I spent a beautiful, although windy, Saturday in Carytown. My first stop was Perception Organic Spa for a bit of self TLC. Continue reading “Lunch at Sugar & Twine”
Tag: Organic
Hummus… A very versatile snack!
Hummus is truly a family favorite! With seemingly limitless favor combinations, hummus is perfect for a packed lunch with carrots and celery or as a fun addition to a cheese board at a swanky dinner party. Possibilities galore! Continue reading “Hummus… A very versatile snack!”
Brunch at the Urban Farmhouse Market & Café
I have been off grid for a few months while my hubby heals from surgery and it feels great to finally be updating CookSomething! RVA
What better place to get back into the groove than a cozy, rusticly chic and pleasantly unique café… the Urban Farmhouse Market & Café. Continue reading “Brunch at the Urban Farmhouse Market & Café”
Sushi at Home – Date or Family Night
Although I have made Sushi a few times before, I am so glad I did a little research and a little chatting about a few secrets to making really good sushi!!
I wanted focused on a few keys things, good rice, good grades of fish, uniform slices of veggies, and a good sharp knife.
For tonight’s sushi, I am making 5 rolls. My sweet husband and I have chosen tuna, salmon and imitation crab meat. Tuna will be used to make both a spicy tuna roll and a regular tuna roll. Salmon will be used for a salmon roll. And of course, the California roll calls for the imitation crab.
Baby Looms
What a great find at the Fresh Market this afternoon… “Baby Looms”! These are miniature heirloom tomatoes, great for salads or pasta. Lots of sizes, shapes and colors. Very rich in vitamin C, low calorie, and cholesterol free!
Just a few are featured above:
Brandywine, dates back to the late 1800’s, reddish-pink skin with veins of green. Rich and succulent in texture with an old fashioned home grown taste.
Cherokee Purple, popular for over 100 years and is dark red to dark purple in color. Smokey in taste with a bit of sweetness. Originally grown by the Cherokee Indians.
And, the Gold Medal variety. Reddish pink and yellow marbling, very juicy and super sweet. This tomato originates from the Black Forest region of Germany.
All info on tomatoes found on thefreshmarket.com
Lots to see at the Plant Sale
On Saturday the girls, (me, my Mom and my niece) spent a beautiful afternoon at the Lewis Ginter Plant Sale. Lots to see and purchase from trees to veggies, herbs to orchids.
Local farms and nurseries were out in full force
.
Radical Roots Farm and Tricycle Gardens are familiar faces offering beautiful organic veggies, fruits and herbs.
Urban Backyard Edibles were also at the plant sale, offering a variety of services and beautiful raised beds. Raised beds are great for renters or folks that are into small scale gardening. Raised beds are also great for “square foot gardening“.
Lewis Ginter’s Plant Sale – 4/28-4/30/11
My favorite time of the year to buy some of the best seedlings to jump-start your organic garden is at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s annual plant sale. And we’re in luck again this year with some of the coolest local vendors around!
Whether you are into flower or veggie gardening or a bit of both, you”ll find a large variety, tons of helpful folks and plenty of education at the sale. Remember to bring a cart or wagon for all your treasures, admission is always free to the sale. Let’s grow somthing this season!!
Growing Herbs
When growing indoors, it’s best to plant herbs with like sunlight needs. This information is commonly found either on the seed packets or on the plant stakes in the seedling container.
Again, I have to say that I have the best results when starting with seedlings
, but you may prefer to start from seed. I use a rich organic soil and plant in medium-sized pots since the herbs have some serious roots that like to spread out. I am partial to clay pots, but with clay pots you need to water a little more frequently than with plastic or glazed ceramic pots because the clay absorbs the water.
Lowe’s, Wal-mart and Southern States all have a good selection of organic soils to choose from and varying price ranges. You may want to also consider a good organic plant food to supplement the nutrients that these plants would normally draw from the ground soil. I use Miracle-Gro Organic Potting Soil and Plant Food. I have gotten really great results and this brand is very affordable and easy to find.
- Placing about 2-3 inches of soil in the base of your pot, place your seedling on top and fill in with soil.
- Soak your plant with water and let soil dry a couple of days. This will depend on the amount of light the plant requires. Easiest way to determine if your herbs need watering is to put your finger into the soil to feel for moisture.
- Mix your plant food with your water for your second watering. I only add plant food to the water once a week.
- Watch these herbs grow!
Cook Something! RVA 