It's been a busy week as farm hand Helena + I flip beds in preparation for next week's big spring planting! We've been removing the last of the winter crops, broad forking beds and topping off with compost to provide happy homes for tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cucumbers + more.
Each of these critical bed preparation steps are focused on stewarding the soil. Increasing aeration, building organic matter and boosting soil life means the highest quality produce for our tables. It's all about the soil round here - I often think of our veggies + flowers as bi-products of this well tended ecosystem!
With just over one year spent tending this new land, there's still SO much room for improvement in this realm.
Enter Cover Crops:
Last fall I took half the farm out of production mode and seeded it to Rye + Clover to set the land aside for rejuvenation. This cover crop has nearly too many benefits to name: erosion prevention, weed suppression, fertilizer reduction, biological inoculation, nutrient accumulation + will even provide a mulch to plant our spring crops into. Sounds too good to be true, right!?
Here's the catch: it takes a LONG time to reap these benefits. Seeded in November '24 this crop is still in the ground and taking up valuable real estate where I could have been planting crops for us to eat. I know that the delay will set us up for a successful season, and with the other half of the farm flush with fresh germination, we're so close to main season abundance. The hardest part is waiting these last few days!
In the meantime, the first of this abundance is making itself known in radish harvests, kale bunches + lettuce mixes. I'll be bringing all that and more the East Asheville Tailgate Market this Friday 4/4 from 3-6pm - will I see you there?
In this week's Veggie Box:
Radishes, kale, lettuce + more!
Recipes + Tips:
Inside this week's recipes let's talk about how to use our farm grown goods in your kitchen:
I first started making Seasoning Blends + Infused Olive Oil to bridge the gap from farm ➡️ to table...
To help folks get their farm fresh produce one step closer to a complete meal, and simplify farm to table eating!
Today, I'm blown away by your enjoyment of my products at home AND hearing stories of how you gift these Goods. It's one thing to like a product and use it in your kitchen, but there's no higher compliment than seeing you share with your friends and fam.
What are your 'everyday use' spices? The ones you reach for when roasting veggies, seasoning meats, the containers you never let get fully empty? These are mine - nearly every one of them farm grown + junk-free. Because why would I go through the trouble of growing organic veggies just to dump preservatives and fillers on them before cooking? That's why I first started making these seasoning blends and why I still use them every day.
The spice cabinet at work - it's as easy as sprinkling onto veggies before or even after roasting in the oven. These carrots + smashed potatoes seasoned with simple spices, our Smokey Pepper Blend, Finishing Salt + Infused Olive Oil flavor packed in an easy dinner along with a spinach salad.
Lemon Pepper Rosemary Seasoning Blend
That spinach salad I mentioned? It also came together easily using our Lemon Pepper Rosemary Seasoning Blend, Infused Olive Oil + a splash of red wine vinegar. I even mixed it on the plate to save the added cleanup of another dish! The perfect zingy lemon vinaigrette made in seconds with our Farm Grown Lemon Pepper Rosemary Seasoning Blend.
Another great use for that Lemon Pepper Rosemary - as a dry rub for red meat, chicken and fish! It's my go-to steak seasoning that's flavorful, easy and clean - free from the sodium, preservatives + fillers found in store bought steak seasonings.
Let's talk Smokey Pepper, because of all the seasonings I make, use and love, this one's my favorite. I can't get enough of the depth of flavor it brings to every dish it's in (like the roasted potato, onion, broccolini + salmon pictured). It's not spicy, but rather bold + rich, in a way that has me reaching for it to use on meals often. My recent obsession: roasted sweet potatoes seasoned with this blend.
Made with farm grown poblano + paprika from peppers whose seed I've saved for years, I dry these peppers with natural methods to preserve the best flavor + color. Each batch is lightly fire roasted and ground-to-order in the on farm workshop before getting packaged for nationwide shipping. Stock your pantry, grab gifts for Easter brunch, or send em straight to a friend's door. One customer's favorite way to eat it is on popcorn!
Our most-loved best seller, Garlic + Herb Infused Olive Oil: Organic cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil from Italy, infused with farm grown garlic, sage, greek oregano, thyme, and rosemary. It's as simple as dipping some good bread into this oil and snacking as you make dinner or setting out for guests as an appetizer.
It also makes for an epic marinade, salad dressing, or just drizzled on top of your meal.
The fastest, easiest, most satisfying weeknight meal is at your fingertips: garlic + herb olive oil parmesan pasta! Go traditional with straight up pasta, or toss in any veggies you have on hand. The simple pasta sauce comes together crazy fast with our Infused Olive Oil + fresh parmesan for a meal you'll have on repeat.
Marinated grilled chicken in a savory Dijon + Infused Olive Oil sauce:
1/2 cup Encompass Farm Infused Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Directions:
In a bowl, mix infused olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, red bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Set aside 1/4 cup of the mixture to use for basting. Place chicken in the bowl, and marinate at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Drain and discard marinade from the bowl, and place chicken on the grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade.
The best part about this oil? It's everlasting - you can re-infuse your bottles for over a year - just refill with more olive oil at home to re-infuse!
Our Finishing Salt made with farm-grown herbs + flaky English sea salt is the final touch just about every meal needs. The flavor is only matched by its texture appearance which is stunning on any dish. You’ll want it on everything so keep it close! Nothing beats a fresh tomato sprinkled with this goodness, especially in a summer salad of arugula + mozzarella.
Heaven is a fried egg topped with flaky flavorful Finishing Salt. Especially on an open face sandwich like this with sausage + kale!
You can also level up steak night at your house with a pinch of this perfect salt right on top of a freshly sliced steak.
Made to Make Farm to Table Easy:
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The Veggie Box
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Farm Grown Goods
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Farm fresh meals made easy!