We are pleased to offer monthly cooking classes through 2023 that will tickle your taste buds and have you practicing new techniques to add to your healthy cooking toolkit. Class topics will be released quarterly and are taught in-person at our Food Hub. Sign up through our class registration portal, links below. For questions, please email laura.meisler@trinity.health.org
All classes run from 6:00-7:30pm at The Food Hub, 5557 McAuley Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
April: Use Those Spring Greens! Register Here
Tuesday, April 20
Overwhelmed by spring’s bounty? Our director, Amanda Sweetman, will show us different delicious ways to get greens out of the fridge and onto our plates.
May: Gardening: Pruning & Trellising Tomatoes Register Here
Tuesday, May 18
Our farmer, Will Jaquinde, has plenty of tips for increasing yield, preventing disease, and making harvest easier for your tomatoes! Participants take home a tomato plant!
June: Daring Dressings Register Here
Thursday, June 8
Keep salads and sandwiches fresh and interesting with homemade dressings that avoid artificial ingredients, oversalting, and preservatives. Taught by education coordinator, Laura Meisler.
A spring Farm Share featuring locally foraged ramps, far right
We love this fresh spring frittata to showcase some of our favorite early season greens. Substitute ramps with diced leeks as needed, or add asparagus for a more robust flavor.
Ingredients
10 large eggs
8 ounces of ramps, approximately 1 large handful – clean well, remove roots, thinly slice bulbs and rough chop leaves – divide bulbs and leaves into separate bowls
6 ounces spinach, about 6 packed cups
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
Turn on oven broiler to pre-heat.
Beat eggs in a large bowl and add 2 large pinches of salt, set aside.
Heat oil in a non-stick oven-safe pan, add sliced ramp bulbs and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in ramp leaves and thyme, and cook until leaves are just wilted, about 1 minute.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour eggs into skillet and cook, stirring and scraping pan all over until loose curds form throughout, about 3 minutes. Stop stirring before they permanently separate into scrambled eggs. Let cook until eggs on bottom are set, about 2 minutes.
Place frittata under broiler and cook just until eggs on top are set. Shake pan to loosen frittata, using spatula to separate the edges as necessary. Turn frittata out onto a plate or serve directly from skillet. Serve warm or at room temperature.
This Swiss Chard Salad is a favorite and made very often around The Farm. It will surely change the way you feel about Swiss Chard and introduce more of those gorgeous bright greens into your diet.
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch swiss chard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
Sea salt, to taste
Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
DIRECTIONS
Wash and dry the chard and remove the stems from the leaves. Cut into thin ribbons. Place in a large salad bowl.
Warm ¼ cup oil in a skillet, add breadcrumbs stirring frequently until crisp. Stir in garlic, salt, and pepper flakes. Toast for a minute. Remove from heat.
Zest lemon into the bowl of chard. Juice lemon in a separate bowl. Add salt and ¼ cup oil.
Add the parmesan cheese, dressing, and breadcrumbs to the chard. Enjoy!
We love this Roasted Acorn Squash Apple Soup for the depth of flavor and unique combination of squash and apple. We know you’ll love warming up with this delicious soup!
INGREDIENTS
1 large or 2 small acorn squash
1 sweet or yellow onion, finely chopped
3 small carrots, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
3 small celery ribs, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 granny smith apples, cored and diced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger, or 2 inches fresh ginger minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup full fat coconut milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also use a shallow baking dish.
Slice the top stem off the acorn squash and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Rub outer edges of flesh with 1 tablespoon oil and place each half facing down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Turn off oven and set aside to cool.
Warn the last 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes. Next add garlic, ginger, apples, and spices. Cook 5-10 minutes until apples are slightly tender.
Once squash is cool enough to handle, use spoon to scoop the cooked flesh into the pot, discard the skin. Pour in broth and bring to a low boil and cook for 5-7 minutes until apples are soft.
Add the contents of the pot to a blender along with the coconut milk and blend until smooth. You may need to do this in batches. You can also use an immersion blender to blend in the pot.
Add salt, pepper, and additional spices to taste. Serve warm.
We are pleased to offer monthly cooking classes through 2023 that will tickle your taste buds and have you practicing new techniques to add to your healthy cooking toolkit. Class topics will be released quarterly and are taught in-person at our Food Hub. Sign up through our class registration portal, links below. For questions, please email laura.meisler@trinity.health.org
All classes run from 6:00-7:30pm at The Food Hub, 5557 McAuley Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48197
January: The Best Lentil Soup Ever!
Wednesday, January 18th
Tired of rich holiday food? Let’s recover by preparing this nutritious and warming lentil soup.
February: DIY Nutrition Bars
Tuesday, February 21st
Save money and get customized, delicious bars that are sure to please. (And yes, there will be chocolate.)
March: Showdown: Kale vs. Collards Register Here
Tuesday, March 14th
No matter which team you’re on, everyone’s a winner with fresh recipe approaches that showcase these beneficial greens!
Join us at our Annual Luminary Walk on February 4, 2023 from 4-7pm!
This magical evening features illuminated nature trails, fun movement opportunities, health education, kids activities, local food and beverage vendors, and live music!
This free family-friendly event is sure to get your blood pumping! Don’t let the dark get you down, illuminate your spirit at our Luminary Walk.
Learn more at our Facebook Event Page and RSVP to let us know you’re coming!
Exciting news, the Lifestyle Medicine Team at Trinity Health, is starting a new class series “How to Cook with Plants” this winter. Classes are offered monthly on Tuesdays from 6:30-7:30. Pre-registration is encouraged.
The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor welcomes you to the Fall Festival on September 29th from 6-8pm! Join us for this FREE event with live music and family friendly farm games. There will be food for purchase and you are welcome to bring your own picnic dinner. Musical guest, Ain’t Dead Yet, is a local cover band with family friendly tunes lead by Trinity’s own Dr. Stephen Bloom! Some seating provided, but you are encouraged to bring your own chairs or blanket. Explore the beauty of the farm and learn more about this unique hospital-based farm and how to get involved in our locally grown food system. Learn more here: https://fb.me/e/23ZHwY942
We are excited to share what we’ve been seeding and growing over this last year. Our 2020 Annual Report shows how our partnerships helped us start new programs in response to the pandemic and how donors and grantors were crucial in accomplishing renovations needed for all of our community efforts. We want to thank all our volunteers, interns, partner groups, colleagues, and staff for working hard in growing a healthy community!
2020 highlights:
Doubled our food distribution; 11,000 boxes out
Started a clinical referral program with 121 participants with over 1,134 deliveries
Donated $27,000 produce ~ 6,320 lbs to reach 4,900 patients and frontline healthcare workers
$139,017 supported local Michigan farmers
Our Produce to Patient Program really makes a difference in patient’s lives, here’s what Dr. Irina Burman from Academic Internal Medicine (AIM) Clinic had to say:
“Every Wednesday morning during the summer and fall of 2020 I would make a stop at The Farm to pick up a very generous donation of seasonal vegetables and bring them to the AIM clinic. Veggie Wednesdays became so popular that many patients would make an extra effort to schedule their visits on Wednesday, just so they could take some greens home. We were sharing not only wonderful nutritious food with our patients, but also provided them hope and a much needed sense of normalcy during these difficult times.” – Dr. Burman
A change is coming,and our earth lets us know. Wemay carrysome of winter with us; our losses and grief from last year have been numerous, but as gardeners and farmers we see what emerges from the dark soils – life.
The cycles of life and death,everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature helps our spirits – gardening does this. Gardening allows us time to reflect, connect, and share. It is an activity that nourishes the soul.
Did you know?
The benefits of gardening include:
Improved physical health, emotional wellbeing, and social interaction- all positive ways to work through challenging times.
Exposure to good bacteria and boosting your immune system.1
Charity and Hope! The act of growing and giving flowers and vegetables to family, friends, and those in need is often the most precious gift.
Gardening is also good for the health of our communities – studies show how community gardens can help us develop supportive networks when things get tough.2
Gardening mixes the need to nurture and be nurtured. If you have ever planted a seed and watched it grow to fruit – you know what I mean. If you don’t and want to get started planting – start exploring by checking out an almanac for beginners: https://bit.ly/3w7IdeG! Who doesn’t like to play in the dirt? Let’s get digging!
The Farm at St. Joe’s provides space for hospital staff to tend to the land and one another. If you are interested in volunteering or learning about our other programs, visit: https://stjoesfarm.org/
Local Harvest – www.localharvest.org. Put in your location and you can find community gardens, local farms, farmers markets and more.
Liz is a Registered Nurse who has worked in diverse health care environments in triage care, community health and rehabilitation. Her passion for facilitating educational and therapeutic experiences in the outdoors has led her to horticultural therapy where she designs and facilitates garden-based therapeutic programming to increase human health and wellbeing. Concurrent passions for community health and gardening/farming brought Liz to The Farm at St. Joe’s in the role of Farm Program Manager. She is a passionate gardener and has worked on a number of farms, cultivating health and community through plants.