by Briscoe White | Dec 13, 2010 | Basics, Herbs, Life on the Farm |
Our seedlings are growing strong!
Though the weather outside is frightful, spring planting can be delightful! Sounds strange, but that is what we are doing here at The Growers Exchange. Seeds were planted several weeks ago and many are now ready to transplant into their final pots. Some plants take a long time to grow from seed, so we start early to insure large well-rooted plants for planting out this coming spring.
Eucalyptus Silver Drop, Feverfew, Comfrey, and others require several months to gain the size and maturity they will need to grow even larger next summer. So, even though it does not feel like spring, we are busy getting ready for when it really does arrive.
Ino and Annie filling flats!
A good indication of today’s weather is how the greenhouse staff is dressed while filling flats. I hope we don’t need that much clothing much longer!
by Briscoe White | Dec 8, 2010 | Herbs, Recipes |
Looking for a great appetizer to kick off your holiday meal? Try this great recipe we found on the Tortuga Rum Company’s website and give your family something to rave about with fresh Mojito Garlic Holiday Scallops! Not just great in drinks– who knew Mojito Mint could be so versatile? Give the gift of mint with our potted Mexican Chicken Pot, complete with Mojito Mint to spice up your holiday!
Mojito Garlic Holiday Scallops
* 20 Large Sea Scallops
*1/4 Cup of Butter
* 6 Minced Garlic Cloves (For a more subtle Garlic flavor, try our fresh Garlic Chives instead!)
* 4 Large, Chopped Scallions (Our fresh Chives can also be substituted for a less intense Onion taste)
*1/4 Cup of Light Rum
*1/4 Cup Finely Chopped fresh Mojito Mint leaves
* 3 Tbs. Key Lime Juice (or Fresh Lime Juice if Key Lime isn’t available)
* 1 Tso. Sugar
* 1 Tsp. Salt
* 1 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
(For those of you who like it hot, try adding Red Pepper Flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce to kick things up a bit!)
1) Rinse the scallops in cool water and pat dry. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute` the garlic and scallions for about two minutes.
2) Once lightly brown, add the scallops and saute` for three minutes, then flip and cook another three minutes on the other side. Once tender, move the scallops to a plate and cover while you prepare the glaze.
3) Over medium to high heat (depending on your stove), combine rum, fresh Mojito Mint, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper and stir until it begins to boil. Continue to stir for another three minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
4) Stir in scallops gently and turn the heat off. Make sure the scallops are each covered in the glaze.
For a holiday garnish, use some of the fresh Mint leaves and place some Pineapple Sage or Bergamot to add a great green and red accent!
This is a great dish to serve by itself as an hors d’oeurve or you can make it a main course by serving it on a bed of rice, pasta, cous cous or salad! ¡Buen Provecho!
by Briscoe White | Dec 6, 2010 | Herbs, Life on the Farm, Recipes |
On the First Day of Christmas, if your true love gives you a partridge in a pear tree here’s how you can prepare it! Using a variety of our fresh herbs here’s a modern twist on a traditional dish that has become one of our favorites!
Roasted Partridge with Pear Salad
Serves 2
* 2 Partridges
* 5 Celery Stalks
* Sea Salt
Soak
* 4 Cups of Hot Water
* 1 Fresh Bay Leaf
* 1 Tsp. of Fresh Thyme
* 1 Sprig of Fresh Rosemary
*5 Chopped Fresh Garden Sage Leaves
* 1/4 Cup of Sea Salt
* 1 Lemon or Lime for Juice and Zest
Sauce
* 2 Tbs. Unsalted Butter
* 3 Tbs. Demi-Glace (store bought, or use our Bouquet Garni Kit to grow and make your own!)
* 3 Tbs. Apple Brandy
* 1 Tbs. Cider Vinegar
* 1 Minced Shallots or Chives
* 1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon
* Sea Salt to taste
1) Combine ingredients for soak with 4 cups of hot water. Stir and let cool to room temperature.
2) Once cooled, submerged partridges in soak mixture and refrigerate overnight.
3) Once refrigerated, preheat oven to 425 F degrees and pat partridges dry. Let sit and warm to room temperature for 25 minutes.
4) Stick 1/4 of a lemon or lime (or for a less acidic flavor, try using fresh Lemon Verbena) into each of the partridges. For a saltier taste, add a pinch of salt to each bird, otherwise the soak will have made them somewhat salty.
5) In an oven-proof pan, make a bed of the celery stalks in the bottom of the pan to lay the partridges on top for roasting. Oven roast for 35 minutes. Make sure meat in the center of the bird is around 155 with a meat thermometer to avoid illness.
6) Remove the celery and partridges from the pan and melt butter over medium heat. Saute shallots until slightly brown and add the ingredients to make the sauce. Stir well to combine each ingredient and let simmer until well cooked through, before turning off the heat completely.
Pear Salad
Serves 2
* 2 Asian Pears
*1 1/2 Cup of Walnuts (You can also used candied walnuts)
* 1 Cup of Goat Cheese
* Arugula, add more or less to your liking.
1) Wash and shake Arugula dry and add to bowls.
2) Dice pears and sprinkle over Arugula.
3) Add walnuts and goat cheese to your liking.
by Briscoe White | Dec 2, 2010 | Growing, Herbs, Life on the Farm, Miscellaneous |
Our seedlings are growing strong to ship to your door!
Temperatures are dropping outside and everyone is gearing up for the holidays, but here in the greenhouse, we’re thinking only of spring! Our slow-growing seedlings have been germinating and getting ready for weeks, and they’re just about ready to transplant and stretch their young roots. With help from our flat filler, thousands of new seedlings will soon move on up to their bigger pots!
Ino working hard in the greenhouse!
Slow-growing plants like Chives, Feverfew, White Sage and Vervain can take weeks, months, or even years (if it’s Bay) to mature enough for transplanting. Here at the Grower’s Exchange, we take our time with our young seedlings, patiently watering and waiting for the day when they can ship out to your door.
These little plants will be waiting and ready to be added to your garden in March. Stay tuned for growth updates!
by Herb Exchange | Nov 15, 2010 | Herbs, Miscellaneous, Recipes |
With dropping autumn temperatures, there’s nothing like a nice zesty dish to warm up your night. Give this recipe a whirl, utilizing three of our favorite herbs. It has quite a unique tang to it, combining lots of fresh mint and jalapeno peppers. If you prefer, this dish would also be great with chicken instead of tofu.
Vegetable Citrus Mint Stir Fry
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
3-4 Garlic Chives, minced
1 block firm or extra firm Tofu, well pressed
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
½ Onion, diced
1 Zucchini, chopped
4 stalks Lemon Grass, well minced in a food processor
2 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp fresh Ginger, minced
1 Jalapeno, minced (or to taste)
1 ½ cups packed Citrus Kitchen Mint leaves
1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar (or White Wine Vinegar)
pre-cooked Rice
Preparation:
Sautee the garlic, tofu, red pepper, and onion for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, and continue to cook until the veggies are soft and the tofu is golden brown.
Remove from heat.
For sauce, place the remaining ingredients (except rice) in a food processor and process until mint is finely minced.
Add sauce to the tofu and veggies and reheat, just until hot. Serve over rice.
by Briscoe White | Aug 31, 2010 | Growing, Herbs |
This fall we have decided to add forty new herbs to our list. Some are new and some we have only grown for spring in the past, but now are offering in fall for window sill gardening and those in the Deep South who have little fear of freezing temperatures.
A South or West facing window with no obstructions to the sun offer the best opportunity. One of the hardest herbs to give up each fall is Basil. After enjoying fresh Basil all summer, many gardeners will preserve some by freezing. This allows one to continue making Pesto throughout the colder months, but is not quite as good as using fresh leaves. Why not keep an indoor Basil for picking and save the other for winter’s harsher months when Basil just will not grow fast enough to pick.
Italian oregano and Parsley are two good choices for indoor growing. They do not mind cooler temperatures and will continue to grow as long as they receive enough sunlight. These herb plants fit nicely in pots and so can occupy a sunny window sill easily.
Using a six inch pot, plant your indoor garden before the long days of late summer are over. This will allow the plants to grow enough to allow cutting later. During the short days of winter, the plants will not be able to grow fast enough to cut often. By planting early, you are basically growing while the growing is good and later maintaining the plants through winter. Unless one has very powerful grow lights, the plants will not be able to cut foliage until spring. In effect this method is storing fresh herbs “ on the hoof” for winter harvest.
By the end of winter the plants will be cut down with little foliage, but they will also begin regrowth as days begin to lengthen in early spring, giving an early crop long before outdoor herbs begin their spring growth. It may not be possible to enjoy limitless fresh cut herbs from indoor plants, but used sparingly will help fight cabin fever by providing flavor for special meals.
