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

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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