Saturday, March 28, 2009
Weekly Farmer's Market Report
Sorry this is so late. Nothing new to see food wise, but the flowers are starting to arrive. Yippee skippee!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tenderloin Spinach Salad
1 (1 to 1 1/2 lb) package pork tenderloin , medium cut
1/3 c. honey mustard, divided
2 T dried, crushed roemary, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (9 to 10 oz or more) bag pre-washed fresh spinach (I always wash a second time)
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 c. diced green onions
1/3 c. toasted pecan pieces (I do a coarse chop)
1 (4 oz.) container crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. or more balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Preheat oven broiler. Place tenderloin pieces on broiler pan. Spread half of honey mustard over meat. Sprinkle with half of the rosemary, salt and pepper. Broil for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the broiler, turn over the meat and repeat above process. Broil 8 additional minutes, or until done. Meanwhile, take stems off spinach and arrange on a large platter, or divide onto individual plates. Sprinkle with red pepper, cranberries, green onions and pecans. When meat is done, slice into thin pieces and divide onto plates, or place whole pork piece on center of each salad. Sprinkle feta on meat (it warms it up just a little), pour dressing on salad and serve. I always put the bottle of dressing on the table for those who want more.
(When it's hot I cook the pork in a non-stick skillet on the stove. It doesn't eat up the kitchen quite as much.)
Makes 4 servings.
1/3 c. honey mustard, divided
2 T dried, crushed roemary, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 (9 to 10 oz or more) bag pre-washed fresh spinach (I always wash a second time)
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 c. diced green onions
1/3 c. toasted pecan pieces (I do a coarse chop)
1 (4 oz.) container crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. or more balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Preheat oven broiler. Place tenderloin pieces on broiler pan. Spread half of honey mustard over meat. Sprinkle with half of the rosemary, salt and pepper. Broil for 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the broiler, turn over the meat and repeat above process. Broil 8 additional minutes, or until done. Meanwhile, take stems off spinach and arrange on a large platter, or divide onto individual plates. Sprinkle with red pepper, cranberries, green onions and pecans. When meat is done, slice into thin pieces and divide onto plates, or place whole pork piece on center of each salad. Sprinkle feta on meat (it warms it up just a little), pour dressing on salad and serve. I always put the bottle of dressing on the table for those who want more.
(When it's hot I cook the pork in a non-stick skillet on the stove. It doesn't eat up the kitchen quite as much.)
Makes 4 servings.
Weekly Farmer's Market Report
Sorry this is so late! There wasn't anything new available so I will post a recipe I made Thursday with local spinach, green onions and pecans. I had pork in the freezer so I didn't go up to the pork place. It's a recipe that won first place in the NC Pork Producers Association Tar Heel Pork Challenge at the NC State Fair in 2004. Enjoy!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
Written by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver
This book describes the Kingsolver-Hopp family's decision to move from Tuscon to the farm they own in Virginia and try to live off what they can produce, and anything within a 120 mile radius for one year. The basic point for them is eating fruits and vegetables in their growing season and storing the surplus for the winter, eating meats and dairy products that come from pasture fed animals to avoid any inadvertent exposure to harmful elements or disease, promoting the re-introduction of heirloom breeds of seeds and animals, having a positive impact on the environment by purchasing foods with minimal fuel expenditures for transportation as well as being grown in an environmentally responsible way, and supporting small farm operations in the community by shopping and eating at establishments that sell or use locally grown produce, meats and dairy products.
So that's the stuffy summary. The book is anything but! As one reviewer wrote, "One wants with all one's heart to sit with [Kingsolver] on the porch at the end of the day and shell peas." What the book did for me was propel me to make some of those ch-ch-changes DanaLee talked about. I used to can fruit and make jam and freeze vegetables. When I realized it was cheaper to buy it, I quit going to the trouble of doing it myself. This book reminded me that there is such an advantage to eating food within a few days from it being harvested, the extra cost is well worth the rewards to my health, as well as my community. I am a conservation nut, so the idea of not using fuel resources to ship a product across the country that I can purchase farm fresh fifteen minutes from my house is very appealing. My daughter was in Guatemala for several summers. I was talking to her on Skype one day and told her I bought a cantelope from Guatemala and was happy to be helping the farmers there. She told me that large American corporations had come into the country and bought out many of the farms. It was causing the smaller farms to go under when they couldn't compete. Not good. I was also unhappy with the news of seeds being sold to third world countries that were being touted as the end all to poor health because of being genetically enhanced with additives, but were not able to reproduce after the initial harvest. Those farming with this product were forced to buy seed each year. Don't get me started about the patents on these seeds. But I rant on! The book covers these issues very well, and what can be done.
The joy of reading this book is the wonder of plants growing from seeds to harvest, how to eat simply and make preparing a meal a happy time, how good it feels to finally finish canning all those tomatoes (or freezing vegetables) and having the stocked shelves and better things to eat as a result. I love Kingsolver's writing style. (I absolutely adore the last paragraph of the book.)My biggest "ah hah" moment was the Vegetannual. I can't draw the picture here but you can find it at http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/. It's right there on the home page. It's a "plant" that shows you the growing season in a very practical way so you can know what's coming up next. There are so many wonderful revelations in each chapter of this book. It's something you have to experience for yourself because it will resonate differently depending on your own food experiences. I didn't realize this book was so controversial until it was brought up at my book club. Oh my! To be controversial was not the intent. The authors state at the end that this was their year of food life, and whatever we can glean from it will be good. I may still be eating bananas and buying grapes from Chile in the winter, but I am also supporting my local farmers by planning my meals around what is seasonally available more than what is shipped in. I'm going to make jam, and can peaches and tomatoes, and freeze vegies! I started my new food habits in a dead growing time, just like they did. I am very excited to watch my selection grow at the Farmer's Market, just as they enjoyed watching their seeds begin to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Enjoy it for yourself!
This book describes the Kingsolver-Hopp family's decision to move from Tuscon to the farm they own in Virginia and try to live off what they can produce, and anything within a 120 mile radius for one year. The basic point for them is eating fruits and vegetables in their growing season and storing the surplus for the winter, eating meats and dairy products that come from pasture fed animals to avoid any inadvertent exposure to harmful elements or disease, promoting the re-introduction of heirloom breeds of seeds and animals, having a positive impact on the environment by purchasing foods with minimal fuel expenditures for transportation as well as being grown in an environmentally responsible way, and supporting small farm operations in the community by shopping and eating at establishments that sell or use locally grown produce, meats and dairy products.
So that's the stuffy summary. The book is anything but! As one reviewer wrote, "One wants with all one's heart to sit with [Kingsolver] on the porch at the end of the day and shell peas." What the book did for me was propel me to make some of those ch-ch-changes DanaLee talked about. I used to can fruit and make jam and freeze vegetables. When I realized it was cheaper to buy it, I quit going to the trouble of doing it myself. This book reminded me that there is such an advantage to eating food within a few days from it being harvested, the extra cost is well worth the rewards to my health, as well as my community. I am a conservation nut, so the idea of not using fuel resources to ship a product across the country that I can purchase farm fresh fifteen minutes from my house is very appealing. My daughter was in Guatemala for several summers. I was talking to her on Skype one day and told her I bought a cantelope from Guatemala and was happy to be helping the farmers there. She told me that large American corporations had come into the country and bought out many of the farms. It was causing the smaller farms to go under when they couldn't compete. Not good. I was also unhappy with the news of seeds being sold to third world countries that were being touted as the end all to poor health because of being genetically enhanced with additives, but were not able to reproduce after the initial harvest. Those farming with this product were forced to buy seed each year. Don't get me started about the patents on these seeds. But I rant on! The book covers these issues very well, and what can be done.
The joy of reading this book is the wonder of plants growing from seeds to harvest, how to eat simply and make preparing a meal a happy time, how good it feels to finally finish canning all those tomatoes (or freezing vegetables) and having the stocked shelves and better things to eat as a result. I love Kingsolver's writing style. (I absolutely adore the last paragraph of the book.)My biggest "ah hah" moment was the Vegetannual. I can't draw the picture here but you can find it at http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/. It's right there on the home page. It's a "plant" that shows you the growing season in a very practical way so you can know what's coming up next. There are so many wonderful revelations in each chapter of this book. It's something you have to experience for yourself because it will resonate differently depending on your own food experiences. I didn't realize this book was so controversial until it was brought up at my book club. Oh my! To be controversial was not the intent. The authors state at the end that this was their year of food life, and whatever we can glean from it will be good. I may still be eating bananas and buying grapes from Chile in the winter, but I am also supporting my local farmers by planning my meals around what is seasonally available more than what is shipped in. I'm going to make jam, and can peaches and tomatoes, and freeze vegies! I started my new food habits in a dead growing time, just like they did. I am very excited to watch my selection grow at the Farmer's Market, just as they enjoyed watching their seeds begin to grow. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Enjoy it for yourself!
Creamy Mashed Rutabaga
1 3/4 lbs rutabaga, peeled and thickly sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, slivered (I used minced garlic)
3/4 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
1 tsp salt
3 T evaporated low-fat milk
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp butter
Combine rutabaga, apple, garlic or marjoram, and 1/2 tsp salt in large saucepan. Add water halfway to top of ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rutabaga is tender, about 30 minutes. Check water about halfway through and add more if needed. Drain well, and transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add the evaporated milk, Parmesan, butter and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and mash until the mixture is well blended but still chunky.
This recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead by boiling the rutabaga mixture until rutabaga is tender and then refrigerating. To serve, gently reheat over low heat, stirring in the remaining ingredients. If you'd prefer a smooth vegetable purée, mash with a potato masher or an electric beater until no lumps remain.
There are local rutabagas available all winter, and they are really good cut up and tossed into soups as well.
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, slivered (I used minced garlic)
3/4 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
1 tsp salt
3 T evaporated low-fat milk
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp butter
Combine rutabaga, apple, garlic or marjoram, and 1/2 tsp salt in large saucepan. Add water halfway to top of ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until rutabaga is tender, about 30 minutes. Check water about halfway through and add more if needed. Drain well, and transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add the evaporated milk, Parmesan, butter and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and mash until the mixture is well blended but still chunky.
This recipe can be prepared 1 day ahead by boiling the rutabaga mixture until rutabaga is tender and then refrigerating. To serve, gently reheat over low heat, stirring in the remaining ingredients. If you'd prefer a smooth vegetable purée, mash with a potato masher or an electric beater until no lumps remain.
There are local rutabagas available all winter, and they are really good cut up and tossed into soups as well.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sustainable Table
I thought we could have our first online discussion. I came across this website and thought it was very informative: Sustainable Table. Here is what I thought we could do. In the comments section (click on comments below) answer these 3 questions after looking at the website. Post your comments so that we all can read them.
1. Browse the website, what catches your eye/interest?
2. What recipe would you like to try?
3. Do you think this is a website that would be useful to you as you strive to eat healthier?
1. Browse the website, what catches your eye/interest?
2. What recipe would you like to try?
3. Do you think this is a website that would be useful to you as you strive to eat healthier?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Pork and Butternut Squash Sauté
3/4 lb. small red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 lb pork loin, cut into 2 by 1/4 inch strips
1 T olive oil
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 turnips, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
3 carrrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 T chopped fresh parsley
In small pan with a little water, cook potatoes, turnips and carrots until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. At the same time microwave squash until tender, but still firm, about 10 minutes. Check at five minutes, and then again at 7 minutes, and remove any that are ready. (If they get too soft though it doesn't matter, so don't sweat it too much.) Meanwhile, combine flour with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a gallon ziploc bag. Add pork and shake to coat. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer pork wth slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Add potatoes, turnips and carrots to the skillet, stirring to coat. Stir in the broth, vinegar, sage, ginger, remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook five minutes. Add squash and cook five minutes more, or until vegetables tender. Return pork to pan and cook uncovered until pork is cooked through, about three minutes. Stir in the parsley, and serve.
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 lb pork loin, cut into 2 by 1/4 inch strips
1 T olive oil
3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
3 turnips, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
3 carrrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 T chopped fresh parsley
In small pan with a little water, cook potatoes, turnips and carrots until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. At the same time microwave squash until tender, but still firm, about 10 minutes. Check at five minutes, and then again at 7 minutes, and remove any that are ready. (If they get too soft though it doesn't matter, so don't sweat it too much.) Meanwhile, combine flour with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a gallon ziploc bag. Add pork and shake to coat. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer pork wth slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. Add potatoes, turnips and carrots to the skillet, stirring to coat. Stir in the broth, vinegar, sage, ginger, remaining 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook five minutes. Add squash and cook five minutes more, or until vegetables tender. Return pork to pan and cook uncovered until pork is cooked through, about three minutes. Stir in the parsley, and serve.
Roasted Cabbage with Simple Balsamic Reduction
4 cups chopped red cabbage (1 inch pieces)
4 cups chopped green cabbage (1 inch pieces)
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Simple Balsamic Reduction, for serving, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Core and chop cabbages into 1 inch pieces, and mix in large roasting pan. (I found that half a large cabbage yielded 4 cups chopped.) Drizzle oil, salt and pepper over cabbage, and toss to mix well. Roast for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring once halfway through. Cabbage is done when still crisp-tender and edges begin to caramelize. Remove from oven, and drizzle with Simple Balsamic Reduction to taste, if desired.
Simple Balsamic Reduction
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 T brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
In a small pot, combine vinegar, sugar and garlic. Bring to a moderate boil, and boil 5 minutes to reduce mixture by half. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened about as thick as pancake syrup. Remove and discard garlic, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.) Makes about 3/4 cup.
I found that I only needed half the reduction for my taste so I will cut the recipe in half next time. My massage therapist tried this with other vegies and said they all roasted very nicely and tasted great with the reduction.
4 cups chopped green cabbage (1 inch pieces)
2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Simple Balsamic Reduction, for serving, recipe follows
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Core and chop cabbages into 1 inch pieces, and mix in large roasting pan. (I found that half a large cabbage yielded 4 cups chopped.) Drizzle oil, salt and pepper over cabbage, and toss to mix well. Roast for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring once halfway through. Cabbage is done when still crisp-tender and edges begin to caramelize. Remove from oven, and drizzle with Simple Balsamic Reduction to taste, if desired.
Simple Balsamic Reduction
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 T brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
In a small pot, combine vinegar, sugar and garlic. Bring to a moderate boil, and boil 5 minutes to reduce mixture by half. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened about as thick as pancake syrup. Remove and discard garlic, and serve. (Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.) Makes about 3/4 cup.
I found that I only needed half the reduction for my taste so I will cut the recipe in half next time. My massage therapist tried this with other vegies and said they all roasted very nicely and tasted great with the reduction.
Collard Greens
Wash 1 1/4 lb collard greens (allow 8 ounces per serving) and strip leaves from inedible stalk. Stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice into strips. They can be chopped at this point or left as strips. In a 3 quart baking dish, place greens with the water that clings to them from rinsing. Cover and cook on high until tender 7 to 10 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 2 minutes. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce (or vinegar, lemon or garlic).
Serves 2
Serves 2
Weekly Report 3/11/09
I am so excited! Since it's going to be cold this weekend I went to the Farmer's Market today looking for butternut squash to make the Butternut Bean Soup found at the bottom of the recipes at www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Recipes.html . There weren't any butternut left, but I found buttercup squash, a round squash that is one of the sweetest. I am going to cut it like a pumpkin, bake it, and serve the bean soup in that instead, a la Pumpkin Soup in its Own Shell. I also found baby collards. I found a very easy way to prepare collards in the Joy of Cooking. I will post that with a few other recipes. Oh joy!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Good, Better, Best
I don’t set goals. I don’t set goals because I hate to lose, be wrong, or fail at anything. Pride much? So when I get those nudges from inside telling me to make some changes, I do it by lists. I make lists out of everything. In fact sitting next to me right now is a post it note that reads like this
1. Pick a topic.
2. Think it through.
3. Don’t be mean.
4. Post it!
So here I go with my first post giving some of my thoughts on our idea of having a virtual “enrichment”. I do not write because I am an expert or because I live some higher law of health and wellness, but because my inner nudger wanted me to make some life changes. I made a list. A list that is slowly making a difference in my lifestyle, helping to take me from good to better and best.
I thought I would review some of the items that have made my list in the hopes they will help you too.
Better: When deciding what changes I needed and wanted to make I had to do my research. Rather then just trusting advice from the cool people or whatever is currently being preached at the church of Oprah, I did my own research. Thankfully the Internet makes this process much easier and if you cannot commit to hours of reading, a few quick google searches and you can be on your way. Books that worked for me are listed below.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A year of Food Life Barbra Kingsolver
I most appreciated this first hand account of how it actually worked for her family to eat local and seasonally. Now this family lived a higher level of commitment that I have given to this point, but it got me motivated and inspired about my first level of changes.
Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients by Jesse Cool
My favorite tip I gained from this book was to organize my recipes by seasons. It is so fun to flip through a few weeks and see what yummy things I will be eating once those darn strawberries down the street are ready.
How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons
If you are a nerd a heart, this book is for you. Full of facts to realistically understand how to eat fresh from what is growing locally. It’s an encyclopedia of information and a gleeful read.
Best: NC is full of sensational farmers markets that make the purchasing of local foods so much easier. If you have not taken the 20 minutes to drive into Raleigh for the market you are missing out. Not only does it provide the opportunity to support our local farmers, but it’s a wonderland of flavors, colors, smells, and experiences. The outside portion of the market offers every manner of fruit, vegetable, and nut you can imagine. If you are confident in what you want, go any time. If you are unsure about how to cook some of the local favorites, go during a week day morning. The vendors have more time, it's less hectic, and they love to talk you through their crops. They have gems of wisdom, often generations old to share with you about picking good items and how to cook them!
The upper level or indoor portion of the market, does have vegetables, fruits, and nuts but also includes a wide variety of locally made cakes, pies, jams, spreads, and pickled everything. You can also purchase locally raised and slaughtered meats, eggs, and cheese. The prices of the fruits and vegetables are unbeatable and while the meat/cheese products might be pricier, I find it’s worth the cost knowing the animals are hormone free and free range.
Having problems getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables? Take them along with you, let them pick things out, taste them fresh there. I promise there is a world of difference in eating a brussel sprout from a frozen bag, and eating one that was grown down the road and picked fresh this morning. Seriously, good times.
In the next few months, North Carolina’s Pick Your Own Farms will be opening. I will give my personal reviews of my favorite, and trust me, if nothing I am opinionated. I have been to a variety of farms in the area and will gladly share my experiences. We are so fortunate to have these great farms close by, take advantage and turn your favorite good recipes into BEST recipes by filling them with flavors of locally grown veggies and fruits.
1. Pick a topic.
2. Think it through.
3. Don’t be mean.
4. Post it!
So here I go with my first post giving some of my thoughts on our idea of having a virtual “enrichment”. I do not write because I am an expert or because I live some higher law of health and wellness, but because my inner nudger wanted me to make some life changes. I made a list. A list that is slowly making a difference in my lifestyle, helping to take me from good to better and best.
I thought I would review some of the items that have made my list in the hopes they will help you too.
Better: When deciding what changes I needed and wanted to make I had to do my research. Rather then just trusting advice from the cool people or whatever is currently being preached at the church of Oprah, I did my own research. Thankfully the Internet makes this process much easier and if you cannot commit to hours of reading, a few quick google searches and you can be on your way. Books that worked for me are listed below.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A year of Food Life Barbra Kingsolver
I most appreciated this first hand account of how it actually worked for her family to eat local and seasonally. Now this family lived a higher level of commitment that I have given to this point, but it got me motivated and inspired about my first level of changes.
Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients by Jesse Cool
My favorite tip I gained from this book was to organize my recipes by seasons. It is so fun to flip through a few weeks and see what yummy things I will be eating once those darn strawberries down the street are ready.
How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons
If you are a nerd a heart, this book is for you. Full of facts to realistically understand how to eat fresh from what is growing locally. It’s an encyclopedia of information and a gleeful read.
Best: NC is full of sensational farmers markets that make the purchasing of local foods so much easier. If you have not taken the 20 minutes to drive into Raleigh for the market you are missing out. Not only does it provide the opportunity to support our local farmers, but it’s a wonderland of flavors, colors, smells, and experiences. The outside portion of the market offers every manner of fruit, vegetable, and nut you can imagine. If you are confident in what you want, go any time. If you are unsure about how to cook some of the local favorites, go during a week day morning. The vendors have more time, it's less hectic, and they love to talk you through their crops. They have gems of wisdom, often generations old to share with you about picking good items and how to cook them!
The upper level or indoor portion of the market, does have vegetables, fruits, and nuts but also includes a wide variety of locally made cakes, pies, jams, spreads, and pickled everything. You can also purchase locally raised and slaughtered meats, eggs, and cheese. The prices of the fruits and vegetables are unbeatable and while the meat/cheese products might be pricier, I find it’s worth the cost knowing the animals are hormone free and free range.
Having problems getting your kids to eat fruits and vegetables? Take them along with you, let them pick things out, taste them fresh there. I promise there is a world of difference in eating a brussel sprout from a frozen bag, and eating one that was grown down the road and picked fresh this morning. Seriously, good times.
In the next few months, North Carolina’s Pick Your Own Farms will be opening. I will give my personal reviews of my favorite, and trust me, if nothing I am opinionated. I have been to a variety of farms in the area and will gladly share my experiences. We are so fortunate to have these great farms close by, take advantage and turn your favorite good recipes into BEST recipes by filling them with flavors of locally grown veggies and fruits.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Weekly Report
I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday, not sure if very many venders would be there. Surprise! It was a very cold 45 degrees and they were all there, happy to see me. There wasn't anything new this week, only sad news. I was hoping to find beet greens for a recipe I clipped from the paper. I remember them being less bitter than turnip greens. Apparently they withered in the first snow we had in January so I will have to wait until next year to try them. I've heard from two old time Southerners that just a little sugar with the greens does wonders. I will try it out and report back. The fresh spinach I bought last week was fantastic, so I bought some more because my recipe says I can substitute any greens for the beet greens. I'll post it after I make it this weekend so I can report how it turned out.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Three Bean Chili
Three Bean Chili-Dr. Phil
Hands-on time: 25 minutes| total time: 1 hour | makes 4 servings
2 t olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1 (14 oz) can. no salt diced tomatoes
1 cup canned great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups, no salt, fat free vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 t salt
1. Heat oil in large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in the chili powder and cumin. Cook another 20 seconds, until aromatic.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the sweet potato into the chili. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in the salt and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
Hands-on time: 25 minutes| total time: 1 hour | makes 4 servings
2 t olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1 (14 oz) can. no salt diced tomatoes
1 cup canned great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups, no salt, fat free vegetable broth
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
1/2 t salt
1. Heat oil in large saucepan or pot set over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook, stirring until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in the chili powder and cumin. Cook another 20 seconds, until aromatic.
2. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the sweet potato into the chili. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer slowly, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in the salt and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
Healthy Food Choices
My mother-in-law is able to get raw milk from a local farmer in her area and I love it! I have been searching for some place to find it here in NC and finally I did. It still doesn't come directly from NC, but Pennsylvania, is pretty close, right? I thought I would share this information in case anyone else wants to buy good quality products. Maybe we could put an order in together?!
Healthy Food Choices is a co-op in which we receive products from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania that is all from grass-fed, pastured-raised, free-range, organic animals. The foods follow the principles in the book Nourishing Traditions. To join the co-op, you need to sign and return 3 forms and pay an annual $10 membership fee to the co-op. At that point you can begin ordering. We assemble orders once a month and send them to the farmer in PA. He sends a truck a few days later with everyone's orders. The food is delivered to the Raleigh Farmer’s Market and members are responsible for picking up their orders. We do have one person who will pick up deliveries for anyone that lives in Durham.
The page set up which includes all of the products for this farm is:
http://geocities.com/nchealthyfood/order.html
And, if anyone is still interested in The Produce Box, just ask me!
Healthy Food Choices is a co-op in which we receive products from an Amish farm in Pennsylvania that is all from grass-fed, pastured-raised, free-range, organic animals. The foods follow the principles in the book Nourishing Traditions. To join the co-op, you need to sign and return 3 forms and pay an annual $10 membership fee to the co-op. At that point you can begin ordering. We assemble orders once a month and send them to the farmer in PA. He sends a truck a few days later with everyone's orders. The food is delivered to the Raleigh Farmer’s Market and members are responsible for picking up their orders. We do have one person who will pick up deliveries for anyone that lives in Durham.
The page set up which includes all of the products for this farm is:
http://geocities.com/nchealthyfood/order.html
And, if anyone is still interested in The Produce Box, just ask me!
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