Good Season'n With Herb'n Renewal

It's almost a new year and that means we have to ring 2016 in with a true southern favorite! Anyone from the south knows that you have to have black-eyed peas for luck and rice for prosperity. Here's one of our favorite recipes that uses both of them! smile emoticon

Hoppin' John

1 lb. dried black eyed peas, soaked in water overnight and drained.
2 qts. water
1/2 lb. country ham, cubed
14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 tbsp. bacon drippings
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup white rice
2 tbsp. Rub'n Season Herb'n All

Check out our Herb'n Renewal FaceBook page for some recipes using our Cajun Wing'n Season...available right here at our Local Harvest store!

https://www.facebook.com/Herbn-Renewal-43422629475/

As many of you farmers market vendors know, by the time the last hour of the market day rolls along...you are tired, more like worn out and you still have to break down your tents and load everything into your vehicle. And, I have to admit that I have often wondered why I have put myself through this for over 18 years. Lol Then something, or more like someone, makes it all worthwhile!

Yes, it was that last hour and I was pooped...3am comes early! My hubby was waiting on a customer and I noticed a mom and her young teenage daughter looking at items in our booth. I walked over and asked if I could help them with anything and mom immediately encouraged the daughter to give me her spiel. It seems as though she wanted one of my Zucchini, Apple'n Oat Thingies and she didn't have any money with her but she did have eggs! And, one heck of an ear to ear grin. :)

Mom, very nicely told her to go on and talk to me. She handed me an adorable, but very professional business card for “Doodlebug's Delectables!” She went on to explain that she would like to barter some of her eggs for one of my “Thingies!” I asked how much she charged for a dozen eggs and she said $3...I quickly explained that I would owe her $.50. I was told not to worry about it...she had plenty of eggs and she wanted a “Thingie!” Mom never said a word...this 13 year old entrepreneur did all of the talking until a deal was made. And, let me just say that we were both happy.

I started asking questions about her hens and WOW...this girl knows her fowl!!! She told me how she got started...she just wanted a chicken so she bought one and then the love started! She saved her allowance and bought more. She did research and made sure she was doing everything right. She currently has 21 laying hens and they are her sole responsibility...she pastures them, feeds them when needed, makes sure they always have fresh water, tracks their laying habits and yes, they all have names and she swore she could tell which hen layed which egg! I just grinned listening to her...so young and so excited about anything agriculture related...and, I know nothing about chickens other than I enjoy eating them and I love farm fresh eggs! I was told to look at the back side of her business card and I had to giggle when I saw it...”I DON'T WANNA BE A NUGGET!”  

Her expertise continued through our conversation and I have to admit that the last hour flew by...I was enthralled with this 13 year old. :) When she went to fetch my two dozen eggs she asked what color I wanted. I told her to surprise me and she did...green, blue, brown, white and even an odd olive drab colored one. She apologized for not having any pink ones...seems the latest acquisition to her flock hasn't started laying yet! She also informed me that the color of the egg shell did not mean the color of the yolk...they are all yellow!!! lol

Yes, there is hope for the agricultural world with young gals like this! :)

And I drove home tired, but with a big smile on my face...this is what makes “doing” a farmers market so rewarding! :)

Tailgaiting and cooler weather means it is time for some great one pot meals! Hog Wild Chili is a must have for one of our customers...he swears that he would be “hog tied” by his friends if he didn't have a pot full of it during U.K. Football games.

Hog Wild Chili

3 lbs. pork loin, cubed...we used pork from Herman's Happy Hogs!

2 tbsp. bacon drippings

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup diced green pepper

1 12 oz. can of beer

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 29 oz. can tomato sauce

3 tbsp. Chili Season'n

1 30 oz. can chili beans

1 15.5 oz can great northern beans

Brown pork in bacon drippings until moisture is reduced and meat is lightly browned. Add peppers and onions; saute' 5 minutes. Add beer, tomatoes, sauce and Chili Season'n. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add beans and return to a simmer and cook until meat is tender...approximately 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. If chili is not the desired thickness, add 1 tbsp. of cornmeal at a time to thicken ...make sure you stir after adding each spoonful.

If meat is not your thing, try this recipe...we eat meat but this is still one of our favorites!

Veggie Chili

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 12 oz. can beer

2 carrots, diced

1 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold taters, cubed

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 29 oz. can tomato sauce

1 lb. frozen corn

2 4 oz. cans sliced mushrooms, drained

1 27 oz. cans chili beans

4 tbsp. Chili Season'n

In a 7 quart pot, saute' the onion, pepper, celery and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add beer, potatoes, tomatoes and tomato paste; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and add remaining ingredients; stir. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer...stirring often, for 1 hour or longer. The longer it simmers, the better!

***NOTE***

BTW, if you happen to have an old copy of this recipe there is a BIG mistake...the 29 oz. can of tomato sauce was listed as tomato paste!!! Oh my gosh...that recipe has been included in our Chili Season'n packages for over 15 years and we never noticed the mistake. Please make sure you use sauce and not paste!!! To our defense, these recipes were usually typed up at 3 am on a Saturday morning before we headed out to the farmers market. Geez...how could we miss this one, it's a biggie!!! I guess that's a big DUH on our part and we apologize.

Please remember to take a moment out of your day today to think back 14 years ago and the tragic events that happened to our country. We still stand strong but we will never forget! To the families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001...we hurt along with you. To our brave heroes, the police and fire departments, the canine corps and everyone else who helped immediately after the disasters and in the recovery...you are our heroes...never forget that. All of your lights will always shine in our hearts.

Now on to something a bit lighter. The good news...it looks like Herb'n Renewal will be at the Liquor Barn Hamburg market tomorrow! The weather folks seem to think that the rain will hold off until evening so that means we can bring our hand blended herb seasonings and Zucchini, Apple'n Oat Thingies to the market without the fear of them getting soaked. :)

More great news...the 4 Pepper Blend is back! We have always used nothing but the best suppliers and when we couldn't get the pink peppercorns from them, Drew just stopped blending it until they were available again. No reason to take a chance on a new supplier when we were very happy with the same one we've been using for years. We got a delivery this week and Drew commenced to blending! :) I have to tell you that our own supply was getting low and I started to panic and I'm not a pepper lover. Lol

Hope to see you all tomorrow...we'll be at the Liquor Barn Hamburg from 9 until 2 or we get rained out...fingers crossed that does not happen. Remember, the Liquor Barn Hamburg market will be open through November 14^th this year!!!

Well, September has arrived and while that means the possibility of cooler weather, it also means that those wonderful vine ripened tomatoes are going to be a thing of the past in a few weeks. Why not take advantage of them while they are still plentiful! A fresh tomato is hard to beat just sliced and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt. But, why not try something that can be used in many ways...salsa!!! Think the normal like a topping on tacos or served with tortilla chips...don't stop there! How about as a topping on an omelet made with farm fresh eggs. Or maybe skip the ketchup on your burger and use salsa instead...yummy! We are guilty of buying frozen burritos for a quick meal and there is nothing better than some freshly made salsa on top.

Okay, I know you are thinking that salsa requires quite a few ingredients and many of them you might not have on hand. Let me tell you that our Salsa Season'n solves that problem with just a quick trip to the farmers market! All you need are tomatoes, green bell peppers (or some hot pepper variety if you like spicy) and an onion...plus our Herb'n Renewal Salsa Season'n! We've already added the lime juice, cilantro, garlic and the other usual spices and herbs. It's just a matter of chopping, dicing and sprinkling...you've got fresh homemade salsa in minutes!

Here's our standard recipe...remember that this is for a basic and flavorful salsa, if you want more spice add some hot peppers!

Simply Salsa

Just mix 1/2 cup diced green pepper, 1/2 cup diced onion, 3 cups of diced tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of SALSA SEASON'N! Let sit a bit in order to blend the flavors. This is a medium heat salsa...add more or less to taste. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy! Or use your imagination and create! By the way, we have customers who use our Salsa Season'n in a fruit salsa with melon, papaya, avocado, etc. The things that you can do with this blend is endless...try it on your next grilled pork chop!

You can find us each Saturday through November 14^th at the Liquor Barn Hamburg market from 9 until 2! And, we'll be bringing plenty of Salsa Season'n! :D

With it being National Farmers Market Week, I thought it might be the perfect opportunity to let folks know how Herb'n Renewal and our association with a farmer's market came about.

I guess it was our love of food that brought us together. Drew had many (and, I mean many) years experience in kitchens...he started at his grandpa's side when he was only four years old! And, he and his love of food just grew from there. Karin on the other hand, was more into the marketing and promoting of great food. She had a small business that provided catering personnel to local caterers, businesses and just plain folks who liked to entertain. Lo and behold, Karin needed a recipe to make enough Sloppy Joe's for 250 people...not a problem because she could go to the library but why bother when a chef named Drew was sitting right there...just ask him. Okay, so he was sitting with four young lovely ladies...but who cares when you need a recipe! Lol He quickly wrote one out on a cocktail napkin, Karin prepared it as written, the crowd loved it and when Drew stopped by to see how things had gone...let's just say the rest is history! Twenty One years of history and 17+ of them have involved a farmers market or two.

Our first venture was at a farmers market in Lexington, Kentucky that we frequented on Saturday's. We noticed that nobody sold fresh cut herbs and we were both avid users of them. A brainstorm hit and a way to earn a little extra cash....always a good thing. So, we joined the Lexington Farmers Market in 1997 and started selling our herb plants on Saturday's. It was great...we loved talking herbs and the customers appreciated our knowledge. By the end of the season folks were coming back and asking how the heck they should be using them because they were growing so well. Poor Drew went home hoarse each week after trying to explain recipes, ways to utilize their bountiful herb plants. Lol

Once the market season ended I told Drew that he need to write a cookbook using herbs. “That is not gonna happen” was his exact quote...he said he doesn't spell well enough. So, we had to come up with something else and that's how Herb'n Renewal was born! He worked that whole winter on our original six herb seasoning blends...the Rub'n Season line which has a little bit for just about everything that you want “herbie” or should it be “herby?”

We started our second year with herb plants and our new line of herb seasoning...it was a hit! Of course we couldn't settle for just the common herbs that folks grew and the research began...we were the first to offer Stevia plants at the market, who the heck had ever heard of “cutting celery” in Lexington, let alone Epazote! Well, we had and we sold the plants...here goes the “how to use them” thing again. Lol Needless to say, that winter of 1998 brought some big changes to Herb'n Renewal...our dried herb seasoning line began to grow over the winter months!

Fast forward a few more years and we realize that we need a commercial kitchen to keep up with the demand. And, unfortunately, we no longer have time to grow our herb plants. Truth be known, our customers loved having them already dried, blended and ready to use. Yes, Herb'n Renewal was a hit!!! :) But, one down side was the fact that “our” market was becoming more commercial rather than a farmers market and we felt like our love had become a job and a chore...not what we wanted. So what do you do when you dread going to the market each Saturday because you see that things have really changed? You gather with a group of other members and form a new market!!!

In 2007, the Bluegrass Farmers' Market was formed with four founding members of the “old market” and we quickly got applications for new farmers to join. Yes, this was going to be a true farmers market...you had to grow or produce what you sold at the market! We were in seventh heaven knowing that we were amongst “real” farmers and producers again. :) And, once again...it's history because we are Kentucky Proud members of the Bluegrass Farmers' Market and yes, we still sell our 28 varieties of hand blended herb seasonings along with Karin's handcrafted soaps and her latest crowd favorite which Kentucky so wisely allows farmers to bake and create in their home kitchens provided they grow an ingredient. Our ingredient would be zucchini and the crowd favorite Zucchini, Apple'n Oat Thingies is now available each and every Saturday at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market in our new location (we lost our lease last year) at the Liquor Barn in the Hamburg area.

It's been a great ride and we continue to enjoy the thrill! :)

Today is the start of National Farmers Market Week! So, what does that mean to the average person? It means a time to celebrate and thank a farmer for providing you with nothing but the freshest and the best available in your area. Okay, so many markets bring fruits and veggies in to resell...it's not the best scenario but it does help farmers markets stay alive during off season growing times. Then you have to consider the “value added” products which certainly do add to the farmers market atmosphere. Think about those jams, jellies, baked goods, pickles and herb seasoning that the market member created using their recipes...many of which have been handed down for generations. And, how about the wonderful cuts of various meats available...beef, pork, lamb, poultry...many raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones. Nature at its finest! Free range eggs, who could want for anything more! Fresh cut flowers and herbs...just one more reason to shop at your local farmers market.

The support that a community brings to a farmers market is amazing in terms of keeping things within their community! This is the one week of the year, although I hope you shop each week, to visit your local farmers market and see the wonderful items available. Who knows, you might skip that weekly shopping trip to the grocery store and find that you love supporting your local farmers market! Trust me, it's a good thing and our farmers sure do appreciate your support...it lets us do what we love and I can guarantee it will bring a smile to your face knowing that you have helped a farm survive in today's concrete world! :)

Okay, the farmers markets are in full swing and there are veggies galore to be had. :) I thought I would share one of our favorite ways to use as many veggies as you want...it doesn't matter how many or which ones you use. I call this an “add whatever you love” dish! And, it's all served in one bowl!!! Here's the basic recipe...play with it!

Herb'n Veggie'n Spaghetti Saute'

1/2 lb. thin spaghetti, broken into thirds

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup bell peppers...any color, diced

1 1/2-2 cups diced fresh tomatoes...any variety or color

1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced

1 tbsp. RUB'N SEASON HERB'N ALL

shredded Italian cheese blend

Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse in cold water, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium/high heat, saute' onions and peppers in the olive oil for 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, zucchini and Rub'n Season Herb'n All and saute' for an additional 4 minutes. Stir in spaghetti and continue to saute' until pasta is heated through. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.

Don't forget...you can add any vegetable that you like, just determine if it needs to be sauteed along with the peppers and onions. One more thing...if you love this as much as we do and have a hard time not having those wonderful summer tomatoes, the canned petite diced tomatoes will work in a pinch.

~*~*~*~*

If you need some Rub'n Season Herb'n All (or any of our other herb blends) you can find us each Saturday at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market located at the Liquor Barn Hamburg in Lexington, KY. We're there from 9 until 2. Or, you can order online at www.herbnrenewal.com or right here at our Local Harvest store http://www.localharvest.org/store/M4993   :)

It's time to think about dinner with a few easy going friends who just happen to be food lovers too! The weather is perfect for sitting at the picnic table and enjoying some fun food that tastes great. We couldn't decide on which beverage to serve with this finger licking good dish but it finally came down to Sangria by the pitcher full...a help yourself to food and drink kinda get together. Our kind of gathering. :)

The Sangria was basically a few bottles of white wine and plenty of fresh fruit stirred in and left to sit for awhile in the fridge so that all of the flavors could come together...then a bit of ginger ale added for some sparkle just before we served it. It was very good!

But, the hit of the evening was a conglomeration of stuff from the fridge and pantry...we called them Tropical Pork Quesadillas for lack of any other name. lol

Here's the recipe...enjoy!

Tropical Pork Quesadilla

2 lb. ground pork

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. Rub'n Season Pork

1/2 cup each red & green peppers, diced

1 cup onion, diced

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

1 tsp. salt

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh or frozen corn

2 cups crushed pineapple

flour tortillas

shredded cheese

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the pork in the olive oil...about 8 minutes and break it apart as it browns. Stir in the Rub'n Season Pork. Add the next four ingredients and saute' for 5 minutes. Add the beans and corn and saute' for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the pineapple and turn off the heat...leaving the skillet on the burner. Brush one side of the tortilla with a bit more olive oil. Layer the cheese, meat mixture and more cheese on the side without the oil...then top with another tortilla and brush a bit more oil on it. Grill on both sides until golden brown. Enjoy!

We'll be at the Liquor Barn Hamburg market tomorrow from 9 until 2 unless it starts to rain.  Our packaging does not like water!

We'll have plenty of hand blended herb seasoning...something for just about everything.  We'll also be bringing those crowd favorites...Zucchini, Apple'n Oat Thingies!  And, handcrafted soaps.

Hope to see you tomorrow. :) 

We thought we were long overdue for an Herb'n Renewal update! It was a very looooong winter, and we won't even go into the broken pipes, frozen lines, etc. but happily, spring (and darn near summer) has arrived here in Kentucky. :) We have started selling at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market again but this time in a new location. Our lease for the Richmond Rd. location was not renewed this year so we had to find a new place to set up our market. I am happy to report that we are now located at the Liquor Barn in the Hamburg Pavillion (their spelling) each Saturday from 9 until 2 unless it is pouring down rain...we made the executive decision to nix rainy day Saturday's! lol We had a major downpour week before last and lost a bunch of herb seasoning packages...not worth it.

So, the good news is, you can find us at 1837 Plaudit Place, Lexington, KY each “no rain” Saturday. :) We are excited about the new location because the Bluegrass Farmers' Market has room to grow and there is plenty of free parking, it's wheelchair and stroller accessible...it's perfect! And, we have new members with new products like cheese! It's a great market, 100% homegrown/produced guaranteed! If you want to buy local...it's the place to shop!

Now on to the new things at Herb'n Renewal...Drew has finally conceded to the public’s demand that he bring back the Season'n Salt....yes, it's back! Thankfully we found a place to purchase the missing pink peppercorns in our 4 Pepper Blend, so it's back too! Karin played with and created a new soap to add to her line...oatmeal! And, she's mixing it with honey, shea butter, goat's milk, and just plain....scented and unscented. Karin has also been busy in the kitchen and you'll be happy to know that the Zucchini, Apple'n Oat Thingies are back too!

Yes, we are excited about the 2015 Bluegrass Farmers' Market season...come visit us!

Well, folks...that time of the year has finally arrived! We are celebrating the start of our 17^th year of selling at a farmers market in Lexington! Some of you might remember us from the Lexington Farmers Market...you know the guy and gal on the corner of Vine and Upper. Well, we made a major decision and decided to move to the Bluegrass Farmers' Market five years ago because we wanted to be members of a 100% homegrown/produced market. We do not regret our move! :)

So, we are inviting everyone to come visit Herb'n Renewal at the opening of the 2014 market season for the Bluegrass Farmers' Market...next Saturday the 12^th of April. Look for the same wonderful hand blended herb seasonings from Drew and the wonderful soaps from Karin. You might even find something new (from the old market) like Karin's “Zucchini Apple'n Oat Thingies!” They were a hit last year at the BGFM! Of course you'll be able to find some old favorites like the Foam'n Soap during holiday specials. :) Another bit of great news...Drew is going to start cooking at the market again!

We're hoping that everyone comes to visit us...and that Mother Nature cooperates next Saturday. Remember that we have items that do not like wet weather, so if it is raining we apologize ahead of time and can only say that we'll see you the following Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed that Saturday is nice and NO rain! :)

BTW, convenient parking is always free and we are wheelchair and stroller accessible...yes, we still bring biscuits for our four-legged friends. :) And, another move from the other market is the fact that the Two Old Troubadours have decided to entertain all of us with their wonderful music! Yup, we have a great time at our little market.

Hope you all come visit us this season,

Drew and Karin, the herb folks at Herb'n Renewal

Check out the market blog to see what is going on...

 http://www.localharvest.org/blog/29529/

You can find us at the... 

BLUEGRASS FARMERS' MARKET

3450 Richmond Rd.

Open April 12, 2014 through October 25, 2014

Saturday 9 until 2 OPENING APRIL 12TH

We'll be set up in the beautiful tree lined parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs, right next door to the Glenn Auto Mall on Richmond Rd. It's just a hop, skip and a jump outside of Man 'O War Blvd. Parking is right there so you don't have to drive around hunting for a spot to park. The parking lot is also paved and that makes it very stroller and wheelchair friendly!

Have you ever had one of those days when you just want to crawl back into bed? We're having one of those. :( To start out with, it seems like the apples that we purchased from a grocery store have been around for awhile...they were rotten, so no Thingies on the last day of the market. After all of the soaking wet rain last week, we had to dry out all of our tents and such. It meant reloading our van, Chuck. Drew went to back Chuck up to the garage and geeeeeeeez, seems like Chuck did not want to play. We think it is the fuel pump. Oh well, now how do we get everything to the market for the last day? We try to figure out how to get all of our market stuff into Bertha Joe! EEEEK! I know, you are all wondering who or what Bertha Joe is. Lol Well, she is a long 1985 Ford LTD Crown Victoria, maroon in color, with some fancy wheels and flaking vinyl top and no heat. But, she is well loved because she belonged to a very dear friend of ours and when he left this earth, he wanted us to have her. His name was Joe and she's a big Bertha...hence Bertha Joe and you all get to meet her tomorrow. :)

As big as Bertha Joe is, the tables would not fit unless we tied them to her roof...that ain't happening! Something tells me that we would have taken flight coming down Nicholasville Rd. lol The great news, farmers are always there to help each other. Made a call to the folks at Hughes Farm and asked if they had a table that we could borrow. Their answer was “of course!” Farmers are great people and we have them to thank for us being able to set up tomorrow...the last day of the Bluegrass Farmers' Market 2013 season.

So, the folks from Herb'n Renewal will be there tomorrow...look for Bertha Joe instead of Chuck. And, even though you won't find Thingies, Karin did make some Foam'n Soap and she'll be bringing the soapy gift baskets too! Drew has packed seasoning galore!

Just thought I would give you a report from our market goodies last week. Robin Hughes from Hughes Farm shared some of her home baked pumpkin goodies with us...delish!!!! I had a Swedish treat this week...radish, butter, salt on white bread sandwich. I know, weird but I grew up eating them and they are wonderful. Jane had perfect radishes...not hot, just crunchy and good! I know my dad, Lars, was smiling down as I enjoyed one of his favorites. On Tapp Dairy provided the eggs for the unbelievable cheese omelets we had for dinner on Tuesday...the Riverhaven Farm peppers were the perfect added attraction! Life is good. :)

Hope to see ya all tomorrow...it's the last chance to stock up! And, we want to say thank you for a great season! :)