From the Bacon's

Storing Kale & Arugula

One of the challenges of produce is keeping it fresh.  The crisper drawers in a refrigerator are essential for this.  However, if you are like us, we need about two or three more of those drawers!  Recently, I did some experimenting.  When I got home from Market, I tore off our kale and put it in a one gallon Ziploc bag.  I left it on the shelf in the refrigerator and ... bingo ... no wilting!  On the arugula, I cut off the roots and did the same.  Mine lasted about two weeks (before we ate it all -- granted, it was about a pound of arugula!)  Maybe this will help some of you or perhaps you eat it too fast to matter!

(Sorry the picture isn't the best quality.  Guess I'd better stick to farming!)

No RAM

The Riverside Arts Market will be closed for two Saturdays.  "FRAM" -- The Farmer's RAM -- will reopen January 5th.  For our Jacksonville customers, Fred & Sharon will be attending the Mid-week Farmer's Market in Atlantic Beach on Wednesdays (beginning tomorrow the 19th) from 3pm - 6pm.  Hope to see you there!

http://www.facebook.com/midweekmarket

Another Kale Salad...

Okay, so I love to follow www.iowagirleats.com  It's a food blog.  When I make a new recipe, Freddie now oftens says, "Is this Iowa Girl's?"  And we laugh.  Here's a terrific winner!

Luann's Kale Salad

http://iowagirleats.com/2012/09/05/luanns-kale-salad/



I didn't do much measuring with mine, except for the dressing.  I'll give you the ingredients and if you want specifics, please visit Kristin's blog (well, visit it anyway, you'll love it!)

Kale (I used all but 5 stalks of our bunches)

1 Apple, cut

Dried cherries

Walnuts (she suggests salted peanuts)

Red Onion

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

Pepper

Clean & tear up the kale.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the kale and massage it for about two minutes.  This breaks down the kale a bit.  Stir in ingredients & toss with the dressing.

Oh, so good!!  Enjoy!

Bird's Eye View

Freddie had to climb to the top of the greenhouse so took advantage of the view!

Guess the Thanksgiving holiday is past & I'd better commit to better blogging!  Thanks, Freddie, for taking the stand last Saturday so I could squeeze in every possible moment with my family!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!

We WILL be at both Riverside Arts Market & Amelia Island Market Place

this coming Saturday, November 24th.  Hope to see you there!

Happy Thanksgiving!



Chicken, Arugula & Rice Bowls

This recipe is a version of

Ben's Chicken, Bacon & Rice Bowls

http://iowagirleats.com/2012/11/01/bens-chicken-bacon-rice-bowls/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IowaGirlEats+%28Iowa+Girl+Eats%29

Crumbled Cooked Sausage

(because we aren't fans of bacon even it's our last name!)

3/4 cup uncooked rice

1-1/2 cup low-sodium broth

2 chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces

Salt & Pepper

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

4-6 cups washed arugula

Cook rice in rice cooker; or, bring broth to a boil.  Add rice, cover, turn heat to medium-low and cook 15-20 minutes until rice has absorbed all the liquid.  Fluff with fork.  Meanwhile, heat skillet with oil.  Salt & pepper chicken and cook until completely done ~ about  10 minutes.  Add minced garlic & arugula and wilt the greens.  This takes no longer than a couple minutes.  Do not overcook.  Divide rice into bowls. Add chicken/arugula mixture on top.  Finally, sprinkle with sausage.

NOTE: We also tried the recipe with spinach and enjoyed it, as well.



***New @ Market***

Baby Bok Choy

Tzatziki Sauce or Dip

One of our customers passed on this delicious Greek recipe, Tzatziki, which can be used as a sauce or dip.  We put ours with Grilled Italian Chicken.  Delish!

First rinse and dice 4-6 Mini European Seedless Cucumbers.  Place in a colander and lightly salt them.  Let them sit for about 2-3 hours (this "sweats" the moisture out). 

(My picture shows sliced because I didn't read my instructions well!  I diced them afterwards.)

Fold cucumbers into about 2 cups of Greek Yogurt, add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic.  Chopped dill or mint can be added, as well.  We tried the dill and loved it.

Later, we pureed the remaining Tzatziki and used it as a dip.

Thanks, Anne, for this recipe!

The New Greenhouse

Here's a picture Freddie took yesterday of the new greenhouse.  Lettuce coming right up!

Fun Idea!

I haven't tried this but I thought it was pretty neat since our peppers are coming in steady.  I'm thinking I found it on Pinterest or Facebook, of course! :)

Just a Kitchen Tip...

This has nothing to do with lettuce but I wanted to share a tip that has been great for me.  I cannot even remember where I read it.  Too often, I have an open chicken broth carton in my refrigerator.  When I go to use it again, it is spoiled. 

Pour your extra broth into a muffin pan.  Each muffin hole is about 1/4 cup -- you can measure the first one.  Put the whole muffin pan in the freezer.  I do not cover it because it does not take long to freeze.  When the broth is frozen, the "cubes" are easily removed.  I put them all in a plastic freezer bag.  I love how easy it is to take out a 1/2 cup or 1 cup of broth.  Unthaw and use in minutes!

Green Monster Smoothies

Okay, so Freddie & I finally had our first Green Monster Smoothies!  Our customers have told us about them over and over.  We hardly ever have Kale left over from Market.  Last Friday (harvest day), we went out and harvested some for ourselves.  We brought it in and immediately made the smoothies.  Can't get fresher than that!  We really enjoyed them too.  They keep you feeling full for a long time.  Here's a recipe I adapted from a blog I enjoy:  

 http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/04/my-top-secret-diet-weapon/

Green Monster Smoothie

1 frozen banana

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk (or other type of milk)

4 cups Kale

---------------------

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth.

Information for the October 6th Market

Some of the early-birds have been enjoying our new crop of peppers.  Our harvest is limited, so come early if you want any.

We will not be attending the Riverside Arts Market in Jacksonville on October 6th.  We will return the following week.

However, we will be at the Amelia Island Market Place on 7th & Centre Street in Fernandina Beach, 9-1 pm.

FYI: No Butterhead this week.  With the change of season, they need more time to grow.  They should be ready the following week.  We will have plenty of Romaine and Red Oakleaf lettuce and all the other produce for this week.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Dear Friends,

We appreciate your patience and support of us through the past month.  As of Saturday, September 29th, we will be attending the Amelia Island Market Place at 7th & Centre Street.  At present, we will no longer be attending the Amelia Farmers Market.  See you Saturday!

Warm Regards,

Freddie & Heather

The New Greenhouse is Running...

Today was a big celebration day for us!  Our new greenhouse is up and running.  Here are some pictures from our day.

Heather &  Sharon transplanting the first lettuces.

Fred Sr. calculating.

Fred & Sharon

I guess Freddie was the photographer!  We missed his picture.

*** Starring: Watercress ***

Watercress is our new crop.  Several customers were asking for it so thanks to them, we decided to give it a go.  We have enjoyed it very much in our sandwiches.  The peppery taste is very slight when combined with all of the fixings.  We love the crunch and freshness that it brings to the sandwich.

Watercress goes well mixed in salads.  Like Arugula, it gives some bites a bit of a punch.  We have also tried Watercress Soup, a potato based soup.  It is delicious and on a hot summer day, we liked it best chilled.

Watercress is known to be one of the Superfoods, ranked right up with Kale.  We grow two varieties.  The one above is the traditional variety that is most familiar.  The following picture (taken from www.amazon.com) is the other variety we grow.  It is not for the faint of heart!  Its peppery taste lingers in your mouth.

Braised Kale Greens

A recipe for our Southern cooks.

One of our customers brought this recipe back from the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.

2 lbs  Fresh Kale

1 lb  Bacon, diced small

1 medium Onion, julienne

8 oz can  Chicken Stock

2 cubes Chicken Bouillon

1/2 stick Butter

Tabasco, to taste

Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Render bacon in hot skillet on medium high heat.  Bacon should almost be completely rendered.  Put in onions and cook for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add stock/base and cook for 3 minutes.  Add enough water to cover bottom of pan.  Place the two lbs. of greens in skillet.  Add more water as needed.  Turn temperature down to low simmer.  Let cook covered.  Finish with 1/2 stick of soft butter.  Season with Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste.

Compliments of TAMARACK: The Best of West Virginia

Herb Propagation

A couple months ago, my mint which was planted in a large terra cotta pot seemed to be ebbing out.  Normally, mint is so prolific that it almost becomes a pest.  I decided to go about salvaging the plant.  I cut a 4-5 inch piece off of the freshest sprig.  I put it in a small glass with water taking off any leaf that would be submerged.  I placed it on my kitchen window sill.  Within a couple weeks, the sprig had grown beautiful roots.  I took it out to my herb garden and planted it.  The picture above is the plant!!!  Any tender herb, such as mint and basil, can be propagated this way.  It is a wonderful way to get many plants out of one and in my case, to save my plant.

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I forgot to take a picture of mine so found this on www.KatiesCucina.com  Looked very similar.

When I was at my sister's last week, she made a wonderful Black Bean Salad.  She used the following recipe in the salad.  I have since made the salad.   I actually used slightly shriveled cherries tomatoes that did not get eaten in time and it worked perfectly.  So, never throw a cherry tomato away!  I had leftover roasted tomatoes so another day I steamed broccoli & then tossed them in at the last minute.  It was delicious! 

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

350 F oven, put rack on top 1/3

1 pint basket of Cherry Tomatoes, stemmed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 T natural cane sugar or maple syrup

Sea salt

Slice tomatoes in half and put in a large rimmed baking sheet.  In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sugar & a scant 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Pour the mixture over tomatoes and gently toss until everything is well coated.  Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up and roast 45-60 minutes until the tomatoes shrink a bit and start to caramelize around the edges.  If not using immediately, let them cool and scrape (with oil) into a clean glass jar.  Will keep for about one week in the fridge.  Looks very pretty if you use different colors of tomatoes.

Recipe from: Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

Seafood Salad with Butterhead Lettuce

Thanks to our customers, Bernard & Cindy, for this recipe!

Seafood Salad with Butterhead Lettuce

Serves two

1.5 lbs of cooked seafood (without shell), which can be a mix of any of the following:

-Shrimp

-Lump crab meat

-King crab (even artificial will do)

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of fresh, finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon of tartar sauce – or – 1 heaping tablespoon of minced sweet butter pickles

Vinaigrette dressing

Salt and pepper to taste

After all the selected seafood is cooked and cleaned, chop into chunks. Place into medium-sized bowl.  Mix mayo, ½ tablespoon of chopped parsley and either tartar sauce or pickles together with the seafood.  Mix well.  Wash and cut the Butterhead lettuce into two halves . Place each half on a separate plate.  Divide the seafood mixture into two portions and place each on the plate next to the lettuce.  Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the two seafood portions. Add drizzle of vinaigrette dressing to the lettuce.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Cucumber Salad

A while ago, I mentioned making a cucumber salad but did not give any measurements.  Here's a good recipe with proportions.

Cucumber Salad

6 Bacon's Select Produce Mini European Cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cup cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

Mix all together and chill for at least an hour before serving.  The flavors seem to 'mingle' more the longer they sit.

Sat., July 28th

FYI: We will not be bringing Butterhead lettuce to market this Saturday.  Things grow more quickly in the summer & we have been trying to slow the growing down.  Maybe we over corrected (haha), but the Butterheads will definitely be ready next week.  We apologize for the disappointment.  We will have Romaine, Lollo Rossa, and Oakleaf this week. 

*** Starring: Arugula (again!) ***

Arugula has become one of our staples.  We always look forward to our weekly Pear & Arugula Salad (http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2012/02/arugula-pear-salad.html)  Recently, one of our customers gave us two more salad recipes and I thought I would share them with you, too.  The first one is on the menu for tonight!  We have family in Michigan so have come to love Michigan dried cherries!  We order them online unless they are coming our way.  (Psst...We love any ideas or recipes from our customers!)

Arugula Salad with Walnuts, Feta & Dried Cherries

5 servings

11 ounces baby arugula

3/4 cup dried cherries

3/4 cup toasted walnuts

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoons salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Toss arugula, cherries, walnuts & feta together in a large bowl.

2. Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.  Whisk well.  Drizzle over salad & toss well.

Arugula Salad with Almonds & Parmesan

4 servings

1/3 cup toasted natural almonds

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

coarse salt & ground pepper

1 bunch trimmed arugula (about 8 oz)

1/3 cup shaved Parmesan (1 oz) plus more for serving

1. In a large bowl, combine almonds, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; salt & pepper to taste.

2.Add arugula & Parmesan -- toss to coat.

3. Serve topped with more Parmesan.

Greenhouse #3: Completed.

The greenhouse structure is up!  We are very pleased with it. 
Now it is our turn to fill the inside of it.

This picture was taken before clean-up.



Building Day #4 & #5

Fans are put in and some of the clear siding.  Plastic should be going on soon.  Not too many pictures today as we are busy harvesting your lettuce!



Building Day #3

More structural beams & gutters.  The posts are set in over 5 tons of concrete! 

The builders had another busy, hot day.



Building Day #2

Trusses are up!


You can tell how much bigger the greenhouse is compared to our others. 
More lettuce coming up....!

Building Day #1

All is going well.  Steel posts are concreted in.  Here are pictures at the end of Day #1.

A Taste of Market Day

One of our customers took these pictures from Market Day at Fernandina.  I'm always shy to put pictures of ourselves on the blog but thought maybe you might enjoy seeing the action!  Was another hot day but seeing all the happy faces makes every Market Day enjoyable.

***Starring: Oregano***

Oregano is a wonderful herb to grow in the Florida environment.  It requires little care and management.  I basically ignore mine, besides watering it in the mornings on these very hot days.  Tonight we cooked spaghetti.  Fresh oregano always goes in ours!  I clip about three good size sprigs, rinse them and pluck the leaves off.  I use my ulu knife to chop it up.  That's the knife that I usually use for all my herbs.  (Google it -- it's a wonderful Alaskan native knife.)  We throw the oregano in the sauce after it is cooked.

Today I noticed that my oregano plant was growing wildly and needed a good trim.  Herbs like to be cut.  They seem to grow better when they are used.  I cut about 20-30 springs, rinsed them and placed them on a cookie sheet.  I place a paper towel under and over them.  They will stay there (on top of my top cupboards!) for about two weeks.  Then, I put them in jars and they are ready to use.  Obviously, fresh herbs are the best.  But, I am planning on using my dried oregano for the following:

Taco Spice Mix

1/4 cup red pepper flakes or chili powder

1/4 cup ground cumin

1/4 cup dried oregano

2 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup onion powder

3 Tbsp salt

Makes 12 servings or uses.  To use, add 2 tablespoons to one pound of ground meat.  Mix well and then cook.  For dips, add 2 tablespoons to 1 cup sour cream or yogurt.

This is similar to what you buy in the packets at the store.  We do not care much for the flavor of the packets.  Usually, we use just a fraction of the packet anyway.  So, we are going to try this!

***NEWS ALERT***

Building for Greenhouse #3 is to begin next Monday.  Here we go!

Hummus Improvement

Wanted to share a wonderful improvement to the previous hummus recipe I posted. 

http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2012/05/hummus.html 

Freddie was wanting a more 'lemony' flavor so I added the zest from one lemon to the recipe. 

Delish!!  Also, for the 2 T of vinegar, I substituted 1 T of cider vinegar.

Greenhouse #3

Our third greenhouse -- a steel structure -- is to be built in July.  Being three times as big as our others allows us plenty of room this time.  We have definitely outgrown the others.  Below is a picture of the prep work.  Fred has been getting the site ready for the builders.



Inside the greenhouse, the cherry tomatoes plants are loaded.  They are delicious and you will be seeing them at Market.

A Lesson in Cilantro

Summer days and cravings of salsa prompt customers to ask for cilantro.  Unfortunately, cilantro dislikes extreme heat & humidity.  It grows best in a cool & dry environment.  Therefore, we do not grow it during the summer.  Cilantro can be grown in the spring and fall.  It has a deep tap root like parsley.  Both herbs need to be planted in very deep pots or in the ground.  Once the tap root hits the bottom, it will stop growing.  Cilantro is an annual herb and has a comparatively short lifespan.  When the plant begins to flower, it is signaling that it is about done producing leaves.

Cilantro is also called Chinese parsley.  Coriander is the seeds from cilantro.  Unfortunately, cilantro cannot be frozen or dried so must be used fresh. 

We have stumbled on an herb called Culantro.  It tastes extremely close to cilantro, grows in heat and can be an biennial in warmer climates.  Locating seeds has been a problem for me.  Publix sells the cut herb in the produce section.  I have bought it several times.  The plant is much more hardy than the delicate cilantro leaves.  Beware -- it looks completely different.

We really enjoy it.  I love that it lasts much longer than cilantro in the refrigerator!

P.S. on Kale

One of our customers told me at Market Saturday that she uses her kale leaves as wraps.  That's a great idea for us gluten-free people.  A lot of crunch!

***Starring: Kale***

Kale may not be a favorite food at first try.  However, many of us began eating it because it seems to be the new health rave.  It's a Superfood.  It lowers the risks for some cancers.  It helps with our detox systems.  So, we think, why not give it a try!  Here are some recipes that we have collected. 

1.) Sauteed Kale

This was our first try at it. 

Wash the kale and derib it.  Rip it into bite size pieces.  Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan.  Saute the kale for about 5 minutes.  Do not allow it to brown.  The kale will shrink dramatically like spinach.  However, unlike spinach, it will keep a crunch.  Season with garlic salt.

2.) Kale Salad

This recipe was given to us from one of our faithful customers.  He comes early every Saturday to market after his Starbucks & picks up his kale. 

Wash & derib the kale.  Rip it into bite size pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil & juice from a lemon.  Stir to distribute.  Season with sea salt & grated fresh Parmesan cheese.  This salad keeps well as a leftover.  (The picture above is of this recipe.)

3.) Kale Chips

Okay, by far, this is the biggest kale rave.  Freddie & I burnt our first batch so started out with the wrong perspective!  However, the second batch went better.  Now we always laugh when someone mentions kale chips. 

Wash & prepare kale like above recipes. Put on baking sheet & toss with olive oil & sea salt.  Bake at 275 F for 20 minutes stirring halfway through.  Bake until crisp.  Caveat: The chips turn from done to ash in seconds so keep a steady eye on them!

4.) Green Smoothies

This is a biggie too.  There are many varieties.  Choose one you like.  Here is a sample one.

Apple-Kale Smoothie: Orange juice, fresh ginger, apple & kale.  Zingy & fresh!

So, there you have it.  Kale 101!  (Perhaps this long post will provide me forgiveness for not posting regularly lately!  I apologize & will try to do better now :)

Hummus

Hummus has become a staple in our house.  We dip corn tortilla chips in it, spread it on crackers, bread and rice cakes.  Here is the recipe that we have adapted to our own taste.

1 clove garlic *
1-1/2 cup cooked garbonzo (chickpeas) beans **
About 1/3 cup water
2 tbsp tahini (found near the peanut butter or in the ethnic section of the grocery)
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

* If you use raw garlic, the taste is good but can be really sharp.  Lately, I have been roasting garlic and using that.  It's much better.  Cut the top of the whole garlic bulb off, exposing all the clove tops.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper.  Wrap tinfoil around the bulb and place in a small dish.  Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes.  You can pop out the garlic from each clove easily and it spreads like butter!  Refrigerate what you don't use and it will keep for a while.
** I get dried beans and cook them like the package says.  One pound will make four batches of hummus.  I freeze the extra in 1-1/2 cup portions so I can easily take one out of the freezer when we need a new batch.  If you use canned beans, you may need to adjust the salt measurement.

Using a food processor, process the garlic (if raw) and then add the beans. Or put the beans and roasted garlic together and process.  Use as much water as you need to get the consistency you need.  Next, pour in all the rest of the ingredients and process.  Refrigerate the hummus.

NOTE: See improvement note on later post:  http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2012/06/hummus-improvement.html

Tropical Storm Beryl

Glad to report that the greenhouses remain unscathed from Beryl!  We were holding our breath, but none of the plastic was affected.  We are thankful!  Makes us exceptionally grateful that we got the big pine trees down last month.

We have harvested just a few cherry tomatoes this week.  We tasted the first one and it was delicious!  Hopefully, this good sun will ripen more.  The vines are loaded with fruit.

Stuffed Peppers

With the peppers coming on now, we enjoyed stuffed peppers last night.  I use the recipe from my good old standby Betty Crocker cookbook.

6 large bell peppers (any color)
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons chopped onion ( I put in more because we really like onion.)
1 cup cooked rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)

1. Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper to remove top of pepper. Remove seeds & membranes; rinse peppers. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover in 4-quart Dutch oven about 5 minutes; drain.
2. Cook beef & onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic & 1 cup of tomato sauce; cook until hot.
3. Heat oven to 350 F.
4. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand peppers upright in ungreased square baking dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.
5. Cover & bake 45 minutes. Uncover & bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Photo: wizardrecipes.com

May 19th Market

We were not able to harvest our normal amount of lettuce this week so supplies are limited.  Please come early or email an order (fbacon2@comcast.net).

Stoplight Peppers

Sweet Bell Peppers are coming to Market this week.

See you there!

Slow-Roasted Salmon

Here is a recipe that we made for Valentine's Day & then again for Mother's Day.  It is delicious!!  We have carried the rice part over to other recipes, using whatever fresh herb we have on hand that sounds good.  The recipe comes from the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Clean Eating.

Serves: 4  Hands-on time: 20 minutes  Total time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
4 4-oz boneless, skinless wild salmon fillets
4 tsp olive oil, divided
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (opt--if you like a punch, add it.  Great without it too!)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fennel fronds
2 green onions, finely chopped

SALSA
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fennel fronds
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 cup pomegranate arils (we used dried cherries, since the other isn't in season)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, de-ribbed and minced (does not make it hot)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or culantro)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
One: Preheat oven to 275 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange salmon on baking sheet and rub tops of fillets with 2 tsp oil, 1/4 tsp salt, cayenne and 1/2 tsp black pepper, dividing evenly. Transfer to oven and bake until salmon is opaque at thickest part and flakes slightly when tested with a paring knife, 17 to 20 minutes. (Alternatively, bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 F when inserted in the thickest part of fillet.)

Two: Meanwhile, prepare salsa: In a large bowl, combine fennel fronds and bulb, pomegrante, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Three: About 5 minutes before salmon is done cooking, prepare rice: In a wok or large saute pan with curved sides, heat remaining 2 tsp oil on medium-high, swirling to coat bottom of pan. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until grains are coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir until most liquid is absorbed about 3 minutes. Add fennel fronds and green onions and toss to combine. Cook until heated through, about 30 seconds; immediately remove from heat. Divided rice among serving plates, top with salmon and spoon salsa over top, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.

DELISH!!

Fernandina Farmer's Market Resumes

We are home again and in the saddle!  The Fernandina Farmer's Market will resume this Saturday, May 12th.  We will also continue to have produce at the Riverside Art's Market in Jacksonville.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again!  Will try to pick up on my blogging now!

Reminder!

No Fernandina Farmer's Market on Saturday, May 5th.  However, the Island is full of things to do & see this weekend with the Shrimp Festival.

We will have produce at the Riverside Art's Market downtown Jacksonville this Saturday.

Have a great week!  This blogger/farmer and husband farmer are going to take a couple days of leisure.  Special thanks to Fred & Sharon for keeping the daily duties up for us!  See you in a couple weeks.

Coming Up: Shrimp Festival

Fernandina's Annual Shrimp Festival is coming up -- May 4-6.  The Fernandina Farmer's Market will be CLOSED that weekend.  This Saturday will be the last Market before the Festival. 

Hope to see you Saturday!

Cut Rosemary

This week we will be bringing cut rosemary to Market. The bunches are a good size. Rosemary keeps well in the refrigerator for several weeks. On the occassion that I have bought cut herbs from the grocery store (forbid it!), I have taken what I do not use and dry it for later use. I wash & dry the herbs well. Then I lay them out on a paper towel on a cookie sheet, cover with another paper towel, and leave for about two weeks or until completely dry. No waste!

Timber!

Well, my blogging has not been too good recently! The greenhouse business has kept us busy. We are planning ahead to building our 3rd greenhouse. However, we had 60 pine trees either in the way or putting our houses at risk. So...the big project was felling the trees. Between Fred, Freddie & special help from family, the trees are all down & thankfully, no accidents!