Drying Fall Produce

You often think of drying early and mid-summer vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes and beans.

The dehydrator is a work horse that can continue into the fall.

Here are some things we dry in the fall...

How to Grow Herbs in Minnesota

We have a very cool climate, which needs to be taken into account when growing most vegetables and especially herbs.

Ready to Use Herb Transplants

There here is nothing better than fresh herbs for your cooking. They have the kick of flavor the way you remember herbs should taste. Often you find herb starts at the local green house are very modest in size and you resign yourself to several months of growing time before can use them.

We have found that people really like our larger herbs that you can take home and use immediately.

A Little Love for Chocolate Mint - Guest Post by Jenna Petersen

Hello, VegetableFreak community! I hope to be able to give you some tips for incorporating fresh herbs into your cooking, since my Dad affectionately calls me the “herb expert” of the family. I wasn’t always such a foliage specialist, but I do remember the day that I wandered over to Dad and found him picking something green and incredibly fragrant in the field. I quickly learned that this was an herb called basil, and that if I wanted to join him in picking it, I needed to carefully pinch off the leaves to avoid bruising them. This was the beginning of a long relationship of herb cultivation that has only flourished in recent years. While basil remains a staple in our garden and at our Farmer’s Market booth, we have added a variety of other culinary plants. These include parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and many others, one being mint. We sell seven (!) varieties of it as plants: Spearmint, Peppermint, Mint Julep, Mojito Mint, Orange Mint, Chocolate Mint, and Pineapple Mint. Of these, my favorite by far is Chocolate Mint. It has a unique taste, beautiful purple stem, and smooth leaves. Compared to the typical spearmint, I think it has a cooler, stronger taste. It also grows vigorously, a stereotypical trait of most mints. Chocolate mint is amazing, and I have a few suggestions for using this tasty plant.

Plants That Do Well Together in Pots

There are a number of combinations of garden plants that do well together in pots. Here are 10 combinations:

1. Sunflower, squash and peas. Similar to the three sisters that were planted by the native Americas when the Europeans first settled in America.
2. Two peppers do well in pots. They also do well planted together in the garden.
3. Combinations of herbs, such as Basil, Rosemary and Thyme.
4. Edible flowers such as pansies work well with shorter herbs.

How to Grow Rosemary - Our Featured Herb of the Week

How to grow rosemary. Rosemary is a woody perennial herb native to the Mediterranean region.  The name Rosemary is derived from the Latin "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus) or "dew of the sea" because in many costal regions the only water it needs is the humidity of the sea breeze. It has needle shaped leaves and blue flowers. It is a member of the mint or Lamiaceae family.

Rosemary is typically started from...

The Best Value in Basil Plants

Early in the season we typically grow basil by scattering a pinch of basil seed in the middle of a three inch pot and when they are two or three inches tall we transfer them to a five inch pot and bring them to market. For a couple of weeks we have these multiple plant pots and then we switch over to mostly single plants five inch pots that are 4-5inches tall. So what is the best value in basil plants?

How to Maximize the Production of The Herb Rosemary

To maximize the production of Rosemary for your kitchen garden, do the following...

How to Grow Mint Julep and Mojito Mint

How to Grow Mint Julep and Mojito Mint. By special request we have acquired starts of the  mint (Yerba Buena) used in these summer time drinks. We will have this mint all summer.

How to Grow Mint - Our Featured Herb of the Week

Mint is one of the easiest of the herbs or garden plants to grow. It is extremely winter hardy. During the summer it is so aggressive that some people plant it in a large pot in the ground so it doesn't spread to the whole garden bed.

We had an extremely harsh winter and a number of people have reported that their mint did not survive the winter. So what to do...

10 Favorite Seasonings and Spices in Our Kitchen

We have a large herb section in our market stall, we use all these herbs and spices in our kitchen and cooking. We are hoping that some of these will be available for the April market

There is no market this week but we hope to see everyone again the first Saturday in April.

1. Basil and Pesto. Fresh basil in season and pesto from the freezer in the winter and spring.
2. Cilantro in season.
3. Thyme
4. Sea salt and red salt.
5. Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Lemon
6. Rosemary - awesome
7. Dill and dill weed for Gyro dressing
8. Parsley
9. Pepper corns and chipotle peppers
10. Garlic, Shallots and Onions

Dryhydrate Everything

We have a row about 300 feet long of very large Jalapenos, that are the source of a bushel of Jalapeno peppers in the dehydrator this evening. We had two bushels at the market this week. We sold one and I am drying the other. It takes about 30 trays in my dehydrator for that many peppers. It will take about 24 hours to dry the peppers to a pliable consistency and 36 hours completely dry. If you are going to smoke them, the pliable consistency is best. If you are going to store them long term completely dry them and put them in the freezer. If  you want to try your hand at drying, stop by our stand.

We have a lot of Jalapenos but the real gems are the Poblanos or Ancho's as they are sometimes called. We have two rows 300 feet long of beautiful dark green peppers. Poblanos are quite a bit larger than Jalapenos and don't fit as well into the dehydrator. But the medium and small ones can fit in the trays. They dry beautifully and smoke even better.

I had a few extra trays so I loaded up a few hundred serranos with the Jalapenos. They are hotter so a little goes along way. They have a unique flavor, which is different than the other two.

Tomorrow night I'm thinking that I will load up some Roma tomatoes. They have much more moisture in them so they take a little longer to dry. You can also smoke the Romas and the will dance in your tomato dishes.

You can dehydrate just about everything:

- Green beans, for winter soup
- Watermelon, like cotton candy
- Herbs, pretty much anything
- Sweet Corn, makes ooh soo sweet corn meal
- Egg Plant, really reconstitutes well for late winter lasagna

How to Cook Squash Blossoms

We have  1500 row feet of summer squash. In addition to the zucchini and patty pan, we get a large quantity of blossoms. We get asked how to prepare blossoms a lot, so here are some ideas we think your will enjoy.

1. Batter fried - amazing flavor, but adds lots of calories for a low calorie food.
2. Stuffed with a flavored cream cheese
3. Stuffed with a flavored cheese, we like pepper jack
4. Sprinkled with your favorite seasoning or herbs
5. Dipped in egg and butter cracker crumbs
6. Raw
7. Sauteed with your favorite sauce.
8. Stuff with a pesto or aoli

For serving a large quantity efficiently we like to preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a cookie sheet or two with a nonstick coating. Then stuff the blossoms with your favorite concoction and sprinkle them with your best yummy herbs (we like rosemary and thyme). They can be done ahead of time and then popped into the oven on the cookie sheets so they are all done at the same time. Good for a family meal or for serving at a formal party.

We sell a quart bag of blossoms for $3. It can cost $7 at some of the better restaurants for an appetizer of 3-5 blossoms. So you can experiment to your hearts content and it doesn't need to cost very much.

How to Plant Jenna's Herbs

How to plant herbs is not a one size fits all so let me break it down into families of similar plant types.

Basil and Mint

Believe it or not these are close cousins. They can be started from root cuttings and are very easy to grow from our large from our large transplants. Typically plant at the level that they were in the pots, though they will tolerate being planted a little deeper. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Thyme - English, Lemon, Silver, Winter

Easy to grow and should be planted at the same level as grown. Will tolerate a little deeper and will root from any stem that touches the ground. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Cilantro

Transplant to the garden at the same height and clip regularly. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Parsley - Curly, Triple Curled, Italian Flat Leaf

Can be left in the pots they were grown in or transplanted to the garden. Do not plant deeper than they were in the pot. They will not root from the stem. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Rosemary

The woody stem will root if buried a little deeper than grown. Let the plants get about 12 inches tall and then pinch the growing tip. The side shoots will then start to grow and you can harvest them readily. Grows great in pots or in the garden. Is not perennial in Minnesota.

Dill

Plant in the garden for maximum harvest. The plants will get quite tall and become root bound quickly in pots. If you do leave them in pots, water daily. Plant several times for continuous harvest.

Fennel

Separate plants when small and plant in the garden at the level it was grown at in the pots. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. 

Hyssop

Plant at the level the plant was grown at. A nice herb and beautiful flower later in the season. The bees love this Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.. 

Curry

Plant at the level the plant was grown at. Great aroma and flavor. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Cumin

Plant at the level the plant was grown at. Nice spice and great flavor. Fertilize with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer. If you are potting to a larger pot use our organic potting mix or mix in some worm castings to your favorite mix.

Jenna's Herbs

Jenna's Herbs are a big part of our offerings at the farmers market. We have some of the nicest herbs in Rochester. It is our goal to have herbs that will not only grow well, but that you can start harvesting the day you bring them home. We plant our herbs in large jumbo pots so they size up to their maximum potential. We fertilize organically with fish emulsion and compost tea.

The best part of shopping at the farmers market is being able to talk to the grower. Jenna has over 8 years of experience growing and using the herbs we sell. The use of herbs in everyday cooking is nearly a lost art. Sure there are wonderful chefs that can dazzle the senses, but the average shopper didn't get a lot of training from parents or grandparents. Jenna spends most of her time on Saturday morning educating her customers both young and old. She has a unique ability and experience with herbs. In the summer our kitchen becomes a laboratory for the development of any recipes and trials of ideas suggested by some of the chefs and customers we serve.

The secret to the best tasting herbs is to grow them organically. If you use chemical fertilizers, you overstimulate and weaken the plants, which in turn causes them to be susceptible to insect damage. The flavor components of the herbs are not fully developed and at their peak unless the plants can grow steadily with nutrients supplied by a symbiotic relationship with the soil.

Superb quality, Exceptional value, Organic sustainability, Culinary experience..... Priceless.

Cress

We grow some spicy cress in the beds with our spring mix greens. We will start harvesting this week. This is one of the fastest greens to grow at 15 days.

Cress has a peppery flavor and is used in salads and for soups and sandwiches.

We sell it separately so you can use it mixed with greens or separate.

It can also be used as a medicinal herb to prevent postnatal complications, indigestion and constipation.

Feel free to comment anywhere if you would like us to do a certain topic (ex. How To's, Information, FAQ's, etc.) or if there are certain aspects of our blog that you particularly enjoy and want more of.

How to Grow Basil - Our Featured Herb of the Week

How to Grow Basil, our featured herb of the week.

Let's talk Basil. Now that the Minnesota weather has warmed a bit the basil will start to thrive in the garden. It is not at all late to plant basil, I won't plant our crop in the field for a week or so yet. Usually after fathers day when the soil is toasty warm and the weather starts to stabilize. Those super long June days around the summer solstice are just what the doctor ordered for Basil. Basil is in the mint family, but unlike mint, it hates cold. If the temperatures even hint at 40°F, cover your basil or you may have cold damage.

We are also still planting basil in flats for late spring and early summer needs. We sell it all summer at our market stand.

When planting in the garden or field, you can plant the transplant a little below the surface where the plant was growing. Add a handful of organic fertilizer to the hole and mix in well with the soil or compost. Fish emulsion works well as a starter fertilizer, but be careful you don't get any on the leaves you were planning to harvest.

If you are getting transplants from us, they are very well hardened off and have typically been out in the sun, wind and rain for several weeks. If you buy a plant from the local garden center or green house protect it from wind and direct sun for a couple of days.

We try to have our plants at the size where you can start harvesting right away when you get home. Let the plants size up a bit before harvesting too much. This establishes the frame or scaffold of the plant. When you pinch off the tip of the growing plant the stems will branch and branch and branch until they are very full and productive. If you see a blossom starting pinch it off. If the plant blooms it thinks it has fulfilled its mission and it will stop producing.

There is nothing better than the fragrant smell of basil. During full season we will bring 2-3 bushel of basil to market a week and sell it for the price of spinach. What a deal!

I'll post some recipes to give you some ideas.

Amazing Arugula

Did you know arugula looks just like baby broccoli when it germinates? It also has some of the same cancer fighting phytonutrient that broccoli has. Both are close cousins botanically and so, have similar baby leaf and stem characteristics.

To get the arugula to perform at its absolute best flavor and nutrition you  must have peak mineralization in your soil. We are constantly working on remineralizing our soils using kelp, highly mineralized salt, fish emulsion, rock powders and compost.

We occasionally sample arugula from the store in the winter and it won't hold a candle to the flavor and shelf life of our arugula grown in mineralized soil. Our kids love arugula on salads and sandwiches. It also makes a zesty brilliant green pesto, which is good on pasta or bruschetta.

There are a number of different arugula types. The more highly serrated leaves are a little more zesty and the smooth leaves are a little milder. We like to cut arugula at the baby leaf stage.

We had never even heard of arugula before about 7-8 years ago. Then it started to appear in more of the gourmet magazines and people started asking for it. So what the heck, we tried it and we were hooked as were our customers.

We typically have a very good product and some of the upscale restaurants buy from us at the market.   Nosh, ZZest, and Pescara are all frequent buyers.

Heavenly Tasting Greens

It is show time in the garden for those heavenly tasting greens. Lettuce, spinach, kale, mizuna, tatsoi, cress and arugula are our favorite greens. They are especially flavorful compared to store purchased greens. We have been told this by our customers many many times and they often ask why this is. Some customers have even gone so far as to do a taste test.

There are several reasons for this amazing flavor.

First we work very hard at remineralizing our soils. We add kelp meal, low magnesium lime, and highly mineralized salts. These minerals replace those removed from the soils over the years of farming activity.

Second we use several inches of compost in each bed. The substrate for this compost is vegetable matter such as leaves and alfalfa hay that brings up minerals from deep in the soil. These minerals are maintained by the compost. Compost is not a fertilizer perse, but it does contain a nice amount of slow release nitrogen that is just right for light feeding greens. It is more of a soil amendment that feeds the microorganisms in the coil. A primary purpose for the compost is to provide a weed free shield for the greens to get ahead of any weeds that may be present. This makes for a low maintenance growing site.

Third we harvest the greens Friday night right before market. They are extremely fresh for the market and that gives them incredible shelf life. We have had many customers tell us that they have been able to enjoy their salads for two weeks after purchase.

The best way to get the maximum shelf life is to wash the greens you purchase and then spin or pat the greens free of moisture. Then put them in a zip lock bag with a paper towel to collect any residual moisture. It is the anaerobic conditions where drops of moisture collect that cause spoilage.

Cilantro Recipes - Easy Guacamole

Easy Guacamole breaks with the theme of mostly local ingredients. In the tomato off season we often "dip" into avocados. So let me recommend that you purchase your avocados at Peoples Food Coop. They will be organic and the Coop is a local business.

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados (PF Coop)
1/3 sweet onion, minced (1/2 cup) (Petersen's) Use scallions until sweet onions are available
1-2 chipotle peppers (Petersen's)
3 tablespoons baby cilantro (Petersen's)
1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly grated black pepper to taste
Optional: 2 sun dried tomatoes (rehydrate by 15 minutes in hot water, drain), or 1 fresh Roma tomato

Directions:

- Avocado, remove seed and peel. Mash in a bowl. Leaved chunky.
- Add chopped onions, cilantro, lime/lemon, salt, pepper and mix or mash.
- Experiment with the right amount of chipotle peppers, can also use Jalapeno or Serrano in season
- Cover Guac with plastic wrap until serving to prevent oxidation from air, refrigerate
- Fresh tomatoes should be added before serving, dried tomatoes can be added at preparation and will be best if allowed to sit an hour or two before serving.

Kick it Up:

- Add some hot salsa
- Add sour cream, or Greek yogurt
- Add black garlic (when available)
- Add cottage cheese
- Add grated pepper jack
- Add goat cheese (market vendors)