Farming is our lifestyle. It is every facet of our family. We live on the land, we work the land, we plant the seeds, we eat the food. It is my son’s playground, where he explores nature and makes discoveries. He loves fishing and catching turtles in our irrigation pond. He is delighted by the huge bullfrogs he catches. He runs and runs back and forth from the field to the house. He runs so much, he runs in local kids races. We are lucky that his Aunt T (Matt’s sister) is a triathlon racer because she is the only one who can keep up with him in these races!
This spring, our son got his own chickens. He has raised them with total love. They are so tame, they perch on his shoulder as he walks around the farm. Our son is always willing to help out with farm chores, and loves it. He helps us plant tomatoes and harvest peppers. In the winter, him and his dad work together in the greenhouse starting our plants for spring. He enjoys working side by side with his dad. He wants to be just like him, which is a good way to be!
The very best part of growing our own food is that our son eats his vegetables! In fact, he prefers his vegetables raw. Because he has been raised on our clean, healthy food, he really has no taste for junk food. Don’t get me wrong, he likes candy, but when it is dinner time, he wants his raw vegetables. He grew up this way, so this is normal for him. I can’t tell you how proud I was when our son asked us if he could take over the farm when he grows up. Of course, he is 7, he will probably change his mind but just knowing how much the farm means to him, touches my heart. Farming is our family lifestyle and nothing is more important than Sunday dinner where we celebrate Matt’s hard work!
The one thing that Matt grows the very best is greens! I love his salad greens and arugula.
Matt’s field greens and arugula are favorites at market. Matt has listened to our customers and hand mixes varieties to create his field greens. His field greens are a mix of baby bok choi, baby totsoi, baby arugula, mixed baby kale, baby broccoli, and other vitamin and nutrient dense leaves. He harvests these salads at the break of day Friday morning to make sure his customers get the freshest product possible. To ensure our customers’ ease, we go the extra step to hand wash and dry these greens so you can take them home and enjoy them. Here is a little secret about our field greens, you can sauté or steam them and eat them as greens! When the weather warms up, I chop up the leaves of the salad and throw a full handfuls in our soups! It is delicious and nutritious! His field greens and arugula are so good, you can find them around town in several high end restaurants!
Matt’s arugula is my personal favorite! I eat it as a salad, put it on a pizza, or wilt it with cannelloni beans, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. This is one of my favorite arugula pizza recipes, I use goat cheese from Goats R Us, she has great flavors that go nicely with the pizza. She is right across from us at market, so it is easy to find her! The pizza is a nice weeknight dinner. I have to admit, I cheat during the week and use a pre-made pizza crust. I had a customer share with me her idea to use the arugula in quiches! How smart! I tried out this arugula roasted tomato quiche recipe and it was awesome! It is just about the end of tomato season, so don’t let it end without making a nicetomato arugula pie! Goats R Us also has ricotta cheese that you can use in this pie!
The easiest way to eat Matt’s field greens and arugula is as salads! I always honor his hard work with homemade salad dressings. They are so easy to make, and so much cheaper than dressings you buy at the store. You also have the added benefit of ensuring that the best ingredients go in your dressings. Click here for my go to salad dressing recipes! Once you have the staple ingredients in your house, you will never buy salad dressing again. Fresh is THAT good!
What I love about market is that you can do your weekly grocery shopping there and ensure your family is getting the freshest and highest quality ingredients.
Are you excited about market now? I know I am excited to get started cooking! Here is what is coming:
- Field Greens
- Arugula
- Baby Kale Salad
- Kale
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Onions
- Garlic
- Egg Plant
- Radishes
- Beets
- Shishito Peppers
- Cherry Tomatoes (Sun Gold and Sun Peach)
- Hanover Slicing Tomatoes
- Red Peppers
- Basil
- Honey
- Micro Greens (spicy, kale, arugula, and basil)
- Stir Fry Kits
See you at the South of the James Farmer’s Market this Saturday! We will be there from 8:00-12:00. Come early to get the best treats!
This is the best idea ever and truly makes dinner easy for our busy customers! Matt artfully creates these and sets them out on the table. They are true beauties! Each week is a little different depending on what is coming in season, but it all works out beautifully as a stir fry! All you need to do is add whatever protein you prefer. I love my homemade teriyaki sauce. It is so easy! Just take a mason jar and pour 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 a cup of water, 1 tablespoon of corn starch, 5 tablespoons of Black Creek Farm honey, grated ginger (to taste) and a minced garlic clove. Give it a shake and voila! I recently made it and added pineapple chunks to it. The sweetness was fantastic! You can make a clean, healthy dinner for your family in 30 minutes!
Black Creek Farm 