We now have a new website! Please visit us at
www.jaxorganic.com

Welcome to The Neighborhood Garden!
We are an organic produce co-op that provides organic fruits & veggies for less. Because we buy in bulk, we receive extremely low prices. For $33 you will take home 11-12 different varieties of organic fruits and veggies. Not only will you no longer pay grocery store prices for produce, but you may find that you are buying fewer unhealthy snacks.
If you would like more info please email me at jaxorganic@gmail.com.

All of our produce is top quality. If you ever have a problem simply let me know and it will be made up the following week.

We offer 12 different pick up locations and delivery to limited areas. Each Monday we pick up at our Arlington, Northside, Julington Creek, World Golf Village and Nocatee location. Each Thursday is Kensington, Atlantic Beach, JTB/Hodges, Mandarin, Orange Park, Westside, and Riverside.

We also have a convenient delivery service. Delivery is offered from Arlington to Ponte Vedra at this time. For only $5 you can have your produce brought to your front door. Won't be home? Just leave a cooler by your front door and it will be waiting for you!


Friday, January 21, 2011

Great Video on Artichokes for Allrecipes.com

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/How-to-Cook-an-Artichoke-Video/Detail.aspx

Grilled Artichokes

6 artichokes
olive oil or vegan butter spread
3 lemons
sprig of thyme (optional)
garlic
sea salt or kosher salt
black pepper or peppercorns to grind
balsamic vinegar
Prepare marinade and set aside:
1/2 cup olive oil
4-6 garlic cloves pressed with back of knife
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or fresh
lemon juice (save the lemon itself)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Cut off spiny tips of artichokes with scissors and cut off the very tops with a knife. Cut off stems.

Gently separate leaves like a flower.

Cut in half lengthwise and remove the hairy part with a grapefruit spoon (leaving the meat intact).

Use the lemons to rub over the tips of the leaves where they were trimmed and put a little lemon juice on the meat.

Preheat your grill.

Fill a big pot with a few inches of water. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, some crushed garlic, the leftover lemon wedges, and sprig of thyme. Place artichokes in water with stem side down. Use some of the marinade, drizzling in between the leaves. Bring to a boil and boil for about 15 minutes until the outer leaves remove fairly easily (as if you were going to eat them at this point).

Remove from water, drain in colander and allow to dry for a little while.

Brush artichokes on outside with ½ of remaining marinade and place on the grill outside down for 3-5 minutes on medium high heat. Baste insides with remaining marinade and flip over for 3-5 minutes. Table seasonings include lemon juice and sea salt.

Alternatively, after the artichokes have drained they can be marinated overnight in the fridge to grill the next day (saves a lot of time at a party!) After grilling, artichokes can be refrigerated and reheated on the grill or in the microwave.

Serves: 3-6

Preparation time: 1/2 hour-45 mins

Storing Mushrooms

Things You'll Need

* Paper towels
Paper bag
Mushroom brush (optional)

Steps
1
Step One
Be sure the mushrooms are fresh. Choose mushrooms that are firm and free of any decay. Look at the gills under the mushroom tops. Gills that are closed tightly indicate a young mushroom that has a delicate taste and will last longer. There's nothing wrong with gills that are more open; it simply shows that the mushroom is older. It will have a richer taste but won't stay fresh for long.
2
Step Two
Remove any plastic wrap covering the mushrooms. Mushrooms need ventilation. Plastic bags and plastic storage containers will lead to quick decay. A plain brown paper bag is a great choice for storing mushrooms. You can also simply cover the original container with a paper towel as a replacement for the plastic wrap.
3
Step Three
Do not wash the mushrooms before storing. It's important to keep them dry. However, you can gently brush the dirt off with your fingers or a mushroom brush. Later, when you start to prepare them for a meal, lightly rinse the mushrooms and dry them right away with paper towels.
4
Step Four
Refrigerate the mushrooms. Keep the mushrooms in the least humid part of the refrigerator.
5
Step Five
Be aware of storage times for different mushroom varieties. Agaric mushrooms, often called white mushrooms, have button caps and a white or light brown color. Agaric mushrooms will stay fresh for up to one week. Cremini mushrooms are also called Italian brown mushrooms. Their earthy flavor works well with many dishes and they can stay fresh for a maximum of one week. Shiitake mushrooms are best known for their use in Asian cooking. Their color varies from tan to dark brown. Fresh Shiitake mushrooms can be stored for approximately two weeks. Portobello mushrooms are related to Agaric mushrooms, but they're much larger and have a meaty flavor. They can be stored for up to ten days.
Overall Tips & Warnings

* Do not freeze fresh uncooked mushrooms. First saute the mushrooms in oil or butter, let them cool and then put them in a freezer bag. One month is the maximum freezer storage time for these mushrooms.

Stuffed Mushrooms

24 lg. mushroom caps, cleaned
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 (6 oz.) pkg. frozen snow crabmeat, thawed or 1 can snow crabmeat
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. minced green onions
1 tbsp. horseradish
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. minced parsley
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Adjust rack to upper third. Brush mushrooms with melted butter. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Drain crabmeat, discard liquid and set meat aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together mayonnaise and horseradish. Add bread crumbs, cheese, green onion and parsley. Stir until well mixed. Add crabmeat and toss with a fork. Mound 1 level tablespoon of the mixture into each mushroom. Bake for 5 minutes or until warm, then broil 4 inches from heat for about 1 minute or until light golden brown. Serve immediately.

Chinese Cabbage Salad

Ingredients
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
2 T White Sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 (3ounce) package chicken flavored ramen noodles, crushed, seasoning packet reserved
1/2 vegetable oil
1 package broccoli coleslaw mix
1/2 cup chopped green onion
4 ounces toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, cook the vinegar and sugar over medium heat until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, ramen seasoning packet and oil. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the uncooked ramen noodles, broccoli coleslaw mix, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad; toss evenly to coat. Refrigerate until chilled.