This week’s market will be the first rainy market of the season.  The rain is desperately needed and much welcomed.  Rainy markets are always my favorites.  Market is a little slower and I get to spend more time with the customers talking to them about how they prepare our food.  I learn so much from them and get ideas for what to grow next season.  As a shopper, rainy markets are so nice, you get the best picks and the slower pace gives you an opportunity to really look at the market’s offerings.  I hope to see all of our favorite customers at market.

I am very excited about this week because our melons are coming in!!!!  These  beauties are called Sun Jewels and they taste like a super sweet honeydew with the flair of a cucumber and pear!  It is a Korean variety.  The first time I tried one, George from Amy’s Garden sent Matt home with a few.  They were OUTSTANDING!    Here is a little video about them.

This gentleman says it smells like bubble gum, I am not too sure about that!  I am excited that our Farm Share (CSA) members will be the first to give this a try!  They will be coming in full next week, so we will be sure to bring them to market next week!

In addition to Sun Jewel Melons, our Farm Share (CSA Members) will be receiving Shishitos, Leeks, Beets, Salad, Turnips, Beans, Sun Jewel Melons, Radishes, and Zucchini.

Let me tell you a little about shisitos, if you haven’t tried them you will love them!  They are not hot at all.  They are so easy to prepare!  Just put them in a pan with some olive oil and let them blister.  Toss on some sea salt and you have a great side dish that goes with EVERYTHING!

They are may favorites because you don’t even have to cut them up, you  just cook them whole and use the stem as a fork!  Here is a recipe in case you need it!  It literally takes 5 minutes to make!

Here is my menu for the week:

Monday:  Zucchini Lasagna

I love, love love this recipe!  I made it for the first time last year and it was so good and talk about clean and healthy!  Here is a video to help you out.

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I will pre-make this on Sunday and then will cook it Monday.  You will have enough for leftovers so serve this Tuesday too!  Be sure to serve it alongside the salad and radishes in your bag with an easy dressing.  Just put the following ingredients in a mason jar and give it a shake.  Fresh dressings are so much better than store bought and you KNOW what is in it so you are sure it is clean!

• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I prefer raw, unfiltered)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

I also use the Ricotta Cheese that Goats R Us makes and I use bread from Norwood Cottage Bakery.  Nothing tastes better!  You can get both of these items at the South of the James Farmer’s Market each Saturday.

Tuesday:  Zucchini Lasagna Leftovers

Wednesday:  Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

This is so simple, just substitute your turnips for the potatoes and leave out the tomatoes and this will be so easy and outstanding.  You will find that eating fresh is important to me, so I will always substitute for what I have fresh!

Thursday:  Steaks on the Grill with Roasted Beets and Blistered Shishitos

This is an easy dinner, peel your beats and toss them in olive oil salt and pepper and trough them in the oven at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes.  While this is going on put your steak on the grill.  While the steak is resting and the beets are finishing up, blister your shishitos.  This is such an easy recipe you will love!

 

Friday:  30-Minute Creamy Mushroom and Leek Chicken Breasts

I believe I have posted this recipe before, but it is so good!  I absolutely LOVE 30 minute recipes!

Be sure to get your mushrooms fresh at market.  You can’t go wrong with fresh food and whatever you make tastes so much better!

So what is coming to market?  We look forward to seeing you at the South of the James Farmer’s Market from 8-12 this Saturday!

• Garlic
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Chard
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Spicy Micro Greens
• Basil Micro Greens
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Tropea Onions
• Fingerling Potatoes
• Beets
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Onions

We will see you at market from 8-12 each Saturday!

I can’t believe it is pick-up number 10 for our CSA members!  The season is full on and what is coming is is absolutely beautiful!  Matt is working hard in the heat to keep the summer crops growing while preparing the transition to fall crops.  I don’t know how he does it, but he does it and does it well!  We are certainly enjoying fresh summer eating at our house.  I love that I am able to take my afternoon walk, go out to the field, and decide on supper simply by what I have picked!

Over the winter, we cleared heavy woods off of a field across from our old field.  We are working hard to prepare this land for growing.  We decided to put our peppers and tomatoes there since traditionally the deer won’t eat these plants.  We have really struggled getting this land prepped and ready.  The result has been a bad tomato season.  Everything growing over there, potatoes, egg plant, various peppers all seem happy.

By adding to our growing space, we will be able to extend our season by putting up some much needed heated hoop houses as well as increase our growing space.  This will allow us to increase our CSA memberships as well as bring more great food to the South of the James Farmers Market each Saturday.  It is always good news when a farm is successful and able to expand.

If you are a CSA member, you can find this in your bag:  arugula, leeks, green beans, kale, micro basil, eggplant, zucchini, and onions.

Here are some menu ideas for the week.

Monday:  Eggplant Rollatini

I know this recipe calls for spinach, but you can easily substitute kale!  Spinach is not in season, since we always eat in season we have to adapt sometimes.

This recipe is fresh and delicious.  I always top this dish with our basil microgreens.  It is so very good!  Served alongside a simple arugula salad tossed with a simple olive oil and lemon dressing topped with shaved parmesan is outstanding.  I always get my ricotta cheese from Goats-R-Us.

Here is my secret, I am an awesome cook……not because I am an awesome cook but because I only use fresh, in season ingredients.  Trust me, it makes a huge difference!

Tuesday:  Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

As soon as I had a zucchini big enough, I made this!  They are seriously delicious and topped with basil microgreens they really add something great!  I usually only eat half of a half of a big zucchini.  One big zucchini should do your family well.  I admit it, I cheat, I use spaghetti sauce in a jar to make this.  I am a principal and work long hours, Matt works 16 hour days.

Here is a picture of . my boats.  I now wish I had taken the picture of them topped with the basil micro greens, but honestly, I was so excited to eat this, I could barely wait to snap a picture.

The beauty of both of these recipes is that the you are eating healthy and clean!

Wednesday:  Crispy Chicken with Arugula and Parmesan

My weakness is arugula, Matt grows the very best.  When you top a beautiful crispy fried chicken breast with arugula, my heart smiles!

This is just so tender and delicate and delicious!

Thursday:  Chicken Leeks and Kale in a Creamy Wine Sauce

Yes, this recipe really calls for spinach, but it isn’t in season.  My rule it to only eat what is in season so I substitute with kale and it is just as delicious.

I always get my mushrooms from HaaShrooms at market.  Fresh is the very best.  This dinner is rich, hearty and so filling.

Friday:  Fresh Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Dressing with Steaks on the Grill

I love a fresh green bean salad!  The beauty is you can make this ahead of time and let the balsamic dressing marinate in the refrigerator.  The trick to this salad is once you have boiled the green beans, plunge them in a bowl of cold water with ice.  They will turn the most amazing green color you have ever seen!

I have the secret to the best New York Strip Steak!  I just put some olive oil on it and cover it with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  I put it on the grill for about 3-4 minutes per side and then let it rest for 10 minutes.  The steak is perfect, quick and easy!  Making the salad ahead of time is a true time saver!

So what is coming to market?  We look forward to seeing you at the South of the James Farmer’s Market from 8-12 this Saturday!

• Garlic
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Chard
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Spicy Micro Greens
• Basil Micro Greens
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Tropea Onions
• Fingerling Potatoes
• Beets
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Basil
• Onions

We will see you at market from 8-12 each Saturday!

This was a very exciting week for us as we were featured on page 178 of Richmond Magazine!

The article was a very good article with just a few corrections.  Matt and I both work market together every Saturday.  We really enjoy working together and watching our little family farm grow.   You can also find our food at Rappahannock Restaurant.  In fact, they buy most of our food!

This picture is one of their plates.  On this plate, you will find our carrots, shishitos, kohlrabi, and garlic!  Seeing a plate made so masterfully by one of the very best chef’s in Richmond makes us so proud!

As we roll in to tomato season full throttle, we have to pay homage to the King of the Hanover tomatoes, Mr. Robby Dodd of Dodd Acres Farm. He passed away in his packing shed on March 20th of this year.  He was 86 years old and an active farmer.  Mr. Dodd farmed his entire life in the Black Creek area of Hanover and is the founder of the famous Hanover Tomato Festival!

Mr. Dodd coined the term Hanover tomato which is simply a tomato grown in the Black Creek area of Hanover.  The secret is that this area of the county has coastal sandy soil.  Tomatoes love this soil and grow very well in it.  We may not use the same growing methods Mr. Dodd used, but we respect this man and appreciate the impact he made on the farming community in Eastern Hanover.  Below is a movie that Martin’s made to highlight Mr. Dodd as one of our local farmers.

Here We Grow: Dodd’s Acres Farm (Tomatoes) from Kent Mast on Vimeo.

Matt grew up on the land that we live and he remembers when the Hanover Tomato Festival was held at the old Black Creek Farm Fire Department.  He remembers watching the parade that went down McClellan Road all thanks to Mr. Dodd.  One day, someone asked Mr. Dodd who at the time was 80 years old when he planned on retiring.  He said, “Somebody asked, ‘When are you going to retire?’ I said, well, when they bury me in the dirt. That’s all I can tell you. I’ve been messing with dirt all my life since I was 12 years old.”  Rest in Peace, Mr. Dodd.  Thank you for your contributions to our community.

This week, CSA members will receive in their bags:  beets, kale, green beans, microgreens, field greens, garlic, potatoes, squash, and tomatoes.

Here is a sample menu to make sure you eat everything in your bag.

Monday:  Grilled Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans, and Tomatoes

This is so easy!  Put a little olive oil and salt and pepper on your chicken and grill it.  Toss the potatoes in olive oil salt and pepper, and put it a sheet pan.  Next to the potatoes, toss the green beans in olive oil and salt and pepper and place it next to the potatoes on the sheet pan.  Slice the tomatoes and place them next to the green beans on the sheet pan, sprinkle them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and top them with parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

It looks pretty and it is so easy!  It also tastes so good!

I also use this same idea when I pack clean lunches.  I roast tomatoes, leeks, and green beans while I cook brown rice and 2 chicken breasts.  This gave me wonderful lunches for four days!

Tuesday:  Field Green Salad with Sautéed Shrimp and Goat Cheese Balls

Along side my very favorite dressing:

• 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

Put it all in a mason jar and give it a shake!

Wednesday:  Chicken Orzo Salad

This salad is done in 30 minutes!  I make it a little differently than the recipe says because I use what I have on hand.  Rather than cucumber, substitute your squash.  You can eat squash raw and it has a great taste in salads.  I also add black olives to this and it gives it a nice mediterranean taste.

I have even made this recipe to take for my clean lunches.  You can substitute the orzo for quinoa and it is awesome.

Thursday:  Crispy Garlic Parmesan Salmon, Beets and Kale

Yeah!!!!  Kale is back this week!  I had several CSA members missing the kale!  The bug pressure turned on last week and our kale suffered for it.  Since we don’t spray pesticides, the bugs did some damage.  Matt works hard at controlling the bugs naturally and he was able to handle the bug issue quickly so kale is back!

I love to save the harvest as much as I can.  Simply chop it up and throw it in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Drain it and run cold water over it.  Ring it out and put it in a ziploc freezer bag and store it in the freezer for later.  It is so nice to have Matt’s food when we are out of the growing season.

This week, you will be getting cylintrica beets.  These beets are cylindrical in shape and slice beautifully in to medallions!

To make the beets I peel them, cut them up and toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast it in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes.  While the beets are cooking, I prep the Crispy Garlic Parmesan Salmon, once the 15 minutes are up on the beets, I put in the salmon for another 15 minutes and cook the beets along with it for an additional 15 minutes.

While I am waiting for the final 15 minutes of oven time, I rip the kale up, toss it in olive oil, salt, and pepper and sauté it on the stove top.  I love the kale sautéed in olive oil with salt and pepper.

This is a great dinner that is done in no time.

Friday:  This isn’t dinner, but I am thinking about a Lemony Summer Squash Bread!

It is something different you can do with your squash and it is so tasty!  Treat yourself to this on Saturday morning as you sip your coffee!

You eat well all week, so this treat is deserving!

So what is coming to market?  We look forward to seeing you at the South of the James Farmer’s Market from 8-12 this Saturday!

• Garlic
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips
• Chard
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Kale Salad
• Spicy Microgreens
• Basil Microgreens
• Squash
• Fennel
• Tropea Onions
• Fingerling Potatoes
• Beets
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Basil

We will see you at market from 8-12 each Saturday!

The 4th of July holiday always one of our favorite holidays.  It is the pentacle of the growing season and everything is ON full force.  I am so happy when I folks send me pictures of their family celebrations.  One of our CSA members sent me this picture from her 4th of July cookout. Chicken burgers with feta, red peppers, and spinach topped with goat cheese, avocado, and our onions and fresh field greens. She paired it perfectly with a side of olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt baked fries made from our potatoes.

The 4th of July is also when we begin planting for fall in the hopes of bringing a full bounty to market for Thanksgiving!  It’s hard to believe isn’t it?

Many folks ask us about our growing practices which is always a good question. As a small family farm that we hope to pass on to our child, we take sustainability very serious.  Matt always incorporates as many natural methods as possible to grow our produce. One of them is the use of cover crops. Matt recently planted a tropical legume called Sunn Hemp.

This crop grows fast, out competes weeds, adds nitrogen to the soil and builds organic matter. Here we are crimping the stalks to flatten it. Now we have a natural mulch that is anchored to the soil and wont blow away. He will transplant directly into it. No tilling equals more earthworms!!  We are serious about our soil at the farm and go above and beyond to ensure its health.

I am very excited about Matt’s tropea onions!  This has been the first time he has grown this variety of onion and it is awesome.  These onions are from a beach town in Italy called Tropea and are celebrated for both their unique sweet taste and medicinal values.

Italian experts say that the onion can alleviate colds and flu, and even cure them completely. It contains vitamin C which has an anti-haemorrhagic effect, strengthens the cells, tonifies the veins and arteries and helps defend against infections. The tropea onion contains iron and keeps the number of red blood corpuscles in the blood at the right level.  It just goes to show that food IS medicine!

Our CSA members will find kohlrabi, carrots, beets, fingerlings potatoes, arugula, spicy microgreens, tomatoes, squash, basil, and tropea onions!

Here is my menu for the week to assist our CSA members eat everything in their bags.

Monday:  Grilled Steak with Grilled Tropea Onions and roasted fingerling potatoes

I heat the oven to 425 degrees and the grill up at the same time.  I then toss the fingerling potatoes in olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary and salt and pepper.  I put them on a sheet pan and roast them for about 30 minutes.  I love a nice New York Strip steak and Bobby Flay has the best and easiest recipe for it! Just brush the steaks with olive oil and then heavily salt and pepper the steak.  I like my steak medium rare, so I really just char the outside of the steak on the grill for no more than 10 minutes and then I let it rest for another 10.  While the steak is resting, I cut the tropea onions length wise, brush them with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.  Grilling them makes them even sweeter!

Tuesday:  Grilled Steakhouse Burgers and Kohlrabi Fries

One of our CSA members made kohlrabi fries and it inspired me (and also gave me reason to make another great burger!

I found a great recipe on Rachael Ray’s website and thought it was worth a share.  Here is her segment on her show about it.

These fries are really good and so healthy!  They are great served with my favorite burger recipe that tastes like it came from a serious steak house!  Serve the burgers with the spicy mictogreens on top and you have a delicious dinner!

Wednesday:  Chicken Pesto Bake with Orzo Salad

This recipe is from Skinnytaste, my favorite clean, healthy food blogger.  As soon as my tomatoes come in, I make this right away.  It is so good and tastes like the very best of summer!

The orzo salad served along side this is excellent.  I love to take the leftovers of this salad to work and it it for lunch the next day. with some of the leftover chicken.  YUMMMMM!

Thursday:  Balsamic Beet Salad with Grilled Chicken

This salad is so good and so easy.  Just clean and boil the beats and boil them.  You can prepare them up to two days in advance because you want them served cold on this salad.  I serve it with a grilled chicken to ensure I have enough protein in my diet.

My son loves loves this salad.  The sweetness of the beats is a nice touch wit the arugula, walnuts and goat cheese.

Friday:  Roasted Moroccan Carrot Salad with Chickpeas

 

When making this, be sure to use your tropea onions and arugula.  I usually use the arugula rather than the spinach since we only eat what is in season locally.  The chickpeas is a great source of protein.  This dinner is very tasteful and hearty!

So what is coming to market?  We look forward to seeing you at the South of the James Farmer’s Market from 8-12 this Saturday!

• Garlic
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Japanese Turnips
• Chard
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Kale Salad
• Spicy Microgreens
• Basil Microgreens
• Squash
• Fennel
• Tropea Onions
• Fingerling Potatoes
• Beets
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Basil

We will see you at market from 8-12 each Saturday!