Archive for the ‘Berries’ Category
Mountain Valley View Farm is Headed to Local Farmers’ Markets!
We are pleased to announce that Mountain Valley View Farm, Inc.
will have a booth at the following events:
Spokane Public Market
32 W. 2nd Ave
Spokane, WA 99210
509-624-1154
info@spokanepublicmarket.org
Hours: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wed – Fri
Spokane Farmers’ Market
5th Ave between Division & Brown
Spokane, WA 99210
509-995-0182
Hours: 8:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. Wed & Sat
Spokane Northside Farmers’ Market
315 E. Francis
Spokane, WA 99205
509-979-1051
Hours: Wed 3 – 7 p.m. and Sat 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Liberty Lake Farmers’ Market
1421 N. Meadowood Lane
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
marketmanager@llfarmersmarket.com
Hours: 8:45 a.m. – 1 p.m. Sat
Mountain Valley View Farm is proud to be your source for local, farm fresh foods. Our products include organic vegetables, herbs, berries, and fruit; beautiful cut flowers; raw, delicious honey; a wide variety of chicken, duck, and goose eggs; raw, organic goat and sheep milk and artisan cheeses; baked goods, preserves, handmade soaps, and more. Please stay tuned to this blog as we update it with more information about our farm fresh foods, including detailed lists of which herbs, veggies, etc. we grow on our 30 acre family farm in beautiful Spokane Valley.
In the meantime, be sure to come visit us at the farmers’ markets! These markets are an important venue for both vendors and customers, bringing local, sustainable foods to the public at a reasonable cost and in a way that supports the regional economy. They also provide an opportunity for the consumer to interact with their food growers personally so that they can be assured of the quality and value of their products. Many of the farms represented are family owned and operated, so you can always feel good about supporting people who are part of your community. You may even discover new and unusual regional produce, or exciting ways to cook an old standby. These events are always a fun, lighthearted way to spend a sunny afternoon outdoors. We hope to see you there!
Strawberry Delights Gives Food a New Flair
Strawberry Delights is an excellent collection of more than 250 recipes that feature the flavorful flair of the strawberry. This versatile, innovative cookbook will impress even experienced gourmet chefs with its range of dishes and creative uses of the fruit. At the same time, those new to cooking will not find themselves intimidated, for instructions are laid out in a clear manner and are simple to follow. The rewarding experience of making such delicious food will prompt even reluctant cooks into returning to the kitchen again and again. Many of the recipes use strawberry preserves or frozen strawberries, so there is no concern that this cookbook will ever be out of season.
Karen Hood‘s remarkable cookbook also includes fascinating facts about strawberry nutrition, history, and folklore in addition to information on growing and cultivating your own strawberries–a valuable addition for anyone looking to go green or eat more responsibly. Hood’s lovely poems and wide knowledge of cooking, gardening, and the strawberry itself further enhance the collection in the poetry section and the ‘Did You Know?’ segments sprinkled throughout the book. Plainly, Strawberry Delights is far more than just a cookbook: it is a versatile companion for any household.
My family had fun trying out the Strawberry Pineapple Chicken Bites. Even though it is in the Appetizer section of the cookbook, I made it as a fun lunch for my kids, and it was a big hit. My oldest is fairly stand-offish about fruit, and to be honest even I am not too fond of pineapple, but this made a very light and flavorful meal that I will be happy to make again. I also made the Spiced Glazed Pork Tenderloin, which was very tender and moist. The spices gave it a taste reminiscent of the holidays, while the strawberry added a bright sweetness that I found particularly tasty. For dessert, we tried the White Chocolate Strawberry Fudgies, which were honestly just about the richest, most delightfully decadent cookie I have ever had. Everyone was blown away, even my husband, who is a strict milk-chocolate-only person. I find myself continually impressed and grateful for the way in which Hood’s recipes tempt even the pickiest eaters in my family to eat foods they don’t normally enjoy.
Order your copy of Strawberry Delights today!
Raspberry Delights: A Summery, Flavorful Twist to Beloved Old Recipes and New Favorites
Karen Jean Matsko Hood has done it again: another amazing entry in her popular Cookbook Delight Series that is sure to tempt the tastebuds and lure even reluctant cooks into the kitchen to try out these delicious recipes. Raspberry Delights is a treasure trove of unique ways to use this sweet berry to the fullest. I was particularly impressed by the creative use of raspberries in soups, entrees, and side dishes to create unexpected bright, appealing flavors, and the sheer variety of breads and desserts is tantalizing.
As with all of Hood’s cookbooks, it is the extra touches that really make Raspberry Delights stand out. The recipes alone are worth the price of admission, so to speak, but there is so much more: information on different types of raspberry, medicinal uses of the plant, even tips on growing your own raspberries. I was planning to start a small garden in my backyard this year, and was pleasantly surprised to see this information. The preserving section not only provides wonderful recipes for raspberry jams and jellies, but actual instructions for canning, freezing, and dehydrating the berries as well. I have never seen such thorough, detail-oriented information in a cookbook before.
Since raspberries are not currently in season, I used frozen berries for all of the recipes I tried out. Many of the recipes call for fresh raspberries, but I was not disappointed in how any of them turned out and can only imagine how much more flavorful they will taste with fresh fruit. I am a sucker for a good potato salad and am always looking for new variants, so of course I had to try the Raspberry Potato Salad. The recipe was very simple and the results were nothing short of amazing. This potato salad blows my old favorite away, and I can’t wait to take it to the family barbeque on Independence Day this year–it will knock my in-laws flat! I also tried out the Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken, which turned out very tender and moist with a wonderful tangy glaze. The Raspberry Cornbread was a wonderful twist on the conventional recipe, and it was a bit difficult restraining myself to just one piece. Hood’s recipes continue to be a big hit with my family, most of whom are notoriously picky eaters, and I am very glad that I discovered her Cookbook Delights series.
Order your copy of Raspberry Delights today!
Huckleberry Season is Here!
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are right in the thick of huckleberry season, that marvelous time of year when the Northwest’s favorite berry is ripe and ready for the plucking!
Huckleberries are a delicious, blueberry-like fruit that can range in color from deep crimson to dark purple. Because huckleberry bushes yield a small amount of fruit compared to other berry bushes, they are rarely grown by farmers. Most huckleberries are handpicked in the wild and sold in local stores and farmer’s markets, or harvested for specific companies that use the berries to make syrups, jams, jellies, and other tasty treats. Many huckleberries grow in high elevations on the slopes of mountains. There are dozens of varieties, but the most sought after is the black huckleberry, which yields its sweetest fruit at elevations of 3000 to 6000 feet.
The huckleberry has great cultural significance for the local Native Americans: the Yakamas used them as a major food source for centuries, and still uses them in feasts and religious ceremonies today. For others in the Pacific Northwest, this berry is quite beloved, spawning numerous Huckleberry Festivals in small towns across the region. Even bears love these juicy, flavorful berries–so if you are out in a remote location looking for your own huckleberries to
pick, be careful!
Once you have a gallon or two of huckleberries, what next? How to transform all those sweet berries into delectable treats that will delight you and your family… Luckily, we have just the thing! Huckleberry Delights is a wonderful cookbook full of delicious recipes that will help you make the most out of your huckleberries. Recipes have clear, simple directions and are accompanied by a collection of poems, folklore, and history that add to your enjoyment and knowledge. Huckleberry Delights comes in several formats, including a bilingual English-Spanish version, a Christian version with selected Bible verses, a large print edition, and a journal that can be used to record your own thoughts and recipes. To order this unique cookbook, click here.
Dried Fruit Nutrition
by Priya Johnson
Source: Buzzle.com
Drying fruit has been one of the oldest techniques of preserving fruits. Dried fruits are lighter to carry along than fresh fruits. Moreover, dried fruits are not messy, as all the water content is removed, at the same time retaining the sugar content. The high sugar content in dried fruits makes them suitable energy boosters. The water present in the fruit is removed by circulating air around fully ripened fresh fruit, either under natural sunshine and wind or with the help of hot air drying. This drying process cuts the moisture by 20-25% by evaporation. The method of drying the fruit will depend on the type of fruit being dried. Some fruits need to be treated with sulfur oxide while drying them, so as to prevent discoloration. Drying fruits does not lead to loss of nutritional value. Though dried fruits contain small amounts of vitamin C, it lacks vitamin D and vitamin B1 (destroyed by sulfur), freeze dried fruit nutritional value is still high.
Dried Fruit Nutrition Facts
The drying process causes the nutrients in the fresh fruit, like proteins, carbohydrates and dietary fiber to concentrate. Moreover, they contain 60-70% natural sugars that can be easily digested and absorbed in the bloodstream. Dried fruits are also rich in vitamins like A, B1, B2, B3, B6, and Pantothenic Acid and also furnish the body with high levels of iron, calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium. This dried fruit nutrition information was a generalized one, however, let us take a look at some specific dried fruit nutrition facts.
Apricots and Plums
Dried apricots are rich in antioxidant beta-carotene, while is vital for the growth of healthy bones, skin, hair, teeth, eyes, etc. Antioxidants work well to prevent cataracts, heart diseases, cancer and many other diseases related to aging. They also contain a substantial amount of calcium and magnesium and are rich in dietary fiber. Dried plums on the other hand are nicknamed ‘antioxidant superstars’ since they contain the highest level of antioxidant activity as compared to any other dried fruit.
Cherries, Strawberries and Cranberries
Cherries are very low in sodium and high in vitamin A and dietary fiber content. They are believed to help conditions affecting joints like arthritis, rheumatism and gout. However, dried cherries have one disadvantage; they are very high in sugar content. Dried strawberries are low in saturated fat, which is a wonderful factor. Like cherries, they are also low in sodium and high in dietary fiber. They also contain potassium, manganese, iron and some vitamin C and their ellagitannin content helps prevent cancer. Cranberries have anti-bacterial qualities that help maintain the health of the urinary tract.
Blackberries and Blueberries
Dried blackberries are low in sodium, cholesterol and saturated fat. They furnish the body with substantial amounts of magnesium, potassium, copper, folate, manganese and dietary fiber. Similarly blueberries are also low in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol (zero cholesterol). Dried blueberries are high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, zinc and manganese. Compared to other dark-skinned berries like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. blueberries contain high levels of bioflavonoids that counter the damage caused by overindulgence in processed alcohol and food.
Apples, Mango and Pineapple
Apple furnishes the body with 20% of dietary fiber required by the body. It is a good source of antioxidant vitamin C and helps maintain a healthy immune system, by damaging the deleterious free radicals. Apples also contain flavonoids that are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Dried mango is a good sources of riboflavin, thiamin and manganese, while pineapple contains potassium, folate, vitamin C, A and dietary fiber.
Currants, Dates and Figs
Dried currants are rich in biotin, pantothenic acid, niacin, vitamin C and vitamin A. Dates are wonderful energy boosters and are also high in dietary fiber and potassium. Figs are great sources of calcium.
Prunes, Raisins and Ginger
Prunes have antioxidant qualities and can get rid of harmful free radicals. They make excellent natural laxatives and are high in fiber content. Raisins are high in potassium and iron, whereas, dried ginger helps prevent nausea and also soothes the lining of mucus membranes (in smokers).
The list of dried fruit nutritional value can go on and on. Dried peaches, pears, papayas, tomatoes, sultanas, raspberries and scores of other dried fruits are loaded with nutrients that are essential to the body. However, dried fruits are high in calories and are not recommended for people interested in weight loss. Moreover, the fiber content in dried fruits is lesser than in fresh fruits, thereby, it does not give a feeling of fullness after consumption.
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