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The week of November 10 we built an elevated set with the help of David Clark of Richmond Rebuilders to act as a stage for the crew to film Chef Craig Hartman and Michael and the microgreens overlooking the farm with a view toward the mountains of Swift Run Gap



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The post Farm Fresh Produce Local Delivery first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>Extra special CSA share this week with additional number of items meant to assist in a delicious, nutritious and beautiful presentation while entertaining yourself and your guests over the Memorial Day weekend (and throughout the week). The fire roasted chilis can be frozen for a later date or consider chopping them with the tomato, cilantro and chives for a dip or topping if you plan on grilling outdoors. Mint, dill and chives could also be paired with the cucumbers. The chilis, turmeric, tomatoes, lemongrass and cilantro could be used for an Asian style dish. Or maybe you would like an iced tea brewed with lemongrass and mint. Or cucumber water with mint. To your health and your pleasure, always! Enjoy
The post 2018 CSA Spring May 26th first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>lamondin oranges, turmeric, ginger, tomato, cucumber, micro cilantro and baby tatsoi could all be a yummy addition to an Asian/Middle Eastern themed meal, especially a curry. Or consider using the micro cilantro for a taco night. Rose geranium and lemon verbena are great together in tea, as a syrup or in deserts, including baked goods. With the beautiful and tasty local strawberries at our Farmer’s Market right now, consider making a brew of the geranium, verbena, strawberries and a squeeze of calamondin for an exciting and delicious combo! For the best flavor infusion, do not boil the rose geranium and lemon verbena, rather heat until steamy and remove the leaves as they turn army green. Rose geranium does well soaked in yogurt for about an hour, making a nice dressing for an apple salad or fruit dip.
To your health and your pleasure, always! Enjoy
The post 2018 CSA Spring May 19th first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>Some classic salad ingredients are included this week with a box of baby greens, tomatoes and cucumber. We like to chop the tomato and cucumber into a bowl and drizzle them with balsamic vinegar and use that combo as the “dressing” to the greens. The red mustard can make a nice side veggie for a dinner by just pan frying until wilted. They are also delicious raw, if you prefer. Consider the possibility of spring rolls this week using a selection of your microgreens, a bit of slivered mint, baby salad mix, and a chive laid in the middle. Serve with a plum sauce for dipping. (Some like these with fish sauce. A meat can be added to your liking such as cooked shrimp, chicken or beef strips.)To your health and your pleasure, always! Enjoy
The post 2018 CSA Spring May 12th first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>
With these hot dry days, consider an iced citrus mint, or cucumber mint beverage for refreshment. Torn leaves of mint and slices of citrus or cucumber can be cold brewed overnight in a container in your fridge for a light infusion. Or the mint can be brewed as a tea, allowed to cool, and then your citrus can be sliced and squeezed in. When using the Calamondin oranges, try using a pair of scissors to cut directly over your drink (salad, dish, etc). If you want to exclude any seeds, cut over a bowl to catch the juice and skin then remove the seeds. I like to put one of the little oranges and some mint sprigs into my water bottle for the day, making for a gentle infusion.
To your health and your pleasure, always! Enjoy
The post 2018 CSA Spring May 4th first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>
I don’t get out to restaurants much these days, but I have had a beet greens salad that I thought was delicious and simple enough to replicate at home. The beet greens are served fresh, raw, chopped into large pieces, and then topped with goat cheese, toasted pecans and a sweet balsamic reduction. Sometimes I will add a squeeze of orange on top. For the reduction, I put about ½ a cup of balsamic into a sauce pan and simmered it really low (beware of being directly over the pan as the fumes can bite the nose), and as it thickened up, added a tablespoon of honey. Just reducing the balsamic vinegar will be sweet, so this addition can be skipped. Sometimes I will sweeten the toasted the pecans instead and drizzle a bit of balsamic without reduction to save time. But the salad can be made entirely without any sweetening agents at all and still be very tasty.
This weekend marks the first day of our Spring CSA share and the first day of our Charlottesville Market, downtown right next to the Water Street parking garage. Our farmer’s market season runs from April to December at the downtown Charlottesville location, and south of town at Forrest Lakes (through October). All CSA members receive a 10% discount on purchases made at either of our market stands.
We really hope to see you at our Saturday market! Hope you have a marvelous week…to your health and your pleasure, always!
The post 2018 CSA Spring April 7th Beet tops first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>
Fresh mint for this weekend as it marks the last day of our Winter CSA share and the first day of our Spring CSA share, as we formulate our seasonal calendar into 3 month long periods that start in January. Next week marks the beginning of ourfarmer’s market season, which runs from April to December in downtown Charlottesville and south of town at Forrest Lakes (through October). All CSA members receive a 10% discount on purchases made at either of our market stands.
Mint, violets and redbud blossoms are highlighted in photos this week as many will enjoy a mint sauce with lamb this weekend and the violets are blooming here. Redbuds have yet to pop out (budding and opening before the tree’s leaves) but I wanted to remind you of another edible flower that is easily wildcrafted.
And just in case you happen across some violets, consider trying some for a surprising twist. As with gathering any edibles from the wild, be aware to not gather right next to a road substantially travelled to avoid heavy metal accumulation from exhaust.
The post 2018 CSA Winter March 31st mint first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>
It is a real joy to share with you all every week a nice selection of the bounty here at the farm. This time, I would like to highlight that the microgreens selected are my favorite. Certainly other microgreens are delicious, nutritious and beautiful but none shocked me as much with regard to my expectation of how I thought they would taste. Being raised in the south, I was introduced to collard greens early and my experience into adulthood was a tough green cooked for a very long time, regularly prepared with or dressed with a splash of vinegar even if pork/bacon/ham hock, onions, etc were added. Sufficed to say, the end result did not exactly highlight what collards taste like, but rather smothered it. I do enjoy mature collard greens and will scissor cut the tough spine out before dashing them in a hot skillet, making quick work of wilting them just until they are bright green. Well, this week’s collards require no cooking and come in the power packed form of microgreens. Try eating a pinch right out of the box to get a sense of what I’m saying…sweetish, nutty, and satisfying. The first time I tried them, I was blown away. Another fun twist for this week’s menu, the lovely nasturtium. There are leaves which can be a doily by which to pick up the serving or used as a dainty wrap. I have also shredded them for use in salads and egg dishes, like omelettes and quiches. The flowers are lovely in a salad or as a garnish. Mike really likes these both savory or sweet, either stuffed with a crab dip or with a sweet cream (as shown) for desert. There is a nice spicy kick in flavor, but be sure to smell the fragrance for a delightful surprise. To your health and your pleasure!
The post 2018 CSA Winter March 24th Citrus Nasturtium first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>
A new idea to add to the menu this week: Orange leaves! My only experience with using a type of citrus leaf in preparing food was with the Thai lime leaf (Makrut) which I like in stir-fry dishes, curries, beverages and to use as a dental application against streptococcus mutans, which I had read about years ago of a traditional use in Thailand. Of course, it serves to reason that other types of citrus leaves are useful and delicious! The most common recipes I found on this topic were for tea, made with either fresh or crushed dried leaves, alone or added to black tea. James Wong at the Guardian blogged about enjoying them in mulled wine and cider. Elsewhere it is mentioned as a wrap for food and marinade in some Mediterranean recipes. There is one recipe idea from Brisbane of a beef and green bean stir-fry with garlic and soy sauce, which I would substitute the Thai lime leaf with the orange leaf. It can be used similarly to bay laurel leaves, leaving whole while adding to simmering foods or rice pot and then removed before serving. But it can also be sprinkled in as thin slivers to your dish, being sure to cook well. For best effect, scissor cut finely across the leaf, ensuring the minimal amount of spine and maximizing the softening of it. You can store your leaves in the fridge to use fresh, pop them into the freezer or dry and crumble them for the tea and spice cabinet. Hope you have fun with this different take on the orange tree! Enjoy
The post 2018 CSA Winter March 17th Orange Leaves first appeared on Specials From Planet Earth Diversified.]]>