Last market was the last week sweet Cory will be working with us.  She is taking some time off to have her sweet baby boy due in July.  She is going to be a great momma and I just know she will continue visiting market because her love is fresh food and great recipes!  She gives me so many ideas and always takes plate pictures of her beautiful dishes.  Good luck, Cory and enjoy this time, rest, and take care of yourself.

Our CSA members made some awesome recipes last week!  Here is a sample of their yummy food!  I get great ideas from them and watching what they do truly inspires me and makes Matt feel awesome.  To know that our food not only nourishes their family’s bodies  but also brings families together is what we are all about!

This dish is meat served on top of roasted radishes and tatsoi.  It looks beyond fabulous and has inspired me to make something similar (you will see my version below).

Another tip!  Matt is the king of leafy greens!  His kale is the best I have ever had.  I literally eat kale every day in the growing season!  I also love his tatsoi!  Tatsoi is a leafy green that tastes just like spinach without the bitter after taste you often find in spinach. If you leave them sitting in your refrigerator, they often get wimpy.  About 3 years ago, I figured out the answer, cut off about a half inch of the stems and place these greens in beautiful jars filled with water and leave them on your counter.  They almost look like fresh flowers.  I gave out this tip on Facebook and one of my very creative CSA members jazzed hers up and placed her kale in a mason jar wrapped with a beautiful ribbon!

So, if you are wondering what our CSA members will be getting in their bags here it is:  Squash, kale, micro greens, fennel, chard, arugula, green garlic, and kohlrabi!!!  I am sure at the end of the week, Matt will give you all another surprise as things ripen up.

Here is my weekly meal plan:

Monday:  I am going to copy Cory (our market helper) and make her arugula pesto dish and serve it with ribbon noodles with shrimp as a protein.  It will be so easy, while the pasta is cooking I can whiz up the arugula pesto!  I bet I can pull this dish together in 20 minutes and it will be oh so healthy!  Pestos are so easy and truly give a flavorful punch.  To make arugula pesto, you just need about 2 handfuls of arugula, 1/2 a cup of walnuts, 1/2 a cup of fresh parmesan cheese, 1/2 a cup of good olive oil, 6 garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt to taste.  Whiz it all up in a food processor or blender and there it is.  When you cook your pasta, save out a cup of pasta water, drain your pasta, put it back in the pot, pour a cup of pasta water in and mix in the arugula pesto!  BAM…..Fast, Easy and sooooooo good!

Tuesday:  Mini meatloaves with roasted fennel and chard (I stole this idea from one of our CSA members!  I truly appreciate folks who share recipes with me!). So here is my secret, my family loves these mini meatloaves and they are so easy so I make 2 nights worth.  I take an onion and some green garlic and sauté them in olive oil until they are soft.  I then mix the sautéed onion and green garlic, one package of lean ground turkey, an egg, 2/3 of a cup of bread crumbs, 1/2 tablespoon of dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, and about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese grated.  Now for the surprise……I cut some white cheddar cheese in to about 24 cubes.  When I make the meatloaves in to balls, I put in two to three cubes of the white cheddar cheese for a special surprise!  I then pour ketchup on top (not fancy, but I have an 8 year old) and I cook these little loaves for about 30 minutes at 350.

While they are cooking, I am chopping up up the fennel and and half the chard.  I toss the fennel and chard stalks in olive oil and add some salt and pepper.  I pump up the oven to 450 and on a sheet pan, I place the fennel and chard stalks.  I roast them for 10 minutes.  While they are roasting I am chopping up the chard leaves in to bite sized pieces and I toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I pull out the roasted fennel and chard stalks and add the chard leaves to the top and roast them for an additional 10 minutes.

I serve the meatloaves with the micro greens on top and the whole meal is delicious and filling!

Wednesday:  My family loves the baby meatloaves so much, I make a double batch and serve the second half the next day!  It makes dinner EASY!  This time, I will cut the baby squash in medallions and sauté them in olive oil.  First I will heat up the olive oil in a pan along with some green garlic.  I will then add the squash and let it cook long enough that is cooked but not mushy.  I pull that off and then throw in the remaining chard stalks until they are soft and then I will wilt the chard in the pan.  A little work on Tuesday will make Wednesday so easy!  As a working mom, I look for ways to feed my family healthy meals in a reasonable amount of time.

Thursday:  It is time to have fun with that kolrabi!  Yes, I broke down and bought a spiralizer and I love it!  I am looking forward to getting a lot of use out of it this summer.  I found this great recipe for kohlrabi and arugula salad!  Use the rest of your arugula and one of the kohlrabis to make this.  This recipe is delicious!  I serve it along side a grilled chicken breast to make sure we get enough protein.  With the hard work Matt does in the field and a growing boy, they really need it!  (Yes, I stole the plate picture from the recipe website.)

Friday: Our Fridays are usually market prep days so I have to work fast.  I will take a flank steak and serve it along side a roasted kohlrabi.   Preheat the oven to 400.  In a ziplock bag, I will whisk together 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of dried ginger, and a teaspoon of garlic powder.  I will place the meat the meat in the refrigerator and let it marinate for 30 minutes (you can even do this the night prior or in the morning before you go to work).  I will  then cut the remaining kohlrabi in to bite sized chunks.  I will toss it in olive oil and salt and pepper.  Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil and will spray some non-stick spray on it.  Put the kohlrabi in the oven for about 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, move the kohlrabi to the sides of the pan and place the steak on the sheet pan.  Set oven to broil and broil for about 6 minutes on one side and 6 minutes on the other side.  Watch it carefully to make sure it cooks to your preference.  Let the steak rest for about 5 minutes and serve it with the kohlrabi and some greens.  I loved the arugula pesto so much, I whipped up a a batch and put it on my steak.  Out of this world!

So what is coming to market?  We look forward to seeing you.  Rainy markets are always the best, no lines and great food choices!

• Green Garlic
• Garlic Scapes
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips
• Chard
• Strawberries
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Kale Salad
• Spicy Microgreens
• Arugula Microgreens
• Kale Microgreens
• Squash
• Fennel

May 20th was the very first CSA pick-up and the very first time we have ever done a CSA. We would like to thank our members for supporting us!  We were sure to pack them extra special bags.

Each member’s bag was filled to the rim with Black Creek Farm’s very best! A couple of our CSA members were so excited, they couldn’t wait to post the pictures of their food!

These pictures were taken by two different CSA members!  One member pulled out her food and displayed it gorgeously!  She is a friend of mine, and I am telling you, that is her talent!  Another member used to be a chef in a restaurant and whipped up this awesome salad for his wife and kids!  We love our members and love the pictures they take of our food in their kitchens!  Matt and I both work so hard to provide high quality food, to see folks love our food so much they post pictures makes us very happy!

Memorial Day Market it one of our favorites!  It is the kick-off to summer cook-outs and celebrations!  We will be sending our very best to market to help you with your celebrations.  We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Our CSA folks will receive a bag full of our best goodies!  In your bag, you will find our field green mix which the same field greens served at Rappahanock Restaurant and Juleps in Richmond!  You will also find our Japanese turnips, spicy microgreens, radishes, tatsoi, kale, and green garlic.  I am sure as Matt is packing your bags, he will add another surprise for you!  Since I want to get this blog out to you early and harvest is less than a week away, we are not sure what is going to be at its best to harvest until that magical day!

Here are some recipes to help you out with what is in your CSA bag or what our non-CSA customers would like to purchase from us at market.

First of all, let’s talk about BREAKFAST!  Matt is the master of kale, and I seriously eat it every day in my smoothies.  I drink one on the way to work each morning as my breakfast!  Yes, I even eat greens in the morning!

It is so easy!  I use a Ninja Blender that has a single serve attachment to it.  I put in about 2 leaves of kale ripped up (I don’t use the stem), about 3/4 of a cup of frozen blueberries, a banana, a tablespoon of peanut butter (the protein will keep you energized), a spoonful of chia seeds, a cup of unsweetened almond milk, and a half a cup of ice.  It s so good!  I know many of you may use some protein powders like Beachbody.  I have tried the Beachbody Vanilla and it works nicely in these smoothies.  Of course, you can eat it just the way it is still awesome.

Matt’s kale field is absolutely beautiful!  Kale is considered a power food so I find ways to incorporate it in my diet daily!

So that’s breakfast!  I also like to make a power LUNCH (This is also a quick and easy dinner, I like to serve it with naan bread triangles (Indian flat bread you can get in the bakery section of any grocery store).  Since I am a principal by day with lots of evening events, I usually use my Sunday’s to prep my lunches.  So I am making a Quinoa, Garbanzo Bean, and Spicy Microgreen salad for my lunches.  It is so easy, first I boil a can of chicken broth and add a cup of quinoa to it.  I let it sit for about 20 minutes and then when the liquid is absorbed, I put it in a bowl to let it cool to room temperature. Once it is cooled, I mix in a can of drained chickpeas, a tub of spicy microgreens, I then take some crumbled up feta (the best feta ever is at market and is made by Goats R Us Cheese), they are literally right across from us at market), cheery tomatoes halved and mix them up.  I then make a dressing of 1/4 cup of good olive oil, 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper.  I mix it all up and put them in my lunch containers.  It is so easy!   You can actually add any veggis you would like to this mix.  I also added some strawberries and a nonfat plain greek yogurt that I added some honey to.

So, CSA folks, we have used your kale and microgreens.  You also have my very favorite tatsoi in your bag!  Last week, I told you to cook it, this week I am telling you to chop it up and serve it like a salad stems and all!  Grill some chicken breasts and slice them nicely and place them on the tatsoi, take some crumbled goat cheese (Goats R Us Cheese has the best!) and slice up some of those awesome radishes and place them on top.  I prefer homemade dressings.  With this dish, you want simplicity so take 3 tablespoons of golden balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons of good olive oil, a tablespoon of chopped green garlic, a teaspoon of honey,  a teaspoon of water, a dash of kosher salt and pepper to taste and put it all in a mason jar and give it a shake!  Serve it with your salad.  You will love it!

Unfortunately, last week the Japanese Turnips weren’t quite ready to bring to market or to put in the CSA bags.  They are coming this week!  I love them roasted!  Just quarter them and toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper and roast them at about 400 for about 30 minutes.  This time of year, the tops are wonderful so don’t waste them!  Heat up some olive oil and some chopped up green garlic and then chop up the turnip leaves and sauté  them until they wilt.  They will wilt quickly.  Serve them with some fresh baked flounder and you have a wonderfully healthy dinner!

So, what’s coming to Memorial Day Market?

• Green Garlic
• Garlic Scapes
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips
• Chard
• Strawberries
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Kale Salad
• Spicy Microgreens
• Arugula Microgreens

I had a great Mother’s Day this past Sunday.  It started with a beautiful morning walk and ended with a nice lunch from our farm at our farm.  The kids went and picked strawberries and I made strawberry short cakes for dessert.  Our fresh strawberries are so very sweet and juicy!  Nothing like what you get in the store.  As usual, we only use certified organic fertilizers on our food to ensure it’s health.

Here is a picture of my mom, sister, and the kids!  They had a great time picking the strawberries and I felt so blessed that I was able to provide the very best to the women who are so important to me.

I promised our CSA members a meal plan so they can eat like the farmer’s family, so here goes!  I will do my best to provide you with my favorite recipes.  After 9 years of eating this way, I have a few up my sleeve.  You will get all the vegis you need for these yummy recipes!  I hope you enjoy your first bag!

Monday:  Grilled chicken on top of our field green salad.  I am topping the salad with crumbled feta cheese and strawberries.  I have this homemade dressing that I make.  I mix it in a mason jar and serve it up.  Here is the salad recipe:

• 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of good olive oil
• a teaspoon of minced shallots a tablespoon of honey

Pour it all in a mason jar and give it a shake.

This week, I prepped my lunches with this recipe.  All I have to do is pull out a salad and take it to work.  This is an easy option!

Tuesday:  Pan seared lemon pepper salmon with roasted Japanese Turnips and sautéed Tatsoi.

Prep the Japanese Turnips by cutting them in quarters and tossing them in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.  Let this cook while you are cooking the searing salmon and roasting the turnips.

Tatsoi is one of my favorite greens.  It tastes like spinach but has stems like bok choi.  Yep, you can eat the stems!  I love it raw or cooked.  To sauté the tatsoi, just put a little olive oil the bottom of your pan and saute some of the spring garlic in your bag.  Add the stems of the tatsoi first give it a few and then add the leaves.  Squeeze a lemon on top.

Wednesday:  PF Chang Copy Cat Lettuce Wraps!  In your bag you will be getting a green called Tokyo Bekana.  It is a great leafy green that tastes very much like a loose leaf romaine lettuce.  It is tasty and crisp and delicious!

Damn Delicious is one of my favorite recipe bloggers.  Everything I make from her turns out great!  Here is her recipe for her Copy Cat PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps.  It is a family favorite.

Thursday:  Marinated Kale Salad with top sirloin steak grilled with roasted radishes.

Friday:  Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous.  This is a super healthy recipe and is so delicious.  It is so healthy!  Did you know that Swiss Chard is a super food?  One cup of cooked swiss chard provides approximately 716% of vitamin K needs, 214% of vitamin A, 53% of vitamin C, 38% of magnesium, 29% of manganese, 27% of potassium, 22% of iron, 17% of vitamin E.  You can’t go wrong with this beautiful green!

So, what’s coming to market next week?

• Green Onions
• Green Garlic
• Garlic Scapes
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips
• Chard
• Strawberries
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Kale Salad
• Spicy Microgreens
• Arugula Microgreens

Mother’s day is a great day on the farm.  This year, we plan on celebrating Mother’s Day here!  It will be awesome to have the kids on the farm picking strawberries for strawberry short cake, fishing in the pond, and catching turtles.  I found this awesome recipe from my favorite recipe blogger, Skinnytaste:

I have made this for my lunches this week and will make it for our Mother’s Day field lunch!  I am using Matt’s awesome field greens and our strawberries!  At market, we did a trade with Sullivan’s Farm and I got some of their awesome Bonnyclabber Cheese.  I rolled their goat cheese into balls and rolled them through dried cranberries and chopped almonds.  It turned out delicious!

The best part of fresh food is awesome eating!  I will serve this alongside a homemade chicken salad.  After lunch, we will send the kids out to the field to pick strawberries and make strawberry short cake on the spot!  It will be an easy celebration!

We are bringing green garlic to market.  We are proud that Rappahannock Restaurant serves Black Creek Farm Green Garlic Soup!  It is delicious and we are so honored that they use our produce at their restaurant.

Green garlic is very young garlic with a mild garlic flavor.  It is only in season for a few short weeks.  There is so much you can do with it!  The immature garlic bulbs and edible green stalks have an amazing nutty-oniony flavor that is great fresh or cooked. Substitute green garlic in recipes for onions, scallions or leeks. The young, tender cloves don’t need to be peeled before chopping. Slice and use in potato salad or mince and stir into salad dressings. Toss some in a stir-fry, on a pizza, or in soups. The light garlicky flavor enhances dishes without overpowering. One stalk and bulb of spring garlic is equivalent to a small onion, or a leek and one clove of mature garlic.

Another thing that is coming in season VERY early is garlic scapes!  We will begin to bring them next week.  Listen to Farmer Matt talk about this year’s garlic crop:

 

Garlic scapes are the flower of a garlic!  We pull them at their tenderest stage.  I love to grill them, tbey have a nice garlic flavor.  I also love to make garlic scape pesto! It is so easy.  I take a 1/4 cup of pine nuts, 3/4 cup of coarsely chopped garlic scapes, juice and zest of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste, a 1/2 cup of good extra virgin olive oil, and a 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  I toast the pine nuts until they are brown.  Then I combine the rest of the ingredients in to a food processor and pulse it until combined.  You can freeze this for later!  I mix it in my pasta dishes, put on cottage bread from Norwood Cottage, and spread it on chicken breasts before I bake them.  It is AMAZING!  We will only have them a short time and this year they are early so be sure to try them out.

So, what’s coming to market next week?

• Green Onions
• Green Garlic
• Garlic Scapes
• Tatsoi
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips
• Chard
• Strawberries
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Kale Salad
• Spicy Microgreens
• Arugula Microgreens