New farm and CSA- Tomten Farm

A message from new farmers Brian and Autumn Campbell of Tomten Farm:

Tomten Farm is new to the Richmond area, taking over what was Fertile Crescent farm out in Green Bay VA. I wanted to introduce ourselves (Brian and Autumn) and the farm to you all.  We are both new to the area, last year we farmed up north in Madison County and before that way up north.

Tomten Farm has 2.5 acres dedicated to annual vegetable production, offering a wide array of organically grown produce and herbs for local markets, restaurants, and our CSA shares. Our goal is to offer high quality, excellent tasting produce for people who love to cook. While focused on produce, we will also be raising poultry for meat on our pastures throughout the farm. Chickens (Red Ranger, Red Broiler, or Freedom Ranger) will be available June through November. Ducks (Muscovy) and turkeys (Broad Brested Bronze) will be available in the Fall. 

Although we are new, we are trying to get the word out about our Community Supported Agriculture shares, as we are growing over 50 different crops, from the expected to the unusual,  using natural and sustainable methods. Brian and I share over 10 years of experience involved in farming and food and we are hoping to find members who love to experiment in the kitchen with fabulous tasting and exciting produce. We will be starting our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares the 2nd week of May with two pickup options in Richmond: Byrd House market on Tuesdays and South of the James market on Saturdays.  If you'd like to sign up or have any questions about Tomten Farm and CSA, contact Brian and Autumn via email (info@tomtenfarmva.com)  or call 434.392.1896. 

Tomten Farm CSA

Spring/Summer share: $355 for 17 weeks The share runs for 18 weeks from the 2nd week of May to the 1st week of September. Each member can take a week off anytime throughout the season.

 

Fall share: $185 for 10 weeks This runs from September 16th through the week of Thanksgiving.

 

During 2012 we will offer both Spring/Summer (17 weeks) and Fall (10 weeks) CSA shares with pickups available in Richmond, Farmville and at the farm. We invite you to become a CSA member for our first season of Community Supported Agriculture. We welcome your involvement on the farm at whatever level suits you. For $355 (less than $21 per week) our Spring/Summer share aim’s to provide enough vegetables for two adults or a family with small children. Each week's share will be carefully selected to harmonize together for wonderful seasonal feasts. Below are three examples of the weekly share.

 

Spring Share: ½ lb bag Baby Lettuce Mix, 1 bunch Radishes, 1 bunch Carrots, 1 medium sized Napa Cabbage, 2-3 Daikon Radishes, 8-10 Scallions, 1 large bunch Mustard Greens, 1 bunch Cilantro.

 

Summer Share: 2-3 lbs Heirloom Tomatoes, 3 Italian sweet peppers, 2 lbs New Potatoes, 1 Qt Baby summer squashes, 1 Butterhead Lettuce, 1 Red leaf Lettuce head, 3 Cippolini Onions, 1 large bunch Basil.

 

Late Summer Share: 1 Qt Okra, 1 lb Green Beans, 2 lbs Italian Sauce Tomatoes, 1 lb Italian Eggplant, 1 bunch Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, 1 Bunch Swiss Chard, 1 small Watermelon.

 

Extra Benefits

Add-On: Members will be emailed add-on offerings, including poultry when available, the weekend prior to the share pickup. All products will be offered at a 10% discount.

 

Member Workdays: During the summer we will have two optional workday events where CSA members can come help out in the fields, meet each other, and support the operation. Members are welcome to visit at other times, just call us to schedule ahead.

 

Farm Dinners: Cooked by us on our farm, the dinners will offer 4-5 course meals in an idyllic setting using all delicious food from the farm. The first dinner this summer will be offered to share members exclusively.

"Homemade" Honey Mustard Dressing, no Mayo Included

If you really read this blog you know Matt and I make all of our dressings.  The one pictured above is white balsamic, olive oil, mustard seed and tarragon taken before it was shaken up.  Okay, so a few weeks ago I did a post I called 'Time For Fresh' were I mentioned Matt's salad of romaine lettuce, thin sliced radishes and Kerry Gold Kilegree cheddar Cheese with Honey Mustard Dressing.  Well I had wanted then to give you the dressing recipe, but couldn't get it out of Matt in time. So here it is.... and I wish I had a pic. of the salad, oh well...  This dressing is  awesome on the above mentioned salad, or on chicken, and I'm thinking over ham with mustard potatoes.

The Recipe

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 tsp. fresh grated Ginger

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 tsp.  Soy Sauce

2 medium cloves Garlic (mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle)

 1/2 cup Olive Oil

For best results use an immersion blender.  Put all ingredients in the cup that comes with the blender and run till smooth and oil and vinegar are emulsified.

RVA Loves Chocolate..

Here are a handful of our favorite Chocolatiers from RVA just in case you need a quick fix.

Cathy Churcher ; Chocolate Cravings :  Super yummy chocolate bars, Guinness brownies and seasonal specialties like peanut butter filled eggs sold through farmer's markets, the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden gift shop, and by special order from her shop on lakeside avenue. 

Kelly Walker ; Chocolates By Kelly :  Out'a sight salted caramels, liquor filled cordials and more. She even has a Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar with menu suggestions. Made in her shop on Forest Hill Avenue, you can find them at Once Upon A Vine South, Elwood Thompsons, Quirk Gallery and other area shops.

Tim Gearhart ; Gearhart's Chocolates:  The original Store on Main st. in Charlottesville is where all the chocolates are made daily.  The perhaps three year old store just off of Grove Ave. allows us to enjoy their chocolate truffles and chocolate covered orange peels a bit more regularly.

Anyone we missed?  Please let us know!

All ingredients need salt.

"All ingredients need salt. The noodle or tender spring pea would be narcissistic to imagine it already contained within its cell walls all the perfection it would ever need. We seem, too, to fear that we are failures at being tender and springy if we need to be seasoned. It's not so: it doesn't reflect badly on pea or person that either needs help to be most itself."

-Tamar Adler from An Everlasting Meal

Recipe: Savory Bread Pudding and Greens

I have not posted a recipe on this space for quite some time.  I have been, (sigh) uninspired.  I can tell you about it now, because spring fever has hit and I finally feel like cooking again.  This recipe was born of necessity- I had done some rather passionless grocery shopping, and had various components in the 'fridge.  But it really was the bread that started it all.

I love Billy Bread (though now the bag says Billy's Bakery- so I love them too) and my neighborhood wine shop gets it in fresh every day.  Fresh Billy Bread is amazing.

I cannot, even when very determined about it, eat an entire loaf of Billy Bread before it goes stale.  But don'tcha just know that stale bread makes fantastic bread pudding?  

This is a weird photo, I know.  I am using my phone until I get a real, grown up blogger's camera. Any recommendations?  

Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms, Fennel and Gruyere

1/2- 3/4 loaf of your favorite crusty bread, cubed

2 cups of milk

6 eggs

salt and pepper

butter

1 pint crimini mushrooms, sliced

olive oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 fennel bulb, sliced

white wine

italian herbs or rosemary

wedge of gruyere cheese (though it would be good with blue as well)

salad greens

vinaigrette

place cubes of bread in buttered 9x13 inch pan.  Wisk milk and eggs together, add salt and pepper and pour over bread.  Let stand until all of the egg and milk mixture is absorbed into the bread- about 20 minutes.

While the bread is soaking, heat oil on medium high and brown the mushrooms.  Add onion, garlic and fennel, heating until just cooked.  Add a bit of white wine to cover the bottom of your pan, and stir to get all of the brown bits off the bottom.  Add herbs, salt and pepper and set aside until the bread is ready.  

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread veggies on top of bread, then grate cheese on top.  Cook for 30- 40 minutes, until cheese is melted and maybe a little is browned.  Serve along (or on top of) salad with a vinaigrette.

*I think this would be so good with greens, and perhaps with the cheese tossed with the bread before the topping is added.  Just a thought- let me know if you try it!

Kitchen Tour: Shannon's.

 (The cake stand my most amazing co-worker and friend Susan built for our wedding sits atop the fridge my dad got us as our house warming present.  The little cow creamer, and toile print pot that holds my wine corks, also came from Susan just as little "hey I found this and thought of you" items I would find on my desk at work.  The green dishes were wedding gifts.  The tin canisters on top were saved for me by my co-worker Lucy who, like me, can't stand to see such things go to the trash.)

It such a common thing to hear, but really the place in our home where we probably spend the bulk of our 

 time is the kitchen.  It over looks our backyard, opens up to our back patio where we can sit and have coffee in the morning or a cocktail after work.  From the window over the kitchen sink, we can see the side gate and drive where we can see each other arrive home, and watch our dog Elwood as he races back and forth from fence to fence alerting us to any dogs, bikes, or passersby.  Our kitchen is a humble affair.  When we first moved in it was all chipping, nicotine- colored paint, a stove we were told didn't work, a mini fridge, (yes a mini fridge), sub flooring, and brown veneered cabinets from the 1970s.  We bought the house and got married in the back yard within 19 months, which meant a whirlwind of paint, peeling wallpaper, sanding, scrubbing, making and installing trim, shelving, windows where there was only plywood covered holes and more.  The kitchen got the least attention, but I still love our little bright green corner of the house.

Our circa 19?? 'Brown' Stove

 This is where it all happens.  The stove and oven that we were told didn't work totally does- you just need to keep a long handled lighter near the burners, and turn one of the burner knobs while holding the broiler tray open to get the oven to light.  Simple.  We had a maintenance man come out our first year in the house when all of a sudden we couldn't get the oven to light at all.  Seventy five dollars later, he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, told us he never even heard of a 'Brown' and left me to figure out that one of the switches had just been accidentally bumped from manual to auto.  This oven is definitely all manual- no auto.  Rusted out holes have finally pushed us to purchase a new one.  We're just waiting to find one that can take its place....

 If Erin has a baking station, I have a coffee station. I asked Matt to install the shelf that hangs over the stove to hold all our coffee mugs close at hand and the photo of all my family in our Celtic Festival garb to greet me each morning.

The view onto the garden from the window above the stove.

My Martha Stewart Style Open shelving

The cast iron skillet that hangs here is one of our most used items.

The shelves and pegboard came with the house (so to speak).   I just painted them all with a few coats of primer and a 'clear' gray color.  I was surprised by how well it seems to work. Many of the objects on these shelves are things I found at consignment and thrift shops.  The cake stands and big green bowls were wedding gifts.  The recipe box was part of my bridal shower gifts, painted to match my kitchen and filled with the favorite recipes of everyone who attended.

 The green wicker basket holds tea.  The giant black Le Cruset pot and the smaller green on the shelf above it we found on sale and were our anniversary gifts to each other.

What you couldn't see in the first photo- the washer and dryer that sit below.  I had to include this shot as anyone who has ever been over for dinner, pot luck, brunch etc. knows what a central role these non-kitchen appliances have played in the workings of my kitchen. Until the old washing machine finally gave out, the two appliances were the exact same height and were quickly transformed into bar, buffet, prep area, or just used as conversational seating for guest while I cooked. Just hop up! You gotta make do with what you got... someday we hope to move the duo upstairs and put in a proper counter and bar stools.

Willie and Friends

The inside of our tall cabinets original to the house. We only painted them a semi gloss white.

The chalk board that is the only part of the kitchen visible from the dining room table.  We write up weekly menus here when we're on top of things, or put up a menu for  special dinner parties. Matt made it for us using some salvaged wood we found in the attic.

 

An Elwood-esq tile my mom got from a potter in Vermont

 

El himself, always at the ready in case some tiny morsel drops.

Where it all ends up... my grandmothers dining room table with the chairs she hand embroidered.  The bar was a alley find refinished by Matt, and the stained glass doors for it were made by my father-in-law.  The mirror came from an "antique" shop in Ashland many years ago. 

Olio: Local Lunch

When you are working downtown finding fresh lunches sometimes can be a challenge, but I have a go-to steady: Olio. Olio’s first location is the Fan, but now they have a spot downtown and a food cart (food carts are my new obsession, but more on that later!).

Located in the lobby of the GRCC building, the downtown Olio location is hidden from plain sight, and is a smart re-purposing of a space that appears to have once been a cafeteria. But, this not cafeteria food, I assure you.

Olio’s deal is they combine old world products and local options. I say, "Yum!" The downtown option sticks to that concept. The menu mainly consists of salad and sandwiches, things that you can grab and go. All their sides are made daily. They even have local OG chicken. Now, come on, that's pretty dope.

They have a salad bar that’s available daily, complete with local options, fresh fruit, dolmades, and various and sundry bean-based salads. In fact, I looked at the menu and there are over 13 references to locally-sourced and/or organic foods. Two thumbs up, Olio!

In their cold case, they have little cups of protein and pasta for your enjoyment. I love this idea. I like to get a combo and toss them together to make my own invention. For instance, on Friday I went for garlicly kale, organic chicken, and cranberry cous cous.

And for those days that beckon a coffee-bump + a sweet, they have freshly baked cookies and an espresso bar. These cookies are tasty, let me just say. Note: the espresso bar is open from 7am - 10am.
So, downtowners, go and give Olio some love! And if all this isn't reason enough, if you are a state or federal employee they'll offer you a bit of a discount...come on, this is pretty grand. Enjoy!