What's fresh at Brainfood? You name it!

School’s almost out, which means the Brainfood kitchens have been unusually quiet for the past couple of weeks. Our program participants are out finishing up another year of high school, and our ovens and stoves, pots and pans (not to mention instructors) are taking a break from daily cooking to focus on upcoming summer programs.

But outside in the Brainfood Youth Garden, things are in full swing! We’re harvesting a bounty of fresh produce that our programs will use in recipes this summer.  In this blog post, we’re bringing you an exclusive sneak preview of a few of our favorite home-grown Brainfood edibles along with some fun facts about each. 

What's Fresh at Brainfood

Black Raspberries

These luxurious and sweet berries are in full bloom right now in our garden - we're picking bushels full every week.  I'm hard pressed to find anything tastier than a freshly-picked berry, slightly warmed by the sun. It's virtually impossible to resist eating a few of these while harvesting them. Black raspberries look similar to blackberries but are  smaller, duller in appearance, and less tart. Summer program participants will likely be making some delicious jams with these beauties.

Swiss Chard

This long lean green, streaked with hot pink or bright yellow veins, is a superfood at its finest. Swiss chard is jam packed with phytonutrients and antioxidents that both detoxify and nourish your body's cells and tissues. Chard also contains special flavonoids that help your body regulate its blood sugar levels by preventing the breakdown of some carbohydrates into simple sugars. A win for diabetics, and a knockout of a health boost for all!

Chamomile

The cheerful, daisy-like flower of the chamomile plant is a common herbal infusion in hot tea that's known for being calming and pleasant smelling, even sleep-inducing. We're harvesting the flowers now, drying them out, and will have them at the ready when the weather cools down enough for us to crave hot tea again. 

Radishes

The radish is a known speed racer in the gardening world - a radish seed takes only 3 days to germinate. That means that once you toss the tiny seed into good soil, you only have to wait three days to see the green buds shoot up from the ground. That's really fast for a seed! Slice up a few of these hot pink, peppery-tasting roots and toss them into your green salad for an extra dose of vitamin B6, folic acid, and potassium.