When I was younger, I disliked sweet potatoes for the same reason I disliked many carrot dishes…they were too sweet. I would say “I didn’t like sweet potatoes,” and huff around a bit. What I meant was that I didn’t like them prepared with brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or any additional sweetness. I just […]
specialty crops
Thanksgiving Shopping Recommendations From The Land Connection
Pro-chef ingredients are waiting to shine in your holiday entertaining at the CU Winter Farmers Market.
They’re Leeks, Not Leaks
No, they aren’t the ire of every homeowner, they are a delicious vegetable that is just as versatile as their bulbous cousins, if not more so. Leeks are a great crop that is typically found fresh at your local farmers markets and food co-ops starting in late summer and lasting well into winter. They are […]
Tomatillos, Not Just For Salsa Verde
While visiting relatives in Pennsylvania over the 4th of July, I rediscovered my love for tomatillos. Rey and I were preparing a meal for my extended family and decided to source everything locally. We were hitting up several farmers markets and farm stands around my parent’s farm. We got everything we needed but realized we […]
Tomato Care Basics
by Ryan Pankau, University of Illinois Extension Nothing beats a homegrown tomato! Even when in season, the store-bought varieties just cannot compare to a fully ripe tomato harvested at its peak from your own garden. So many gardeners across American choose tomato plants for their vegetable patch each year for this reason, making it the […]
We’ve Got the Beets!
I am a big fan of beets. I absolutely love a good, hearty Borscht in the winter and in the spring and early summer I make a raw beet slaw with daikon and cabbage that is to die for. Mmmm beets. Now, to be fair, I was not always this in love with beets. In […]