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Every New Year people around the world tuck into foods which they believe will bring good fortune in the year ahead.  While the dishes may be different they all have connotations of prosperity and health.

Here’s 10 foods that may (or may not!) bring you good fortune in the year ahead.

1. Leafy greens like cabbage and kale are commonly eaten on New Year’s day because they resemble money. Belief has it, the more you eat the more prosperous you’ll be.

2. Like greens, beans are also eaten because they resemble money - but coins in this case.

In the Southern states of the US it’s traditional to eat a dish called Hoppin’ John made from black-eyed peas. It’s though that eating black-eyed peas shows humility and therefore invites good fortune.

3. Lentils are yet another food stuff with financial connotations. They are commonly served in Italy and Brazil where they are believed to symbolise wealth. It is thought lentils have been eaten for luck since Roman times.

4. Fish are lucky in three ways: their scales resemble coins, they travel in schools, which represents prosperity, and they swim forward, symbolising progress. In China it’s important for the fish to be served with the head and tail intact to ensure a good year, from start to finish.

In Germany, Poland and Scandinavia however, it's believed that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will ensure a year of bounty—as herring are in abundance throughout Western Europe. Also, their silvery colour resembles that of coins, a good omen for future fortune.

5. In Spain and Portugal revellers eat 12 grapes at midnight - one on each stroke of the clock.

Each grape is said to represent a month. A sweet grape represents a good month, while a sour grape could signal something bad.

6. In Greece, a pomegranate in smashed on the floor in front of the door at midnight to break it open and reveal seeds symbolising prosperity and good fortune. The more seeds, the more luck you can expect in the coming year.

It is also believed that their red colour, which represents the human heart, denotes life and fertility

7. Noodles are a symbol of long life. One of Japan's most beloved foods, soba, or buckwheat noodles, are customarily eaten at midnight on December 31, when they are called toshi-koshi ("from one year to another") soba. The noodles symbolise longevity, which is lucky, so the longer they are, the better. To benefit from the luck they must be eaten without breaking however.

8. Many people consider pork to be the luckiest of all foods to eat on New Year’s Day for two reasons.

Firstly, pigs are rotund, which represents prosperity. They also “root forward” with their noses, which is supposed to symbolise progress.

9. Ring-shaped foods are a symbol of coming full circle so dig into doughnuts and bagels on New Year’s Day. Ring-shaped cakes are sometimes baked with trinkets or coins inside and the person who finds the trinket is said to have good luck.

10. Cornbread is a favourite new year’s treat in the US because it’s colour represents gold. Some people add extra corn kernels which are emblematic of golden nuggets.
Have a Happy and Safe New Year from the Backyard Food Solution's Team!!!

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A staple in Asian cooking, this round-leafed vegetable may be less familiar to American cooks. Here's what you need to know -- including what its name means, how to wash it, and how to use it.

Bok Choy's Name

Bok choy is sometimes referred to as white cabbage, not to be confused with Napa cabbage, which is also a type of Chinese cabbage. There are many kinds of bok choy that vary in color, taste, and size, including tah tsai and joi choi.

Bok Choy's Family

Bok choy might look a lot like celery, but it’s a member of the cabbage family.

Bok Choy History

The Chinese have been cultivating the vegetable for more than 5,000 years.

Bok Choy Cultivation

Although the veggie is still grown in China, bok choy is now also harvested in California and parts of Canada.

Cooking with Bok Choy

Bok choy, known for its mild flavor, is good for stir-fries, braising, and soups and can also be eaten raw.

Cleaning Bok Choy

The leaves and the stalks can both be cooked, but should be separated before washing to ensure that both parts are thoroughly cleansed.

Keeping Bok Choy

For optimal freshness, don’t wash bok choy until you’re ready to use. Unused parts can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to six days.

Bok Choy Vitamins

The veggie is packed with vitamins A and C -- one cup of cooked bok choy provides more than 100% of the recommended dietary allowance of A, and close to two-thirds the RDA of C.

Growing Bok Choy

The veggie takes about two months from planting to harvest and thrives best in milder weather.

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Erin and I enjoying the first strawberries from the farm. Can't beat having a fresh berry before November! In two weeks we should have enough in production for the produce delivery customers. Will keep you posted!
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The lettuce in the plugs is about ready to be transplanted. Once transplanted it will take about a month until it is ready to eat. Like the lettuce in the black crate which will be available at the produce stand today!

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These plants were planted September 19th. Approximately 40 days for red berries.

Plug strawberry plants planted on September 23rd

Bareroot strawberry plants planted on September 16th

Bareroot strawberries plants planted on September 16th

Hydroponic leaf mix

Hydroponic leaf mix

Hydroponic Leaf Mix

Hydroponic Red Butterhead

Hydroponic Romaine lettuce

Hydroponic Kale

The Kale and Lettuce is growing well. Will be ready for delivery in a couple weeks.

This kale has some damage from a large grasshopper. Picked them off the kale and lettuce this morning and will be spraying a preventative to keep the grasshoppers out of the farm.

This lettuce plant was eaten overnight by a large grasshopper. Amazing how much damage this grasshopper did overnight.

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Once you see the flowers it takes about 21 days for that flower to turn into fruit. Still at the beginning of bloom stage so it's about another 40 days until we have a ton of strawberries ready for delivery.

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