NUTRITIOUS ORGANIC FOOD DOESN'T COST THE EARTH
So much to know, so little time.
Take a minute to veg out here—you'll be glad you did!
Poplar Bluff Organics owner Rosemary Wotske explains how to plant potatoes the right way. You can be a successful gardener and grow delicious, healthy potatoes if you start them off right.
Rosemary was interviewed on Shaw TV's "Amber Approved". Great info packed into only 8 minutes!
We animated our logo recently.
True to life, it gets pretty windy out here!
We all need antioxidants to protect our health, but did you know you can find rich sources right here?
We have varieties of vegetables that beat out blueberries in the antioxidants race. Read on:
Ask for Russian Blue potatoes and Purple Haze carrots for a delicious win for your health.
You don’t have to be a plant scientist to know intuitively that that would be a bad idea. But why is it that very little of food value would grow in sand? The answer is, like all living things, vegetables need nutrition to grow.
Poplar Bluff’s dark, rich organic soil is chock full of soil creatures that find, build and deliver life-sustaining nutrients to the plant. The plants trade the sugar they make for the minerals and nutrients delivered. The more nutrients, the more sugar the plant makes. Eventually, there is so much sugar that it is just stored in the veggie for later (yep, they hoard sweets). A well-fed root veggie doesn’t burn all that sugar, so that’s what creates the unbeatable flavour.
The famous Kennebec potato is sought after by French fry aficionados everywhere. Problem is, they’ll go green within four hours of light exposure, so they’re not sold in stores.
Restaurant chefs seek out Kennebecs for their amazing properties, but you can bring them home, too.
Just make an appointment at Poplar Bluff Organics to pick them up, or ask your organic grocery store to order them in for you. Keep them in a paper bag in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
For unbeatable flavour and nutrition in potatoes, go for the gold, the heavy lifters in the nutrient category. There's a direct correlation between colour and nutrient density in vegetables. The darker the flesh, the more packed with nutrients; the more nutrient dense, the better the flavour. Golds have tons of carotenes, Vitamin A family, and lutein for eye health. Just be sure to serve with butter or oil, since carotene needs fat to be absorbed. Powerful stuff!
Whether you're in the mood for sweet or savoury, there's something for everyone here. These are our staff favourites, tested with enthusiasm!
Recommended by Chef, Lynn Crawford. She says, "I have made this potato soup recipe for as long as I can remember! It is creamy, rich and satisfying. The sharp Cheddar and dill really make this chowder-style soup magic."
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 carrots cut into 1/2 in. pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 leek, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1 1/2lbs waxy potato. (Colomba was used) Peeled and cut into 1/2 in. pieces
Salt & pepper
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. chopped dill
1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
In a heavy bottomed pot over med-high heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, onion, leek and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until the vegetables begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken stock, reduce heat & simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender about 10 minutes.
Transfer 3 cups of the soup to a blender, add the cream and blend until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the dill & cheese. Season with salt & pepper.
Serves 4
Another great recipe that I use all the time. Perfect, because it uses both of the main products from Poplar Bluff, potatoes and carrots.
It is easy to assemble and so delicious. It is a great one to have on hand to pop out of the freezer on those days when you don't have time or maybe don't feel like cooking. We all have those, right?
Enjoy!
Submitted & tested by Darlene
This is a beautiful dessert that brings the fresh citrus flavours of summer to a family meal. It's a dense and delicious version of carrot cake. One individual after eating said, "This may be the best carrot cake I've ever eaten."
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cups grated carrots
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Cream Cheese Icing
Using medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together sugar, oil and eggs until well blended. Combine next 6 ingredients (flour through nutmeg) and stir into egg mixture until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until the cake tests done. Cool in pan on a rack. Spread with your favorite cream cheese icing recipe. Can be frozen.
****Tip: I line my pan with parchment paper so that I can remove the entire cake from the pan for easy cutting and serving. Once cooled I just lift it out and transfer it onto a cutting board.
What a great way to enjoy one of Carrots by Cams delicious vegetables.
This recipe has been baked and enjoyed dozens of times. It's easy to assemble and always turns out moist and delicious.
Note:
I also grate up my carrots in batches and freeze the quantities in individual bags for future baking days. Saves so much time.
Submitted & tested by Darlene
Original recipe was taken from a post done up by the Atco Blue Flame Kitchen in our local newspaper, several years ago.
This is a rich, moist cake, the kind you’d find on a big, scrubbed pine table. It cries out for a cold glass of milk or a steaming cup of coffee. The pepper is controversial. Some folks just can’t imagine why you’d add it to a cake, but it gives it a delicious zing. You can skip it if it scares you, but why not try it?
¾ lb. Poplar Bluff organic potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks, or 1 cup cooked and mashed organic potatoes. (Use a starchy potato that mashes up smoothly.)
Coarse salt, pinch
Cocoa powder for dusting
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 T. honey
½ c. boiling water
1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
¼ - ½ t. finely ground black pepper
½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ c. oil
2 c. sugar
5 large eggs at room temperature
2 t. vanilla
Delicious with or without your favourite glaze or icing.
You won't believe it, but this cake contains two unusual ingredients: organic potatoes and black pepper.
Potatoes are the secret to its moist richness, while the pepper adds a flavour zing.
Easy to put together and a real crowd-pleaser! One of Rosemary's favourites.
Recipe taken from one of Rosemary's cookbooks.
Submitted & tested by Darlene
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Slogan: Nutritious Organic Food Doesn't Cost the Earth is protected by copyright and is pending trademark by Poplar Bluff Organics
Cartoon illustrations by Natalie Hachey ~ Local photographs by Darlene Hooge