple kohlrabi, zucchini, carrots (small boxes only)  

In the large box, in addition: Cabbage, garlic, parsley, Swiss chard

Wednesday:

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Fakus recipes:

Fakus and radish salad and stuffed fakus - by Hedai Offaim

Armenian cucumbers pickles

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Aley chubeza #157, May 6th-8th 2013

Posted on 7 בMay 2013 by bat ami

A slight delivery change next week because of the Shavuot festival: Wednesday deliveries will move to Thursday, May 16th. Monday deliveries remain unchanged.

Wishing you a Chag Sameach!

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 In Klara’s message from last week regarding macrobiotic cooking, the information link is faulty. If you wish to receive more details or sign up to her workshop, please contact Klara directly: 052-342-8058  klara_levine@yahoo.com

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One Season Following Another…

The unending heat waves have been hard for us all, human beings, animals and plants alike. The air is heavy with dust and haze, and temperatures are heavy and dry. And how is the Chubeza field responding to this oppressive spring heat? The summer vegetables are not fazed by it at all—they’re even enjoying the dryness. They quench their thirst via irrigation, so they make sure to drink the correct amounts and enjoy looking straight up at the sun, which makes them grow faster and stronger.

If you come visit us at this time (please do!) you will enjoy the field’s majesty: the cucurbits, from small to large, have begun covering the area with green, healthy foliage; the cucumbers are bearing sweet fruit, and the fakus is following. The melons and watermelons are growing at a merry pace, their branches sprawling everywhere, as if they are stretching their limbs to get an even tan (their leaves, especially the watermelon’s, really do look like outstretched hands). You’ve already received some light-colored zucchinis, and this week their dark green-striped brother will be making an appearance in your boxes.

Members of the solanaceae family are beginning to take their places of honor: the peppers, eggplants and tomatoes are growing nice and upright, green and strong. They will soon begin to show their flowers, yellow for the tomatoes and peppers, and gentle lilac-purple blooms for the eggplants. This will be the next step on the way to bearing fruit, coming this summer. Their cousins the potatoes, which grew over the past winter months, are really almost ready for a spring harvest, in honor of the holiday of the first fruits (Shavuot).

The green bean, unfortunately, is reluctant to develop this year. We don’t really know why, but we’re still hoping it’ll get over this crisis for us to enjoy it before the bean gives up when the heat gets too strong. The black-eyed peas and yard long beans are beginning to make their way to the top of the trellising vines, climbing steadily by their twisted, intertwined tendrils. They could not care less about the great heat and feel totally at home.

In contrast to the happy summer vegetables, the poor winter vegetables ending their season in the field resemble workers at the end of a shift: they are exhausted, and the heat is getting to them. The cabbage, carrot and celery have grown mostly in cool to cold temperatures, which they prefer (even when it was freezing out, they did not complain!) and now, at the end of their term they suddenly encounter summer (which usually likes to make a grand entrance with a killer heat wave), which is just too much for them.

That’s why at times you find a carrot or beet that are softer than usual, their green leaves not as fresh or a cabbage that is tired. Respect them, they were with us all winter long, and even now, as they grow older and live in non-optimal conditions, they still are able to ripen and cheer up your dinner table with the winter sweetness they store inside. Root vegetables which grew soft (carrot, beet, celery root, parsley root, etc.) can be soaked in cold water. They’ll perk up and grow stiffer, and they’re even easier to clean after their soak. Then, place them in a sealed container and into the fridge. Use the cabbage. They are yummy and delicious despite their weary appearance, which they even carry in the field. These are the last of our winter guests. Try to receive their parting epilogue with love.

Wishing you a Shavua Tov, and may we continue to grow accustomed to our hot spring,

Alon, Bat Ami, Ya’ara and the Chubeza team

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WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S BOXES?

Monday: Green lettuce, parsley root, dill/coriander, tomatoes, garlic chives, cabbage, celery stalk, cucumbers, daikon, purple kohlrabi, zucchini

In the large box, in addition: carrots, leeks, Swiss chard, beets

Wednesday: Swiss chrad, cucumbers/fakus (light color cucumber), cilantro/dill, beets, lettuce, zucchini, garlic chive/scalions, purple kohlrabi, carrots, tomatoes, parsley root – small boxes only

In the large box, in addition: cabbage, celery/celeriac, leek, lemon verbena/thyme

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Spring recipes for late winter veggies:

Kohlrabi Salad with Nectarines & Beets

35 (!!) zucchini recipes

Couscous Tabbouleh With Parsley Root and Preserved Lemon

Unstuffed Cabbage with Chickpeas, Zucchini, Swiss Chard and Bulgur

Swiss Chard with Cabbage, Chickpeas & Garlic

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Aley Chubeza #156, April 29th-May 1st 2013

Posted on 1 בMay 2013 by bat ami

The month has come to an end and we havecharged your credit cards for your April purchases. Please note that this bill includes purchases you made on the “Open Day.”

Remember, you are now able to view your billing history in our Internet-based order system. Simply click the new tab “דוח הזמנות ותשלומים” where the history of your payments and purchases is clearly displayed.

Please make sure the bill is correct, or let us know of any necessary revisions. At the bottom of the bill, the words סהכ לתשלום: 0  (total due: 0) should appear. If there is any number other than zero, this means we were unable to bill your card and would appreciate your contacting us. Our thanks!!

Note:  Chubeza bills all share the same title “Vegetables, Fruits, Dates.” Yet this does not mean that we are billing you for something you did not purchase. If you only receive vegetables from us, that’s all you pay for, no fruits or dates!

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It’s a Date!

Summer’s here and with it are Samar’s yummy dates. We have replenished our stock of both the Barhi and Dekel Nor varieties. Now we also have Zahidi dates available, very similar to the Dekel Nor–a dry date with a mild sweetness. The Zahidi costs 15 NIS per kilo, and Barhi and Dekel Nor are 20 NIS per kilo. Order via our order system.

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Some messages from our friends:

Clara from Jerusalem would like to tell you about easy and simple macrobiotic cooking – a workshop suitable for anyone, even those who aren’t familiar with the subject. The workshop, scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 19, is conducted by Victoria Brayev, and includes a full meal and cookbook. For more details, contact Clara.

Halleli and Shachar would like to inform you of the opportunity to support and encourage culture by attending the play “Cabaret Voltaire,” which won acclaim and awards from the Israeli Street Theatre two years ago. It also was accepted to the New York Festival and will be staged there this summer, providing they can find investors who will help fly the crew over. So the stage is back in the street, attempting to enlist as many friends as possible for support. Even 80 NIS can help, or just sharing the info. More details here.

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Bonfires That Spark Hope

In honor of Lag Ba’Omer, I remembered the legend of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son Elazar in the cave, where the great scholar and his son underwent a transformation in their attitude towards the world. Emerging from the cave after 12 years of hiding from the Romans, they bitterly denounced and negated any activity that was not spiritual. But 12 more months in the cave brought about a different outlook. When they exited once again and met a man who honored the Sabbath with a pair of fragrant myrtles to adorn his home, they understood the importance of interaction between man and nature for life and persistence—and more than that, to beautify material life and add inspiration and creativity. So they were able to really love the world and humankind, and to channel their knowledge and wisdom to healing rather than destruction. It’s a good story because it connects the love of mankind with the love of the world, which act together to preserve our existence.

This week, between Lag Ba’Omer and May Day , I thought we’d begin a tradition of  ”Former-Chubeza Workers- Where Are They Now?” stories, because I think there are really interesting things to tell you.

So we’ll begin with a very special place, one which also connects a love of humankind with love of the world to bring about a delightful creation, the Beit Zayit Farm, “Kaima”, of whom one of the partners is our Tamir. This is an organic farm aimed towards drop-outs and youth-at-risk. The goal is that the farm will be operated by teenagers who are not part of the formal educational system, and they will raise and sell organic vegetables. Thus, the farm will constitute a framework for employment, education and learning in a secure and supportive environment.

The impressive founding members of “Kaima” adhere to the belief that a society which cares for all of its members is the kind of society which can contain and advance the variety of people comprising it, with all their various abilities. This type of vision must allow youth the opportunity to develop their abilities within alternative frameworks outside of the formal system and to advance their ambitions to be integral, active and creative members of society.

This is a group of movers and shakers, all working on a voluntary basis. They received a beautiful piece of land overlooking the Beit Zayit reservoir and have already begun planning and developing the agricultural infrastructure. With the help of many volunteers who arrive to each week, they have cleared and removed hundreds of stones from the area, making it a charming sanctuary. Over the past few months, I have been following Tamir’s progress, and getting excited with him over planning the first vegetable beds, laying the irrigation system and the first seeding day (which took place last Friday).

Here is an article about them from the local media (Hebrew)

They have managed to receive initial support from donations, but still require a significant amount of financial investment which they are trying to recruit from the public. Those who wish to assist in the development of this important initiative may do so by contributing, publicizing their endeavor, or coming to one of their volunteer days on the farm, usually on Fridays. You can stay posted via their Facebook page.

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Our cucumbers have arrived, and this is a constant source of happiness and nibbling. We have already harvested some 20 kg, which allows us to buy less from other farms and distribute some of our very own in your boxes. So if you have received cucumbers with sharp edges, prickly skin and a delicious taste- you have met Chubeza cucumbers!

According to tradition, the plague which killed many of Rabbi Akiva’s students ended on Lag Ba’Omer, and peace was restored after difficult days of stress and calamity. We wish you peaceful days of sunshine and the love of people and the world.

May we all enjoy a good week!

Alon, Bat Ami, Ya’ara and the Chubeza team

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WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S BOXES?

Monday: Romaine or iceberg lettuce, dill, tomatoes, beets, Swiss chard, celeriac/celery, cucumbers, carrots, fresh garlic/leeks, cabbage, parsley root (small boxes only)

In the large box, in addition: Kohlrabi, daikon, zucchini, chives

Wednesday: daikon, cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro/dill, beet, Romain or iceberg lettuce, leek/fresh garlic, celery, carrots, tomatoes, kohlrabi-only small boxes.

In the large box, in addition: Swiss chard, zucchini, chive, parsley root

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Reddish recipes for May Day:

vegetarian borscht

Beet and cabbage slaw

Beet and cabbage kraut

Roasted beets cabbage and green apples

We have daikon this week! For those who still need some encouragement with this radish – here are 10 ways to use daikon radish

and here are some more daikon recipes

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Aley CHubeza #155, April 22nd-24th 2013

Posted on 24 בApril 2013 by bat ami

Ruthie from Jerusalem invites you to a special concert:

The Jerusalem Conservatory “Hassadna” is pleased to invite you to celebrate our “From Risk to Opportunity” music program for children of Ethiopian descent
On Tuesday, April 30th, 2013, Beit Shmuel – Mercaz Shimshon, 19:00pm

The program will include:
* performances by children from the program
* traditional Ethiopian music performed by guest musicians
* traditional Ethiopian refreshments

We welcome the opportunity to introduce you to this project and would be honored by your presence.
The program brings joy, pride and excitement to 30 children and their families.
We are looking forward to sharing this special occasion with you!

The event is free of charge; however prior confirmation is required. Please contact our office at 02-5630017 or by email to confirm your attendance.

Below you will find a link to a recent performance by one of the program’s students. Enjoy!

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The creative, productive people from Shorshei Zion bloom in springtime (even though spring has been loath to settle in….) and they are renewing a wide range of live, probiotic preserves, including: pickled cauliflower and daikon, walnuts in spirulina, almonds in cocoa and green olives and probiotic mustard, joining the other fun products: pickled cabbage in a variety of flavors, Kimchi, pickles, “live” crackers, and of course… kombucha in a variety of flavors.

To read about the quality and uniqueness of the probiotic and live products, check out the Shorshei Zion website. You can order via our order system.

To your health!

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Dispatch From the Cabbage Patch

This Monday was Earth Day, and we at Chubeza discussed our own earth-like vegetable. We are bidding farewell to our beautiful cabbages that have grown in our fields over winter. We already said goodbye to their siblings, the broccoli and cauliflower, and soon, when the cabbage goes away, we’ll know for sure that spring is here and summer is around the corner. You’ve been receiving cabbage in your boxes for some time now, and some of you treat it like a guest who came to visit and forgot to leave… but in order to extol him and remind ourselves just how much we love and respect him, we dedicate this week’s newsletter to……Mr. Cabbage!

Throughout history, the cabbage has known many ups and downs. The Greeks loved it for its medicinal attributes, but the medieval aristocracy turned up its nose at the mere mention of the word. If you were to heed a Roman scholar from the 2nd century BC, you’d eat lots of fresh cabbage seasoned in vinegar if you intend to imbibe. The Egyptians suggested beginning your meal with fresh cabbage, including its seeds, in order to remain sober till the end of the meal. Seems like the common cure for hangovers was the consumption of more and more cabbage.

In Europe, cabbage was one of the only vegetables to grow in the frozen winter, which is why the snowy-day menu included a wide variety of cabbage dishes. This was the fare of every common Russian farmer as well, which included sour cabbage soup, rye bread and a nasty drink. In China, they would dry the cabbage leaves and store them for winter, then wet and revive them to add to soup or some other dish. The Chinese would also serve pickled cabbage as a side dish at mealtime. Pickled cabbage was brought to Poland and Hungary by Turkish vagabonds in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a common German 18th century meal usually included cabbage, hot dogs, lentils and rye bread. In the Scandinavian region, the winter menu was comprised of foods which could be preserved by smoking, drying or salting—all perfect for cabbage. In medieval times, vegetables, and particularly leafy vegetables, were considered harmful to your health, as they produce “wind” (gas), which was unthinkable in aristocratic circles. But still, the people continued to eat cabbage.

In 1984, the cabbage was finally granted its due when the UN Food and Agricultural Organization declared it one of the 20 most important foods in world nutrition.

The East Europeans and Turks stuff it, the Chinese add it to stir-fries, the Ethiopians cook it spicy, and the Japanese serve it pickled as an appetizer. In Germany, cabbage is a national food, in a sweet-and-sour slow-cooked dish of red and white cabbage, and in Scandinavia, the ultimate appetizer is coleslaw (whose name probably derives from the Dutch for cabbage “kool” and salad “sla”). And there are many others which we have not listed.

The cabbage gave its name to a very prominent family, which includes cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale, collards and the oriental leafy vegetables bok choy and tatsoi. The original wild cabbage originated in the coastal region of the Mediterranean, southern Europe and southern England, where it enjoys moist weather. This primeval cabbage must have been very different from the cabbage head we know today, and was probably a stem with few open leaves.

The cabbages belong to the Brassicaceae family. Research indicates that vegetables from the cabbage family can fight breast cancer, abdominal and intestinal cancer, thanks to phytochemicals containing the indole compound. On the other hand, over-consumption of cabbage may adversely affect the thyroid gland. Cabbage juice is known as a remedy for ulcers. Cabbage is rich in iron, calcium and potassium, and contains high levels of vitamins B, C and D. Red cabbage contains higher levels of iron, calcium and potassium, as well as vitamin C and dietary fibers. Pickling cabbage is a great way to preserve its vitamin C. Captain Cook used to ascribe his seamen’s excellent health to a daily serving of pickled cabbage.

A few years ago, Ruth, a veteran client from Jerusalem, made a surprising request. She asked me for external white cabbage leaves (the kind which remain in the field after the cabbage heads are harvested) in order to use them for medicinal compresses. When I inquired, she added some recipes and tips for use of the kitchen ingredients for medicine and health matters. Thank you, Ruth!

Before I bring her message in her words, Ruth requested I make sure you know that this does not replace medical treatment or opinions.

Cabbage (white and frizzy cabbage)

-          From the Brassicaceae family (red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi): unmistakable cancer busters!

-          They are chockfull of vitamins and minerals (in its fresh and live form): vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamins B, C, E, K, iron, protein, calcium, potassium, sulfur, folic acid, lactic acid, glutathione…

Some people are sensitive to cabbage, due to its gassy effects. This relates more to cooked cabbage.

Healthy uses:

-          Neutralizes free radicals, prevents oxidation damage to the body

-          Nourishing and fortifying, therefore good for anemia, weakness, exhaustion, energy deficit, and to supplement vitamins, mineral and calcium deficiency.

-          Motivates metabolism

-          Helps strengthen the body’s immune system

-          Helps strengthen the liver and treat liver problems.

-          Cleanses the blood and lymph system, serves as a diuretic and lowers blood pressure, promotes the treatment of edema, prevents kidney stones.

-          Encourages the secretion of toxins via urine. Anti-cancerous.

-          Reduces phlegm, congestion (bronchitis, asthma), dries up secretions (runny noses, ear infections, vaginal secretion. Nursing mothers, beware. Can dry up your milk!)

-          Assists in healthy growth: strengthens the bones; good for your gums.

-          Contributes to the reproductive system

-          Efficient in cleansing the digestive system, as it is a gentle laxative.

-          Good for the skin. Encourages healing.

-          Improves night vision

-          Calms your nerves

-          Protects the coronary arteries and heart

Raw cabbage salad:

Keeps all the nutritional value of the cabbage, is rich in calcium, vitamins, minerals.

  • A tip for a natural calcium additive: add a granule of ground eggshell. When it comes in contact with the lemon juice, it becomes acidic calcium, easy to digest and absorb.

Raw cabbage juice:

Keeps all the nutritional value of the cabbage, minus the fiber, and therefore recommended only for short periods of time.

Use a juicer, and add two stalks of celery and one carrot if desired.

Drink 1-2 cups a day in sips which you hold in your mouth for some time before you swallow, making digestion and absorption easier.

Good for:

  • Calcium deficiency
  • Abdominal and intestinal ulcers, sensitivity in the digestive system/mucous membranes (fresh potato juice is good for this too)
  • Arthritis, rheumatism

Cabbage tea:

You lose some vitamins and consume lots of sugar. Beneficial for upper respiratory tract ailments

Efficient in treating the common cough, cold, sore throat, runny nose, lung diseases.

Cook 1/2 liter of strained cabbage juice with 3 grams of (real) saffron and 1/4 liter of sugar or honey, till it thickens. Take 1 spoonful 3-4 times a day.

Cooked cabbage:

You lose some of the vitamins, and it is harder on those sensitive to gassy foods. Burns fat, good for cleansing and for weight reduction.

Pickled cabbage (homemade, by fermentation):

This is not German sauerkraut, but rather a true health-bomb!

The fermentation (of lactic acid microbes along with the yeast) creates a lactic acid (like all the fermented foods: pickles, miso, yogurt, etc.). The lactic acid protects the natural flora in your intestines as well as healthy mucous membranes, prevents the development of germs, protects natural strength and allows the absorption of food in the intestine. In addition, the vitamins are retained and other important enzymes are created through the process of fermentation.

(Shorshei Zion pickled cabbage and other vegetables are produced in this way)

Good for the treatment of:

  • Calcium deficiency
  • Candida
  • Diabetes
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Blood and digestion cleansing
  • Improving metabolism
  • Anemia (strengthens)
  • Arteriosclerosis
  • Arthritis, rheumatism
  • Cabbage juice relieves a sore throat or vaginal infection (wash externally)
  • Diuretic, toxin secretor (important for cancer patients)
  • Good for your diet (eat 100 gram per day over 4 weeks)

How to prepare:

Use a big glass jar which you can later refrigerate

  • Slice 5 kg of cabbage thinly
  • Add 100 gram sea salt, kummel and one whole allspice.
  • If you wish to use less salt, you will need more seasoning. Use thyme, light mustard seeds (good as preservatives) etc.
  • You may also layer grape leaves, or even add apple slices.
  • For more calcium, add 1/2 cup of ground eggshells, which will provide calcium with lactic acid which absorbs well.
  • Squeeze the cabbage into the jar using your hand or a stick, making sure all is covered by the resulting liquid. You may cover it from above with a cabbage leaf.
  •  Place a heavy object on the cabbage so that while it ferments, the cabbage is always covered by liquid (a clean stone, or fill up another jar with water).
  • Close with a cloth cover, set aside (in the light, not the sun) for about a week.
  • Taste it. When ready, keep refrigerated.
  • If more liquid is needed, boil 1 liter water with 10 grams sea salt, cool, and add.

Cabbage leaves (for compresses):

Used in ancient times as a remedy for almost any disease.

You can provide your body with all the attributes of fresh cabbage externally, via your skin, in a separate treatment or together with internal consumption, to double the medicinal effect.

Mode of use:

  • Take fresh green leaves (the external cabbage leaves), wash in lukewarm water to remove the dirt.
  • Cut from the protruding thickness of the spine. Lay on a cutting board and roll a glass bottle on it, to soften the leaf.
  • To warm it: place on the lid of a warm pot, wash under warm water or wet a piece of cloth with warm water and place the leaf over it.
  • Crisscross some leaves over each other upon the required area (forehead, neck, nape, chest, stomach, knee…) and bandage over it with a hot cloth. May apply this compress from 30 minutes to the entire night. You may renew this every two hours, if needed. If it causes discomfort or pain, leave on for shorter periods of time.
  • Cancer patients may experience more pain in the beginning from this form of therapy, but this will improve in time.
  • At the end of treatment, remove the bandage, wash in lukewarm water and spread some olive oil (or hypericum- very good for cancer patients).
  • You may alternate between bandaging with cabbage leaves, clay, carrot, cream cheese and more to achieve various effects.
  • If the leaf we removed seems dry, it must have given its liquids to the body, and not absorbed any in return.
  • If the leaf is saturated by a bloody fluid which sometimes emits a bad smell, the leaf has drained some fluid from the body. Bodily fluids that were stagnant and rotting are the cause for the foul smell, similar to fluid accumulated in pus.

Health uses:

(as part of general treatment. Sometimes healing is immediate, sometimes long weeks are required till total recovery, or till the body reaches its healing limit).

  • Cabbage leaves give the body their beneficial material and absorb the toxins and unhealthy body liquids.
  • Cleanse the blood and lymph system.
  • Drain out toxins via urine and skin (in chronic illnesses, skin problems may develop due to the bandaging. This means there are too many toxins and the body is secreting them via the skin, till it heals.)
  • Painkiller
  • Disinfects, drains liquids, treats pus, wounds, abscesses,  furuncles, swelling, contagious skin infections, bite wounds, burns, hemorrhage, tending tension.
  • For chronic diseases, cancer (recommended to combine with clay bandaging). For painkilling, for the prevention of further development and shrinking of an existing tumor.
  • For infections, phlebitis, tooth inflammation, pneumonia.
  • For neurological pain (trigeminal)
  • For hemorrhoids, leg thrombosis, bad blood flow or blockage in legs, causing them to turn black; closed ulcers.
  • Headaches (bandage on the nape or forehead at night).
  • Balances body temperature (high or low)
  • Cold, flu, sore throat (when it’s a bad case of the flu, bandage the liver at night)
  • Breast infection (from nursing. Beware- cabbage can dry up the milk!) Also, for a woman who is weaning and suffering from swelling, engorgement, and pain.
  • Excellent for asthma and bronchitis: bandage twice a day, morning and evening, on the chest and upper stomach.
  • For croup- if uncomfortable at first, start gradually and slowly lengthen the time.
  • Stomachache, digestive infections and intestinal infection- bandage the stomach.
  • Frostbite- rub with lemon, then bandage with cabbage leaves overnight.
  • For sinus infection – bandage forehead for two hours.
  • Painful joints (due to the accumulation of uric acid)

And before we say goodbye to the cabbage this week, here are some beautiful farmer words I found in the book Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables, a cookbook published by one of the biggest CSA’s in the U.S., Angelic Organics, near Chicago:

“Cabbages are quite an amazing feat of nature. Cabbages plants produce normal-looking leaves for quite some time before reaching a threshold, then they suddenly start curling in, layering one leaf on top of the other until they create a tight sphere.”

This may sound like flowery language, but in the field it really is magic. I’m surprised each time it happens, when the flat leaves do what they do and become a ball – just like last time.

And in perfect timing, we extend our hearty congratulations to Danny and Galit, our Granola people, who harvested their own little baby boy out of the patch last week. Many warm hugs and good wishes to Baby, his lovely parents, and two older sisters.

Wishing us all a week full of magic, and some sun, of course…

Alon, Bat Ami, Ya’ara, and the entire Chubeza team

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WHAT’S IN THIS WEEK’S BOXES?

Monday: Romaine/red leaf/iceberg lettuce, dill or cilantro, tomatoes, zucchini or potatoes, kohlrabi, celery/celeriac, cucumbers, carrots, fennel or daikon, cabbage, leeks-only small boxes

In the large box in addition: Swiss chard, fresh onions/fresh garlic, beets, parsley root.

Wednesday: fennel or daikon, cabbages, cucumbers, cilantro, Romaine/red leaf/iceberg lettuce, celery/celeriac, kohlrabi, carrots, tomatoes, Swiis chard- only small boxes, parsley root- only small boxes.

In the large box in addition: beets, zucchini, leeks, fresh onions/fresh garlic, dill

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Recepies from  Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables:

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