Friday, January 6, 2012

Paris Market Carrots

Sweet gourmet-ness at The Simple Farm

I'm a seed junkie and absolutely find great joy in discovering and planting gourmet produce for our market customers.  One seed packet I couldn't resist were these Paris Market carrots....little round and very sweet gems. Simple adorable.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Thursday Morning - Market Prep

It's 6:14 a.m. and we're up. It's still dark outside, but doesn't matter, cause French Press is just about ready, the hens are cackling, the farm cats are by the back door waiting for a little something and I know that as soon as daylight strikes, it's going to be simply grand ~ getting ready for our little French Market here at our farm.

What could be harvested and prepped yesterday was -  beets, turnips and radishes. Lots of radishes.

Roasting radishes from the field.

This morning all those lovely greens will be picked by willing, happy hands, then weighed and bagged as other happy ones set up what's bagged on our market tables.

This morning's pumpkin spice (from fresh pumpkin) bread has been made (thanks to Delynn), coffee will be made, the our music (Dejano Reinhardt) will be turned on and we'll be waiting for you.

Can hardly wait - it's always fun to see who will stop by first.

Today - 9 am until 1 pm and then 4 until 6 pm.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Arugula, Fennel and Orange Salad

From William Sonoma

The bright flavors of peppery arugula, the anise accent of fennel and the tangy sweetness of oranges come together in this vibrant winter salad. You can make the vinaigrette and prepare the fennel and oranges ahead of time and refrigerate. Combine all the elements just before serving.

Ingredients

For the citrus vinaigrette:
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. canola oil
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 shallot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large fennel bulb
3 large navel oranges
4 cups arugula

Directions

To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, olive oil, canola oil, mustard, tarragon and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cut off the stems and feathery fronds of the fennel bulb and remove any bruised or discolored outer layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and cut out any tough core parts. Cut the bulb halves crosswise into slices 3/8 inch thick and then cut the slices into 1-inch lengths.
Working with 1 orange at a time, and using a sharp knife, cut a slice off both ends of the orange to reveal the flesh. Stand the orange upright on a cutting board and thickly slice off the peel and pith in strips, following the contour of the fruit. Cut the orange in half crosswise, place each half cut side down, and thinly slice vertically to create half-moons. Repeat with the remaining oranges.
Place the fennel and arugula in a large serving bowl, add half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat thoroughly. Arrange the orange slices in a pinwheel or other design on top. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Serves 8 to 10