A Rainbow of Squash
It is full out squash season and we have a variety of squash sizes, shapes and varieties to suit all your autumn squash needs!
Mon Petit Chou
Cabbage is the hallmark of the brassica family and we keep a very special place in our heart just for this beautiful, humble veggie. We think the French have it right when they use “mon petit chou” (my little cabbage) as a term of endearment.
The fashionable life of Kale
Kale has laboured away in relative obscurity in modern north American culture for years only to be recently thrown into the trendy nutritional spotlight. Call it what you will – a fad, a diet, a phase – kale doesn’t really let all the attention go to it’s head. In fact, when you get to know it, kale is about as down to earth as it gets.
Never JUST a potato
Yes, we’re known for our corn and our sweet, sweet carrots but a large percentage of our crop is potatoes: all colours, shapes and sizes of beautiful rich potatoes! The number and kind of varieties we grow each year vary, but for the 2015 crop season, we’ve planted and grown 13 different varieties. That’s right, THIRTEEN different kinds of potatoes.
You and broccoli really need to be BFFs
Broccoli is like that kid in middle school who wore thick glasses and too short pants but then grew up to be Mr Universe. There’s a lot going on beneath the surface of broccoli and you’re going to want to get to know it well before it becomes that “it” veggie that all your friends are talking about.
Cauliflower Dreams
Fibonacci numbers, wild discoveries in the marshes of Toronto and vitamin C powers to make your head swim: cauliflower really does have it all.
Onions have feelings too.
The onion is a commonplace veggie on our North American plate but it is truly one of the most interesting, versatile and tasty veggies we grow.
Cool as a cucumber
Once picked, our cucumbers have a short window of freshness so make use of these babies right away!
Fennel likes long walks on the beach and a glass of fine wine with dinner.
There is one crop that – above all – seems to mystify our customers… fennel. Personally, we love fennel and use it daily in our meals but we know this preference is not always shared with everyone in our community so we have rustled up some recipe options to help your fennel really woo you.
Love the bean you’re with.
Here at Riverbend, the appearance of beans means that summer is in full swing. We grow three varieties of beans and we love them all. Beans have a (relatively) short season so love them while they’re here!
Kohlrabi, we love you.
One of the lesser known and therefore lesser appreciated veggies we grow is the humble kohlrabi. A popular German veg, its name literally translates to: cabbage (kohl) turnip (rabi/rube). We grow both purple and white kohlrabi which taste very similar and can be enjoyed in many different ways.
The beautiful world of beets!
At Riverbend, we hold a special place in our hearts for beets. They begin early, continue through the season, can be stored late into the fall and used in so many different ways. Beets are the underrated, steady veggie of the fields. We are absolutely head over heels in love with them and we want you to be too so we !
What’s so special about NEW potatoes?!
If all this hype about new potatoes leaves you confused, you’re not alone. We’re here to answer all your burning potato questions.
Carpe Peas!
So we encourage you to go on a veggie bender when you’ve got those fresh veggies in the fridge. Seize the day, destroy that bag of peas, it’s no match for you. You’re going to enjoy it to the last pod. And guess what, it’s even going to be amazing for your body. You’ll thank yourself.
CSA: an environmental choice
When you participate in a CSA, you are not only reducing the distance your food travels to your table and in turn its carbon footprint (the average north american meal travels an estimated 1200km to get to your plate), you’re also making a choice for environmental conservation and stewardship.
CSA: a cost effective choice
That means setting aside less than $5/day to supply a household with fresh, local veggies. In fact, it’s less than 20% of overall average grocery spending.