July 19, 2022

Magic City Shine

We’d be remiss if we did not begin this post by first congratulating the city of Birmingham on a fantastic run of the 2022 World Games which wrapped last night. We have long known the extraordinary power, beauty, creativity, and love of this city but to share this with visitors from around the globe has really buoyed us. We loved welcoming many first-time customers to Farmstand and sending them home with pickled okra and sweet corn relish, our signature Bloody Mary mixes and fresh flowers.

In this week’s CSA share, we share more of the produce that makes this city and this region so darned special. From Grandview Farm, we have stunning oyster mushrooms. These are rich and meaty in texture and take on the flavors of any dish you add them to. We like them in a stir-fry where they can take the place of any traditional protein.

If you’ve saved any of that nutty popcorn rice from a few weeks ago, now is the time to pull that out! Speaking of which, have you ever tried this recipe for baking your rice? It is a game-changer and a mean-expediter, to be sure. Maybe even double the recipe so you’ll have leftover rice to use in this recipe for the carrots and potatoes from our own Harpersville, AL farm. We think the flavor combination sounds fantastic.

Speaking of fantastic, each CSA member will receive a bundle of our signature Stone Hollow Farmstead dahlias this week. If you missed our annual Dahlia Day last month, this is your chance to savor some of the blooms we love so much. We’re currently offering our dahlia tubers for sale which will ship in March for your own home gardens. Be sure to take a look at the varieties we offer, on our website. With names like Jitterbug and Jabberbox, Giggles and Firepot, choosing your blooms will be the hardest part of your order.

Our farm continues to produce so many of the summertime favorites we love: onions, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries and okra.

We have a bevy of peppers this week as well, which include varieties like Hungarian sweet pepper, Piment d’Espelette, serrano and banana legs. Some of these will be large enough to blanch and stuff with a generous filling of rice, herbs and ground beef while others are just as happy to be sliced and added to mid-week salads. Traditionally, the piment d’espellete peppers are dried and ground for the savory heat they impart. Tell us how you decide to enjoy yours!

Thank you again for being such a special part of our Summer CSA. YOU are what makes Birmingham shine as brightly as it does – and now the whole world knows.