Parsnips for the P

While they look like Carrots and they do grow in the cooler months, they aren't even from the same family. While they share a shape that is about the extent of their likeness. Parsnips can be grown well into the winter while carrots enjoy a bit more warmth in their growing season. While parsnips look like a white carrot once you try one you'll know the difference. Parsnips have a spicy flavor while the carrot is sweeter, more like a squash flavor.

These long growing root veggies need a deeply worked soil that is loose and free of clay and stones. They can be one of those needier plants in your garden so take heed, they will need to be weeded until they establish themselves and they like to have "wet feet" so they'll need to be watered often if the weather takes a turn towards the dry. Warmer climates will need to mulch to help keep in the moisture, this will help cut down some on the watering. As they mature they will have a vigorous green top and the root with start to push up out of the soil. Harvesting is easier than the growing, just loosen the soil around the root and pull. Cut the tops off and place the washed root in a bag for up to two months in the fridge. They also store well in the ground, wait to harvest until after the first frost, which will give them the best flavor.

They are great for diets also, being very low in calories and high in vitamins. They have been used to help control blood pressure and as a diuretic when passing kidney stones. Parsnips are a great addition to your diet since the uses are very versatile. They can be baked, pureed for soups or eaten raw in salads.

Looking for more ideas, check these recipes out;

• Parsnip & Potato Bake
• Parsnip Soup
• Parsnip Chips

Parsnips can be a bit picky to grow in the garden but they are easy to find in the fall at a local farmers market near you. Go ahead and plant a row late this summer and if it doesn't work out, you can always pick then up at the market, but just give them a try, you might just be surprised!

Thanks for stopping by this A to Z Challenge Post, I'll see you in the Garden!

ohh Okra

 Okra is one of those things in the South that you either love or hate. But which ever side you fall on, there are things that you just don't know about it.

Okra originate from North African countries, and is also known as Bamia.It is related to cotton and Holly hocks, now that's a diverse family! The pods are generally harvested while they are still "green". It grows best in well drained, nitrogen rich soils. In some areas the seeds are roasted and are used as a coffee substitute.

They are very low in calories and high in Vitamin A, dietary fibers, Iron and Magnesium. They are also great for women who are in child bearing years since it is very high in Folates. The plants can grow quite large, up to 6 feet in the right climates. You'll want to pick the pods while they are young and tender, generally around 4 inches in length, check your plants often they grow quickly. The older. Mature, pods become tough and woody, and have been used to make paper and rope. Woody texture is not what I think of when Okra comes to mind, slimy would be the description I would use. But that mucilaginous juice is what the prized result of cooking okra in stews and gumbo.

Okra is prickly, and slimy, but it does have it redeeming qualities. If you are looking for something interested for the garden there is now a Crimson variety to go along with the green. The talk stalks have very showy blooms and heart shaped leaves and don't require much in the way of care. Check out the Seed Savers Exchange for Seeds and other information.

Seed Savers Exchange

Looking for ideas on how to use these strange pods, Check theses ideas out;

• Roasted Okra
• Okra, Onions and Tomatoes
• Fried Okra Salad

Thanks for wandering through the garden with me, you never know you might find your new favorite recipe or at least something different to try!

This is a delayed part of the A to Z Challenge that is happening in April. Join me and other Bloggers as we blog the Alphabet!

Foraging for Fiddleheads

I'm dragging you back to the woods and river banks for today's post. Today we are talking about FiddleHead Ferns and that's really lucky because they are a spring time gourmet wild Vegetable!
I've been checking around our area and I think I may have just missed them for this year. The weather has been very strange, way too hot for April and tonight it's dropping back down to freezing temps, so I'm still on the hunt.

This is what your looking for  :

Fiddleheads, yeah it's a strange name but once you see them you totally get where it's coming from. The tightly coiled shape resemble the scroll of a violin or fiddle if you rather. 

They are the emerging sprouts of wild ferns, most often on the east coast our variety of choice is Ostrich Ferns. They have a taste that could be compared to asparagus. Generally they are seen from April to June, depending on the weather. They can sometimes be found at farmers markets or specialty stores, but for a heavy price. Foraging for your own with friends or family is rewarding as well as much better on the budget. 

Be sure to pick them when they are tightly curled, with brown paper like pieces still attached. Once they have opened the taste is significantly different, be sure to get them early. They are high in fiber like most vegetables, vitamins A and C  and some iron. They should never be eaten raw, and cooking often takes a couple of steps just to make sure that any bacteria has been killed. They will need to be eaten quickly after harvesting, they don't have much of a shelf life but they can be frozen.

So the first step to cooking them is either boil or steam for 10 minutes, then sauteed in olive oil with other greens, they also pair well with eggs.

Species of ferns can be difficult to differentiate between so it's best to have a good field guide to make sure that you are getting the right fern. The Forager's Harvest has a great blog post giving a good description of safe varieties of fiddleheads.

Thanks for stopping by on your A to Z Challenge Trip. Tomorrow I'll be back to a garden variety plant.

See you in the Garden!!

A Taste of the Old South- Pickled Jerusalem Artichokes

We have some really awesome friends who are always sharing seeds and ideas with us, and a couple of years ago they gifted us with a few Jerusalem Artichoke tubers. I wrote a bit more about them back in April in the A to Z challenge, you can check that out here. They are also called Sunchokes and are related to Sunflowers, they grow a very tall stem that tops off with a  daisy or sunflower type flower in clusters. They grow mainly on the eastern seaboard and can be invasive so beware when you plant them.

To get the best flavor they say wait to harvest until the first frost. Well we had a bit of a small frost and we were working in the area where we had planted these tubers, so we thought it might be good ideas to dig around and see what we could find..

The first bit of the harvest was a bit less than expected

So we really dug in and the harvest got a bit better

After this I had to help dig so I don't have a picture of the whole harvest but we did end up with more than we expected. We had plenty for mashing and salads and then just enough small for a batch of Pickled. I'm going to walk you through my grandmothers recipe for the pickled version , it takes two days but it is totally worth it. They can also be boiled, roasted or eaten raw.

As you can see from above the hardest part about all of this other than the digging is the cleaning. One wash just isn't going to do it. I swish and washed but those nubbies just hang on to the dirt. 

Some people say that you can just peel them but these are on the small side so I decided to brush them so they could retain their bumpy personality. Of course I didn't have a vegetable brush so I had to make due with an old tooth brush. I knew I keep them on hand for a reason

Much better, don't you think? They're finally ready to go into the brine, which is the easy part.

Never fear, I'll give you the recipe at the end of the post just in case you can get your hands on some,

This is what you end up with early the next morning.

Turmeric is a big part of the recipe and I was glad we decided to plant a bit this year.I'm saving a bit a to plant again this spring. I love have fresh ingredients for our cooking and canning. We'll be adding more herbs to our garden this spring, too. I had posted a picture of the Jerusalem Artichokes to our facebook page asking people to identify it. everyone was convinced that it was ginger, then to really throw them off I posted the Turmeric and no one got that, either. But they loved the finished product.

Here's what we ended up with, we went with some 12 oz that we had laying around and I think it makes a great presentation. I used all of the products shown below for a Relish tray this weekend, Artichokes, Pickled beets, Pickled Brussels Sprouts and Giardiniera, which to me are all rustic country flavors. Most people had never seen any of it before. It was met with a quiet skepticism but soon welcomed by all. I'm glad I can introduce a new generation to old food ideas. 

Finally here's the recipe, 

3 to 4 pounds of Cut Artichokes will make 12 pints

You need to start with the Brine:

1 gallon of water

3 to 4 pounds of cut artichokes (cut them into 1/2 inch bite size pieces)

1 cup of  pickling salt

 Onions (6 to 8 sliced thin) *Optional

1 Tablespoon of turmeric or one small fresh root, sliced

Place Brine in a glass jar and add artichokes,  They should stay in the brine for at least 8 hours,over night if possible.

After the brining time has passed it is time to start the pickling liquid:

3 Tablespoons Mustard seed

2 cups of sugar (or more depending on how sweet you want them)

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

2 tablespoons celery seed

2 quarts of White vinegar

1 Tablespoon of turmeric or one small fresh root, sliced

Mix all ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. While the solution is heating up drain your artichokes and rinse well. 

If you are planning to can these then you will go ahead and sterilize your jars, pack each jar with artichokes and pour hot liquid into jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Hot water bath for 10 minutes. 

Place hot jars in a draft free area, covered until cool. Then place in an out of the way spot for at least a week to allow for the best flavor.

If you are not canning these then remove from the heat and allow the liquid to come down to room temperature. Still Sterilize your jars but pack when cooler. Can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, 

Any questions or if I have left out anything please let me know. I appreciate the opportunity to share some of our family recipes that help keep the old flavors from fading away. Now is a great time to find these in your local farmers markets and specialty stores, so grab a couple pounds and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review - The Broad Fork

If you have ever visited your local farmer's market and seen strange vegetables that you think you'd love to try but just not sure what in the world you would do with it, I've got a cook book for you.

It's The Broad Fork, written by Hugh Acheson, who is famous in our house as a judge on Top Chef.  I admit we often  give lame advice and recipe recommendations at the local markets we attend, and I apologize for not encouraging those that are new to the different vegetables that we grow. We have done you a disservice. But no longer. We'll be doing better this fall, we're recommending The Broad Fork!

My main complaint with cook books, other than I could never make dinner look as good as they do, is that vegetables and fruits often take a sideline. And if you can find a recipe for them you really have to search. This book is organized by season and by vegetables. So like now we are heading into fall and you've got Brussel Sprouts, I generally tell people they are great roasted. But this book has 5 recipes, yes 5,  that I would have never come up with. Brussels Sprouts Risotto, seriously? I can't wait to try it. 

Not only are the recipes easy to follow and the book has ease of  navigation but the layout makes it hard not to add to your list of coffee tables books. The photography is by Rinne Allen , and I love that he went local with that too. Keep in mind he's living in Georgia and the seasonal timelines are from there but the foods can be found any where. Just check out the cover, you'll see what I mean!

So I can say that I got a copy of this for free from Blogging for books but I have bought a couple as presents for friends and family for the holidays. I'd recommend checking it out, before your next trip to the market. You might just find something special for your holiday cooking and help out a local farmer too!

Umbrella Market

So I'm using today's letter "U" for something that's coming up soon for us! It's that time of year again, Markets are getting started all over and we'll be attending an Umbrella Market in Uptown Greenville again this year. Sorry I had all kinds of ideas for the letter U but I keep coming back to the Umbrella Market thing. I guess it's just what's taking up so much of my brain space lately..lol

What's an Umbrella Market? It's in the same category as farmer's markets but it's open to more than just farms. The one we attend has all kinds of vendors, from handcrafted items to plant sales and frozen treats. They also have local talent and kid's events. It's like a small festival downtown every Wednesday night for during late spring and summer.

We set up in a parking lot in a revitalized down town area, and this year there could be as many as 70 vendors! We sell a large variety of items, from canned goods to homemade puppy cookies, from crocheted items and veggies from our farm. And of course I can't forget the farm fresh eggs, they are always a huge hit.

This Market is getting ready to start and I've been busy, promoting it on facebook and other mediums. I've ordered bags this year for our favorite customers..and we'll have some to sell too. I wish I had a picture to show of the proof but my graphics department is running a bit slow..( I'm really not complaining since he works with me and does it for free..) They should be here soon so I'll be able to use them for another post. See he really is helping me out!

Our weather has been really great lately warm days and cooler nights so it's getting everyone in the mood to visit the markets. Head out this weekend, I know our local farmers markets are opening this weekend, and we plan on stopping by a couple to visit and browse.

Not sure where to find out about your local market? Check out Local Harvest and Soil Mate, hopefully you'll find more than one in your area. I always enjoy visiting new markets and seeing how they set up and I can always find something that I just can't live with out!

Here's our Puppy Cookie Display at a fundraiser for a local animal organization. 

This isn't the Umbrella Market but it was our First Festival of 2015. I'm getting geared up and ready to go. I hope you guys have a great weekend and have a chance to get out and meet a local farmer!

Between your travels, check back in on Saturday for the letter V and we'll talk abut something dirty!
This post is part of the A to Z Challenge. Check out the listing of participating Bloggers, there is something for everyone!

Locavore- What is that really?

For the 11th day of the A to Z Challenge I'm talking about eating Local or what we call being a "Locavore". Many of us are Herbivores or Omnivores but what really defines a Locavore?

The official definition is a person who primarily eats foods only grown with in a certain radius of their location, the area can be larger or smaller depending on the availability of farms. The general area would fall between 100 and 250 miles of a consumer.

I consider anyone who grows even a small portion of their own foods, or seasonally buys from a farmers market to be a localvore. Groups of people are moving this direction for heath benefits, environmental benefits and to support their local economy. Some people do it just because they enjoy knowing their local farmer and seeing how their food is grown.

The health benefits of growing your own food is vast, you regulate the amount of fertilizers, pesticides and processing that goes into your food. Don't want all that extra salt, BPA or concerns about what else might be going into your foods, buy local and process it yourself. It doesn't have to be large scale or take tons of time to can, freeze or dehydrate and you'll reap the benefits when those products are out of season.

The environmental benefit for eating locally is that foods are often fresher than what you would find on your supermarket shelf. They won't have been coated with chemicals to extend the shelf life. Also the environmental impact of traveling shorter distances to reach the consumer is less, which helps reduce green house gases and conserves fuel. Demand for fuel goes down and prices for everything falls.

When you buy local, that money stays in your community, There are more jobs created with this money, more options for buying are created and the whole cycle continues.

We were once a country that was fed communities. We created Victory Gardens during the war to help ourselves and our neighbors, I'm from the South and yes we have the agricultural history, but the draw to grow your own food has dropped. I'm always surprised at how many people are so unconnected with their food that they can't recognize certain vegetables on sight or  know how they grow. Recently I took a trip with my girl scouts and a few other troop to a local dairy farm and one of the comments of a parent threw me for a loop. They wanted to know why the cow looked like it was dragging it's stomach. We all immediately became concerned, only to have the cow pointed out. We then realized she was talking about the utters, she had no idea that is where milk comes from.  I worry with so much industrial farming that we have moved too far away from how our food is created, that we lose sight of why gardening and farming are so important to us as a society. We can't ensure food safety if we are not involved in it's production!

How can you be a localvore if you don't have the options to grow your own food? Herbs can be grown in window sills, try container gardening or check out Local Harvest and find a Farmers Market, CSA or farm in your area. Become a bigger part of your food chain and learn about production, preserving and food safety. It's in our own best interests!

Check back tomorrow and I'll be talking about a little lighter subject.. M is for Microgreens!
Thanks for stopping by...

It was Not Exactly as I had Expected

I was surprised and a bit confused by some of the things I saw this weekend, we went to the Mistletoe Magic Holiday Show in Morehead City and the Farmer's Market in New Bern. I'm a bit late on this but I had a couple of other ideas already planned for posts so as to not get off track I'm doing this now. If you are in our area you are welcome to go and make our own decisions about these two locations everyone's opinion is different and you are encouraged to visit these locations and come to your own conclusion.

We took a morning off to run away from the farming and canning for a bit this last weekend. We were thinking about applying to a Holiday Show down on the coast as a vendor for next year. Neither of us had been so we thought we would check it out first and see what it was like. Would our items fit in or would it be a waste of time. I also wanted to check out a local farmers market that was sort of on the way, at least we had to drive through the town it was in.

Neither one ended up being what I though it would be.

 I'll start with the New Bern Farmer's Market, which we hit first. It's easy to get to and in a historic district but parking left a bit to be desired. I was thinking Farmers for Farmer's Market but out of about 25 Vendors there were only 3 and one was only selling sweet potatoes. I know it's late in the year but there really are some great veggie coming off now, and the selection with one vendor was really nice, so I guess it was good for him! The others were a very diverse group of crafters. Handmade items from Jewelry to Sheep milk soap. Christmas is right around the corner and I think that might have had a bit to do with the variations of vendors available. I'd go again to see what the spring or summer is like.The weather was wonderful for the ones outside and there were even a couple of real food trucks standing by, one with Vegan options, too. I was impressed by that! I was impressed with the size of the crowd too. And shockingly enough there wasn't a Jam or Canning Vendor in sight. We'll have to check it out but I might be back for more than a visit.

Then we head over to the Holiday Show, it was totally not what I expected. As we walked up we saw  a few vendors outside, one was for novelty cutting boards, something we use quite a bit and after seeing them I'll pass along the link. I'm all about shopping local but this deserves a shout out. Pig Cutting Boards are too cute and handy, too. Then there were a couple of vendors that would fit into what I would say was the handcrafted category, but they were mainly stuck outside like an afterthought. One person was selling knit hats for kids for 5.00, I know it wasn't a wool hat or expensive yarn but goodness you can undercut yourself, I saw people browse but no sales for her. We then ventured in, there was a 3.00 fee for entry and that was the only money we spent. I did see some very nice turned wood bowls but they didn't even have a business card available. Chris does some wood turning and has promised me a yarn bowl but it never hurts to have a back up plan. The building was pretty small and there were some nice booths but I was surprised to see one for Rainbow Vacuums and then one for Verizon. Seriously if you needed a filler couldn't you have put the other vendors inside. I know it didn't tout itself as a craft fair but as a Holiday Market, but in my opinion Vacuums are not what women are wanting to find under the tree. And as far as who was shopping the majority were woman with a a few significant other males dragged along.  We can mark that one off the list of possibilities.

All in All it was great to get out of town, to enjoy the sunshine before this cold snap takes over again and I learned a few things, Sunday was back to the grind, finishing up the last of the apples for Apple Butter, working on Holiday gifts and orders and working in the garden. We'll have to rake soon, since the pecans are falling and that's a whole new adventure waiting for us. Enjoy your week!