Farm Tour

 Touring the Farm

I had the ultimate "farm to fork" experience yesterday...

My day began with a farm tour out at the Robertson Family farm with Lacie Robertson and her special guests, Chef Oscar and Manager Amy from Bistro 885 in Yuba City, California.  Lacie showed us around her bountiful farm garden and then she did a little pickin'.

Watermelon Limeade

Next we sat under the shade trees near the garden and Lacie fired up her grill for a bbq sampling of her Italian sausage, one ball squash, bell pepper and red onions.  I brought Watermelon Limeade for a refreshing beverage (made with watermelon from the farm and a recipe by Emeril) and Amy brought a delicious home-made Bumbleberry pie.  Yum!

Amy & Chef Oscar

After lunch and a nice visit, Chef Oscar and Amy left the farm with a sampling of Lacie's tomatoes, peppers, squash and a huge bouquet of basil.  Later that afternoon, I received a text from Chef Oscar that he was creating his dinner menu specials around Lacie's produce from the farm.  I immediately called my husband and asked "will you take me out to dinner?" 

 Here are a few photos of the menu specials that Chef Oscar created last night with the Robertson Family Farm tomatoes and basil.  I've never had a better "farm to fork" experience!

Chef Oscar's Farm to Fork Specials

Caprese Salad 

(with Juliet tomatoes and Basi)

Mixed Summer Squash Cream Soup

(I love the basil garnish!)

Spaghetti Margheritta 

(with Juliet & Sun Gold tomatoes and Basil)

(Farm photos taken at the Robertson Family Farm in Yuba County, California.)

Basil

At the farm

In my Kitchen

 Basil

I treat fresh basil like fresh flowers.  When I bring basil home from the farm or farmers' market, I immediately put it in a water-filled mason jar and store it on the counter. I cover the jar with a plastic bag that creates a little "green house" for it.  Storing fresh basil this way really makes it last longer.

In the best BLT ever!

My secret to the best BLT ever is basil mayonnaise!

I make a delicious basil mayonnaise from a recipe by Ina Garten.  Ina says "use a really good mayonnaise."  I grew up on Best Foods Real Mayonnaise (known as Hellman's east of the Rockies) so that's the brand I use.

You can find the recipe here:

Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayonnaise

(Farm photo taken at Robertson Family Farm in Yuba County, California)

Sweet Corn

At the farm

The bees pollinating

Sweet Corn

I learned this month that the season for sweet corn at my local farm is very short. My local farmer does one corn planting so one week she is picking sweet corn for her CSA Produce Boxes (and farmers markets) and then the next week or so it's gone.  

I also learned a bit about growing organic corn with no pesticides.  Lacie Robertson my local farmer cut a piece of corn right off the stalk for me to eat out in the field.  Before I could try it, she had to chop off the end.  She explained that when you grow corn organically a corn earworm lives in the tip of the sweet corn ear so she chops off the end to get rid of the worm.  She showed me the little green worm and it really didn't bother me.  It's just part of nature.  And like Lacie, I like the organic way.

From the Farm to my Kitchen

Having just-picked corn right from the farm for the first time ever, I decided to try a new recipe.  I made corn fritters and served them with a local hand-crafted pomegranate-pepper jelly made by Poms Away Orchards.

Corn Fritters

The corn fritters were incredible.  I used a recipe by Patrick and Gina Neely from their cooking show Down Home with the Neelys.  I added chopped bell pepper to their recipe since I had bell peppers in my weekly CSA Produce Box.  It was a nice addition.

My husband actually liked the fritters plain because the corn was so sweet.  Thankfully, I froze a few ears of corn so I'll be making more corn fritters...real soon!

Here's the recipe link:

Corn Fritters by The Neelys


(Farm photos taken at Robertson Family Farm in Yuba County, California)

Farm to Fork

Just picked!

The best thing I've done all year is sign up for a CSA Produce Box!

Farm fresh!

Believe it or not, even though I love to cook...

I was in a culinary rut.  Not anymore!

CSA Produce Box

Now Monday is my favorite day of the week when I go out to the Robertson Family Farm to pick-up my CSA Produce Box.  (CSA stands for community supported agriculture.)  I now know my local farmer, Laci Robertson who grows our food, picks it daily and it's all pesticide-free.  

I love the "farm to fork" movement and cooking with what is locally grown and in-season.  I'm no longer in a culinary rut and our veggie bin is full.


(Photos taken at Robertson Family Farm in Yuba County, California)

The farm

The farm is a place

down the dirt rode

where the animals are kept

and our food is grown

by Lisette King 

June 15, 1973

 The Farm

I made this decoupage plaque with a magazine farm photo when I was 13 years old.  I guess I was destined to move to the country and live by a farm.  It just took me 54 years to get here.  Welcome to my blog where I hope you'll join me in savouring the seasons in my kitchen, through my lens and in my travels.


(Photos taken at Robertson Family Farm in Yuba County, California)