Spanish striped eggplants are generally known as Listada. Among them, the most internationally renowned is the Listada de Gandía heirloom.I was so excited to start these from seeds this year and watch them grow into beautiful plants. Unfortunately, we've had very mild weather this summer which caused them to develop slowly. I was excited to find the Listada de Gandía heirloom from Blue Gate Farm at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. I hesitated to buy them at first, ... continue reading...
Urban U-Pick Farms
It's been a busy couple of weeks. With design work, teaching, homelife, and preserving... I have been swamped. I actually missed the farmers market this morning, slept in and took today for me. It's been so relaxing and I'm excited to get in my kitchen and cook a nice homemade meal for the family. As most of you know, we are in the middle of preserving season. There are many ways to freeze, preserve and ferment to save for those long winter months ahead of us. In the next couple of weeks, ... continue reading...
Monday’s with Mami – Lamb Stew with Mediterranean Flavours
A heartwarming lamb stew perfect for a cool summer night. This stew features the flavours of chorizo, fava beans and one of my new favorite greens, sweet potato leaves.I was so excited to find these at Yang's Organics, a local vendor at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market. A beautiful bunch of leaves, crisp and green. I asked about them and quickly snatched up a large bundle for $1! I had no idea sweet potato leaves were edible and am so glad to have used them. They are mild and sweet, ... continue reading...
Support Local Farmers, Good For Them…. Good For Us!
I wrote this for our local Weston Price Foundation group but decided to share it also on my blog. If you live in an area that has farmers markets, I encourage you to visit them. Not only are you providing your family with nourishing foods, but you're helping a local farmer dig one foot deeper into providing your community with healthy, chemical free, produce, meats and dairy.I wanted to share how frugal one can be when shopping at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market. We are so blessed to ... continue reading...
Monday’s with Mami – Pimientos de Padrón
Pimientos de Padrón come from Galicia in the Northwestern part of Spain. They are small, sweet, green peppers meant to be picked very small. No larger than 2" and definitely before they get waxy. If left to get large and waxy, watch out!! They are spicy hot!! Each year my mami and I grow Italian Marconi peppers that we love to fry and sprinkle with kosher salt. Reminiscent of fried peppers served as tapitas in Sevilla. After hearing about these padrones, as we like to call them, we ... continue reading...
