We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, June 1, 2013
Asparagus
Baby Spinach
Baby Spring Mix - Lettuce, Beet Greens, Kale
Baby Cilantro - Herb of the Week (see Recipes on the VF Blog)
Cress
Fresh Herbs - Mint, Oregano, Basil, French Tarragon, Rosemary
Dandelion Greens
Salsa
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding
Potting Mix
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Stevia
- Cilantro - Herb of the Week
- Hyssop
- Chives, Leeks
- Arugula
Tomato Plants
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Yellow Pear
- Sweet 100
- Roma - Assorted
- Lemon Boy
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno
- Habernaro
Watermelon Plants - Red, Yellow (Biggest Selection in Rochester)
Cucumber Plants
Pumpkin Plants
Bean Plants, Pea Plants
Dried Garlic
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap
Friday, May 31, 2013
Cilantro Recipes - Simple Rice and Lime
Simple Cilantro, Lime and Rice. It has rained enough this spring that I think we could grow rice in some of the flooded fields. But until then get your rice at the local People Food Coop.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups just cooked rice, hot
- 1 cup baby cilantro leaves (Petersen's)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
- small sweet onion (Petersen's)
- table spoon lime juice
- Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
- While the rice is cooking, finely chop or put in the food processor, all ingredients
- While the rice is very hot combine with the rest of the ingredients
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes
Kick It Up:
- Add 1 chipotle pepper, seeded
- Add your favorite curry
- Add chicken broth to the cooking rice
- Use wild rice or mix 1/2 wild rice. Note wild rice takes a little longer to cook.
Ingredients:
- 6 cups just cooked rice, hot
- 1 cup baby cilantro leaves (Petersen's)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
- small sweet onion (Petersen's)
- table spoon lime juice
- Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
- While the rice is cooking, finely chop or put in the food processor, all ingredients
- While the rice is very hot combine with the rest of the ingredients
- Let rest for 5-10 minutes
Kick It Up:
- Add 1 chipotle pepper, seeded
- Add your favorite curry
- Add chicken broth to the cooking rice
- Use wild rice or mix 1/2 wild rice. Note wild rice takes a little longer to cook.
Cilantro Recipes - Cilantro Skillet Potatoes
Wow cilantro from the garden already, it will only be a few weeks before we will have those beautiful red potatoes. The two together are dynamite.
Ingredients:
- Fresh cilantro leaves, 1 bag (Petersen's)
- 1 garlic clove or garlic powder or on shallot (Petersen's)
- 1/4 cup olive oil or 1/2 stick of butter
- 2 lbs,Baby Red potatoes washed and cubed (Yukon Gold is OK too) (Petersen's)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large cast iron skillet, cook the potatoes and oil until tender and lightly brown about 20 minutes. Add cilantro and garlic and stir for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- Fresh cilantro leaves, 1 bag (Petersen's)
- 1 garlic clove or garlic powder or on shallot (Petersen's)
- 1/4 cup olive oil or 1/2 stick of butter
- 2 lbs,Baby Red potatoes washed and cubed (Yukon Gold is OK too) (Petersen's)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large cast iron skillet, cook the potatoes and oil until tender and lightly brown about 20 minutes. Add cilantro and garlic and stir for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serves 4.
Cilantro Recipes - Roasted Salmon, Lime and Cilantro, with Asparagus
This week is our first cilantro harvest and we are sharing some of our favorite cilantro recipes. We will have fresh cilantro and abundant cilantro plants for those who want to grow their own.
Ingredients:
-Salmon Fillets (6-8 onces each)
- Sea salt and fresh ground tellichery pepper (just ground pepper will do). We get our pepper corns from Penzy's in Minneapolis (check them out).
- 1/4 cup lime juice, or 1 tablespoon concentrate
- 2 table spoons soy sauce (low salt in desired)
- 8 drops stevian (herb plants available at Petersen's) or 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped baby cilantro leaves (Petersen's all season)
- 1-2 bunches of Asparagus (Petersen's in season)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange salmon fillets in a shallow pan or wrap in tin foil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle and the salmon is flaky.
Whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, and sweetner. Fold in the cilantro leaves. Spoon over fish and serve with asparagus.
You can substitute a white fish if you'd rather or we really like steele head trout when in season.
Ingredients:
-Salmon Fillets (6-8 onces each)
- Sea salt and fresh ground tellichery pepper (just ground pepper will do). We get our pepper corns from Penzy's in Minneapolis (check them out).
- 1/4 cup lime juice, or 1 tablespoon concentrate
- 2 table spoons soy sauce (low salt in desired)
- 8 drops stevian (herb plants available at Petersen's) or 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped baby cilantro leaves (Petersen's all season)
- 1-2 bunches of Asparagus (Petersen's in season)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange salmon fillets in a shallow pan or wrap in tin foil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle and the salmon is flaky.
Whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, and sweetner. Fold in the cilantro leaves. Spoon over fish and serve with asparagus.
You can substitute a white fish if you'd rather or we really like steele head trout when in season.
Cilantro Recipes - Mexican Pesto
In honor of our first week of baby cut cilantro leaves fresh from the garden and abundant cilantro transplants for those who want to grow their own.
Cilantro is our herb of the week and we are featuring some of our favorite recipes.
Mexican Pesto
Normally pesto is made from Basil, but cilantro makes an excellent green pesto in south of the border style.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup pepitas, hulled pumpkin seeds (you can also use walnuts or pine nuts)
- 1/2 bag of baby cilantro (Petersen's)
- 2 to 4 cloves of garlic or a tablespoon of garlic powder, one shallot can also be used (Petersen's)
- 1 cipotle pepper, seeded (reconstitute pepper by steeping in hot water for 15 minutes, drain)
You can also use a fresh jalapeno or serrano when they are in season. (Petersen's)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons oliv oil
- Optional: 1/4 cup grated goat cheese, or Parmesan cheese (various market vendors)
Put nuts or seed in a food processor or blender; process until coarsely chopped (pulse). Add cilantro, garlic, chipotle, salt and oil. Process until smooth, at cheese (optional). Add to meat, orzo pasta, rice or enjoy with your favorite bread as a bruschette.
Cilantro is our herb of the week and we are featuring some of our favorite recipes.
Mexican Pesto
Normally pesto is made from Basil, but cilantro makes an excellent green pesto in south of the border style.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup pepitas, hulled pumpkin seeds (you can also use walnuts or pine nuts)
- 1/2 bag of baby cilantro (Petersen's)
- 2 to 4 cloves of garlic or a tablespoon of garlic powder, one shallot can also be used (Petersen's)
- 1 cipotle pepper, seeded (reconstitute pepper by steeping in hot water for 15 minutes, drain)
You can also use a fresh jalapeno or serrano when they are in season. (Petersen's)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons oliv oil
- Optional: 1/4 cup grated goat cheese, or Parmesan cheese (various market vendors)
Put nuts or seed in a food processor or blender; process until coarsely chopped (pulse). Add cilantro, garlic, chipotle, salt and oil. Process until smooth, at cheese (optional). Add to meat, orzo pasta, rice or enjoy with your favorite bread as a bruschette.
How to Grow Cilantro - Our Featured Herb of the Week
How to Grow Cilantro. Cilantro is very easy to grow from seed or transplants. It is a key ingredient in fresh salsa and makes a spicy pesto.
If starting with plants, plant in the garden at the same level as the plants were in the pot. Water well and fertilize with fish emulsion every two weeks. Cut the plants frequently and succession plant for production all season.
If starting with seeds you can plant as soon as the frost is out of the ground as cilantro is very hardy (but not quite perennial in Minnesota). Plant about 1/2 inch deep one inch apart. Re-seed when the plants bolt. Cut frequently to keep production at its peak.
We use fish emulsion to fertilize, but cilantro doesn't need a rich environment. We plant rows about 4 to 6 inches apart in a 2 inch layer of compost. For market we cut the cilantro at the baby leaf stage instead of letting it get large and bunching. We put the cut leaves in a quart bag and they keep 7-10 days. We can also cut many more times at this stage.
We grow a slow to bolt variety called "Leisure". You can get seed from Johnny's.
Summer time production is many pounds per week and works well for summer salsa needs.
If starting with plants, plant in the garden at the same level as the plants were in the pot. Water well and fertilize with fish emulsion every two weeks. Cut the plants frequently and succession plant for production all season.
If starting with seeds you can plant as soon as the frost is out of the ground as cilantro is very hardy (but not quite perennial in Minnesota). Plant about 1/2 inch deep one inch apart. Re-seed when the plants bolt. Cut frequently to keep production at its peak.
We use fish emulsion to fertilize, but cilantro doesn't need a rich environment. We plant rows about 4 to 6 inches apart in a 2 inch layer of compost. For market we cut the cilantro at the baby leaf stage instead of letting it get large and bunching. We put the cut leaves in a quart bag and they keep 7-10 days. We can also cut many more times at this stage.
We grow a slow to bolt variety called "Leisure". You can get seed from Johnny's.
Summer time production is many pounds per week and works well for summer salsa needs.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Top 10 Tomatoes for Minnesota
We have trialed over 100 varieties of tomatoes. Here are the ones we think are the best for our area in Rochester, Minnesota. We typically have transplants for these varieties available in the spring at the Downtown Farmers Market on Saturday morning.
- Early Girl - medium slicer, good disease resistance
- Big Beef - Beefsteak
- Brandywine - Heirloom Beefsteak
- Prudens Purple - Heirloom Beefsteak
- Green Zebra - Green Heirloom Slicer
- Roma - Heirloom
- Viva Italia - Roma, good disease resistance
- Sun Gold - Cherry
- Grape - Cherry
- Yellow/Red Pear - Cherry
Monday, May 27, 2013
How to Plant Organic Carrots
How to plant carrots. We have the most awesome carrots from June to January. The key to an excellent supply of carrots is to plant carrots regularly throughout the season. I like to plant Early Nantes carrots because they are, well, early and we like the size and sweetness. They also do well in cool weather both spring and fall.
My favorite planting method is to use organic pelleted seed and an Earthway seeder with the carrot plate. This is the fastest and most accurate way to plant. You can also use unpelleted seed and the lettuce plate. This plants a heavier population but that just means you will need to leave the carrots in the ground a few more weeks to size up if the population is heavy. You can also plant either type of seed by hand.
I like to put down a two inch thick strip of finished compost about 6 inches wide that we plant the carrots into about 1/2 inch deep. You can usually get by with two rows side by side about 3 inches apart.
Carrots are light feeders and I don't use any fertilizer other than the compost. If you use too much nitrogen the carrots get hairy. If you want to fertilize with something use kelp meal. The minerals make for scrumptious carrots and build the soil. If you have good compost you get good minerals and a weed free layer.
Carrots can take up to three weeks to emerge from the soil. For the earliest planting, I usually overseed with a light seeding of radishes. This helps protect the carrots and mark the row. The radishes are ready to pick about the time the carrots are coming up. So you get a two for one crop.
There is another approach to planting carrots that I have never used. It is call the "stale bed" method. You till the bed shallowly several times about 5 days apart to reduce the weed population. Then plant the carrots. Just before the carrots emerge (about 7 days) you use a flame weeder to burn off any tiny weeds that are growing. The carrots then have a head start and you should be able to get by with only a light weeding a couple of weeks later. Carrot emergence is somewhat dependent on the soil temperature, so this method works the best in the summer when the soil temperature is warm.
Delicious crunchy carrots are the hallmark of the summer and fall garden.
Lisa was at Fareway in April buying some organic carrots and the lady at the register asked her if we were the family who grew the amazing carrots at the farmers market. She said they had bought a bag of carrots and ate half of them just getting to the car. That is pretty typical.
Come see us at the farmers market for the best carrots in Rochester.
My favorite planting method is to use organic pelleted seed and an Earthway seeder with the carrot plate. This is the fastest and most accurate way to plant. You can also use unpelleted seed and the lettuce plate. This plants a heavier population but that just means you will need to leave the carrots in the ground a few more weeks to size up if the population is heavy. You can also plant either type of seed by hand.
I like to put down a two inch thick strip of finished compost about 6 inches wide that we plant the carrots into about 1/2 inch deep. You can usually get by with two rows side by side about 3 inches apart.
Carrots are light feeders and I don't use any fertilizer other than the compost. If you use too much nitrogen the carrots get hairy. If you want to fertilize with something use kelp meal. The minerals make for scrumptious carrots and build the soil. If you have good compost you get good minerals and a weed free layer.
Carrots can take up to three weeks to emerge from the soil. For the earliest planting, I usually overseed with a light seeding of radishes. This helps protect the carrots and mark the row. The radishes are ready to pick about the time the carrots are coming up. So you get a two for one crop.There is another approach to planting carrots that I have never used. It is call the "stale bed" method. You till the bed shallowly several times about 5 days apart to reduce the weed population. Then plant the carrots. Just before the carrots emerge (about 7 days) you use a flame weeder to burn off any tiny weeds that are growing. The carrots then have a head start and you should be able to get by with only a light weeding a couple of weeks later. Carrot emergence is somewhat dependent on the soil temperature, so this method works the best in the summer when the soil temperature is warm.
Delicious crunchy carrots are the hallmark of the summer and fall garden.
Lisa was at Fareway in April buying some organic carrots and the lady at the register asked her if we were the family who grew the amazing carrots at the farmers market. She said they had bought a bag of carrots and ate half of them just getting to the car. That is pretty typical.
Come see us at the farmers market for the best carrots in Rochester.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Market Menu for May 25, 2013
We will have the following items at the market for May 25, 2013
Baby Spinach
Baby Lettuce
Fresh Herbs - Mint, Oregano, Basil
Dandelion Greens
Salsa
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding
Potting Mix
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Stevia
- Curry
- Cilantro
- Hyssop
Tomato Plants
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Yellow Pear
- Roma - Assorted
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno
- Habernaro
Watermelon Plants - Red, Yellow
Dried Garlic
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap
Baby Spinach
Baby Lettuce
Fresh Herbs - Mint, Oregano, Basil
Dandelion Greens
Salsa
Shallots
Worm Farms - Red Wigglers, Worm Bedding
Potting Mix
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jumbo Pansys
Herb Plants
- Rosemary
- Basil - Sweet Italian, Tai, Lemon, Holy
- Mint - Spearmint, Chocolate, Organge, Apple
- Tyme - English, Posey, Lemon
- Sage, Tricolor Sage
- Parsley - Curly, Flat Leaf
- Stevia
- Curry
- Cilantro
- Hyssop
Tomato Plants
- Brandwine
- Early Girl
- Big Beef
- Yellow Pear
- Roma - Assorted
Pepper Plants
- Red Bell
- Yellow Bell
- Jalapeno
- Habernaro
Watermelon Plants - Red, Yellow
Dried Garlic
Dried Herbs
Lisa's Soap
Friday, May 24, 2013
We Work For Our Customers So You Don't Have To
We have trialed 100's of varieities over the years to find some of the top varieties for our location, climate and our customers needs.
We sell some of these varieties as plant starts at the farmers market. Things like heirloom tomatoes and top hybrid cucumbers.
Customers have brought many interests and needs to our attention in the past. We have broadened our offerings from time to time based on customers requests.
Some of these requests were Purslane, Arugula, Sweet Corn, Dandelion Greens, and Heirloom Okra.
We have a broad knowledge of the things we grow. How to grow them. How to process them for the best nutrition and flavor. How to prepare them for your table.
We will continue to add this knowledge to our posts.
If you have any additional things you'd like us to consider growing. Please let us know either by leaving a comment or seeing us at the market.
We sell some of these varieties as plant starts at the farmers market. Things like heirloom tomatoes and top hybrid cucumbers.
Customers have brought many interests and needs to our attention in the past. We have broadened our offerings from time to time based on customers requests.
Some of these requests were Purslane, Arugula, Sweet Corn, Dandelion Greens, and Heirloom Okra.
We have a broad knowledge of the things we grow. How to grow them. How to process them for the best nutrition and flavor. How to prepare them for your table.
We will continue to add this knowledge to our posts.
If you have any additional things you'd like us to consider growing. Please let us know either by leaving a comment or seeing us at the market.
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