July 13, 2009

Membership Drive!
Win a Full Year of Free Grow Alabama Produce! Plus More Prizes!

Dear valued customers and friends,

It has been an exciting year at Grow Alabama. There has been a wave of excitement in the community and steady growth in the past several months. We are constantly recruiting new farms and farmers across Alabama. This will ensure we can keep up with the increasing demand and allow us to improve the variety of products we offer. We are all making a real difference in our rural communities and eating healthier, better tasting foods - but we must continue to GROW. We need your help!

As a customer, we believe you are one of our best advertising resources.

We are asking you to refer as many friends and colleagues to Grow Alabama as you can. And, we've come up with a fun and exciting incentive program.

- For every new customer that you refer, you’ll get 1 week of your current box for free.

- For every new customer you refer, you’ll have a ticket entered into a drawing to win a dinner party catered by our own Chef Bob.

- For every 5 new customers you refer, you’ll have a ticket entered into a drawing to win 1 free year of deliveries of your current box.

The more customers who you refer, the better your chances to win! Click here to start referring customers now!

The incentive program will run from now until Aug 30, 2009.

Here's a great way to be a winner: if you have a group or organization whose members would be interested in our service and hearing about our mission, we would love to speak to them. Any sign-ups resulting from the meeting will be count for you in the contest.

This is a great way to spread the word about what we do at Grow Alabama.

Please call the office at 205-991-0042 or e-mail Darlene@growalabama.com.

Thank you for your patronage,

Grow Alabama

*Referrals must become Grow Alabama customers to qualify. The drawing will be held Friday, August 31, 2009 and winners will be notified. Winners will also be posted on the web site.

July 3, 2009

Grow Alabama on Fox6's Power to Save

Birmingham television station Fox6 does a great job keeping its viewers informed about Grow Alabama - Chef Bob is a frequent contributor demonstrating healthy recipes using our produce. Now founder Jerry Spencer is featured on the Power to Save show. Rhonda Robinson explains how Grow Alabama's push to get customers to buy local could benefit Alabama's struggling farmers. To see a summary, click here.

 

Chef Adam Reviews this Week's Vegbox
Watch as Chef Adam goes through your current box (week of June 30) and discusses each item. It's a gold mine of good ideas!

 

 

A meal suggestion from this week's delivery: Simple preparation is a great way to enjoy food that was in the ground just hours ago!

Grow Alabama members know this and experience it every week, but it's still delightful to taste the difference fresh food makes.

Most grocery store produce comes from farms thousands of miles away. The varieties are chosen for durability and longevity on the shelf, not taste or nutrition. Tomatoes are the classic example, but so are potatoes and eggplant. Prove it to yourself with these easy, fast recipes.

Boiled New Potatoes with Parsley

1 lb new potatoes, washed, halved (unless under 1 inch)
3 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
2/3 stick unsalted butter
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Boil the new potatoes until easily penetrated with a knife, about 12 minutes. Drain, toss with chopped parsley, butter (cut into 1 tbs pieces). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Note: this is a lot of butter, and you can enjoy it with less (or substitute olive oil), but it is certainly delicious this way.

Eggplant Stacks with Goat Cheese, Mozzarella, Pesto, Chopped Basil

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup olive oil, more if needed
2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled (feta cheese is fine as well)
1 small tomato, sliced thin into rounds
3 tbs chopped fresh basil
3 tbs pesto
Chopped fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, parsley), or used dried
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until almost smoking. Lay the eggplant rounds in oil. The eggplant absorbs lots of oil, so be generous. Sprinkle the top with chopped herbs and pepper. Add additional olive oil to each round if top is dry. Turn and add more herbs to the other side with pepper. Cook until browned and soft, turning occasionally to be sure they don't burn. Salt lightly.

Meanwhile, add a thin layer of oil (olive oil or canola) to another skillet. Lay the tomato rounds and cook over high heat. When slightly charred on one side, flip tomato slices. Turn off heat but let the rounds remain in the skillet until the next step.

Starting with the largest cooked eggplant rounds (still in the skillet), add a slice of mozzarella and one of the cooked tomato slices. Top with another, smaller, eggplant round. Add goat cheese, pesto and chopped fresh basil (or other herb). If you have remaining eggplant slices, add a final round and top with more goat cheese and basil.

Serve hot with good bread and the boiled new potatoes.

Goat Cheese from Grow Alabama and Mountain Springs Dairy

Grow Alabama now offers fresh goat cheese from Mountain View Dairy. To find out more, watch Chef Bob's interview with Cindy Crosby (click here). To learn more about cooking with goat cheese, see Chef Bob on how to enjoy goat cheese.

To order some Mountain View Goat Cheese in your next box, give us a call at 205-991-0042.

June 26, 2009

Introducing Mountain View Dairy Goat Cheese - Now Available from Grow Alabama

If you like goat cheese as much as we do, you're going to love the cheese from Cynthia and Joe Crosby's Mountain View Dairy.

It is truly some of the best goat cheese we've ever tasted. Their farm and cheesery in Calhoun County produce chevre, feta and a variety of herbed and flavored goat cheeses. Mountain View's Saanen goats, a Swiss breed, produce milk that is low in butter fat, tasty, and good for people who are lactose intolerant. The goats are raised with absolutely no antibiotics or steroids.

Cynthia takes care of the goats and Joe, a career food inspector for the USDA and an expert in cheese production, makes the cheese.

Their efforts were rewarded last year at the American Dairy Goat Association Cheese Competition with first, second and third place ribbons for their goat cheeses.

"We milk twice a day and make cheese ever fourth day. At present we are milking 9 does with 8 more due to deliver in the next two months.

For an introduction to Mountain View Dairy and their great goat cheese, click here for Chef Bob's interview with Cindy Crosby. You'll also get some delicious ideas for using their cheese, including the latest Farm Nuvo recipe from Chef Bob demonstrating a sauteed tomato, goat cheese and basil recipe. Yummy.

To order some Mountain View Goat Cheese in your next box, give us a call at 205-991-0042.

A Savoy Cabbage Slaw Recipe from Grow Alabama Member Gerri Aston

1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 small onion, grated
4 cups of thinly sliced Savoy (Napa) cabbage
Kosher or sea salt
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup buttermilk
!/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tbs prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp wasabi paste
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Prepare the grated onion, diced bell pepper and thinly-sliced cabbage. Combine in a large bowl and mix.

Prepare the dressing. In a medium-sized bowl, mix buttermilk and yogurt. Add the horseradish, wasabi paste. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic cloves together with the salt. Mash in the parsley. Add garlic mixture to the buttermilk/yogurt and stir thoroughly. Stir in the lemon juice.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss. Enjoy this light, refreshing slaw.

June 20, 2009

From Our Farms to Your Front Door!

Want Free Home Delivery? Get Five Friends To Use Your Location as a Pickup!

Grow Alabama wants to make it easier and less expensive to have your weekly vegetables delivered to your home, office , building or convenient neighborhood location.

To set up free home delivery, get five friends or business associates to join Grow Alabama and we'll make your chosen location a delivery spot, free. You and all your friends will save our normal home delivery charge.

To sign up or to find out more, call Grow Alabama at 205-991-0042.

Grow Alabama Farm Nuvo Cuisine on YouTube
This week: see how Chef Bob cooks fresh pole beans and fried green tomatoes!


Chef Bob shows a quick, easy way to prepare the fresh pole beans we delivered this week.

And, he's got a great recipe for fried green tomatoes as well. Click on the images to watch the videos, or go to YouTube and search "growalabama."

 

 

 

 

One More Napa Cabbage Recipe: Blue Cheese Slaw
An easy and delicious recipe from Grow Alabama member and Chinese Cook Duanna Pang-Dokland and her husband Terje Dokland


3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tbs chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup blue cheese
4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tbs finely chopped parsley leaves

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar together. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk well. Fold in the blue cheese and continue to whisk until well blended. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cabbages and onion. Add the dressing and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Grow Alabama Supper Clubs - Host a seated dinner, an informal patio gathering, a brunch or lunch and introduce your Friends to Grow Alabama!

Help us support local agriculture and Alabama farmers while you enjoy dinner with your friends!

Introduce your friends to the fabulous flavors of Alabama-grown vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry and dairy products. Here's how it works: you agree to host the Supper Club Benefit in your home, inviting up to 12 -14 friends. All food will be catered so you can relax. In Birmingham, your event will be catered by Chef Bob Vaningan (Chef Bob) and in the Huntsville area by Walter Thames at What's for Supper Catering.

Jerry Spencer, the founder of Grow Alabama, will be on hand to discuss Grow Alabama and its vision for sustainable agriculture. To find out more, call 205-991-0042 for scheduling, menus and all the details, or click here for email.

June 11 , 2009

Meet your Napa Cabbage Farmer
(He grows lots of other good food!)

The tasty Napa cabbage in your vegbox is fresh from the farm of Juan and Elvira Lopez. Picked, washed and delivered Monday morning, his cabbage is ready for your family to enjoy this week.

Growing cabbage, peas, onions, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and other great vegetables for Grow Alabama, Juan has been growing produce sustainably for about five years.

Juan and Elvira are like most farmers in that the whole family gets involved. Even the little children helped pick sweet potatoes earlier this spring.

The Lopez family are partners on a 200-acre farm in Blount county along with Grow Alabama farmer Jerry Marsh. Together, they provide some of the freshest, most delicious vegetables in our region. We're grateful.

 

 

Napa Cabbage Stir Fry
An easy and delicious recipe from Grow Alabama member and Chinese Cook Duanna Pang-Dokland and her husband Terje Dokland


1 tbs vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 medium-size carrots, peeled and sliced
3 small Chinese sausages or other sausage (e.g. Conecuh) or bacon
1 medium size Napa cabbage, sliced
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs Chinese wine (or dry sherry)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dark sesame oil

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan. Sauté garlic, carrots and sausage for 3 minutes on high heat. Add cabbage and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn down heat and add soy sauce, Chinese wine, sugar and sesame oil. Stir and serve.

Chef Bob Demonstrates Roast Beets and Stir Fry Beet Greens
Click to watch the video, or try the easy recipes below


Roasted Beets

10 - 15 whole beets, washed & scrubbed
12 - 15 whole garlic cloves
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tbs dried
1 medium red onion, sliced in very thin rounds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375.
Thoroughly wash and scrub the beets, trimming off close to the stem. Cut larger beets in half.

Slice onion very thin. Peel garlic cloves, leaving whole.

In a large bowl, toss the beets, onion slices and garlic with olive oil and coat well. Add the thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper and toss well.

Place double layer of tinfoil on a baking sheet. Place beet mixture on the foil and fold up into a pouch, leaving a small opening at top. Roast in oven for 45 - 55 minutes until well roasted. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve hot, or with stir fried beet greens.

Stir-Fried Beet Greens

1 lb beet greens, washed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbs canola oil
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut washed beet greens into 1-inch slices. Include stems for extra crunch.

Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add greens and toss to coat with oil. Cook for two minutes. Add garlic and onion and stir fry until onion is softened. Add the vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss and then cover with an inverted metal bowl or wok lid. Let steam until tender and stems are slightly crunchy. Adjust seasoning, adding more vinegar if desired. Serve with roast beets or as a side dish.

June 5 , 2009
What to do with Savoy Cabbage

You have a real treat in your box this week: Savoy cabbage.

Savoy cabbage is the tenderest and sweetest of the cabbage varieties and has a deliciously distinctive flavor. Plus, it lacks the stinky-cabbage-sulphur odor that can fill your kitchen with most cabbage varieties, although this is generally due to overcooking.

Savoy cabbage's crinkly leaves are pliable, not stiff like white and red cabbage, and this makes it a good choice for stuffed cabbage. It's also great in soups like minestrone, and is tender enough to be eaten raw in salads. One drawback of its tenderness is that it does not have the keeping quality of its sturdier cousins. A week is generally the longest a head of Savoy cabbage will stay fresh in the refrigerator.

Like most cabbages, Savoy is very high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and like other cruciferous vegetables has been proven to have cancer fighting properties.

Easy Stuffed Savoy Cabbage
With riccotta cheese and Parmesan


1 ½ pounds of Savoy cabbage
3 carrots
½ large onion
8 slices of bacon (or pancetta)
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ cup of grated fresh parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper

Remove eight good looking outer leaves from the cabbage. Blanch them briefly in boiling water and lay on a paper towel to drain.

Chop the remaining cabbage, the carrots and the onion. Fry briefly in the olive oil until wilted but not browned; add the bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

Place a well-drained cabbage leaf on a plate or chopping board, fill with 1/8 of the stuffing mix and sprinkle with half a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Fold the sides towards the middle and roll the leaf up, place with folded side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until the ingredients have been used up. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Savoy Cabbage & Butterfly (Strichetti) Pasta
With ham & cheese

1/2 pound butterfly (strichetti) pasta
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbs unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
6 ounces thinly sliced ham, cut into strips
1 1/2 pounds Savoy cabbage, cored and finely shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and reserve along with 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until browned, about 8 minutes Add the ham and cook until it starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cabbage and season with salt and pepper.

Cover the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring once or twice, until the cabbage is tender, about 7 minutes.
Add the drained pasta and the reserved cooking water to the saucepan along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil and toss. Add additional oil if necessary. Cook over moderate heat until the pasta is hot. Serve immediately, passing the cheese at the table.

Braised Savoy Cabbage with Cinnamon and Orange
Cooked in wine and lovely

One 2 1/2-pound Savoy cabbage, halved and cored, leaves separated
3 tbs unsalted butter
4 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup white wine, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc
2 cups beef or vegetable stock
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves and blanch for 1 minute. Drain and cut into thin shreds.

In a large casserole, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Add the stock, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 40 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Savoy Cabbage Slaw in Chipotle Mayonnaise
A bit of a smoky kick but delicious

1 head Savoy cabbage, shredded
4 carrots, shredded
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, soaked in cold water briefly
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint, for garnish

Dressing:
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce, pureed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, apples, onion, and pecans in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, sugar, mayonnaise, chipotle and lemon juice until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss well to coat. Taste again for seasoning, then mound onto a platter and garnish with mint leaves.

Host a Supper Club - Introduce your Friends to Grow Alabama & Enjoy a Catered Meal!

Help us support local agriculture and Alabama farmerswhile you enjoy dinner with your friends!

Introduce your friends to the fabulous flavors of Alabama-grown vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry and dairy products. Here's how it works: you agree to host the Supper Club Benefit in your home, inviting up to 12 -14 friends. All food will be catered so you can relax. In Birmingham, your event will be catered by Chef Bob Vaningan (Chef Bob) and in the Huntsville area by Walter Thames at What's for Supper Catering.

Jerry Spencer, the founder of Grow Alabama, will be on hand to discuss Grow Alabama and its vision for sustainable agriculture. To find out more, call 205-991-0042 for scheduling, menus and all the details, or click here for email.

Trout, Grass-Fed Veal and Lamb Ready to Order!
Grow Alabama will be happy to add our trout, veal and lamb to your next box.

You'll taste the difference, just like with our eggs, so order your trial package today. Call us at at 205-991-0042. We still have a limited supply of pecan-smoked trout available.

Try the trout on your grill like the photo at right. Fill it with lemon slices and sage or rosemary, coat with canola oil and grill until flaky and juicy.

May 29, 2009
Buddy & Diane Lovetto Return to Farming

Buddy Lovetto grew up farming with his Sicilian father on a farm that produced much of the vegetables for the new Bruno's grocery stores in the early 1950's. Now he and his wife Diane have returned to the farm and Grow Alabama and its members are starting to dine on the results.

This year, Lovetto's three 20-acre plots will produce squash, potatoes, broccoli rabe, haricots verts and agretti, which looks something like chives but is tart, salty and a tasty addition to warm salads, pastas and sushi. Agretti and some other vegetables to be grown on the Lovetto farms, are difficult, if not impossible to obtain locally.

Lovetto left farming in the 70's when mass-produced food from California and later South America drove local, Alabama producers out of business. Now, with locally-grown produce in greater demand, and with organizations like Grow Alabama providing a market, the Lovetto's and others like them are returning. For Buddy & Diane, it's a labor of love.

 

Buddy Lovetto and one of his three 20-acre plots, this one planted with squash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Host a Supper Club - Introduce your Friends to Grow Alabama & Enjoy a Catered Meal!

Help us support local agriculture and Alabama farmerswhile you enjoy dinner with your friends!

Introduce your friends to the fabulous flavors of Alabama-grown vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry and dairy products. Here's how it works: you agree to host the Supper Club Benefit in your home, inviting up to 12 -14 friends. All food will be catered so you can relax. In Birmingham, your event will be catered by Chef Bob Vaningan (Chef Bob) and in the Huntsville area by Walter Thames at What's for Supper Catering.

Jerry Spencer, the founder of Grow Alabama, will be on hand to discuss Grow Alabama and its vision for sustainable agriculture. To find out more, call 205-991-0042 for scheduling, menus and all the details, or click here for email.

Easy Summer Squash & Macaroni
With riccotta cheese and Parmesan


2 tbs olive oil
1 1/2 pounds summer squash (about 4), grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 tbs fresh
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
1/8 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 pound elbow macaroni
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the summer squash, minced garlic, salt, and the oregano and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and the pepper. Stir and adjust the seasoning.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the macaroni until just done, about 8 minutes. Drain and toss the pasta with the sauce. Top with the Parmesan.

Trout, Grass-Fed Veal and Lamb Ready to Order Today!
Grow Alabama will be happy to add our trout, veal and lamb to your next box.

You'll taste the difference, just like with our eggs, so order your trial package today. Call us at at 205-991-0042. We still have a limited supply of pecan-smoked trout available.

Try the trout on your grill like the photo at right. Fill it with lemon slices and sage or rosemary, coat with canola oil and grill until flaky and juicy. Yum

 

May 21, 2009
Eggs from a Lady Who Loves Her Chickens

Those of you who enjoy our fresh eggs these days have reason to be very, very pleased.

The shells are a mix of brown, light green, white and off white. The yolks are bright orange and the white doesn't spread all over your skillet. Those old enough or fortunate enough to have tasted farm-fresh eggs are transported. There's is just no comparison to mass-produced factory eggs.

Here's our secret: we get our eggs from Heather Venable's farm in Blount County, where chickens are loved, cherished and nurtured. They roam like chickens should roam, nest like chickens should nest and produce when they're good and ready.

Affiliated with a veterinary clinic that specializes in birds, Heather is passionate about her chickens. She names them, watches over them like a (pardon us) mother hen, and lets them live out a natural life. When they're through laying, they continue to live on the farm into ripe, old age.

If you haven't ordered your eggs from Grow Alabama and Heather Venable's farm, do it today. Once you taste what a loving, natural environment can do for eggs, you'll never want to go back. Call us at 205-991-0042 and order a dozen for your family today.

Trout, Grass-Fed Lamb and Beef, (real) Free-Range Chicken!
Grow Alabama will be happy to add our fish, meat and poultry to your next box. Try our fresh frozen trout, grass-fed lamb, grass-fed beef and free-range chickens that actually have had the space and freedom to roam and eat naturally.

You'll taste the difference, just like with our eggs, so order your trial package today. Call us at at 205-991-0042. Plus, we have a limited supply of pecan smoked trout available.

Try our trout on your grill like the tasty dish at right. Fill it with lemon slices and sage or rosemary, coat with canola oil and grill until flaky and juicy. Yum

Indian Stir-Fried Green Beans
With mustard seeds and jalapeno

1 pound green beans
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher or sea salt to taste

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the beans until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, let cool and pat dry with paper towels.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add half of the mustard seeds and when they pop, add half each of the jalapeño, ginger and curry leaves and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add half of the green beans and toss until hot, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining oil, mustard seeds, jalapeño, ginger, curry leaves and beans. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Roast Red Potatoes in Vinaigrette
Served over arugula with onion

2 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup plus 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs grainy mustard
1 1/2 tbs sherry vinegar
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 ounces baby arugula (6 cups)

Preheat the oven to 475°. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch wedges. Bring a small pot to boil and add the potatoes. Cook until a slightly softened but with some firmness. Drain and scatter the potato wedges on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil or more and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes, until browned and crisp.

Slice the onion into extremely thin slices and soak in cold water. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Drain the onion and dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the onion and arugula. Top with the dressing, toss again and serve right away.

 

May 14, 2009
Complete a Simple Survey - We'll Send You a Ready-to-Plant Herb!

At Grow Alabama, we want to learn more about what you want and expect from us.

That's why we're asking our members (and members only, please) to complete a very brief questionaire.

As a reward, we'll send you your choice of a fresh herb in a planting pot, ready for your garden or back porch.

To select your favorite herb and complete the survey, click Grow Alabama Survey. And thanks for your help.

Introducing Farmer Jerry Marsh

The fresh leaf lettuce you'll find in your boxes this week are one of three different varieties of "summer crisp" lettuce grown on the Etowah County farm of grower Jerry Marsh. Picked this week and at their peak of freshness, these great lettuces are coming to your table. We appreciate the work of our local farmers and are particularly happy with the produce from Jerry's farm.

Learning How to Braise Kale

One of our best chef friends is Bob Baningin. Chef Bob was recently on local Birmingham station Fox6 with a demonstration on how to braise some of the fresh, Grow Alabama kale you received last week. Click here to see how to do it. It's delicious.

 

Don't Miss Out on the Trout!
We've still got plenty of fresh Alabama-grown trout. Flash frozen and ready for cooking, you can order yours by calling us at 205-991-0042. Plus, we have a limited supply of pecan smoked trout available.

And, don't forget that we also have free-range chicken, lamb, turkey, rabbit and fresh eggs.

Roasted New Potatoes with Garlic
Lots of garlic but really good! And easy.

2 pounds small to medium red new potatoes, scrubbed
14 unpeeled garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 thyme or rosemary sprigs or 1 tbs dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, garlic, olive oil and thyme or rosemary. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a very large cast-iron skillet. Roast the potatoes for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender; shaking occasionally. Transfer to a platter and serve.

Sign-Up for a Supper Club
You can help cultivate a more sustainable future for Alabama while you enjoy dinner with your friends!

Introduce your friends to the fabulous flavors of Alabama-grown vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry and dairy products. Here's how it works: you agree to host the Supper Club Benefit in your home, inviting up to 12 friends. All food will be catered so you can relax. In the Huntsville area, the caterer is Walter Thames at What's for Supper Catering.

Jerry Spencer, the founder of Grow Alabama, will be on hand to discuss Grow Alabama and its vision for sustainable agriculture. To find out more, call 205-991-0042 for scheduling, menus and all the details, or click here for email.