Posts by Julie Oudman Perkins
The Mojito–A Refreshing Way to Use Fresh Mint
My first mojito experience was fourteen years ago, the summer Dan and I spent 6 weeks backpacking around Europe. We were in Sevilla, Spain, hanging out with friends of friends, still recovering from an incredible (and somewhat painful) eleven days hiking a portion of the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain. What I remember most…
Read MoreHow to Store Tomatoes for Freshness and Flavor
At lunch today, Dan and I enjoyed slices of a ripe Marnero tomato. Perfection. This heirloom tomato–pictured ripe above–will be sold at our farm this summer, and we want to make sure our CSA members and farm stand customers know how to store these beauties so they can get the same flavor experience we had…
Read MoreGrilled Patty Pan Pizzas
I tried something new for our Friday night pizza tradition last night: grilled patty pan pizzas. After Dan presented me with these strange little orbs as an item in next week’s CSA share, I knew I had to do some research. If I’d never seen one of these before, wouldn’t the same be true for…
Read MoreSautéed Summer Squash with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan
One of my favorite simple side dish go-to’s is pretty much any sautéed veggie with fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan. Since summer squash is just coming into season, we had this last night as an appetizer, but I’d eat it any time of day as a side dish or snack or even breakfast. The…
Read MoreHow to Store Summer Squash, Patty Pan Squash, and Zucchini
One of the first veggies in our Summer CSA Share is the delightfully versatile summer squash. Part of the cucurbita pepo family, this tender vegetable can easily stand alone in a simple saute, or partner with other ingredients in a shish kabob, pizza, soup–and the list goes on. To store properly, keep the squash…
Read MoreGarlic Scapes: Storage and Cooking Tips
Garlic harvest is coming soon to the farm! How do we know this? Our hardneck garlic plants are sending up their flower stalks, known as garlic scapes. In order to encourage the garlic plant to put all its energy into growing an amazing garlic bulb instead of its flower, we remove the scapes from the…
Read MoreSimple Steamed Beets
This week our Spring CSA members receive their first round of beets, and what a bounty of beets it is! At distribution on Monday, plenty of folks had plans for this delicious root crop, but the most common question I received was this: What am I supposed to do with these beets? So we’re starting…
Read MoreHow to Store Beets and Beet Greens
There are many things to love about root veggies, and here’s one of my favorites: roots with their greens is like a two-for-one deal! That’s right, beet greens are edible and delicious and oh-so-good for you. To make sure you get in on all this goodness, however, you need to store them properly. Beets should…
Read More5 Ways I’ve Eaten Scallions This Past Week
Yesterday at distribution, two farm members–at separate times–asked what to do with the weekly scallions they received in their CSA share. I gave them some ideas, but their question got me thinking–how many other farm members are feeling the same way? Are scallions one of those veggies that sit in your fridge week after week,…
Read MoreMarinara Baked Rotini with Fresh Spinach and Arugula
A couple weeks ago I made dinner for the fam before heading to yoga class. I left a hot skillet of baked rotini and bowls of sweet, fresh spinach and spicy arugula on the table before heading out the door. Before this yoga-night dinner, I’d made variations of baked pasta many times before, with decent…
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