Beat the Heat with a nice cold, refreshing and healthy smoothie with Bishop's Own Blueberries! Easy to make and even easier to enjoy. Just follow this simple recipe:
2 bananas, peeled, frozen and cut into chunks 1 cup frozen blueberries 1 cup orange juice 1 Tbs. honey
Blend fruit and orange juice together in blender until "smooth." Add Honey, lightly blend again, pour and enjoy!
Want to try something a little different for the KIDS... Add some Vanilla Yogurt, pour smoothie mixture into Popsicle molds or an ice cube tray, stick Popsicle sticks into the middle of each cube and place in freezer. Take out a couple hours later and the kids will have a tasty treat that is cool and healthy.
With the warm weather, we are cutting our own grown asparagus daily. Asparagus is a heart healthy food as well as a great source of fiber! There are so many different ways to cook and prepare asparagus so that you can eat it more than once a week and it doesn't get old. You can steam it, roast it, grill it, saute it or even eat it raw if you like it that way.
With the warm weather, there is no doubt that the outdoor grill has already been broken in for the season. Here are two simple recipes for you to help you savor that fresh local tasting asparagus that our farmers in the field are bringing into our market everyday.
Grilled Asparagus
1 lb of trimmed Asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Fresh Grated Parmesean Cheese (can be omitted)
Wash and trim Asparagus. Lay out on a baking sheet, Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss around so it is evenly coated. Place Asparagus on the preheated grill over high heat for 5 minutes. Roll asparagus 1/4 over every minute or so in order for it to be grilled evenly. Serve immediately.
Quinoa with Asparagus
1 Cup Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah)
1 3/4 cup of low sodium Chicken Broth (Water or Vegetable Stock can be used in place
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups of Asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Cloves of Garlic thinly sliced
1/3 cup of freshly chopped Parsley
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
Bring Chicken Broth to a boil in saucepan. Add Quinoa and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. In the meantime, in a saute pan over Medium heat saute garlic in olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add in cut Asparagus and saute for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the cooked Asparagus mixture. Fluff with fork. Add the lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy.
Feel free to add in other veggies such as carrots or zucchini to add your own twist and be culinary creative!
We hope you enjoy Bishop's Own Asparagus and enjoy the Local Flavor!
Our 85 hives of rented honeybees have just concluded their work for the 2010 season. Our farm crew had to dash into high gear this season, as temperatures soared early, and the result was the onset of pear, peach and then apple blossoms almost 2 weeks early.
We are praying that no more frost comes along to kill the tender buds... the danger zone lasts till mid-May along the Connecticut coastline.
We have captured many great shots of blossom time in our orchards.
Visit our Facebook page to enjoy the beauty of spring on our farm.
Spring is in the air... or at least we thought it was two weeks ago. Then... rain, rain, and more rain. So, against the popular poem, March went out like a lion as opposed to a lamb and hopefully April will start with some sunshine that we are all yearning for. This time of year, we want to see the colors of Spring outside as the plants, trees and flowers start showing signs of hope that Spring is in fact upon us.
With Spring comes the Easter holiday. Funny how every holiday has colors associated with them, and fittingly, Easter's are the pastel colors of Spring. Not only do holidays have the traditional themed colors, but traditional food pairings as well. While different family traditions and cultures may vary by recipes or main courses, the one thing that everyone can associate Easter with is EGGS! So, in the spirit of colors and food, we thought that we would give some tips on Decorating Easter Eggs... but not necessarily the "traditional" way.
With only a few days left before Easter, now is the perfect time to decorate those eggs. You don't have to use the traditional "dye kits" that you buy in the store, there are other ways to color and decorate your eggs.
Dye your eggs "naturally!" How you say? Hard Boil Your Eggs in advance so that you give them time to cool in the refrigerator before dyeing. Bring the following ingredients to a boil for 20 minutes (separately) for your natural colors to use as dye. You only need one of the ingredients per color, we are giving you suggestions.
Yellow - Lemon or Orange Peels, Carrots Red - Cranberries and Raspberries Blue - Blueberries, Grape Juice, Red Cabbage Green - Spinach leaves Brown - Tea or Coffee Orange - Chili Powder or Paprika
There are many other things out there that you can try and experiment with. Be creative... the longer you leave the ingredient in the boiling water, the darker the color will be. As soon as you are done boiling your food, strain the liquid and let it cool to a warm temperature. Then, take your cooled eggs and color as desired. When using "natural dyes," it is best to leave the eggs sitting in them for 5 to 10 minutes to really saturate the shell and soak up the colors. It takes a little longer, but is a neat and different way of doing things. Remember to turn you egg occasionally in the dye for even coloring. Take out and let dry.
When it is time to clean up, take your "food" that you boiled and use it as compost so there isn't any trash or garbage associated with your Easter Egg Fun!!
Want less of a mess, try coloring and decorating your eggs with crayons, markets, glitter, tissue paper and glue, foil Easter candy wrappers and other crafty things that you may have laying around the house!
Well, it looks like we still have snow in the forecast, but we are ready for Spring. As far as we can tell, the sun is staying with us longer throughout the day and next weekend we "Spring" our clocks ahead. So who's with us?
Everyone at Van Wilgen's "Escape to Spring" exposition, that's who. This weekend from Friday, March 5 through Sunday March 7 from 8am to 5pm over 30 local businesses are getting together to celebrate the prospect of Spring.
The event is going to feature suggestive landscape solutions, helpful hints on using soils, fertilizers and tools. Pretty much everything that you'll need to know before you design your lawn landscape or start planting vegetable and flower seeds. The event will also have everything for sports enthusiasts, chefs, handymen, artists and fashionistas.
Don't forget to bring your kids to this event. Boats, trailers and big trucks will be on hand for children of all ages to explore.
Bishop's Orchards is participating everyday from 8am-5pm with tasty food and wine samples. The wine tasting schedule is: Friday from 2-5pm, Saturday from 12-5pm and Sunday from 12-5pm. We look forward to seeing you there. Come on SPRING!!!
Exhibitors include: Aquatic Pools, Atlantic Outboard, Bartlett Tree Experts, Bishop's Orchards, Branford Garden Club, By the Sea Inn & Spa, Carol's Creations, Connecticut Orchid Society, Cooking Enthusiast, Deitter's Water Gardens, Essex Antiques Dealers: English Accents, Lord Nelson, Weltner's, Fafard Soil, Fairways Driving Range, The Glass Hut: JC Art Glass Designs, Art Glass by Mathews, Giant Oak Power Equipment, Groing Green Birding, Grand Vin, Grossman Chevrolet, Hart & Van Wilgen Grass Seed, Karen Lipeika Gallery, Kid Wishes Toy Store, La Cuisine, North Cove Outfitters, Pepper's General Pet Store, Pexagon Technology, Premier Subaru, Trailblazers, Trailer Depot, Tricia Bohan Photography, Van Wilgen Grown, Voles Be Gone and Zane's Cycles.
Heart Disease is the #1 killer of Americans. February is National Heart Month and Bishop's would like to share a few great ways to keep your heart healthy including lifestyle tips, recommended foods, smart-shopping decisions and preparation techniques.
Seven tips for a healthy lifestyle to promote a healthy heart from the American Heart Association include:
1.) Don't smoke 2.) Maintain a healthy weight 3.) Engage in regular physical activity 4.) Eat a healthy diet 5.) Manage blood pressure 6.) Take charge of cholesterol 7.) Keep blood sugar or glucose at healthy levels
Let's focus on #4 for a moment - Eat a healthy diet. Generally it is healthier and cheaper to cook at home. When you plan to cook at home make smart decisions on choosing your ingredients. The small choices you make will make a big impact on your healthy lifestyle.
Here are a list of heart healthy foods that you can incorporate into your diet with ease:
3.) MEATS: Extra lean ground beef, all natural bison steak, natural ground turkey breast, oven roasted turkey breast, extra lean boneless pork loin, skinless chicken breast/tenders
4.) PASTA: go for whole wheat spaghetti, pene, rotini, etc.
Likewise, the preparation method of your meal also has a big impact on your diet. Here are a list of preparation techniques for veggies and meats that are a heart-healthy alternative to frying:
1.) OIL: When selecting an oil, choose one with the lowest saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol (olive oil, canola oil, safflower oil, sesame oil or soybean oil) But use sparingly, they still contain 120 calories per tablespoon!
2.) SEASONINGS: Avoid using prepackaged seasonings as they contain a lot of salt. Use fresh herbs wherever possible.
By just incorporating a few of these small changes you can get your heart healthy, have more cash in your pocket and live a healthier life!
Now that we are coming to the end of January, we wonder how many of you made a resolution to Eat better, Lose Weight, become more organized, and/or try not to be "wasteful?" All of these are very popular New Year's resolutions, and we believe that they are all good ones too. But, we all know that it is a little easier to accomplish a resolution or any goal for that matter, when you have a little help. So... we want to help you... CLEAN and REORGANIZE your fridge!
Here are 10 steps that we think you should know and follow to make the most of the food that you buy at the store, so you don't end up wasting so much food, so that you are making the most of it, and actually using the food that you buy as opposed to it mysteriously finding it's way to the dark abyss in the back of the refrigerator.
We hope this helps and would love to hear back from you if you have any great suggestions that you might want to share with us!
Happy Organizing!
1. Don’t believe everything you read. Refrigerator door compartments are too warm to store dairy items. Even though refrigerator commercials often tout their large door compartments as a great place to store milk, it tastes better when it’s cold, so use the door compartments for less perishable items such as condiments.
2. Customize your refrigerator to your lifestyle. Whether you eat most of your meals in a restaurant, or you’re the next Julia Child, you should figure out how you will use your refrigerator to complement you and your family. If it’s only used to keep leftovers cold, then don’t stock up on lots of perishables you won’t use.
3. Plan your meals for the week. Put together a master list of meals with ingredients to make food shopping and rotation in the refrigerator easier. You will save money by using up ingredients that you already have on hand and you will save time trying to figure out what to cook when you are hungry! Check out our handy shopping checklist for some great nutritious items that should find their way into your cart.
4. Clean it up. Purge shelves, drawers and doors each week, throwing away anything past its expiration date. Can’t remember the last time you opened that jar of salsa? When in doubt, throw it out (or recycle!). Then wipe down all surfaces with hot soapy water.
5. Keep it in the zone. Keep like items together where you can see them, such as kids’ snacks, breakfast items, and lunch fixings. Yogurt containers won’t get lost if they are clustered together in a small plastic tub. Taller items should be kept towards the back of each group of items so that you can see them behind the smaller ones in front.
6. Store it right. Store food in airtight containers. Reusable, plastic bins are perfect for the job. Purchase about 10 or 12 clear plastic high quality bins of the same brand. They are easier to stack; and see-through containers mean you won’t be guessing what’s inside. Toss out or recycle all those oddball take-out containers.
7. Prepare food for easy accessibility
When coming home from the store, wash, cut and store produce for immediate and easy use.This not only helps you to use things sooner rather than later, it is a great time saver.This also makes it easier to pack lunches for work and school too, if things are already prepared to grab and go (it saves you money by not buying lunch on a daily basis too).
8. Know your food. Label all containers with a date. Keep a marker or grease pen near the refrigerator for a quick label. This helps to rotate the older foods to the front so they can be eaten first.
9. Keep it cold. The back and bottom of your refrigerator are the coldest areas, so keep perishables and hardy vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, there. Crisper drawers have higher humidity to keep vegetables such as celery and peppers crisp.
10. Leave it out. Some things keep better outside the refrigerator, such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and apples. And over-stuffing your refrigerator just makes it work harder and costs more in electricity. So don’t over-stuff yours with items that don’t need to be there.
With these tips, your refrigerator not only will look good, but it will make food preparation and storage a snap.
