We have ginger!!!!! Ginger is not native to Virginia so Matt had to work hard to get it to grow and bring to market.  Matt imported the ginger seed roots from Hawaii and planted the seed in our hot greenhouse at the end of February.  He babied them in the greenhouse and moved them in to our fields as soon as we were sure we would have sustained warm days which ended being mid-May this year.

After a lot of hard work and waiting for what seems like forever, we have ginger!  Our Farm Share folks will find this in their bags this week!

Ginger is a root that is good for you with great medicinal uses!  Here are a few:

1. Ginger can help you with nausea and morning sickness.
2. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and can help with muscle pain and soreness.
3. Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties can help with osteoarthritis.
4. Ginger can lower blood sugars and improve heart disease risk factors.
5. Ginger can help with indigestion.
6. Ginger can help lower cholesterol levels.
7. Some studies indicate that Ginger can help prevent cancer.
8. Ginger improves brain function and can protect against Alzheimers.
9. Ginger tastes great!!!!!!!

Fresh ginger is even better than store bought ginger.  Our baby ginger can not be found in the grocery store.  It is so tender you don’t have to peel it. We pull it from the ground the day before we bring it to market so it is super fresh!

Here are some great recipes for ginger:

When school is in, and our son starts sports and piano, we depend on the crockpot!  Slow Cooker Ginger Beef with Shishtos and Peppers is one of my favorite hearty meals!

Ingredients:

• 2.2 lbs  boneless beef roast
• 1.5 cup stock (chicken or beef)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons minced ginger
• ¼ cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• Two pints of Shishitos
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 cup brown rice

Directions:

1. Prepare the beef: cut off any fat you can see, cut into 1 inch cubes, and place in the slow cooker. Stir together the stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil and ginger, and add to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the lowest setting for 5 hours.
2. When you get home from work, start the brown rice and stir together the cold water and corn starch, then stir into the slow cooker. Turn up the heat to the highest setting. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Add the bell pepper and sugar snap peas, then cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Serve atop brown rice and top with toasted sesame seeds.

Teriyaki Chicken  is one of our families favorites and the homemade teriyaki sauce is better than you can imagine.  I use this basic recipe:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup water
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Place the soy sauce, water, garlic, ginger, honey, brown sugar and sesame oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil.
2. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and boil for 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Set sauce aside.

Stir Fry:

1. Bring a can of chicken broth to a boil and put in a cup of brown rice.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli (when broccoli isn’t in season I substitute with shishitos or green beans) and red peppers and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables have started to brown and soften. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cook, until water has evaporated. When your vegetables are crisp & tender, remove them from the pan and set aside; cover to keep warm.
3. Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the pan over high heat.
4. Place half of the chicken in the pan and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set the first batch of chicken aside and repeat the process with the rest of the chicken.
5. Add all of the chicken and vegetables back to the pan. Pour the sauce over the top and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until warmed through.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over brown rice.

Our ginger comes with the leaves and stalks attached since it is so fresh!  Don’t throw them out, you can season with them as you would a bay leaf. Use the very aromatic leaves in tea (fresh or dried) and use the stalks to flavor the cooking liquid for rice, pasta, quinoa, and soups. Cut the stalks into 2″ to 3″ pieces and use fresh or freeze for later use. Be sure to remove the stalks before serving your dish (just as you would remove a bay leaf used for seasoning).  If you are looking for other uses of the ginger leaf click here.

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!

• Ginger
• Garlic
• Tatsoi
• Kale
• Lettuces
• Radishes
• Baby Arugula
• Field Greens
• Spicy Micro Greens
• Basil Micro Greens
• Tropea Onions
• Red, Yellow, and White Onions
• Beets
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Shishitos
• Green Beans

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