farmer’s market

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It’s taken awhile but now those of you who don't live in the Charlottesville area can buy our gourmet spreads on-line at Etsy.  A big thanks  to our friend, Jimmy, for encouraging us and to our daughter, Lindy, for starting the process.

So, as you’re starting to plan holiday gift giving, think about all the people who might like something homemade and sweet like strawberry spread – maybe teachers, neighbors, holiday hostess’s, UPS-FedEx-USPS drivers, co-workers, babysitters and everyone else.

DisplayOur Etsy store name is Middle Fork Farm Store and you can find it at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiddleForkFarmStore. You can purchase  9 oz jars of Strawberry Balsamic, Strawberry Lavender, Strawberry Merlot, and Spicy Strawberry as Farmers Market Boardwell as our Classic Sampler (Strawberry Balsamic, Strawberry Merlot, Strawberry Vanilla) and C-ville Sampler (Strawberry Balsamic, Strawberry Lavender, Spicy Strawberry).  Shipping is reasonable and we can ship up to 6 - 9 oz jars in one box for the same rate as one jar.  Please check us out!

Besides setting up the Etsy store (and finishing the harvest), we’ve been busy with jam events. We finished the Farmers in the Park market on September 31 and as the holiday season approaches we'll be at local holiday boutiques and fairs. Stay tuned to FaceBook for information.

Beth at Williams-Sonoma

In late September, Sara, Beth, and I had another great day at Williams-Sonoma. As part of our quest for tasty "non-toast" ways to use our fruit spreads, we focused on savory dishes. Customers were surprised and pleased to sample chicken, salmon, and quesadilla made with our fruit spreads.

Spicy BBQ Chicken

 

 

We made  Spicy BBQ Chicken,

Ginger Peach Salmon

 

Ginger Peach Salmon (the recipe is at the very bottom of this blog0 and Quesadilla with Strawberry Merlot Spread, smoked Gouda and arugula.

 

Once again, we extend our gratitude to Erica and the entire staff at Williams-Sonoma for inviting us to their wonderful kitchen!

Sara at State Fair

Sara, Beth, and I also had the excitement (in multiple ways) of having a booth sponsored by Virginia’s Finest at the State Fair.  I say excitement because we were there on October 1, the day the rains and threat of Hurricane Joaquin came to town. Normally, the fair would have closed at 9 pm that night and then continued through until Sunday. But, not this year. For what may have been a first ever, the Fair closed early for the season at 7 pm Thursday night. Happily, the hurricane turned away and conditions improved over the weekend.

State Fair 2015State Fair 2015A

 

 

 

 

We were in the Ag (as in Agriculture) Building right across from an amazing sand sculpture—worthy of multiple photos. Inside there were lots of interesting displays like  a pile of corn kernels for kids to jump in, a fake cow to fake milk, bees (and honey), and raw tobacco. Outside there were giant colorful pumpkins, fried food and, of course, rides.

State Fair Pumpkins

Salmon with Ginger Lover’s Peach Glaze

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Ginger Lover’s Peach Spread
  • ¼ tsp. ground Chipotle pepper
  • 4 T bourbon
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 Atlantic salmon fillets
  • 1 T canola oil
  • Black sesame seeds

Procedure:

  1. Combine Ginger Lover’s Peach, chipotle pepper, bourbon in a small saucepan
  2. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes
  3. Lightly oil a broiling pan
  4. Lightly salt and pepper each salmon filet and top with spread mixture
  5. Cook for approximately 5 minutes under high heat broiler until it spread mixture starts to brown. (Test salmon for doneness according to personal taste).
  6. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on each filet before serving

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You might be thinking that strawberry spread is just for toast or peanut and jelly sandwiches but, if you’ve visited our stand at the local Farmer’s Market (Fluvanna, Farmers in the Park, UVA) you’ve heard about lots of other ways to enjoy our Spreads. This post has some edible ideas and some actual recipes.

For breakfast, MFF Strawberry Spread is not just great on your favorite toast but also on biscuits, scones, and crumpets. It’s equally delicious on waffles and pancakes—either straight from the jar or as a quick strawberry syrup (mix with water or fruit juice to create a syrup imagesconsistency and heat in the microwave or on the stovetop). Or, for a healthy option, make a hiker’s breakfast of plain Greek yogurt, MFF Strawberry Spread, granola and fresh fruit.

Later after a busy day, for happy hour or an appetizer, top Brie or Chevre/goat cheese with MFF Strawberry Spread and garnish it with mint or basil. A customer last week had a great variation on this (Thank you!). She suggested filling mini phyllo cups with a slice of cheese, heating them and then putting a dollop of strawberry spread on top--couldn’t be easier. I’m thinking the phyllo cups have lots of possibilities for dessert, too:

filoshellsMelt a little chocolate then top with strawberry spread or
Fold strawberry spread into cream cheese whipped cream (see https://www.preparedpantry.com/blog/make-cream-cheese-whipped-cream/) and fill the phyllo cup.

Then for dinner, the strawberry balsamic is just right for savory dishes. It has just enough acidity to make a great BBQ sauce, glaze or marinade and goes well with any meat, firm white fish or salmon, or shrimp. Bruce has been experimenting with sauces and came up with this recipe:

Bruce’s Strawberry BBQ sauce
Ingredients:
2/3 C MFF Strawberry Balsamic Spreadphoto 1
1/3 C Ketchup
¼ tsp Chipotle Pepper powder
½ tsp Ancho Chili powder

Directions:
1. Mix Strawberry Balsamic Spread and ketchup
2. Add Chipotle and Ancho powders, stir well

Last night he made tasty Shake and Broil Shrimp by pouring the BBQ sauce into a baggie, adding shrimp and tossing until coated. We broiled the shrimp and served over Basmati rice—yum!

photo 5

Finally, for dessert (there’s always room for dessert) try this:

Sara’s Strawberry Lavender Yogurt PopsIMG_6869
Ingredients:
2c plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp honey (I use more than the original recipe, which called for only 2 tbsp)
1/4 c Middle Fork Farm Strawberry Lavender spread (Strawberry Vanilla is good, too!)

Directions:
1. Mix Greek yogurt and honey until well blended.
2. Pour into ice-cream attachment/machine.
3. Mix until starts to thicken, then drop the Strawberry Lavender Spread in by spoonfuls.
4. Continue to mix until well frosted but not stiff.
5. Spoon into popsicle molds and put in freezer for at least 2 hours.
6. To remove from the molds, turn under hot water until loosened slightly, then slide off and enjoy!

IMG_6839 IMG_6852 IMG_6856

Let us know what you think of these ideas and recipes and send us your favorite Strawberry Spread recipes so we can share them with others.