Our Local Foods - Organic Vegetable Farm and Local Food in Charleston, SC » CSA

News from the Farm – June 2, 2010

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:16:50 +0000

Kitchen Table Cuisine Now Open for June Orders

As you place your orders for the month of June between now and 11:59 pm on June 7th, you will notice changes in the organization of our online catalog that we hope will make ordering easier. Please let us know your comments about these changes.
We have two great new items:

a wonder summer Chicken and Corn Chowder
and a new flavor of ravioli from Rio Bertolini Pasta the Bacon, Corn, and Crab Ravioli

We have removed a few items from our inventory that have proved difficult to procure.

Last month, there were some difficulties and disappointment with the dairy products. Happy Cow Creamery has asked us to apologize and to explain that there is a seasonal decrease in milk production every year as their cows take the time to calve. This year that decrease coincided with a large increase in retail sales from their farm store in Pelzer, SC. This is a temporary set back for us and, with the help of the dairy, we will do everything we can to have your milk for you this month.

We appreciate your patience and understanding of the nature of farming.

Store Inventory Increasing

More at the Farmer’s Markets as well

We are broadening the selection of regionally grown certified organic produce that we will have for sale both at our farm store in McClellanville, SC and at our booths at the farmer’s market. We’ll have more items such as potatoes and onions.

Thank You Lowcountry Local First and Charleston Cooks!

On Thursday May 27th, Maria attended a wonderful CSA cooking class hosted by Lowcountry Local First and Charleston Cooks! She brought two large CSA boxes with her and the class developed several great recipes right out of the box! These recipes will be sent to you as bag notes in an email later today.

This Week’s CSA

Your CSA box this week is truely a transition from spring to summer: the last of the spring greens, potatoes, beans, summer squash, cucumbers, and fresh herbs.

There will be eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, and blueberries ripening for your CSA boxes in the next couple weeks.

Collards!

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:54:46 +0000

Collard Greens are considered to date back to prehistoric times. The ancient Greeks and Romans grew kale and collards. Collard greens came to North America with the arrival of African Americans, and became an important satisfying meal for members of the slave community in times of poverty of nutrition. It is said that scraps of meat from slave owners tables were left over for meals for the slave component of the family, and it is still traditional to cook low value cuts of pork with greens for a flavorful dish.

Collard Greens can be enjoyed without meat as a flavor base, instead sautéed lightly in olive oil with garlic. They will maintain their bright green color and high degree of nutrient value when cooked this way. A dash of good quality balsamic vinegar when served will provide the acid needed to help the flavor pop.

If you are taking a break from the CSA right now, our next season starts March 8^th, and we are signing up now on line at http://ourlocalfoods.biz/products-page. Please join us in 2010 as we continue to grow and provide fresh, certified organic produce from the farm to your kitchen table.

Collards original!

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:09:44 +0000

Collards!!

If you are taking a break from the CSA right now, our next season starts March 8^th, and we are signing up now on line at http://ourlocalfoods.com/products-page. Please join us in 2010 as we continue to grow and provide fresh, certified organic produce from the farm to your kitchen table.

Our Local Foods Fall CSA is Here!

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:21:55 +0000

Summer days are still around, but our minds are making the slight shift to thoughts of cooler days – shuckin’ and shaggin’, back to school nights, homework and pumpkins! The fall CSA registration is officially open, and we are planting and preparing to deliver farm fresh certified organic vegetables to you this fall. Our planned fall lineup includes late summer goodies – squash, beans, tomatoes, cukes, eggplant and okra. Field peas, fall greens, such as kale and mustards, and salad greens, such as arugula and spinach will accompany them.

We plan to bring delicious apples from the mountains, and our own winter squashes and pumpkins as well. Other goodies, like grapes and figs just happen to be on the way. We’ll do our best to keep it interesting this fall. We’ve also launched our monthly delivery program, Kitchen Table Cuisine. Beginning in September, Our Local Foods will provide an array of locally produced and procured food items, including grass fed and pastured local meat, in a monthly ordering format. For more information, check our website, or call us at 843-887-3500. Thank you for supporting the farm that supports Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry. We are proud partners with this Coastal Community Foundation Project on Thornhill Farm!

And thanks to Meg for getting all of the vegetables to grow in the right shapes, and then to line up for the photograph!

- Maria

Visit us at Ourlocalfoods.com

Enjoy what's in season…

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 14:46:49 +0000

Planning your meals around what’s in season can be a tasty experience and satisfying way to enjoy food. It may be daunting to imagine only utilizing fresh food that’s growing nearby, but here are some tips that may help:

Purchase seasonal foods in enough quantity to last for several meals.
Wash and cook what you purchase right away.
Use the freshly cooked ingredient in several meals by creatively adding it to different dishes.
Divide and store in the refrigerator to be used throughout the week.

Let’s take an example from OurLocalFoods at Thornhill Farm. We’ll plan a few meals around a yummy seasonal item from the CSA box!!

Our spring garden is in full bounty of seasonal greens. We have an abundance of Curly Mustard, Russian Red Kale and Turnip Greens. Yummm!

Let’s cook two pounds of curly mustard. Wash the beautiful lacy chartruese leaves and leave in the collander to drain. Finely dice some garlic or shallots. Heat a tablespoon of fresh green olive oil in a large wok or saute pan. Have a half cut fresh lemon for the finish.

Coursely chop the mustard leaves. Add shallots and curly mustard leaves together to the wok at medium heat. Simply stir the greens as they wilt and gently saute to tenderness in about 10 minutes. Finally, drizzle with about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, then salt & pepper.

Bowtie Pasta with Curly Mustard – Add the cooked chopped mustard greens to some al dente bowtie pasta! Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toasted pine nuts. Finally, top with a dusting of good quality parmesan cheese.

Serve bowtie pasta with curly mustard alongside grilled pork tenderloin and garnish with a bouquet of beautiful red radishes, fresh from the farm!

Later in the week, think about a lovely Rice Pilaf, with curly mustard, garbanzo beans and sundried tomatoes. Served with some flat bread and hummus, or a 6 oz portion of grilled free range chicken breast, you’ll be satisfied with a light mediterranean meal.

Finish the weeks seasonal serving of bright green sauteed curly mustard by making a Pizza a la Springtime! For a healthy and fast weeknight meal, top a thin pizza crust with dollops of sauteed curly mustard, some local goat cheese and diced sundried tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil before baking, then dust with salt and pepper as it comes out of the oven. A spring arugula and radish salad will complete a healthy week of eating locally!

Enjoy-

Maria

Greetings from the garden!

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:58:33 +0000

Last week we put the potatoes starts in the ground. In total we put out about 3000 plant starts. It is about 100 days to harvest, although delayed harvesting is OK too. So, look for potatoes in late May. We are also fast & furious on the rest of planting for spring and summer. If you’re in the area, drop by and see what we’re doing.

- Maria