Posts Tagged ‘local food’
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
The spring palate of greens and turnips and delicate bulbs of all things “baby” is finally giving way to the long anticipated summer sluggers…tomatoes and melons are just around the corner. But the bridge to that long awaited season of plenty is showing up in garden rows and farmer’s markets now.
Zucchini is the celebrated staple of the CSA box this week. It is here to stay for awhile, and so why not celebrate? What will we do to keep ourselves from growing tired of the ordinary and keep the love affair with zucchini alive for at least a few weeks?
Our recipe suggestions this week include three ways to enjoy this hearty and unrelenting power veggie of the season, ZUCCHINI!
Our Local Foods and Chef Sean Brock from McCrady’s Tavern in historic Charleston, SC celebrated the garden this week in an extraordinary way. We hosted “dinner on the porch” as fulfillment of a pretty classy auction item from the coffers of the local fundraiser circuit.
The wonderful meal consisted of vegetables freshly harvested from the damp rows that afternoon, as they were hastily collected in the rain for the evening event.
Guests arrived just as the rain subsided to find the table all set with linens and candles on the screened-in front porch of the cabin that will become our farm store. Mini-lights and citronella lanterns filled the space with a soft welcoming hue of light that said “settle in for a comfortable evening with the chef…”.
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This question arises often in my mind. Now, I know what I eat, and most of the time, I am satisfied that I am meeting my nutritional requirements. But when I’m super busy, or when I look around at the supermarket checkout, or notice what folks are leaving with from the “farmer’s market”, I have to ask the question.
How do we do it? The food guide pyramid suggests we consume more dark green veggies and more orange and red veggies. Whole grains are recommended over processed ones. Simple grilling and baking is suggested above other methods.
Fresh greens
Try preparing simple meals using fresh ingredients and whole foods.
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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.
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Today was filming day… which is really good because we want to document what’s going on out here at Thornhill Farm. We had SunbayMedia out to do the filming. They captured the planting that’s going on, the new plants in the hoop house, our take on organic farming- the beneficial insects, compost tea, etc. We also talked about how OurLocalFoods fits into the local economy; specifically, we employ local residents, and sell food in the local area.
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