Real health not just hype -- turmeric and ginger

Orange Sky Organics adds local color to The Produce Box

We've just started working with a new organic partner from Cary and we couldn't be more excited to tell you all about them! Michael and David became friends at work as they both had an interest in farming. They investigated the types of crops that would grow well in this area and settled on turmeric and ginger. They also recognized that there was a need for these organic items to be grown locally on the east coast.

That's where some local love and hope came in to help them along! Good Hope Farm in Cary is a new cultivator farm created through a partnership between local nonprofits and the Town of Cary that seeks to connect new farmers to the land and resources they need to get started.

Michael and David partnered with Good Hope to start their farming efforts and the results... you'll see in our Boxes! Both ginger and turmeric are known for their health and healing benefits. They have anti-inflammatory properties and have been widely used to lower cholesterol and aid in digestion.

Turmeric is a rich, 4000+ year old spice that first gained popularity in India. Ginger, a relative of turmeric, is a golden yellow root commonly ground into a spice. Both add a warm, earthy aroma  and flavor to chicken, seafood and veggie dishes of all kinds! You'll be seeing ginger & turmeric in our Boxes throughout the year from Orange Sky Organics. We're proud to support these growing farmers and offer our members something new too! (Want to join The Produce Box and try it out? Click here to become a member today and get a Box hand-delivered next week!)

David's Thai Pork Stir-Fry with Green Beans, Red Pepper, Ginger and Mint

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients

Ground Pork 20 oz
Basmati Rice 1 Cup
Green Beans 12 oz
Garlic 4 Cloves
Red Bell Pepper 2
Soy Sauce 4 T
Honey 2 T
Scallions 4
Mint 1/2 oz
Ginger 2 oz
Vegetable Oil 3 T
Salt
Pepper

Directions

1 Cook the rice: Bring 1 ¾ cup salted water to a boil in a small pot. Once boiling, add the rice. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until al dente.

2 Prep: Wash and dry all produce. Trim and halve the green beans. Peel and mince the ginger. Mince or grate the garlic. Trim and cut the scallions into 1-inch pieces. Core, seed, and thinly slice the bell pepper. Coarsely chop the mint leaves.

3 Cook the veggies: Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the green beans, bell pepper, and scallions. Cook, tossing, for 3-4 minutes, until softened and starting to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4 Cook the aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium and add another large drizzle of oil in the same pan. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, tossing, for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

5 Finish the stir-fry: Increase the heat to medium-high and add the pork. Cook, breaking up the meat into pieces, for 3-5 minutes, until browned. Toss in the veggies along with the soy sauce and honey. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

6 Finish and plate: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in half the mint. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the Thai pork stir-fry on a bed of rice and garnish with the remaining mint. Enjoy!