Italian Lentil Soup

Italian lentil stew bright

This Italian Lentil Soup is so flavorful you can literally eat it for any meal: breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner! What makes this soup so good (and good for you)? Years ago, when Dan was in graduate school at Taylor University, our friends the Cramers introduced us to red lentils, particularly in the dish Easy…

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Stuffed Pepper Soup

We make soups for our farm kitchen based on what’s in season, and this Stuffed Pepper Soup works perfectly for a late summer seasonal soup. Our Stuffed Pepper Soup includes all kinds of homegrown garden goodness–green and colored bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh herbs. Combined with grass-fed beef, our homemade beef stock, and a…

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Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

While I love everything we’ve made in Perkins’ Farm Kitchen, the Strawberry Basil Lemonade will always hold a special place in my memory. It was the first recipe I developed by myself, and it has been a smash hit this very warm June. This lemonade, like most of our recipes, was born from in-season inspiration.…

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How to Store Fall Veggies and Greens

summer crisp

Updated Sept 2, 2021 As we enter into our Fall CSA, we want to make sure our farm members know how to store all their fall veggies. Here’s our guide to keeping those veggies and greens fresh as long as possible! Note: We wash all our greens before packing them, so you can eat them…

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5 Ways to Use Fresh Herbs

cilantro pesto and herb butter on bagels

How do I like to use fresh herbs? In as much of my food as possible! Fresh herbs’ punches of flavor can transform good food into the great category. And a fabulous perk for our CSA members is access to our Pick Your Own (PYO) herb garden, where we grow chives, lemon balm, lemon thyme,…

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Eating Guide for Summer Veggies and Greens

fresh mozzarella with garlic tomato basil sauce

Updated June 23, 2022 Use this summer veggie eating guide to … Choose what to cook according to your time frame. Gain confidence in your cooking. Truly enjoy food that’s not only good for you but tastes incredible too. Basil:  Eat in 5 minutes: Pair whole or torn leaves with fresh cheeses like mozzarella, ricotta, or…

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How to Store Summer Veggies and Greens

Summer Week 2 - 2019 - Large Share

As we approach the start of our Summer CSA, we want to make sure our farm members know how to store all their summer veggies. Here’s our guide to keeping those veggies and greens fresh as long as possible! Note: We wash all our greens before packing them, so you can eat them straight from…

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Fresh Mozzarella with Garlic, Tomato, Basil Sauce

fresh mozzarella with garlic tomato basil sauce

Years ago, one of my favorite high school teachers, Mary Lagerwey, handed me the recipe below because she knew I liked (loved, really) basil.   I’ve made this recipe for the past 15 years since then, with a few changes.  After having children, I cut way back on the red pepper flakes, sometimes eliminating them altogether.…

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Farm Update: Building Projects, Fall Shares, New Intern

I feel a little bit like spring busyness snuck up on me this year, maybe because we were gone for the week of spring break (yay for Legoland and Manatee Springs State Park in Florida!), or maybe because I was picking daffodils a this past weekend in a snowstorm. No matter the weather, I’m always happy for spring, even…

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Poor Man’s Pesto

In honor of this year’s garlic harvest (over 3,800 bulbs!), I’d like to share one of the Perkins’ household favorite garlic-infused recipes.  Pesto is one of our summertime last-minute go-to meals, a dish that can be prepared in 15 minutes or less, perfect for those days when we get so caught up working outside that…

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