Tag Archives: basil

What’s Hot: peppers, tomatoes, cucs, oh my!

wheatgrass trays for décor and juicing; yes, careful: cats like chewing on it, too….

raspberries (half pints, hand picked daily) we make frozen drinks and crème pops from this fruit, too

limited citrus: currently, Calmondin oranges, kaffir limes and bitter orange (great for zest, calmondins are fantastic scissor cut into drinks [i cut them into “flowering wedges” and leave whole under ice], used as a salad dressing, marmalade, glaze etc.  The skins are much thinner and more edible than the other 2.

flats of tomatoes (the hand pollinated classics that got me addicted to farming and heirlooms from the field that are coming soon)

cases of peppers (we get all seed verified, specializing in Hatch, NM and Pepper Institute varieties…please note that we have taken the “Safe Seed Pledge”)

arugula  (8×8 box of baby green)

watercress (8×8 box of clean top growth)

tatsoi (8×8 box of baby green; all are ready to use from the box)

lemon verbena (garnish, syrups, muddled drinks, stewed with fruits, chicken, fish, tea)

rose geranium (ditto above, all applies…contains more of the chemistry of the scent for rose than a rose! )

tis the season to dress in mint!

english, thin skinned  cucumbers

squash, & squash blossoms

potatoes, check for availability… lots of Adirondack reds i can remember off the top of my head…

mixed heirloom eggplant varieties, including the Louisiana green, Japanese Bride, etc.

superb jalapeño jelly; we do have by the case… red fire jelly is the hottest variety (caution!)

pesto varieties… basil, sorrel, watercress, arugula, etc.  also made to order for vegan requests, etc.

flat leaf parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, spearmint, peppermint, dill, basil, thai basil, (see also microgreens for many herbs are available as such also), red shiso, lemon verbena, rose geranium, pineapple sage, nasturtium in leaf and flower, mixed edible flower chef boxes, black leaf amaranth (wine colored), baby beet leaf, mixed color Chard, fig leaves, wild grape leaves,  wildcrafted garlic mustard, now is the season for wildcrafting goldenrod, anise hyssop, Echinacea, ginger root (not harvest time yet)

its summer: did i mention basil, mint, & dill? cilantro: hard to grow in this heat, but we’ve got some!

greens, lettuces, etc: like kale, kohlrabi, colored chard, etc.

im sure there is more but i have to run out on delivery…. catch Mike at the Forest Lakes farmers market

Pesto Recipe Ideas…

So many types of pesto, so little time…

  • sandwich spread (try with grilled cheese and tomatoes)

    Pesto Crustini on Nasturtiums

    Pesto Crustini on Nasturtiums

  • add to sauces and soups
  • blend with yogurt for salad dressing
  • stuff salmon or other fish
  • add dollop to rice for infusion
  • top crustinis or crackers for party snacks
  • spread on pizza base, or blend with tomato sauce
  • garnish a steak salad
  • create your own dip with sour cream or cream cheese

Recipe: Chicken Salad Sandwich

    2 cups of chicken
    3 tbs of cream cheese
    2 tbs of sour cream and 1 1/2 tbs of pesto
    blend by hand until creamy
    add favorite sandwich garnishes…such as micro celery greens and tomatoes

For a “Spring Chicken Salad Sandwich” consider a few of our favorite garnishes of micro mustard, violets, rose petals, wild crafted garlic mustard, shiso and other greens.

Pesto, essentially “paste”, is also made from our raspberry crops and is used as a different sort of pesto.  Makes great thumbprint cookies, spreads, cake layers, hot tea, etc.

Joshua Wilton explores the raspberry...yum!

(Be sure to check out what Joshua Wilton does with raspberries…this is one of my favorites.)

Something unique for Valentine’s Day: Hydrosols w/ Herbs

Rose Geranium medallions from Planet Earth Diversified

Rose Geranium medallions from Planet Earth Diversified

Find fresh harvested Chef boxes & zip bags this Saturday: Anderson’s  and Greenwood Market has zip bags too…Zinc has both leaves and hydrosol.

Also known as essential waters, our hydrosols are steam distilled from what we grow here at the farm. Begun as an opportunity to utilize and preserve through the seasons, it also allowed us to upgrade our sustainability goal. Hydrosols that have not crossed an ocean save a bit on energy, and gives us another way to capture the fragrances, nuances of a particular season, a little like wine to me. Especially nice is that it gives another way to extend the season, so to speak, and showcase another facet of use. I am really excited to see what Zinc creates with their hydrosols and have long enjoyed the botanical blends of Dawn Story (New Moon Naturals) in a myriad of products using plant essential waters.

Rose Geranium is one of my all time favorites and regularly showed up as an infused fruit topping or syrup used with yogurt dressing when I was making breakfast as the Innkeeper*.   Homemade cakes would be dressed with fruit stewed in rose geranium and a yogurt cup could be found dressed with our geranium from a simple syrup.  I also liked opening a bottle of sparkling water and stuffing the leaves inside to infuse a bit as i made other things, then combining with fresh squeezed citrus and a dollop of syrup, might be garnished for special occasions.  Works well with the Brut, too.   Fun, overnight infusion into chocolate ganache brownies works well in the fridge overnight with the pieces plated atop a leaf which make very nice serving doily.  As the plates “settle” the next day for service, and the cold falls out, the aroma becomes captivating.

*Managed 1804 Inn at Barboursville Vineyards for several years during inception period.  Be sure to visit Palladio restaurant for Chef’s creations as we enjoy in exploring rose geranium together and are always delighted with what comes forth.  Rose Geranium gelato is still a big hit here at the farm.
 
 
Rose Geranium at Palladio Restaurant

courtesy of Barboursville Vineyards and Palladio Restaurant

One customer shared her revamping a pineapple up-side-down cake recipe by layering the start with rose geranium leaves.  Yum!

Since we will be in attendance at the VABF conference, I am offering special Sunday delivery of the rose geranium choices; Chef boxes are hand selected leaves in bright aroma, and hydrosol comes in 300ml or in 4ml spray* (not available singly; must be included in delivery of something else).  Some rose geranium will be available for  you to pick up at Anderson’s in conjuntion with their extravaganza this weekend.  You will find samples of our pestos and recipes along with other local purveyors; we wish we were not already booked but are glad for the opportunity to stay in touch.  Call 434-985-3570, ext 1 and leave a message if you would like some rose geranium or hydrosol or both, or maybe you want the whole kit!  A box of fresh herb, a refill storage size bottle and your own spritzer to hang out on the line…just give me a call.

Edible flowers on doily of rose geranium & nasturtium leaves

Edible flowers on doilies of rose geranium & nasturtium leaves

– syrup

-stewed fruit

-spritzed

-layered

-infused