http://www.yamhillvalleygrown.com is open for you to purchase your local products from Friday at 6pm to Thursday at 12pm.
The market closes from Thursdays at 12pm to Friday at 6pm so that farmers can pick your order fresh and get it to us at Yamhill Valley Grown
We then deliver it to your door step on Friday from 1pm to 8pm.
We strive to keep prices as low as possible so that you can support your local community without breaking the bank!
So, gardening for me is a passion, a love, something that invigorates my soul and captures my spirit. Having said that, gardening was not something that I grew up doing, or had exposure to that allowed me to internalize some basics. Gardening was a decision I made, and one that I was determined to learn how to do.
I fell in love with nurturing the soil and growing food for my table when I became a Mom. A Mom who wanted to have more control over my children’s food and wanted to nurture my family, and in doing so, become connected with, and learn to nurture the earth. So, having no real experience, I did what I always do. I bought books. And I read. I lived in a foreign country that I did not spend summers in, so for three years, I read. And I just kept reading. I learned a lot about gardening, but I also learned that until I put my hands in the soil and started my own compost, and failed a time or two, I didn’t really learn anything.
I had the best of intentions that first year of keeping a detailed time log of seeds and starts, and plantings and feeding the soil and a journal……. oh, how I wanted to keep a journal. But I am a Mom, and a business owner, and a full time employee outside of the home, and gardening is forgiving. Well, at least some of it is, and that is what I learned most. I can be successful if I plant later than recommended. I can be successful if I didn’t pick the best spot for ratio of sun/shade/insect repelling plants…. I can be successful if I just try.
Don’t get me wrong, it does take effort and time, but if you set up your garden to thrive with some simple necessities in place, it can be easy, rewarding, and above all, flexible. So, if your like me, really busy and well, a little more free spirited, you can stick to some basics and still have an amazing garden. The best thing I learned to do for my garden was to make compost.
Composting can divert as much as 30% of your household waste and has helpful organisms that aerate the soil and break down organic material for plant use and ward off plant disease. All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based and the secret to a healthy compost pile is maintain a balance between them. A simple way to look at it is one-third green and two-thirds brown materials. This allows oxygen to penetrate and nourish the organisms make it their home. Too much nitrogen makes for a heavy, smelly, compost that decomposes slowly. Cover fresh nitrogen-rich material, which can release odors, with carbon-rich material, which often has a fresh, wonderful smell. And, if you are not sure, I say, err on the side of carbon.
Examples of carbon-rich matter is dried leaves, peels, bits of wood, branches, stems, bark dust or sawdust pellets, shredded brown paper bags, coffee filters, conifer needles, egg shells, hay, and peat moss.
Nitrogen or protein-rich matter is manures, food scraps, leafy material like lawn clippings and green lives. Nitrogen provides raw materials for making enzymes.
No, I am not of fan of smelly things, so I use an open aired compost bin that I turn weekly with a pitchfork or shovel and frequently add a layer of dried leaves to the top. It has three wooden sides, no bottom (so the worms can easily find their way) with the front side open for easy access. I have heard a lot of people discuss fears of rodents taking over their lives if they compost or do not have a completely enclosed bin. I have found that if I eliminate meat, dairy and any leftovers that are high in fat from my compost bin, I don’t have any rodents and my dear, sweet, dog stays out of it as well.
We will have product along with info on some of our participating farmers and producers. Come down, say hello and honor our beautiful planet at NW Greenlands 3rd annual celebration
Celebrate Earth Day with Yamhill Valley Grown. We will have a booth at NW Greenlands celebration from 8am to 6pm. We will have some information on farms and producers that participate along with product available. Come down and say hello
With the upcoming Easter Holiday weekend, many of you may be planning special family gatherings that require some of our fabulous local product. As many of you know, we just grow it tastier here in the Yamhill Valley. Here at YVG we have decided to help you make the most of the holiday weekend by:
1) Offering a 15% discount across the board on all items purchased,
2) Have a special Friday delivery so you may get your ingredients as fresh as possible, and
3) Compiled some recipes to go with products available this week on the site.
Sky Ranch, our local boutique swinery located outside of Yamhill raises heritage breed Berkshire pigs on pasture. To supplement their foraged diet, the pigs are fed a locally milled grain that is grown predominately in the Willamette Valley. And, of course, no antibiotics or hormones are ever used. They passionately believe that no stress, lots of room, and good forage through the practice of pasture rotations create superior pork that is tasty and healthy.
This Easter Holiday, Ham is available in three sizes this week. The largest size is at least 12 pounds, medium at 4-5 pounds, and small, 2.5-3.9 pounds. All are cured (needs full cooking) and bone in. Some of the medium and small ones may be center cut or end cut.
Honey-Orange Baked Ham
1 Smoked Ham (14 to 18 pounds) bone in and rind on
½ cup Honey
1/3 cup Orange Juice
3 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 large Onion, cut into 6 wedges
1 large Orange, cut into 6 wedges
4 sprigs Rosemary
½ cup Cider Vinegar
3-1/2 cups Chicken stock
3 Tbs Flour
Salt & Pepper
1) Rinse ham with cool water; dry with paper towels. Let stand uncovered at room temp one hour. Meanwhile, whisk together honey, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, and mustard. Set aside.
2) Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in lower third. Fit a roasting pan with a rack and place ham on rack with the thicker rind on top. Scatter onion and orange wedges and rosemary around ham on rack. Transfer to oven and cook one hour.
3) Remove pan from oven and let ham cool slightly. Increase oven temp to 350 degrees. Trim fat to about ¼ inch (it doesn’t have to be perfectly even). Turn ham bottom side down. Score fat on top of ham in a diamond pattern, each about two inches, cutting about ¼ to ½ inch through the fat and into meat. Baste with honey mixture. Add enough water to roasting pan to fill the bottom to ¼ inch.
4) Return ham to oven and cook to 140 – 150 degrees, basting often with remaining marinade (do not baste with pan juices). If necessary add water to pan to keep juices from burning. Remove from oven, transfer to serving platter. Discard any extra marinade and pan juices.
From MarthaStewart.com
And/OR:
Bourbon-Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
1 8-1/2 pound Smoked Ham, bone in
40 whole cloves
1 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
¼ cup Bourbon or Beef Stock
1-1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove skin and trim fat. Score remaining fat and stud with cloves.
2) Place ham, cut side down on a rack in roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. Insert a meat thermometer in center of ham where it won’t touch the bone.
3) Bake uncovered until temp registeres 130 to 135 degrees. Meanwhile combine sugar, bourbon or stock and pepper in a small bowl.
4) Remove ham from oven and brush 1/3 of the sugar mixture over the ham. Increase oven temp to 375 degrees and return ham to oven. Every 10 minutes, apply 1/3 of the glaze until all is used up. If ham browns too fast, tent lightly with foil.
5) Ham is done when internal temp is 140 degrees. Let stand 15 minutes.
From ReadersDigest.ca
Farmer Stacy’s notes: I usually don’t remove the rind, instead I concentrate the glaze onto the cut edge of the ham. I also start the glazing process earlier than 130 degrees as it cooks quickly from this point on and I don’t always get to use all the glaze.
Mended Fence Farms, is a small, family farm located outside of Carlton. Their goal is to provide sustainably grown, pesticide free, specialty vegetables and herbs to the local community. A portion of all their sales from specialty made to order dog treats supports animal rescue organizations. Additionally, a portion of their farm products are donated to Oregon food banks.
For the Easter weekend they are offering special, Easter shaped dog treats. The Easter bunny cannot forget the four legged family members!! Additionally, they have eggs for sale and I must admit, local flavor makes for a better hard boiled or deviled egg.
Deviled eggs
allrecipes.com
Note from me: Substitute chevre from Fairview Farm Goat Dairy in place of cream cheese, and/or mayonnaise.
Fairview Farm Goat Dairy is a small farmstead goat dairy producing handmade cheese. They currently milk 32 goats and use all of the milk in cheesemaking. They are licensed by the ODA, inspected by ODA and FDA, and the state tests our milk every month. This week you can get Chevre in plain and garlic/chive.
Orecchiette with Rapini and Goat Cheese
Kosher salt, to taste
1 bunch rapini (about 1 lb.), roughly chopped
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3⁄4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
12 oz. orecchiette
2 tbsp. lemon zest
4 oz. goat cheese, softened
1. Bring an 8-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add rapini and boil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rapini to a large bowl of ice water; chill. Drain rapini, pat dry, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add chile flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add rapini, toss, and remove pan from heat; set aside.
4. Meanwhile, bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and transfer pasta and lemon zest to reserved skillet over high heat. Toss to combine and season with salt. Divide pasta between bowls and add a dollop of goat cheese to each.
saveur.com
In closing, let me add a couple important details.
MAY YOUR TIME WITH FAMILY BE BLESSED THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND DELICIOUS FOOD ABOUND
