Relay Living

We've Moved!

2011-06-02T12:37:00.000-04:00

Sorry, friends. Our blog has taken a journey to

Blog.RelayFoods.com

Please come visit us there!

Classes in Canning and other Pioneer Arts

2011-05-03T14:33:00.024-04:00

"Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."

--Michael Pollan, Food Rules

Eating like our ancestors, whether Paleolithic or pioneer, is increasingly coming into vogue. For the true enthusiast, efforts to eat local food can be supported through the recovery of traditional practices, from fermentation to backyard gardening to canning.

While skills like canning, bread-making,freezing, and menu planning used to be handed on as "secret family" recipes and tips at grandma's stove, these days many grandmothers are as lost in the kitchen as the millennial generation. Enter Leni Sorensen, a local blogger, contributor to In the Kitchen online, and culinary historian, who wants to be your stand-in grandmother for instruction in the pioneer arts.

Leni teaches classes in traditional culinary techniques on summer weekends at her home, nestled in the nook of a mountain stream outside of Charlottesville. The opportunity to marvel at her productive garden/micro-farm is reason enough to take her classes!

Leni has seen food movements come and go. Peppered with the practical wisdom of her family and lifetime ("if you only offer your kids food that is good, you don't have to worry about what they eat"), her conversation celebrates eating while eschewing false solemnity and faddish pieties about food. Having farmed with her husband in South Dakota for a number of years, she embraces the authenticity of real food and friendly gatherings -- her reminiscences about potlucks of barbecue ribs and rich pies are still making me hungry a week later!

Equally at-home with the cerebral (how historically zoning restrictions for local markets reflected racial tension and the rise of supermarkets) and the practical (how would you prepare the meat if you bought half a pig?), Leni exudes curious engagement with the world and instructs with a captivating interweave of anecdote, fact, and maxim.

And of course she leads by delicious example with her mouth-watering canned goods, her bountiful garden, and the details of her own choices ("We only eat tomatoes when they're in season--and then we eat them every day").

Leni's Classes

Leni offers classes all summer, and is happy to create unique classes to suit your needs and curiosity. It's best to contact her and sign up through her blog.

May 21 / 22: Breadmaking
June 11 / 12: Breadmaking
July 16 / 17: Canning tomatoes and peaches
July 23 / 24: Canning tomatoes and peaches
August 13 / 14: Canning tomatoes and peaches
August 27 / 28: Canning tomatoes and peaches
September 10 / 11: Canning tomatoes and pickles
September 24 / 25: Canning tomatoes and pickles
November 12 / 13 / 19: Freezing meat, making sausage

Hope to see you there this summer!

And if you'd like to try out food preservation on your own before going to visit Leni, check out this fantastic one-click recipe for Spicy Pickled Carrots (or any other veggies, really) from our very own Bella Eats!

Relay products related to this post:


Local Hydroponic Greenhouse Tomatoes, about 1 lb.	Horse and Buggy Couples Share	Local Whole Wheat Bread Flour, 5 lbs
$3.49 per Item	$23.00 per Item	$5.71 per Item

School lunches: you CAN take it with you

2011-04-25T12:49:00.009-04:00

"Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does." --Michael Pollan, Food Rules

Today's post on the Fooducate blog illustrates another good reason to avoid airplane food (as if the quality isn't reason enough...). As I've grown to love healthy, local food, I find myself wanting to transport homemade meals in an increasing number of situations: to work, on the way out the door to an event, and especially on plane rides or long trips in the car. Gas station food, as Michael Pollan points out, is equally as questionable as airplane food.

Given all the furor surrounding horrible institutional school lunches, and despite some signs of improvement, school is another place where taking a homemade lunch is probably a good option. Relay customer Lisa asked on our Facebook page,

Do you have any suggestions for school lunch alternatives? My middle schooler hates sandwiches, and prefers a hot lunch (they have a microwave in the lunchroom). What can she take that is easy to prepare, travels well, and doesn't involve a sandwich?

While individual tastes, especially for picky eaters, ultimately determine what works best in a school lunch, I've outlined a few strategies and suggestions below based largely on my own experience and ideas found around the web.

The Bento Box: As artistic or slap-dash as you like, the bento box emphasizes fresh foods packed creatively into one box, sometimes divided into sections. Think TV-dinner but prepared with fresh foods. The possibilities are endless; type "bento" into Google or Tastespotting and you'll find inspiration that will last for years. Lunchinabox.net and JustBento.com are fantastic resources as well. A few ideas:

A simple bento consisting of steamed rice, salmon, and fresh veggies. Obviously a combination that could be taken in a lot of directions to use left-overs, suit tastes, etc.
A summer-themed bento with fresh fruit, sausage, and seasonal vegetables.
A creative bento decorated with "spring flowers" made from plums and carrots.
An irresistible "brown bear bento."

The Salad: While eating a Caesar for lunch every day probably wouldn't get anyone too excited, with the onset of Spring, the possibilities for salad and salad-related meals only continue to become more deliciously appealing. A few ideas to spice up traditional salad offerings:

Mark Bittman's Minimalist column on 101 Summer Salads. Definitely a classic in my book, this article outlines quick salads that require minimum cooking. Everything from a classic five-bean salad to watermelon and tomato.
Make lettuce cups or wraps: fill a lettuce leaf with leftovers like stir-fried vegetables, the meat-cheese-rice-veggie fillings of a taco, or fruit, cheese, and nuts. Romaine, Bibb, and Escarole work well. Here's a beautiful example. And another.
Grains, beans, and veggies: while it might not be everyone's idea of a salad, mixing whole grains with a high-quality protein and some vegetables is a terrific lunch that carries in one container. Added bonus? Make large portions of grains, beans, and prepped vegetables ahead of time, then toss together the day of. This lentil salad could be re-heated and served over rice at school. My roommates and I made the salad below, with lentils, carrots, cabbage, mozzarella, onion, and balsamic glaze over brown rice. Easy and delicious.

Leftovers: While most leftovers can be brought along and re-heated, having glass tupperware with locking lids (see the picture at the top) makes it significantly easier. Make your or your child's favorites in bulk, then send them along to school all week.

Miso vegetables and tofu: pack the tofu separately so that it doesn't get soggy when the vegetables are re-heated. Sauce could also be packed separately for freshness.
Vegetable fried rice from Bella Eats: probably one of the best ways to bring an egg along and not have it end up soggy. Also infinitely adaptable. Click here for the recipe if you're reading in Richmond.
Sicilian Broccoli and Cauliflower over Pasta: this recipe highlights pasta as another great take-along and re-heat option. Add chicken or another protein if you like.

These ideas are just the beginning! As we at Relay continue to build out our website's capabilities, I hope we'll be able to provide you with even more tools to make school/work/airplane/in a hurry lunches easy.

As always, please share your ideas, questions, and comments to the comments section, to our Facebook page, or to Twitter!

Your Questions: What's in Season?

2011-04-19T16:06:00.011-04:00

"A significant part of the pleasure of eating is in one's accurate consciousness of the lives and the world from which food comes." --Wendell Berry, "The Pleasures of Eating"

From Kristy: We've recently started eating more seasonal and local produce... what are the different fruits and veggies available locally and when are they available?

First of all, Kristy, kudos to you. As your family is already discovering, eating locally and seasonally positively impacts many facets of daily life, from your health, to the environment, to the enjoyment of your food. If you don't already read Wendell Berry, I'll link to his essay, "The Pleasures of Eating," quoted above, a second time for emphasis. He eloquently describes how intimate knowledge of the place in which our food is grown can enhance our pleasure in food.

Lucky for us, Virginia is a fantastic place to live if you love fresh fruits and veggies. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture, the Commonwealth's agricultural output is amongst the most diverse in the nation. Central Virginia is particularly Edenic, as we can draw draw fresh produce from farmers in the fertile Shenandoah Valley as well as from farms surrounding Charlottesville and Richmond.

Further adding to the richness of our produce choices is Thomas Jefferson's example. Charlottesville's favorite gardener constantly experimented with a vast range of plants, both from the Old World and the New World. Today, there's a thriving culture of gardeners and farmers in Central Virginia who want to preserve the seeds of rare and unique heirloom varieties for generations to come. For us, that means myriad heirloom varieties of apple, tomato, lettuce, and a spectrum of rich flavors to enjoy.

So what's in season, then? The Virginia Department of Agriculture puts out a handy chart outlining the basics. For now, I'll highlight what's available in the Spring, and then give you updates as the year progresses!

Greens and spinach: early on, heartier winter greens are your best bet (kale, Swiss chard, collards). Some producers also grow hydroponic varieties of salad greens, such as arugula, salad mixes, tatsoi, baby romaine, sorrel, and mizuno. As Spring progresses, look out for increasing varieties of spinach and spring salad greens.
Onions: spring onions are available, as well as the larger orbs.
Herbs: oregano, sage, rosemary, tarragon, chives, cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, thyme -- these and others are grown in greenhouses year-round.
Potatoes: you're likely to find small new potatoes still available from earlier harvests, as farmers can keep them fresh for several months.
Greenhouse-grown produce: Virginia has a growing scene of greenhouse and hydroponic growers who can make delicious vegetables available even when the weather is frigid. Greens, tomatoes, and herbs are all available grown in this way.
Asparagus: Along with daffodils, a great harbinger of true Spring!
Beets
Strawberries: available later in the Spring. Also look out for opportunities to pick your own!

Most of these locally-available items can be found through Relay's farmers. A great introduction to what's truly local and seasonal is a produce share from Horse and Buggy, available for pick-up from Relay with the rest of your groceries. This week, you would get gourmet greens, lettuce, asparagus, maple syrup (yum!), and mushrooms, amongst other goodies. Produce shares make a great introduction to seasonal eating, as they force you to experiment with foods you might not pick up at the grocery store.

Other Relay vendors who make local, seasonal produce accessible in Charlottesville include Down Branch Farms, Planet Earth Diversified, Meadow Run Farm, and Hardy Farms. Richmond has Down Branch Farms, Planet Earth Diversified, Kruize Farm, and Rain or Shine Greenhouse Gardens. We're talking with more farmers every day to get their produce to you as the season progresses! Be on the lookout for farmer profiles on this blog.

One final suggestion? Try some local Swiss chard before it goes out of season. My favorite winter green, it's as beautiful as it is nutritious. The stems are a rainbow of gem-tone colors. Below is a simple recipe for two:

1 tsp. olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems chopped and reserved, leaves in coarse chiffonade
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 1/2 cups beans, cooked, preferably white or heirloom variety
Hard cheese, like sharp aged cheddar, for grating
Sausage (pre-cooked) if desired

Saute the shallots in olive oil for 30 seconds. Add the chard stems and cook until they are soft. Toss in the sausage, if desired, and cook until thoroughly heated through. Stir in the brown rice and beans, heat through. Grate cheese on top and serve warm.

Meatless Mondays

2011-04-18T12:36:00.012-04:00

"Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around..."
--Vanilla Sky

Each Monday in Springtime holds the same kind of promise that I feel on the brink of a New Year. On the threshold of the week, I serenely contemplate a blank slate to be filled with goals that seem freshly attainable. Finally organize my refrigerator. Eat the fresh foods I love in the company of good friends and family. Get outside for exercise. Learn new skills. Delve deeply into fascinating topics. Simply savor each moment as it passes.
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A little like the myth about New Year's (whatever you're doing at midnight, you'll be doing all year), Mondays seem to set the tone for the rest of my week. Maybe that's why Meatless Monday has garnered popular enthusiasm. If you can start the week on a high note of health and environmental benefits encouraged by nutrient-dense, plant-based food, then perhaps your food choices for the rest of the week will be seasoned with those good intentions. And luckily for those of us in food-friendly Charlottesville and Richmond, good intentions can also pave the road to delicious, sustainable local meat choices from producers like Tall Cotton Farm, Wolf Creek, and Babes in the Wood!

Myths regarding “going meatless” abound, and one of them is that it’s all or nothing. Be a vegetarian every day, or it's not worth it. False! Meatless Monday emphasizes that meatless meals can bring variety to a full repertoire, even for dedicated carnivores. Mark Bittman practices daily veganism--except at his evening meal. Part-time vegetarianism forces reliance on and discovery of vegetables and fruits you might otherwise shy from.

Just as ethical meat producers in Virginia make carnivorous choices healthier and easier on the conscience, producers of delicious vegetarian options make Meatless Mondays exciting.

Twin Oaks Tofu (I love what Revolutionary Soup said in its Facebook feed a few months back -- “Oh yeah and Twin Oaks Tofu is totally Organic and the best Tofu I have ever had. Really, it will change the way you think about Tofu and cubed and seared it makes a darn fine Vegan Chili...”)
A whole range of local growers, from Planet Earth Diversified to Down Branch Farm Produce to Richmond's Rain or Shine Greenhouse Garden to Cville's Hardy Farms.
CCNO Vegan Food Bars (for a quick snack on a busy day)
Fresh pastas from Mona Lisa Pasta and Cavanna Pasta make a delicious, gourmet base for serving up top-notch veggies.

So, have I convinced you to give Meatless Mondays a shot? Below are a few of my favorite recipes to get you started. Please use the comments to share YOUR favorite Meatless Monday recipes!

Spring Pasta
Sushi Bowl
Mark Bittman's Best Vegetable Soup Ever
Whole Wheat Cous Cous with Spring Vegetables
"My Husband is not a Vegetarian" -- Community forum on SeriousEats for vegetarian recipes enjoyable even for non-vegetarians
Lentil and Brown Rice Salad (One-Click Relay Recipe): In Richmond or In Charlottesville
Kale and Cabbage Gratin -- Think you don't like kale? Try this! I dare you!

If you're interested in finding more recipes to inspire your vegetable love, check out How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, The Candle Cafe Cookbook, or Chez Panisse Vegetables.,My go-to online sources are Recipes for Health from the NY Times and 101 Cookbooks.

There is a Certain Celebration

2011-04-15T15:35:00.013-04:00

In the north country it is spring and there is a certain celebration... --Mary Oliver

Forget the calendar. While it's been "Spring" for almost a month now, this week has treated Virginia to the kind of sunny, warm weather and lingering evening light that makes me confident we're irreversibly on track towards Summer.

Springtime hosts its own celebration. Bedecked in flowery finery, bathed in gorgeous, glowing lights, the earth beckons us to leave our desks, our stovetops, and our television sets to breathe it all in. Then out come the delicious seasonal treats -- fresh greens, herbs, beets, radishes, strawberries -- our hors d'oeuvres for the party.

In honor of Spring and all the outdoor activities on offer, including Garden Week, soccer games, and the first Fridays after Five, here are a few of my personal favorite portable picnic recipes. Even if they're destined for a tupperware lunch at your desk as you gaze wistfully out at dogwood blossoms, they're a delicious way to partake of Springtime's feast!

Please take the time to post any of your favorite springtime recipes (or activities) to the comments, especially those that fit well into a picnic basket!

Radish and Avocado Salad (One-Click Relay recipe)*

Spinach with Peas and Scallions (One-Click Relay recipe)*

White Bean Burgers (with parsley, carrots, and spring herbs)

Honey Balsamic Bean Salad (delicious with Down Branch’s delicate romaine)

Grilled Cheese and Fried Egg Sandwiches (perfect for fresh free-range eggs!)

Coconut Macaroons (look great for a portable picnic treat)

*You may have noticed on our Facebook page that Relay has just launched one-click shopping recipes in concert with Bella Eats, a beautiful cooking and photography blog by Charlottesville's own Andrea Hubbell. If you check out the new recipes tab at Relay, you can find Andrea's gorgeous recipes linked up to Relay's best local ingredients!

Some Fresh Sausages

2010-12-09T14:05:00.002-05:00

There was a great article in the New York Times the other day discussing whether the old saying, “If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made” is still true. The comparison is hilarious! My favorite was a quote by Alan Rosenthal, who said, “In a real sausage plant, everybody is on the same team, trying to produce bratwurst or knockwurst. In the legislative sausage factory, at least half the people don’t want to make sausage. Or they want to make a different kind. For the last few years, Republicans have said, ‘We won’t make sausage unless we control the recipe.’” Haha!

Fortunately, the factory was able to churn out a couple of tasty-sounding sausages, er…laws recently: one on food safety and the other on child nutrition. For those of you who are interested in food policy, these bills are a pretty big deal! Here they are:

The Food Safety Modernization Act: this bill is meant to strengthen the FDA so they can do more to prevent outbreaks like the recent scandal involving (billions) of salmonella-infected eggs. Here are some interesting facts I learned:

this is the first time in over 70 years that the FDA food safety laws have been updated
only about 1 in a million pounds of imported food is inspected by the FDA (!!)
before now, the FDA could not actually demand food recalls. The could just ask for them. Hmm.

This next part may be of particular interest to Relay-ers who like buying local: the contentious part of this bill was the amendment that allowed certain inspection exemptions for small farmers. Some senators got their panties in a bunch saying people were just as likely to get sick from food from little family farms. I guess they’ve never seen how an industrial sausage plant might differ from a local family-owned sausage joint.

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: this bill sets new standards for school lunches, stipulating that they should include more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. It also expands school lunch and after-school meal programs to include more children. Although the name of the bill makes it seem like a no-brainer, it also had its sticking points. One was that the money to fund this program involves cutting spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps) and raising the price of school lunches for families over 185% of the poverty line. A vocal dissenter, Representative Paul Broun (he’s also a physician), said, “This bill is not about child nutrition. It’s not about healthy kids. It’s about an expansion of the federal government, more and more control from Washington, borrowing more money and putting our children in greater debt. The federal government has no business setting nutritional standards and telling families what they should and should not eat.”

My personal opinion is that, since schools are funded by public dollars anyway, the government has the right to stipulate that those schools are feeding students high-quality food. Unless I’m misinterpreting the extent of this bill, it seems that the government is just trying to ensure that students are fed well in school, not trying to determine what individual families do. But I’m interested in what you all think! I know there are a lot of parents with young kids who use Relay, so how do you all feel about this?

Where do you get your recipes?

2010-11-29T21:32:00.001-05:00

I love trying new recipes, but just like most people, I have a few trusted sources that I always go to. Here are some of my favorite food blogs and cookbooks…I hope you’ll check them out! Please share some of your favorites in the comments section…there can never be too many good recipes to go around.

Websites:

http://simplyrecipes.com/ - One of my primary go-to sites. Great variety of recipes (especially Mexican/Tex-Mex), I’ve never gone wrong with Elise’s advice. She also has excellent photography tips.

http://smittenkitchen.com/ - Another great go-to. Good recipes and hilarious commentary.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ - If you aren’t afraid of butter, you’ll love the Pioneer Woman. Her recipes are simple, delicious artery cloggers ;). If cooking isn’t your thing, she also blogs about gardening and homeschooling, among other things. Lots of fun giveaways too!

http://www.101cookbooks.com/ - Blog by Heidi Swanson, author of the cookbook “Super Natural Cooking”. That pretty much sums it up…awesome vegetarian recipes.

http://annies-eats.com/ - I don’t understand how Annie, a doctor, has time to cook this much. I aspire to be this put-together one day. Lots of delicious baked goods and tips on meal and party planning.

Cookbooks:

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – Mark Bittman is all about simplicity…recipes that you can look at once and just remember. This is a great reference if you’re unsure how to use a particular ingredient or make basics like vinaigrettes.

Local Flavors by Deborah Madison – Some of her recipes are a bit complex and others use unusual ingredients, but if you cook seasonally there are lots of gems in this book. Carry it to the farmers market with you and you’ll never be at a loss for what to do with all those colorful veggies!

I’m Just Here For the Food by Alton Brown – Alton Brown in the Bill Nye of the Food Network, and in his book he explains the science behind cooking…good to know, since cooking is essentially a science!

Magazines:

Cooks Illustrated – I just recently started getting their magazine and love it! Like Alton Brown, they use science to explain why certain techniques work and others don’t…like how the saturated-to-unsaturated fat ratio in a cookie determines its chewiness…who knew!

Again, please let all of us at Relay and around Charlottesville/Richmond where you get your favorite recipes and tips!

Buy local eggs, save Virginia agriculture

2010-11-05T09:30:00.009-04:00

I wasn’t lucky enough to get to attend the Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival this year, but I recently watched some of the “Meet the Farmer TV” videos that were made at the event. Relay’s very own Neal, Lindsey, Cameron and Brittany were interviewed! Neal made some really good points about what the Relay business model can do for the community. Of course we want Relay to be convenient for our customers. That’s why our founder, Zach, came up with the idea…so he could spend more time with his kids and less time at the grocery store. But what can Relay do for our communities in Charlottesville and Richmond?

After the election on Tuesday, there is no doubt it anyone’s mind: it’s all about the economy these days. Creating jobs, stimulating growth, etc. etc. It seems like a daunting task, but many knowledgeable people at the Heritage Harvest Festival mentioned the same thing…that we can do a lot, just by keeping some of our food dollars in the local community. After doing a little of my own research, I stumbled across this article from the Virginia Cooperative Extension (an incredible resource for anything agriculture-related). First of all, agriculture is huge in Virginia, accounting for around 357,000 jobs in 2006. Second, many small- and medium-sized farms are struggling to survive, especially due to the tough economic environment. But here’s the kicker, in a direct quote from the article: “A similar study by the Virginia Cooperative Extension showed that if each Virginia household would spend just $10 of their total weekly food budget on local food and farm products, this purchasing decision would annually generate $1.65 billion in direct economic impact for Virginia’s economy.”

Of course we can’t dismiss the fact that there is a lot more work to be done to both improve the economy and create a truly vibrant regional food system, but that’s a big step! A big step that requires just a little extra effort on the part of the consumer…and here’s where Relay comes in. There are plenty of ways to spend those $10 on local foods if you so choose: farmers markets, CSAs, restaurants that serve local products, but we’re just trying to make it a little easier. So…how would I spend my $10 on local Relay products?

Richmond:

Harmony Hill Farm eggs - $3.09 (fresh and super tasty!)

Deer Run Farm butternut squash - $1.75 (Thought you didn't like squash...HA! This will change your mind.)

Granny Smith apples - $0.77 (Virginia grown. For snacking or in pie!)

Mountain View Farm Swiss cheese - $4.22

Charlottesville:

Meadow Run Farm green onions - $1.75 (I can never seem to have enough green onions…try them in miso soup!)

Hardy Farms Swiss chard - $3.00 (delicious and comes wrapped like a bouquet of colorful, edible flowers)

Belle Haven Farm soft dinner rolls - $2.49 (they smell amazing and taste even better)

Meadow Run Farm pie pumpkin - $2.00 (with the holidays coming, this needs no explanation)

Yum!

Sources and links:

Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival videos:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Virginia Cooperative Extension article

The Hook picture gallery of the Harvest Festival

Baby Carrots

2010-10-26T11:22:00.006-04:00

I just about died laughing the first time I saw one of those new baby carrot commercials on You Tube. My first thought was "...REALLY?" The commercials are completely ridiculous, complete with machine guns, carrot ammo, explosions and scantily clad women. I had recently heard a radio report on NPR on the new carrot marketing ploy, so I figured I should see the ad for myself. According to the radio report, "a bunch of carrot farmers" were trying to increase carrot sales essentially by marketing them as a junk food. There isn't a whisper about the health benefits of carrots or meeting your daily 5-veggies-a-day mark. The thing that makes the over the top ads bearable is that they know it's over the top. The machine guns and exploding shopping carts are certainly meant to draw the attention of young people, but they're also very clearly mocking similar commercials by the junk food industry. Their website is just as hilarious...they have a carrot video game (no, I didn't play it...looked tempting though), videos of their ads, another series of short videos called "Munchies" and even a "Karrut Kruunch Track" you can download (yep the sound of someone crunching a carrot...I know I want that as my ringtone!).

After learning more about this new craze, I started thinking...what exactly is a baby carrot, anyway? It took me a while to realize this, but baby carrots are not just miniature carrots. They're pieces of regular carrots that have been cut and peeled into "baby" sizes! When I learned this, I thought, what a waste...I bet a ton of perfectly good carrot is wasted just to make them into cute, peeled bite-sized pieces. Well, shows how much I know about carrots...that theory was also wrong. Baby carrots were actually created in the 1980s by farmer Mike Yurosek who wanted to find a way to use carrots that were too misshapen to sell but perfectly good to eat. Hmmm...makes me feel better about eating baby carrots if they actually reduce waste! (Of course, there are some issues with baby carrots...they cost more than buying an equivalent amount of whole carrots, but we're talking about getting kids to eat more veggies here...got to start small and make it easy! They are also grown from a variety of carrots that ripens faster and has less beta-carotene. Sigh...lower-quality food always seems to end up in schools. We'll save this issue for another time.)

Now that we're familiar with this new generation of carrot farmers who are more adept at social media than I am (not that hard to accomplish, honestly) and have figured out what a baby carrot is, there is one question outstanding in my mind: will this ploy actually work? I am all for healthier food in schools, but will the expensive commericals and new baby carrot vending machines actually make more kids eat vegetables? It's definitely true that brand recognition can have a major impact on food choices, especially if kids are exposed to it at a young age. However, real junk food has a leg-up over carrots: salty, fatty and sugary foods are tastes that are rare, and therefore valuable in nature. Biologically our brains are wired to desire those things (not to mention how unhealthy foods are frequently associated with comfort). I think the new carrot marketing will help increase the consumption of vegetables by young people, but I worry that it won't last. To significantly change food habits, I think the culture of food in schools needs to shift: away from serving what is cheapest and easiest to what is most healthful and truly tastes good. The point shouldn't be for vegetables and Doritos to compete to spend the most on advertising, but for us to appreciate, and teach our kids to appreciate, that healthy food can taste better than junk food and is better for you. Then perhaps kids will be eating carrots long after the fad fades away...

In case any of you were wondering, I got my information (and pictures) for this post from these sources:
www.babycarrots.com
Home website for the new marketing campaign. They have 3,000 likes on facebook!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130321785
NPR story on new baby carrots marketing campaign. Also includes links to these USDA sources:

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/NJ%20Quick%20Steps/NJ_Qk_Steps_Participant/Carrots.pdf
Quick history and info on carrots.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/vgs/2007/03Mar/VGS31901/VGS31901.pdf
Detailed report on carrot consumption in the US.

http://www.wisebread.com/baby-carrots-the-frugal-idea-that-isnt
Interesting blog post on baby carrots.

Ronnie and Roxie

2010-08-19T12:42:00.007-04:00

Many of you may not know this, but we have a true, honest-to-goodness old-fashioned multi-generational Virginia farmer in the Relay family. Ronnie Crickenburger and his wife, Roxie, from Meadow Run Farm, are not out at the City Market every week, they don't get stories written about them in Flavor, Edible Blue Ridge or Albemarle Magazine (some of our favorite publications over here at Relay), but like most farmers, they are up before the sun and work 'till it goes down just so we can have fresh Virginia produce on our tables.

I believe that all of farmers are heros, but some are more "un-sung" than others--Ronnie and Roxie are the perfect example. Ronnie's grand-daddy and his grand-daddy before that have been farming in this region for years--he knows the land, he knows his crops and he knows the community. Ronnie's knowledge about the land doesn't come from books or the internet, it comes from the wisdom passed down from generation to generation of trial and error, old-fashioned farming. One of our customers once asked how to know when her rhubarb was ready to harvest--I called Ronnie immediately. He rambled on for a good 15 minutes telling me all about how "now, ya got yur green varieties and yur red varieties...if it's the red variety ya gotta wait till it gets good an red but don't wait too long, ya dont want it to get spongy on ya"

Ronnie runs both Meadow Run Farm and Fishersville Farm Market, which means, if Ronnie doesn't grow it himself, he has a friend in the area who does, he always finds whatever we need and always keeps prices more than fair. Did I mention that he picks fresh for Relay in the morning and drives over the mountain in the afternoon, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

While he's picking and driving the freshest produce over here, Roxie is taking care of her kids on her daily school bus route. She is by far one of the sweetest, most gentle women I've ever met--I'm sure all of her kids love her. Once both Ronnie and Roxie get back to the farm they gather up all of their grandkids who are around for the day and work the land until the sun starts to set. On top of all that, Ronnie works odd hours several days a week at Wal-Mart in Waynesboro.

These are people who haven't forgotten what it means to work hard for what you love, to put family first and to work together for the community and for the land. They are more than heros in my book.

Here are some photos of the farm and the family:

We're on TV!

2010-08-13T15:21:00.002-04:00

Check it out!

Watermelon Capers

2010-07-23T11:04:00.004-04:00

We have a delightful young film maker in among our ranks over here at Relay...maybe you've heard of him...maybe you'll be hearing about him in the coming years...Here's a new Lance Warren original (in conjunction with Relay studios...of course):

What a month!

2010-06-18T11:00:00.013-04:00

WELL! It's been a crazy month for the Relay team. I think a photo recap is in order:

Relay's new mascots are here!! Ms. Cow and Dr. Bird still need names, if you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments box of this post. A few of our guys worked hours in the blistering sun to get our new friends on our trucks...we're so happy to have them!

We had our first official company party to release our new mascot friends (looks like we piqued the curiosity of a few neighbors as well...)!

Zach's daughter, Addy, really enjoyed the brownies!

All of our food was sourced through Relay--particularly our local farms (yes, those are Dick Proutt's quail eggs from Down Branch Farm)!

The hippest new thing in Charlottesville...localicious Relay shirts and stickers...seriously. Add a few of these to your cart this week (only $0.01 for the stickers)!

The Relay Marketing Team had an absolutely delightful time with our foodie friends at the City Market Connect the Dots event! We spent some quality time with our friend, Frank Mellie, of Meet the Farmer TV--I think Charlottesville will be seeing much more of Frank and Meet the Farmer soon, they really are working to change our food system. Check us out with a few of our farmer (and pie-making) friends on the latest episode!

There's one of our pals! Thanks for noticing our new truck decorations, Dawn!

Up and coming: Relay Richmond's young, hip team is busy at work adding products from Richmond's best local grocery stores, bakeries and farms!

As you can tell, this is an exciting time! Keep your ears and eyes peeled, you'll be seeing more and more of us soon!

WHOLE FOODS!

2010-05-14T12:30:00.008-04:00

It's a big day for Relay! You've probably noticed that we've been adding wonderful new vendors, specifically farms, just about every week for a while now... but we've been keeping mum about our biggest Relay Family addition. Now that the store front is up and running, we're proud to announce that Relay carries products from Whole Foods!

The 19 folks who started the original Whole Foods in Austin, Texas in 1980 were certainly a forward-thinking bunch. Just think about how much our food-system consciousness has changed in the past 30 years! They were at the forefront of the movement, they believed (and continue to believe) in the value of quality food, real food, WHOLE food from transparent sources.

There's so much media hype about Whole Foods these days it can be hard to sort out what's what. We looked into their core values: "...selling the highest quality natural and organic products available, satisfying and delighting our customers, supporting team member happiness and excellence, creating wealth through profits & growth, caring about our communities & our environment, creating ongoing win-win partnerships with our suppliers, and promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education."

At Relay, we've got our own set of core values. Our goal is to provide a way to for folks to support local farm and community businesses while offering the kind of selection that comes with larger vendors, like Whole Foods. For our smaller vendors, it is a balancing act -- competition and opportunity. They have told us they accept the challenge of competing with the bigger boys in order to receive the opportunity to be in the same arena -- offering their uniquely grown and produced items to the wider audience they need to achieve growth and sustainability. In this way, Relay becomes the market that levels the playing field. They get to compete for your favor (and patronage!). You get to follow your pocketbook, your conscience, and best of all your taste buds.

Right now, we've begun with Whole Foods' 365 items, which offer incredible value and taste. Soon we will branch out to into other categories. Meantime, happy browsing!

Community

2010-05-12T11:03:00.005-04:00

I'd like to let you in on a few secrets...maybe not true secrets, I suppose there's been plenty of press about them, but those sorts of things that make you feel they’re secrets because they’re just so delightful and community-oriented. The Charlottesville League of Urban Chicken Keepers (CLUCK), The Charlottesville Wine Guild, C’ville Foodscapes and Blue Ridge Backyard Harvest are invaluable resources for our little trendsetting area.

Surely you’ve heard of the Charlottesville League of Urban Chicken Keepers—their acronym is CLUCK—could that be any more adorable!? These chicken gals and guys, led by the local legend Guinevere Heathcote Higgins, are all about education and community awareness. They’re “a network of backyard poultry enthusiasts dedicated to raising chickens humanely in Charlottesville” which they accomplish by working together, sharing chicks, inspiring creative coops, and educating each other about poultry disease and distress. It’s so wonderful to see members of the community coming together to pool resources and educate each other!

This is Charlottesville, of course we have a Wine Guild! Their mission is to have "More people drinking better wine more often." The Wine Guild is not here to be uppity or snooty about wine, they’re just passionate about it and willing to spread their knowledge (and wine discounts) to others in the community! Their blog tells the tale of many a delightful bottle from Cali to Chile and the cheeses to pair. They keep us up to date on local wine events and even meet up on Wednesdays to talk wine and build community.

C’ville Foodscapes and Blue Ridge Backyard Harvest have built up some serious buzz in our food-centric community--for good reason! These folks are forward thinkers, trendsetters, community builders and world changers!

Over here at Relay, we know that people in Charlottesville are smart, they care, they want to eat locally and organically, but they also work hard and take care of beautiful children who need to be rushed to swim practice and chorus recitals. We’re here to provide an alternative—a way to connect you to your farmer while reducing your carbon footprint, allowing the farmer to spend more time on the land s/he cares about.

The hip Charlottesvillians involved in C’ville Foodscapes and Blue Ridge Backyard Harvest have realized the same thing. They know you want to have a beautiful garden that produces food for your table, but it takes a lot more time than you might have to devote to it. A good veggie garden is one of those things that everyone is going to do “next weekend.” Well, these folks are here to spread their knowledge and get their hands dirty this weekend so you can actually pull your dinner out of your backyard. They are available for consultation, implementation, and maintenance of your backyard garden for a very small fee.

Charlottesville is a beautiful community. We have so many resources here that are not utilized nearly as much as they should be. If we all work together to spread awareness, knowledge, and lend a helping hand every now and again our whole community will benefit and we may even be able to rework our atrocious food system into a truly beautiful, sustainable community endeavor.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Shelia Talbott

2010-05-03T12:50:00.004-04:00

Mmm Mmm I think this dreary Monday calls for a little fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Pie straight from our delightful Belle Haven baker, Shelia Talbott. Don't forget, Gary from Twin Springs Farm picks fresh strawberries on Thursday mornings for Thursday orders only--they go fast so get your local strawberry orders in today!

Some measurements are approximate because I kinda eyeball the sugar as it depends on how sweet the strawberries are. Hope you like it. Obviously, you can use a pre-made crust, but I think fresh crusts are better.

Crust:

1 cup all purpose white flour
1 cup fresh ground soft white wheat flour (Can just use 2 cups all purpose)
3/4 cup cold butter cut into cubes
1/4 tsp salt
approximately 1/4 cup ice cold water

Mix the flours and salt together. Add the butter and cut in until flour
resembles coarse corn meal. Slowly add the ice water, tossing the flour
mixture with a fork until it starts to hold together. Don't work the
pastry too much or it becomes very tough. Gather pastry mixture together
and divide in half. Roll out crusts to desired size. Will make 2- 9 inch
pie crusts

Filling

16 oz fresh Strawberries, cored and sliced
5 - 6 stalks fresh Rhubarb, diced
approximately 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar or to taste depending on sweetness of
strawberries
1/4 cup small pearl tapioca
1 tsp ginger (optional)
2 tsp butter cut up

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the sugar, tapioca and ginger.
In a large bowl, mix together the fresh strawberries and rhubarb.
Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the fruit and toss to coat fruit. Pour
into prepared pie crust. Dot the top of the mixture with the butter and
cover fruit with the top pie crust, cutting 4 - 5 small slashes in the
top. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, then decrease temperature to 350,
cooking until pie is golden brown and the filling is bubbling and thick
(about 1 hour). Serve warm or cold with fresh whipped cream.

Roasted Kale Chips with Sea Salt and Vinegar

2010-04-26T15:13:00.007-04:00

Happy Monday to all! One of our new customers just sent us an email suggesting that we include recipes with links to our products on the site...Thanks for the suggestion, Nicole--we agree! We'll be starting this delightful new feature soon, but in the meantime, here's Nicole L.'s favorite kale chip recipe ('tis the season!):

Roasted Kale Chips with Sea Salt and Vinegar

From Kalyn's Kitchen

(Makes 2-3 servings of kalechips, recipe adapted by Kalyn with inspiration from many other bloggers who also made kale chips.)

one small bunch of kale, about 6 oz.
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T vinegar (I used Spanish sherry vinegar, but any vinegar you like the flavor of will work)
sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 300F/150C.

Cut away inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard, then tear the kale leaves into same-size pieces. (I made my pieces about the size of a small potato chip.) Wash torn kale pieces and spin dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels until they're very dry.

Put kale pieces into a large Ziploc bag (or use a bowl if you don't mind getting your hands oily.) Add half of the 1 T of olive oil, seal bag, and squeeze the bag so the oil gets distributed evenly on the kale pieces. Add the other half tablespoon of oil and squeeze the bag more, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and slightly "massaged."

Open the Ziploc bag and sprinkle the 1 T sherry vinegar over the kale leaves, then seal bag and shake to spread the vinegar out over all the leaves.

Arrange kale leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast until they are mostly crisp, about 35 minutes. I checked every 10 minutes or so and turned some pieces over. I also found I didn't mind if there were a few softer parts on some of the kale leaves, I liked the combination of crisp and softer parts.

When chips are done to your liking, sprinkle with a generous amount of sea salt and eat immediately.

We always love customer suggestions, so if you have any, please do let us know by either typing them into the suggestion box at the bottom of each page on the Relay site or emailing us directly! If you have any recipes you'd like to post, I'd also love to have them for the blog--just send them over to me (cecilia@retailrelay.com)!

Slow Money Relay

2010-04-20T22:40:00.003-04:00

Dear Relay Friends,

As we go about our busy, base-covering lives, every now and then we're reminded -- sometimes with a jolt -- that we are not alone, that our goals are shared by others across the nation, and that there are many efforts underway to bring farms and people together, to their mutual benefit.

Recently, Relay was nominated by the folks at Slow Money, a grassroots, not-profit seed capital fund, to participate in a contest to high-light small businesses that support sustainable agriculture, community food systems, and what they call a "restorative economy."

We went to their site and what an awakening! Right alongside the Relay we found small companies like us -- each a bit different -- but all searching for the best way to create ways for folks to eat better food, source that food locally, and build better communities. The contest will reward the business that receives the most "votes" with an advertising campaign cash award (a line item in our small budgets that often doesn't get much love).

Please take a moment to support Relay by visiting Slow Money at this link:

http://bit.ly/dkXi88

You get 10 votes. You can vote up to 3 times for Relay -- and spread them around, if you like. You may also vote for 10 different businesses, or anything in-between.

Thanks in advance!

Looking Through a Glass Onion

2010-04-14T17:44:00.005-04:00

We get all kinds of calls to the Relay customer service hot line. The reach of the Internet is such that anyone, anywhere, can find anything -- and when folks Google, say, Temeraire - Authentic Dijon Must ard - 30 oz. or the big bottle of Gold Medal Imitation Vanilla, 8 fl. oz. they find these not-available-everywhere items from the vendors in the Relay Family, like Foods of All Nations and Reid's Super Save. Of course, they simply click through and order it up! And we wind up on the phone explaining that Relay serves the C-ville-area only, that we don't (as yet) ship items, and that we are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. All in a day's work.

Today, A.J. called from the Catskills with a new twist. Said she held in her hand a bottle of Hanover Superfine Whole Onions, 15 oz. that had an expiration date on the lid that had been rubbed away so that the year was not clear. We chatted awhile. Seems A.J. makes a mean Spiced Pork Tenderloin, the leftovers of which she likes to toss in a skillet with these particular pickled onions. Get it all hot and steamy, she said, then stuff the mixture into half-a-pita. Pure heaven.

Of course, there was no way a jar of Superfine Onions at Reids would have any bearing on the jar she was holding in her hand. We thought about going into the intricacies of the Relay business model -- the baton-passing that our Operations-folk accomplish every day, the Internet, our vendor-partners who collect the orders we transmit. None of it answered her question -- and such complexity was inadequate to the task. Best keep it simple.

We chatted some more, discussing the general shelf life of pickled items, like onions. We even ventured that she ought to go ahead and use them -- which probably wasn't very prudent -- but seemed like the reasonable thing since the seal had not been broken and she'd picked them up within the last year. We gave her our email to let us know how it turned out.

A little later, A.J. sent an email with her recipe for Spiced Pork Tenderloin attached. She didn't say how the pita sandwich turned out. It's tempting to say you only hear about things when they go wrong -- especially in the Customer Service world -- but it was such a pleasure talking, it seemed like a risk worth taking.... Thanks for the call, A.J., you made our day!

A.J.'s Spiced Pork Tenderloin Recipe

1 T. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, mashed

¾ t. ground cumin

¼ t. ground cinnamon

¼ t. ground cloves

1 = ¾ to 1 pound pork tenderloin=======================

1/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees…Blend first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle pork with spice mixture, salt and pepper. Place in 13x9x2 inch pan. Roast until thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150 degrees F, about 20 minutes (maybe longer). Transfer pork to plate.

Add broth to pan. Set pan directly over high heat and bring broth to boil, scraping up browned bits. Simmer until pan juices thicken slightly, about 3 minutes. Slice pork into rounds, place on plates. Top with pan juices and cilantro…….ENJOY!!!

Cuties!

2010-04-09T20:15:00.004-04:00

What a cute week! The weather's beautiful, the birds are chirping and the Relay guys (and Annick) helped mini-relayers plant Dragon Tongue beans when they picked up their orders! Check out a couple of these mini-relay cuties...and make sure you bring your kids to the trucks next week!!

Ps--kids of all ages (1-100) are more than welcome to plant a dragon tongue with Relay, don't be shy!

Local Lamb Lovers

2010-04-01T17:05:00.006-04:00

So, as it turns out, the road to Sperryville that seems far too long on a rushed Friday is actually really quite short when time and the Blue Ridge Mountains are on your side. This week I had the pleasure of passing Popham’s Ford Road and continuing on through Sperryville (cute!) and on over to the perfectly delightful Mount Vernon Farm. Driving into Mount Vernon Farm the Thornton River rushes by your right side suggesting you find an old inner tube and a few good friends while up to your right the bright green pastures gobble up Turkey Mountain. Rolling white dots of fur speckle their way up the steep mountainside and leap onto cliffs in a seemingly perpetual game of King of the Mountain. On a cool, overcast Monday it feels like being in the Irish countryside.

Mount Vernon Farm is another one of Relay’s many sustainable, humane, happy, grass-fed animal farms. Cliff Miller and his family have been have been farming their 830 acres since 1827! Mike and the few farmers employed on the land practice Management Intensive Rotational Grazing which involves moving the sheep every 3 days and rotating them with the pigs and cows thus allowing all of the animals to work together to maintain the health of the grass, the land, each other, and eventually, us. More CLA’s, more Omega 3’s, fewer calories and better taste—all wrapped up into one sustainable package!

The whole farm is protected under a conservation easement and has won awards for its Chesapeake Bay friendly riparian conservation and grazing practices. They also work with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) through the USDA to keep cattle out of the Thornton River (and other waterways) on the property. All and all, a really wonderful place to live whether you’re sheep, cow, pig, or human!

Give Mount Vernon lamb a try during these Holy days (until Sunday) and take 15% off the price by typing MOUNTVERNON in the coupon box at check out!

Club Med For Pigs

2010-03-25T10:00:00.008-04:00

Come back in time with me for a minute…it’s Friday afternoon, you have places to be, people to see, appointments to make. It’s been one of those days where nothing seems to go quite like it should and everything takes a good 30 minutes longer than anticipated--not to mention the traffic. OH Charlottesville, when did the gods of frustration vomit all of these cars on our beautiful city?! Your knuckles are white and your speedometer reads 85 as yours eyes dart around every tree that a policeman might be lurking behind. You turn into the town of Madison…could it be any cuter—the color comes back to your knuckles and you take a deep breath. The road to Sperryville stretches farther than you care to go on this Friday afternoon but the sun starts to warm your cheeks making your shoulders sink back and your lead foot get a little lighter. As the rolling pastures crawl up the spreading fingers of our soulful Blue Ridge Mountains your own fingers stretch, that country warmth crawls through your body and really, why are you rushing anyway?

Turn onto Popham’s Ford Rd. The Hughes River greets you and winds along besides you like an old friend leading the way…this is one of the most peaceful, beautiful places you’ve ever seen—your Friday night plans are left in the dust as you creep down the dirt road. You turn around a corner out of the woods and away from the river only to see a rolling green hill topped with the most idyllic red farm house and barns, the Blue Ridge Mountains serving as the perfect backdrop…yes I do believe we’ve entered some sort of paradise (not to mention my personal dream home…). Welcome to Meadow Green Farm.

The whole place is quiet--almost deserted--until a wagging tail and a quick snoot greet you, followed closely by the two seemingly shy eyes of a 7-yr old Pierce Kiser. John Kiser is out with the pigs, of course. As you approach the barn you come across some unexpected new friends, a bunny roaming free in the yard, peacocks showing off their colors and guinea hens picking and pecking to the soft cooing of doves. The pigs oink a little hello before a muffled 'hey' rumbles out from deep inside the freezer.

John Kiser is far from your typical pig farmer. He has a BA from UNC, an MA from Columbia and an MBA from U. Chicago. He was a private consultant to the US Department of State, a writer on the technological potential of the Communist bloc countries in the 70’s-80’s and the president of his own consulting and brokerage business in DC. He left all of that behind in 1995 to become a freelance writer, lecturer and pig farmer.
John’s piggies live on a gorgeous swath of property complete with creek, ample mud bath space and more land than they care to explore. When they don’t feel like roaming the grounds they relax in the comfort of an 18^th century barn…club med for pigs as John says. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such happy creatures, especially as John gets in with them, gives them a good pat on the back and dumps their grub into the trough. Their clover and fescue diets are supplemented with a little cow feed and the scraps from the Inn at Little Washington—high class, indeed. Their teeth and tails are never clipped their noses don’t have rings and they are only given humane, hormone free meds when they’re sick. What a life! At this very moment, I don’t think I’d mind swapping places with them...

On top of all that, they taste DELICIOUS! John came by our office a few weeks ago to grill up some chorizo, sausage, bacon and chops and OH BOY was it good. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of pork and really don’t even eat much meat, but whoa, I’d eat that stuff every day if I could—much more flavorful and juicy than your typical pork, which is not something you necessarily expect from naturally raised meat.

Needless to say, I didn’t get back to Charlottesville until 8 pm but after experiencing the Hughes River, the late afternoon sun at the base of the mountains, happy pigs and the delightful company of John Kiser, son, dog, and peaceful doves, I didn’t mind in the slightest.

Crocuses and the taste of summer

2010-03-16T13:51:00.008-04:00

Do you feel the sunshine hit your skin and instantly rush up through your blood into your heart causing one hard beat that ripples all the way up to your face turning the corners of your mouth up to meet the squinting corners of your eyes into that nearly forgotten sunshine smile? This was a long winter in Charlottesville…it made life heavy and thick--dreams of warm soup prevalent and a warm blanket the only reprieve. But here we are, midway through March (really?!), the crocuses are in full bloom, birds are singing into kitchen windows and the slow stroll of winter life is turning into a spring sprint.

Seems like these days all I have time for is a good ol’ five-minute peanut butter and jelly sandwich. While running into the house to let my dog out and gobble my rushed lunch, I saw all of my crocuses gently dancing in this unexpectedly chilly spring breeze and literally stopped in my tracks. I fixed my PBJ with my new favorite raspberry jam from Brightwood and got down on the ground to take a few minutes of peace with my summer sweet berry jam and my early spring purples, oranges and whites.

If you’ve never tried Susan Vidal’s jam from Brightwood, you need to. Until I tried it last week I would have probably gotten into a physical fight with anyone who tried to tell me that my grandmother’s jams and jellies weren’t the best in the whole world…but sorry Meem, you’re out. While sitting with my flowers, my dog and a sandwich full of pure, organic summer raspberries, I think I actually transported 3 months into the future when the berries are so ripe they look like they're about to explode and the very slightest brush with a red-stained finger makes them fall into my hand (which leads directly to my mouth...).

For 10 years Susan and Dean Vidal have been striving to be good stewards of the land on their 100-acre farm and vineyard in Madison County. Their diversified farm is home to chickens, goats, sheep, donkeys, certified organic berries, grapes and veggies all thriving in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Plus they recently renovated a cottage overlooking the Robinson River into an eco-friendly bed and breakfast get-away…delightful, really. I do believe I visited it in my summer daydreams.

Get outside, stretch that sunshine smile, taste a little summer, bond with your crocuses and enjoy the spring sprint!

MMMona Lisa

2010-03-04T18:40:00.006-05:00

The Man.

The Machine.
The Ravioli.
MMMona Lisa ravioli. Thank you. YOU are DELICIOUS.

And, all you Mona Lisa ravioli makers, you are wonderful, too.
So many smiles, so much pasta made with love and care...
4-6 mins in boiling water...really?! Really.
Steamy.
Herbed Chevre Cream Sauce...a little herbed goat cheese, a little cream, a little flour, a little butter and salt and pepper to taste...
Yum. seriously. YUM.

Banana bread will cheer you up...

2010-02-24T21:45:00.028-05:00

I’m a notorious procrastinator. It’s true. I’m trying to get better but sometimes I “fall off the wagon,” if you will. There are some days (seems like most days lately…) when the sun refuses to smile and the clouds slowly creep lower and lower until I feel like the sky will slowly crush me into a vitamin D deficient blob of gray goop. In college I learned that on days like this I have to accept that I won’t put checks next to everything on my to-do list, it’s better to just go out and do something constructive, something maybe not “productive” but at least satisfying. In the most gender roll-perfect sense, I find that baking is the perfect activity…I may not be solving the world’s problems, but at least I’m making something tasty that will spread a little joy to others.

Today, I made banana bread. Not just any old banana bread, this is a chock-full, pantry-cleaning, hearty, fattening, warm, soul-filling sort of banana bread…as rule 60 in Michael Pollan’s Food Rules states: “Treat treats as treats.” To me, that means fill them full of sugar and butter and really enjoy, there’s no shame in a treat. I modified this recipe from Bon Appetite…I’ll explain my modifications after the recipe because I have a tendency to add without measuring so there’s no way to give you the exact recipe I used.

Banana Bread with Cinnamon Crumble Topping

INGREDIENTS1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9x5x3-inch metal baking pan. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk next 5 ingredients in large bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients; stir to blend. Transfer batter to pan. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and brown sugar; sprinkle over batter.
Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool bread in pan 30 minutes. Turn pan on its side; slide out bread, being careful not to dislodge topping. Turn bread right side up and cool completely.

So, I added much more cinnamon and honey, because really, that stuff is GREAT. Next, I added about ¾ of an apple because I noticed a delightful looking loaf of banana apple bread on the Bella Eats blog. Plus, I could probably eat apples with every meal for the rest of my life and be totally content. I also made a middle “layer” of cranberries, pecans and cinnamon sugar.

I made up my own crumble. If you’ve never made up a crumble, you should. They are so wonderful and pretty close to impossible to mess up, plus, every time you make one it has a slightly different character than the one before. Beautiful. My crumbles generally involve oats, brown sugar, honey, and a generous amount of butter mixed up by hand (nothing will make you feel better than getting your hands dirty in a nice, oaty crumble). I sprinkled it on top with more cranberries and pecans pieces to give the final loaf a little more color.

My confession: the pan was too small and the edges/top are a little overdone while the inside is a little gooey…the slices don’t come out so beautifully…but the whole thing is delicious enough that you can just spoon it out—no one seems to be complaining about appearances over here...

Why buy local?

2010-02-22T10:06:00.002-05:00

What better way to start a dreary Monday than a cute video about buying local? Thank you Brad Aldridge for supporting local stores and putting this animation together.

FAT!

2010-02-18T15:45:00.003-05:00

Last night I went to the in-store talk at Rebecca’s by Susan Dunlap: Butter is Better! (learning about healthy fats). If you’ve ever been into Rebecca’s you’ve probably seen Susan’s smiling face, she’s been there doling out healthy advice for 20 years and has over 30 years of natural food and nutrition experience! She’s a really wonderful speaker who is clearly full of tips that would make us all a little healthier.

The basic premise of her talk, as I understood it, is that we should be eating the “foods that have sustained people over long periods of time” which means that we need a balance between saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats (butter, cream, whole milk, even lard) are NOT the evil, body destroying creatures that our society generally considers them to be.

I can’t even really begin to go over her whole talk because I’m sure I could never do it justice, but I’d like to give a few interesting bullet points, facts and definitions that I learned.

-Crisco was invented in 1911 and marks the beginning of processed fats in our society.

-Trans fatty acids “are a type of fat molecule produced by a process called “partial hydrogenation,” which rearranges the hydrogen atoms in an unsaturated fatty acid to produce a fat that is solid at room temperature.” (definition from The Weston A. Price Foundation)

-Our brain is mostly fat! Saturated fats help solidify cells, especially brain cells! BUT, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated saturated fats don’t fit into our receptors in the same way as natural saturated fats because the molecules themselves have been modified and transformed by human interference…they have been literally blasted full of hydrogen (yikes).

-Two grams of trans fat is the maximum that the body can handle and get rid of. By law, products can be labeled as “0 Trans Fat” if they have .5g or less…that means if you have 4 Oreos which each contain .5g of trans fat, you’ve already hit your max! Many McDonald’s meals contain 30 or more grams of trans fat!

-Butter is anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-carcinogenic and contains CLAs.

-CLAs (Conjugated Lineolic Acids) help with weight loss, build muscle mass and help fight off cancer. They are found in high concentrations in grass-fed beef (all ruminants really-think Wolf Creek beef or Wild Oats lamb/pork) as well as free-range eggs/chickens (Davis Creek, Polyface, Meadow Run).

-Fats coat the lining of your intestines, which helps your body absorb vitamins and minerals. This is why humans traditionally put salad dressing (a fat) on salad (high in vitamins/minerals) or bacon grease in collards. For the same reason, French fries are MUCH better for you (still only as a treat) when cooked in beef fat (YUM)! Along the same lines, vitamins A and D are actually in the fats of milk…which means whole milk (especially when it comes from grass-fed cows full of CLAs) is actually better for you than skim!

-Good fats (like chicken skin) actually make you feel more satiated as well so you eat less!

SO! That was just a small selection of the facts I found interesting, but if you’d like to know more, stop by Rebecca’s and talk to Susan…I think I’m going home to cook some beef fat French fries now.

Sesame Noodles from Mary Ann Valente!

2010-02-15T11:46:00.006-05:00

Whenever the sky turns this quiet gray I feel like a cloud drifts into my head creeping itself slowly around my brain until all of my thoughts become insulated in a fuzzy haze that makes all tasks take a good 30 minutes longer than they should...Lucky for me, one of my favorite members of the Relay retailer family, Mary Ann Valente, sent me a guest blog for the day!

Mary Ann and her mother have been making handmade (deliciousss) pasta in Charlottesville since 1982...maybe you've seen Pasta Valente packages around town. Her mother actually started selling at the Charlottesville City Market before Mary Ann joined her in 1987. The pasta making process is fascinating and definitely something I'll be explaining (with pictures) another day, but today, I'll pass it on to Mary Ann!

I am honored to be the first guest blogger at Retail Relay. I hope you enjoy it.

Recently, I saw the movie about Julia Child and then read her book, “My Life in France”. Though I share some of her food passions, after a while I became exhausted by her energy. Like Julia Child I studied French Cuisine in Paris and worked for a very precise and talented French chef. I was passionate about doing it the correct way.

Now I don’t have that kind of time and I just don’t have the energy either. Isn’t that what restaurants are for?

So what I love is to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. Our pasta cooks in 3-4 minutes. And when I am in mood for fresh vegetables I make my sesame noodles. I can add anything that is in season or on sale. If I want to buy local vegetables or add a canned assortment the recipe is flexible enough. In the time it takes the water to boil I can cut the vegetables, mix the oils, and grate the ginger.

Lately I find myself entertaining vegans. Chilled Sesame noodles is one of my easiest menu ideas to meet their food requirements: I add peanut butter (about 2 Tbsp) and crushed pepper to give it a Thai noodle taste. This is also one of my favorite dishes to potluck too. It can be prepared ahead of time and the oil tossed with it just before serving.

For Valentine’s Day we are having the old standby of chilled sesame noodles with tuna steaks. The secret is the fresh clean, crisp taste of al dente noodles, good sesame oil and grated fresh ginger.

Here’s the recipe:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup sesame oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 English cucumber

1 large carrot

1 bunch green onions

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

And of course 1 package of Pasta Valente Angel Hair pasta or Spinach Linguine ( for Vegans )

2-4 Tuna steaks, cooked on the grill or sautéed in oil

Cut the veggies, toast the sesame seeds until light brown, grate the ginger, and cook the pasta. Rinse the pasta in cold water. Toss everything together and serve. Serves 4

Well as Julia would say “Bon Appetit”.

Buzz This.

2010-02-11T11:21:00.003-05:00

Did you notice a change on the Relay site this morning?! Just be honest…you didn’t. It’s fine, I’m sure you were too busy Buzzing up a storm to focus on our little changes (thank you Google, yet again, for overwhelming my life with more information than I can ever take in).

Let me give you something to really Buzz home about: we have another new vendor!! C’ville Oriental has officially joined our Relay family of local stores and we are oh so happy to have them. They have your rice sticks, your soy sauces, sesame oils, and rice vinegars, your Foojoy tea and even a few loquats here and there! With all of these little foreign delights I’m getting ready to embark upon a whirlwind adventure of Asian culinary experimentation… Perhaps you could join me?

Annick and Jason will be adding more and more Oriental goodies in the next couple days, so keep an eye out for your favorites and do please let me know if anyone out there has an Oriental-inspired recipe to try out!

Sweet Success

2010-02-07T21:05:00.004-05:00

Woo! Superbowl!! As I sit at my brother’s Superbowl party reflecting upon this surprisingly beautiful, busy day, I’m thinking about community. I guess it takes a good snowstorm to get everyone to come together…instead of grumbling and moaning all day, my entire electricity-less neighborhood picked up shovels, released their well-behaved dogs and got to work on the whole road. Old ladies shoveled sidewalks, young men shoveled old ladies driveways and all the dogs played leash-free while their owners chatted, smiled and shoveled. Oh Charlottesville…could this place be anymore more wonderful?!

Speaking of wonderful community…everyone on the Relay team deserves a giant pat on the back (and maybe an extra large cookie) for sticking through the stickiest part of the storm to deliver groceries our snow-bound customers. The joy on our new friends faces when we told them that we did, indeed, trudge through the storm to deliver their bread, milk and pies, made the whole endeavor more than worthwhile. No injuries, no broken cars, not even a cracked egg…total success and total team bonding. Arnie actually had to yell at us to FORCE us to take a lunch break (complete with the most delicious Belle Haven soup bowls filled with Rev Soup and Fruit Harvest cookies from the lovely bakers at Foods).

I’d like to send out a giant thank you to all of our team members (Arnie, Ted, Tom, Jason, Lance, Dennis, Nancy, and Annick and Neal for their emotional support while they were snowed in), our retailers (especially Shelia from Belle Haven who made it all the way from Scottsville and Ronnie/Tim from Meadow Run Farm who trekked all the way over the mountain), and our customers for trusting us with their precious snowstorm vittles. THANK YOU ALL!

Happy Snowy Superbowl Sunday to you all!

AHH!

2010-02-04T16:07:00.006-05:00

It’s comingggggg…Snowpocalypse P.2, Pandesnownium (my new fave from the Hook), Snoomsday, Snarmageddon, snnihilation, snowtastrophe…3 ft? 4 ft? I heard 10 feet! Really!! THIS IS GOING TO BE INSANEEE!

I’m feeling the snow day jitters. You know what I mean, they’re a vestige of your childhood that will NEVER ever leave. Yes, the adult in me is dreading all this snow, I’m already thinking about how long it’s going to take me to shovel out and how badly I just want to go to a nice restaurant tomorrow but I know it’s not going to happen. But, for some inexplicable reason, I’m excited. Really excited. Even though I know I’m not getting a snow day tomorrow and even though I know come day 2, day 3, day 8 (oh, I hope not…), I’m going to be miserable in my house, I just can’t wait.

Mostly, I think I’m excited to see how tomorrow plays out. All of us over here at Relay are going to be troopers tomorrow, the team spirit is infectious (do you feel it-all the way over there, wherever you are in internet land?). We’re going to rush around to our retailers in the morning, who will, I’m sure, be equally rushed with the Pandesnownium of last minute shoppers. Then we’ll find a way to get the trucks from our warehouse on River Rd. out to their pick-up locations while the rest of the team heads out in pairs to deliver orders (for free!) to anyone who can’t make it through the snow. Slip-sliding around Charlottesville with a car full of groceries has to be team bonding at its best.

Some way, some how, we’ll get your groceries to you so you’re not stranded and hungry for the weekend! I’m getting my order in tonight, partially because I just remembered that Sunday is the Superbowl (yikes, can we reschedule…) which means I’m going to spend some serious time thinking of Superbowl Snackies that I can (finger’s crossed) walk over to a neighborhood Superbowl party because we all know the best part of the Superbowl is the snacking and commercial watching…right?

Stay snafe and stay off the snroads!

Where's the beef?

2010-02-02T17:23:00.008-05:00

I’m going to pretend this snow is not happening AGAIN and talk about something completely unrelated to this cold, white, miserable (though admittedly beautiful!) stuff draining my vitamin D stores (ps-according to this NYTimes article, vitamin D might not be the cure-all I’d love to think it is…).

SO, I’ve been reading up on grass-fed beef today and feel almost overwhelmed with all the information I’ve taken in, specifically from the Wolf Creek farm website. In case you don’t know, Wolf Creek is a sustainable beef cattle farm in Madison, VA run by John and Miyhe Whiteside (they prefer to be called ‘grass farmers’ rather than cattle farmers…). According to their website, they set out with three main objectives related to environmental stewardship and community, principles that are close to our hearts here at Relay:

First, to operate a farm that is completely sustainable as defined by the rural community in which we live, the families that live, work, and play on the farm, the ecological environment we occupy, and the customers who make it economically possible…Second, to produce an environment capable of sustaining healthy animals, as well as farm workers, neighbors, and customers who consume the by-products from our efforts. Third, to ensure that what we are doing brings enjoyment to our customers and other members of our community through our natural beef and other services.

Their site expounds upon their methods of sustainable grass farming as well as the health benefits of grass-fed beef. You should check out their site for full information and useful links/resources, but there are a few points that I noted while reading through. First, the folks at Wolf Creek utilize an interesting practice called Management Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIG). Essentially, it is a farming practice that is what it sounds like- farmers move their cattle among small paddocks every few days taking into account various environmental factors including herd size, soil richness, rainfall, time of year and, obviously, amount of grass. Unlike feedlot industrial farms, MIG farms require constant attention and care- thus the “management intensive” part. The cattle benefit from fresh, healthy grass, the grasses themselves benefit from a more natural “rest” period between feedings as well as chemical-free soil, and we all benefit from healthy, delicious, sustainable meat.

Another (not so surprising) tidbit I learned: grass-fed, natural meat is more nutritious for you. According and an eatwild article cited on the Wolf Creek site, grass-fed beef is: 1- lower in fat and calories, 2- includes extra Omega-3’s, 3- one of the richest known sources of CLA, 4- grass-fed beef is 4 times higher in Vitamin E than feedlot beef.

The prices are a bit higher for grass-fed beef than its ugly industrial feedlot cousin, as expected for a practice that includes such intensive farming methods. That said, as the Wolf Creek site explains, the benefits outweigh the costs, though you can be more economical by picking up the less expensive cuts of beef and cooking them with a little patience and car. This delightful article in the C’ville Abode by local chef and food advocate/consultant (as well as blogger) Lisa Reeder taught me that the tougher, less expensive meat is actually more flavorful than the cheaper, tender parts, it just takes a little extra love.

Thank you to the Whitesides for their stewardship of our Virginia land and to Lisa Reeder for letting me know how to eat responsibly raised local meat without destroying my budget!

Stay safe out there tonight, friends!

Perky Jerky and more...

2010-01-31T15:54:00.002-05:00

As promised, a few fun foodie articles I read yesterday:

Cookbook for Kids (Chicago Tribune): a 6-yr old boy (with the help of his mom) compiled a cookbook with recipes from his classmates to raise over $20,000 for his local food bank. CUTE!

Perky Jerky (NY Daily News): Caffeinated beef jerky. Need I say more? It’s not on Relay yet but if this really takes off I’m sure we’ll find a way to get it to all of you caffeine-heads out there.

Sugar: the new “anti-food” (AlterNet): Sweet fact- Americans eat 156 pounds of sugar (including all sweeteners added to processed and non-processed foods by consumers and manufacturers) per person per year. In 1830 the average was only 11 pounds per year. Yikes.

Yogis and Foodies (NYTimes): Delicious meals served with a side of yoga! Could anything be more delicious for your body and mind than eating and fully appreciating great food after reuniting with your senses? “Ssssmell the squassshhhh waaaafting through the air.” I think I might open C’ville’s first yoga restaurant/studio next year.

Better than the 30 second rule (SFoodie): Maybe you don’t want to admit it to your significant other or your mother but we all know you eat food off the floor sometimes…it happens…there’s no point in wasting that delicious bar of Gearhart's chocolate (YES RELAY DOES HAVE THEM!!!) just because it has a little piece of dog hair stuck to it…This flow chart from San Francisco Foodie is one of those funny little pass-it on tidbits.

Six Meaningless Claims on Food Labels (NYTimes): Another ‘Yikes’. Don’t trust the wordsmiths out there. Foods that claim to be “lightly-sweetened,” “a good source of fiber,” “strengthens your immune system,” “made with real fruit,” “made with whole grains,” and “all natural” may not really be so good for you.

Happy (Cozy) Chickens

2010-01-30T12:14:00.003-05:00

Dear gray clouds and soft white stuff outside my window,

Thank you. This is what a snowstorm should be. BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for starting in the wee hours of the morning instead of right at rush hour like the last jerk of a storm. I’ve decided that this is the perfect day to catch up on my internet news (if G-reader could overflow mine would be spilling out all over my computer right about now…).

I’ll be sending out some links to the best food articles tomorrow, but in the meantime, I want to show you the blog of a 13 year old committed vegetarian boy who raises chickens and bees and may just become the next Michael Pollan or Joel Salatin (both of whom he writes about). His blog, Happy Chickens Lay Healthy Eggs, is a compilation of links and personal stories from fun foodie articles (how to make your own seedling newspaper cups) to incredibly serious links about Monsanto’s GMO corn all interspersed with some really beautiful photography (mostly of chickens). I’m so impressed with kids these days. Only 13? Really? With kids like this around I really believe our world will be okay after all.

While we’re talking about happy chickens, I want to send a quick shout-out (and thank you) to Tim and Elizabeth DiChiara at Davis Creek Farms. Most people have heard about Joel Salatin and how happy Polyface chickens are, but there are many other ‘unsung heros’ out there, like the folks at Davis Creek. Their chickens are raised in hoop houses in small groups and moved to fresh pasture daily where they consume a diet consisting of at least thirty percent grass and bugs foraged in the field, the rest consists of antibiotic-free, locally produced grains. Having raised chickens most of my life, I think it’s pretty safe to say that these chickens live in chicken paradise.

Stay warm and safe out there, friends.

Dreary days won't slow us down

2010-01-21T11:12:00.003-05:00

I’m pretty sure I can feel the vitamin D slowly oozing out of my body…apparently the beautiful weather we had at the beginning of the week was just a tease. I’m feeling a serious urge today to hide under my covers, watch some movies and avoid all contact with the outside world until the sun decides to grace us with its presence once more. The only thing that is going to drag me kicking and screaming out of my warm cocoon is the fact that today is a GREAT day for the Relay team!

Yesterday Neal received a call from a sweet lady from UVA Health Systems who wanted 48 gift bags made up for the Residents who so heroically stayed at the hospital to help out during the Snowpocalypse of 2009…she wanted them all ready in 24 hours. Neal called Nancy, Nancy ran to Michaels to pick up gift bags and started madly calling our dedicated retailers. Eric from Feast pulled together 48 bags of chocolate bark (which wasn’t previously on the Relay site…). Kim from Reid’s stayed late to organize fresh fruit for each bag while Nancy rushed around passing out regular Wednesday home deliveries. Janet and Jenny at Foods rounded up variously flavored gnocchi. And KeriAn from Rebecca’s gathered up a ton of lipbalm and granola bars of all sorts. The Relay drivers are picking up all of the goodies with the regular orders right this minute and in about an hour I’ll have to drag myself out of my sun-less melancholy to (very happily) bag up thank-you gifts for our wonderful UVA Residents!

The Relay team does it again…Thanks to all of our retailers, the Residents themselves for taking care of all of the stranded, cold C’villians and Nancy for working extra hard to make this work!

Mmm Soup...

2010-01-20T15:24:00.003-05:00

It is so cold outside…that really bitter wind-chill cuts through your entire body sort of gray, depressing cold…if you haven’t felt it yet, don’t. Stay inside, cuddle up with your puppy, order your groceries from Relay and work from home. Trust me on this.

If you HAVE to go out, let me at least make one suggestion: go to Revolutionary Soup and order the Spicy Senegalese Peanut Tofu soup, it is pure warmth and comfort in your belly. Make sure you say ‘hi’ to Cary and Tasha, they’re the cute ones smiling at you from behind the counter doling out those big scoops of soup!

If you take my advice and stay wrapped up in your blanket, order a half gallon of this stuff from Relay to keep in your fridge as emergency food when you just can’t brace yourself against the cold weather coming this week. Did you know that they get many of their products from local sources (including Polyface and Twin Oaks)!

As an aside, I just read this interesting NY Times article about couples bickering over green lifestyle choices…don’t be like them! This weather is depressing enough, quit bickering and heat up a pot full of Rev. Soup, everyone in the family will be happy!

2010-01-19T11:36:00.000-05:00

What a great day! It's beautiful outside, people are smiling everywhere, the sun is smiling on us all, AND it's Jason's first day as an official Relay team member!

I’ve known Jason since we were both awkward, goofy fifth graders and he is without a doubt one of the kindest, most genuine people I've ever met. He grew up just down the road in Ivy where he and his brothers actually started their own produce delivery service—they grew veggies and rode around on their bikes taking orders from neighbors and delivering the fruits of their labor. Jason graduated this past May from UVA with a B.A. in Political Philosophy, Policy and Law and several years of Nature Camp counseling under his belt (yeah, we’ve all seen those ‘I’d rather be at Nature Camp’ bumper stickers…). He’s passionate about philosophy, politics, the Great Outdoors and his local band, Tyger and the Lamb (check them out at the Tea Bazaar on Jan. 23^rd). Tall, handsome, intelligent and the singer in a band…how dreamy!! Make sure you say a special ‘hello’ to Jason when you see him on the Relay trucks this week!

Friends at the CASPCA

2010-01-07T23:31:00.005-05:00

Is there anything better than sitting in your PJ’s and looking at pictures of puppies and kittens with your own best friend curled up at your feet? I think not, my friend. The Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA has a GREAT website jam-packed with all the puppy/kitten pictures your heart can handle…check out this video about them! They became a no-kill shelter in 2005 and continue to do so much to help our fine four-legged friends but they can’t continue to take in new homeless creatures without the support of our community. If you're ready to adopt a new pet, you can go to their site and actually look at the profiles (complete with pictures) of your potential new family members.

This month, Relay is giving 25% of our gross profit to the CASPCA. On top of that, if you type in the promo code “CASPCA” when you check out, YOU will receive 10% off your total order! Think about all of those cold, abandoned critters left outside this month as you order food for your own family through Relay.

PS- For all you animal lovers out there- here's a little treat: baby animals (I can not tell you how much time I've spent procrastinating on this site..)!

UPDATE!! Charlottesville's own Schuyler Fisk just released a song on Itunes called 'Love Somebody' and all proceeds from the Itunes sale will go to the CASPCA--Download it here--a great song for a great cause!!

South Street Crisis Averted!

2010-01-07T10:41:00.011-05:00

Did anyone (attempt) to drive down South Street yesterday?? It was an absolute MESS! A water main burst right in front of Milano which led to total chaos, people running, screaming, water gushing everywhere, icicles dripping off of beards… Milano was forced to close and the Relay team was left out in the cold (literally) with 7 orders waiting to be claimed. Since we couldn’t leave them inside Milano, as we usually do, we rounded up the team, managed to free up a truck and diligently waited amidst the chaos for our (cold) customers. Crisis averted once again thanks to our dedicated operations team (thanks Dennis, Annick and Ted)!

(So I might be exaggerating about the icicles…but school bus drivers and working mothers alike were none too please to see a 20 ft hole in the middle of road at 4:00)

Fresh, clean turkey to the full extent of your desire...

2010-01-06T10:26:00.008-05:00

So, I'm assuming after reading about Planet Earth Diversified’s fresh, flavorful herbs you went out (or, hopefully, sat at your computer…) and ordered yourself a few to try. Now the question is, what, exactly, are you going to do with them before they start turning brown in your fridge (at least that’s what tends to happen to my herbs…did I really buy them a month ago…)? Well, I have a suggestion. While you’re experimenting with new local farms why not try a turkey from Heartland Harvest Farm; they are delicious and oh so good for the locavore in us all.

Heartland Harvest is a local, biodiverse, polycultured, multi-generational family farm run by James and Lorretta Showalter with their family. Their eight children all work on the farm and take pride in the fact that their “heart” is in the “land” as they work to produce a “harvest” of the best quality foods connecting you with your community, your farmer (and family) as well as the soil. Their turkeys are purchased as day-old poults from a local hatchery then cared for in a brooder house until they are old enough to move to pasture in a semi-free range model for two weeks. At eight weeks they enjoy true free-range life with sun, fresh air, grass, insects and non-GMO feed as well as a safe house to retreat to at night. The Showalter’s goal is to provide “each animal with abundant, fresh, clean pasture to the full extent of its desire.”

In my humble opinion, I believe that turkey is soo delicious that it shouldn’t be reserved for only special occasions and feast days…invite some friends over and carve up some happiness! Plus, turkey leftovers are maybe more dynamic than any food in the world. On top of all that, they’re on sale through Retail Relay right now!

Rowena Morrel from In The Kitchen Magazine generously sent me a few supremely helpful suggestions from her magazine about what to do with your left over turkey; these are my favorite tips and recipes:

Prepare the carcass for turkey stock to make soup before you finish cleaning up the kitchen. Pick the meat from the carcass and place in a big stockpot, cover with water, and add several cloves of garlic, diced onion, a few slices of fresh ginger, peppercorns, and an ounce of vinegar. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for at least 3-5 hours. Strain and discard solids; (I do not save the solids because all of the taste and nutrition is now in the stock) cool quickly over ice and refrigerate. Now you can freeze stock or make soup by adding diced onions, celery, and fresh herbs. Add rice or noodles and fresh vegetables and cook about 20 minutes. Add meat (meat from wings and neck prepared for stock as well as scraps from turkey dinner) and simmer 10 more minutes. Correct seasoning and serve or cool and refrigerate. Once again, if there are leftovers, cool the soup over ice and store in a shallow container, refrigerated as quickly as possible.

Turkey Mornay with Steamed Broccoli

Butter 4 ramekins. Sauté 1 lb fresh mushrooms (quartered). Steam 2 stalks broccoli (halved). Mornay sauce: Melt 3 T butter; stir in 3 T flour until smooth and cook until butter and flour froth. Take off heat; whip in 1 1/2 c milk to incorporate roux thoroughly. Return to heat and continue to whip adding 1/2 c Swiss cheese, salt and white pepper and a dash of freshly ground nutmeg. Place a half stalk steamed broccoli in bottom of each ramekin; add 1/2 c turkey (diced) and 1/4 portion of mushrooms. Top each with Mornay sauce and bake until bubbly. This may be made in large casserole or chafing dish for buffet services.

Straight from the expert’s mouth to your taste buds! Get one of these turkeys before they gobble off!!

Diversification in 2010

2010-01-04T11:30:00.004-05:00

Happy 2010! I hope the New Year is getting to a good start for everyone! At Relay we’re starting off the New Year with a revamped How It Works section of the website to make ordering and this whole crazy concept of online local grocery shopping a little easier. We also have a new Our Value To You page addressing exactly how shopping with Relay reconnects you with the values that sometimes get lost in the swirling, rushing mess of day to day life. But even more exciting than the site face-lift, we’ve added Planet Earth Diversified products through Foods of All Nations!

Let me tell you a little bit about these guys…Planet Earth Diversified has been around (in Standardsville) since 1975 and they are one of the few farms in the area with ecological greenhouses that provide us (and many of the finest restaurants in and around C’ville) with year-round quality produce. Michael Clark, the farmer behind Planet Earth Diversified, is also the host of Meet the Farmer TV, which is a delightful program that literally shows you the social relationships among growers, chefs, and consumers in our area. Michael Clark has interviewed Joel Salatin of Polyface, the folks over at Local Food Hub, farmers at The Farm at Red Hill, as well as Feast! proprietors and Rowena Morrel from In The Kitchen Magazine. On top of educating the community about our local food systems, Meet the Farmer TV has helped empower local farmers by creating websites for them for free!

SO! By supporting Planet Earth Diversified you get delicious, fresh produce year-round, you support the local food movement, as well as our local farmers themselves AND you support your local business/community (us over here at Retail Relay)!

You can watch full episodes of Meet the Farmer TV on their website and pick up Planet Earth Diversified mint, thyme, rosemary, chives, etc. from Retail Relay!

New Year's Already?!

2009-12-30T09:56:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve! That means today is the official scramble-to-find-a-party-worry-about-where-your-kids-are-going day. New Year’s is one of those sneaky holidays full of high expectations and even higher stress levels. Everyone’s so busy with Christmas and you just got your family out the door and you wake up to the realization that tomorrow is New Year’s…You really don’t want to do anything…but it’s New Year’s, the one day a year when just about everyone has a little bubbly or at least stays up late enough to watch that excessively expensive ball drop (thank you Waterford-look at this thing!), so you feel like you have to do something.

So this year, why not relieve everyone’s party-hunting stress? Have your own last-minute New Year’s Extravaganza! Your house is clean enough, I promise…plus, after a few of these simple champagne-based drinks I found, no one will notice the dust bunnies. I can’t say that I’ve made any of these yet, but since my friends have informed me that I will be hosting the party tomorrow, I may just whip a few of these up tomorrow…Relay has all of the ingredients (including the champagne thanks to Rio Hill Wine and Gourmet) and our trucks will be zipping around town tomorrow, so make sure you get those orders in tonight if you want to try these out!

Cranberry Kir

1 1/2 cups chilled cranberry juice

3/4 cup crème de cassis (black currant-flavored liqueur)

1 750-ml bottle chilled dry champagne or sparkling wine

Place 2 tablespoons cranberry juice and 1 tablespoon crème de cassis in each of 12 champagne flutes. Pour 1/4 cup champagne into each and serve.

Strawberry Champagne Punch

1 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

1 (2 liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen strawberries, partially thawed

In a large punch bowl, combine champagne, ginger ale and strawberries. Gently stir and serve.

Black Velvet

For those anti-champagne Guinness-drinking men (or women…) fix these up and force them to try:

1/2 pint Guinness

1/2 pint champagne

Pour the Guinness into the glass first, then carefully add champagne so that the drinks layer.

If you are hosting a party and making these delectable drinks, make sure everyone has a safe ride home. Chandler Law Group hosts free taxi rides every year through the holiday season so there’s no excuse not to call a cab (or call one for your friends), the Charlottesville Yellow Cab number is 295-4131. Be safe and Happy New Year’s!

(As a side note--we, like you, are upset about the loss of TJ’s…today is the last day to order your Joe’s products, so stock up while you can.)

Phew!

2009-12-22T18:56:00.004-05:00

It’s been ‘one of those days’ for the Relay team due to this so-called ‘snowpocalypse’.

We had to excavate one truck as well as our home delivery vehicle and make sure the pick-up locations were clear all before making the rounds to our retailers, who were also, as you can imagine, in a huff because of all the post-snow, pre-Christmas madness. We were slightly behind schedule but managed to get in all of the 20+ orders for the day and even delivered an order to one hungry family who couldn’t make it out to the pick-up spot!

The traffic and the roads are truly horrific…avoid them at all costs. Let us suffer through this mess for you. I just read on cVillain that the Virginia State Police are reporting over 3,237 crashes and 3,567 ‘disabled’ vehicles…I’m not surprised. I know that our lovely baker Shelia’s husband, from Belle Haven Farm Bakery, couldn’t make it home Friday night and she’s had her own share of trouble getting out of Scottsville. Thankfully, Shelia’s family braved the roads and pulled through today to bring us warm, fresh baked bread!

I hope all of you made it safe and sound through this mess and continue to be careful in the icy, slushy days ahead!

Stay Warm

2009-12-19T12:49:00.007-05:00

SNOW DAY!! I don't think I've ever seen this much snow in Virginia...really, this is nuts. Speaking of nuts, I think I'm going to spend the day baking (perhaps these candied curried pecans from Bon Appetit) and frolicking with my puppies.

But before I can do anything, I desperately need some hot chocolate to warm me up. Did you know that the original hot chocolate drinkers were the Olmecs in Central America in 1500 B.C.E.? Apparently, they discovered that the seeds they tended to spit out while eating the fruit of the cacao tree (which tastes like passionfruit!) could be turned into a delicious drink when mixed with chilies and ground corn...weird. The Nibble has a pretty interesting article all about hot chocolate/cocoa.

Check out some of the really interesting hot chocolates and drinking cocoas we offer through Retail Relay (including an Aztec Spicy Hot Chocolate that I'm planning to add in my next order)! Or, think about wrapping your cold hands around a hot mug of one of the 190 different teas we offer...that's right, 190.

Has anyone made it out into Charlottesville today? Is it the ghost-town that I imagine it to be? According to this Daily Progress article, officials are asking people with 4 wheel drive vehicles to help emergency crews. If you can help, please call the county Emergency Communications Center at 434-979-INFO.

Don't forget the Christmas Cookies!

2009-12-16T19:09:00.005-05:00

Nine days left of this crazy pre-Christmas shopping, baking, traveling, running around MESS and I do believe we’re right in the middle of Christmas Party season. I actually have my first Christmas party of the year to attend in approximately 1 hour and I’m proud to say I will not be showing up empty-handed. Last night around 10:30 pm I realized said party was quickly approaching and I would be a self-proclaimed bum if I didn’t bring some sort of baked goodie. So, 10:35 I started scouring the Internet for some inspiring new recipe, which turned out to be these delightful inside-out carrot cake cookies. I made it onto retailrelay.com by 11 o’clock, just in time to get my order in before midnight.

For all of you out there who need something fun to cook for your upcoming holiday party, I seriously recommend these unique little beauties—they’re slightly reminiscent of fruit cake (though so, so much better) and with a little extra spice they definitely taste “Christmasy.”
Here’s the Gourmet recipe as I found it (all the links take you to Retail Relay products!):

Ingredients:
1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely grated carrots (2 medium)
1 scant cup walnuts (3 ounces), chopped
½ cup raisins (2 ½ ounces)
8 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup honey

Preparation:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in carrots, nuts, and raisins at low speed, then add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Drop 1 1/2 tablespoons batter per cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are lightly browned and springy to the touch, 12 to 16 minutes total. Cool cookies on sheets on racks 1 minute, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

While cookies are baking, blend cream cheese and honey in a food processor until smooth.
Sandwich flat sides of cookies together with a generous tablespoon of cream cheese filling in between.

I added more cinnamon, some nutmeg and some ginger to give them a little more kick…I also, shamefully, just realized that I forgot the brown sugar…but they turned out beautifully without it! I also threw in a bunch of cranberries and substituted the walnuts for pecans—just a personal preference. I made them pretty small and after the first batch realized that smooshing them down so they’re thick but relatively flat helps the sandwiching process. Based on the comments about the recipe on Epicurious, I actually avoided the honey cream cheese filling and made this one from Bon Appetite, though I had a ton left over so I would recommend halving that.
I really liked them but I guess we’ll see in a few minutes whether or not they’re a hit with the Christmas party-goers! Give ‘em a try and let me know how they turn out!

The Gift of (Difficult) Beer

2009-12-15T09:00:00.005-05:00

Has anyone else realized that Christmas is in 10 days?!? YIKES!! I literally haven’t done any Christmas shopping (unless you count that Ghirardelli Chocolate assortment that never made it into my Christmas candy dish…).

My dad is always the most difficult person to shop for on my list. Sure, I could get him another tie, go for the 500^th Freakonomics-esque book, maybe some knee-high black socks…but I’ve reached a point where all of those gifts seem so thoughtless.

Last year I thought I had accomplished the impossible, summited the Mt. Everest of Christmas shopping, found THE perfect gift for my dad…a beer brewing kit! After some serious family time (“we need more honey, quick!!” “YOU’RE WASTING ALL OF MY GOOD HONEYYY!!”) and months of waiting, we had a fridge full of ugly, unlabeled bottles and a super-sweet, mediocre beer.

Although the two “Ale Pails” gathering dust in our basement may add to the ambiance of the room, I’m going to let you know right now that a beer brewing kit is NOT the perfect gift for dad. Why disappoint yourself with a probably not so delicious beer when there are so many top-notch local brews? This year, I think I may just opt for a fridge full of local brews for my dad; as Starr Hill’s motto states “give the gift of great beer” (notice it’s not “give the gift of mediocre, labor intensive beer”).

Retail Relay recently linked up with Charlottesville’s Rio Hill Wine & Gourmet which means we’ve got your Starr Hill Amber Ales, Pale Ales, Loves, and Gifts. Or, just go for the box set! We can also hook you up with some Blue Mountain Brewery delights like Rockfish Wheat, Blue Mountain lager, Lights Out, and the classic Full Nelson. Did you know they actually grow their own hops (according to their website, Virginia was once the hops capital of the New World!)?

Anyone out there have other good gift ideas for dad??

Get your Polyface here, folks!

2009-12-13T20:26:00.010-05:00

Many of you Charlottesvillians are probably used to seeing Polyface Farm labels on meat at specialty stores or in your local restaurant menus, maybe you’ve eaten a bite or two…if you have you must know how delicious it is…but do you know what makes it really special?

Polyface’s proprietor, Joel Salatin and his family on their farm in Swoope, Virginia practice ecologically conscious, sustainable small-scale farming, also known as permaculture. Permaculture is a portmanteau word that combines ‘permanent’ with ‘agriculture’ as well as ‘culture’ which essentially means that farmers who practice permaculture focus on creating an ecological system that works with nature rather than against it.

In the case of Polyface, Joel Salatin has created a system of intertwined cycles—cows forage on fresh grass in their mobile enclosure each day, chickens follow behind them and eat the freshly clipped grass sprouts as well as the bugs in their cow paddies all while spreading out the manure. His animals are happy, his land is healthy, and we get delicious, clean meat…what could be better?? If you’d like to learn more about permaculture and its application in Central Virginia, check out the courses offered by the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network.

We’re proud to announce that Retail Relay has joined Polyface’s ecological system by offering fresh chicken breasts, tenders, legs and thighs to our site! So support your local farmer, your local business, the welfare of animals and the land.

UPDATE: Joel Salatin was just named "Person of the Year" by the Hook- Check out this great article about him and Polyface.

DP: 250East Growth Strains Highways, Residents

2009-12-02T09:20:00.007-05:00

According to an article in the Progress the other day, "Virginia Department of Transportation traffic counts for last year estimated that 24,000 vehicles traveled on U.S. 250 between Interstate 64 and Route 22 daily, and the number is expected to increase to 42,185 vehicles by 2035."

Nice segue into our latest news: we are shifting our Peter Jefferson Place pickup location to the Topeka Steak House (and Saloon!) on 250East. You can reach this spot from inside the curving lanes of PJP or with an easy zoom-in-zoom-out from the right lane on 250East.

Aside from commuter woes and the implied sitting-in-traffic energy inefficiencies, another issue with congestion is the inability of folks who live east of town to actually get to places they would like to shop in a timely fashion. Solution? Go online -- over 27 different stores, restaurants, and farms. We collect it all for you and meet you with your purchases all bagged up. Get it on the way home! (End of commercial)

Relay Supports First Night 2009

2009-11-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

It is a great time to support First Night Virginia -- they could use a boost!

Every year, 8,000 people come to Downtown Charlottesville to enjoy 70 performances in 24 different venues - all in one night. You can do your part simply by shopping at Relay. Starting Tuesday, we will be donating 25% of our gross profits for December. Start 2010 off right!

Big Doings on Friday

2009-11-11T22:10:00.004-05:00

Grand Opening! We'll be at our new Monday/Friday pick up spot this coming Friday, November 13, at Sycamore House on 11th Street SW (off West Main St.) near the entrance to the UVA Hospital parking lot.

The opening of the site is the result of some good work by Robert Thiele and Matthew Sach, co-presidents of Housestaff Council, John Bartelt, owner of Sycamore House, and our own Neal Halvorson-Taylor, who got everybody talking. The new pick-up will not only serve the 700+ UVA Hospital Residents, but students and folks who live in the area. The hard-working-no-time-for-shopping Residents have already placed over 50 orders to be picked-up at this new spot! We will have to be on our operational game....

As part of the celebration, many of our Relay stores will be on hand with free foodstuffs -- apples from Ronnie in the Valley, home-made bread from Belle Haven, wraps from Rev Soup-- and other whatnot, like Burt's Bees stuff from Rebecca's. Come on down anytime from 3 pm - 7 pm and check out what's doing. As Fat Albert once said, "If you're not careful, you might learn something."

Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide

2009-11-11T21:47:00.003-05:00

Saw this article, Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide, by Nicolette Hahn Niman at HuffPost and thought of all the Thanksgiving food decisions folks will be making in the next weeks. The piece is pretty comprehensive in approach and helpful to the uninitiated. And she is not holier than thou -- Niman refers to her journey as going "from East Coast vegetarian lawyer to West Coast rancher." Relay now has a bunch of options you can choose from that are sourced directly from humane, grass-based, local farms. Turkey, chicken, lamb, beef, cheese, and produce -- you can make a very good start at following this eaters guide just by sampling what these farmers have to offer.

Faster Slow Food

2009-10-11T09:33:00.005-04:00

Nice little piece in the NY Times Magazine this morning re: Online Grocery Shopping. Faster Slow Food doesn't get too deep into the burgeoning trend Retail Relay is a part of, but it does -- as an opinion piece will do -- offer a bit of reverse thinking and common sense about how going online can change the way we go about shopping for the food we need. Mark Bittman, who writes the weekly Minimalist column in the Times Dining section, comes at the subject from the perspective of his own (in geek-speak) preferences, and ends up very succinctly listing customer-centric goals we at Retail Relay (six people and 24 stores and farms) hope to achieve one day soon.

"You could also immortalize your preferences (“Never show me anything whose carbon footprint is bigger than that of my car”; “Show me no animals raised in cages”; “Don’t show me vegetables grown more than a thousand miles from my home”), along with any and all of your cooking quirks (“When I buy chicken, ask me if I want rosemary”). You would receive, if you wanted, an e-mail message when shipments of your favorite foods arrived at the store or went on sale; you could get recipe ideas, serving suggestions, shopping lists, nutritional information and cooking videos. If poor-quality food arrived — yellowing broccoli, stinky fish, whatever — you would receive store credit without any hassle. You might even, I suppose, be able to ask the store to limit the amount of impulse purchases that you make — forget that second pint of Ben & Jerry’s or those Cheez-Its you have trouble resisting."

It's a big vision, but suffice to say, we're getting there -- though without the implicit automation. Some of you have no doubt suggested items we should carry and gotten a personal note from Dennis Bates, our operations dude, saying he was on it. He gets in touch with the best retailer for the job, takes the picture, enters the data, and emails you back when the item is up and available for sale (if you have been kind and trusting enough to include a return address). That's a lot of human effort to achieve one slice of what Bittman is requesting. Much effort (and capital!) will be needed before we reach the level of electronic customer engagement in his vision. For now, that's okay. We understand that very often the first preference our customers reveal is to ask, "Do you carry ____?" It is the beginning of a conversation. Thankfully, the best response is still human-to-human.

Know Your Farmer

2009-10-08T12:37:00.008-04:00

A staple of the local food lingo, "Know Your Farmer" is actually a stand-in for know where your food is coming from as you place it before yourself and your loved ones on your table. As anyone who remembers the e.coli outbreaks of the recent past knows, it can be a matter of life or death. But actually getting to know your farmer? Aside from some quick banter at the City Market, how much do you really know about the trials and tribulations of your local earth workers? (Did I just coin that?)

Here's some real-life farmer drama: Just got word that Megan and Rob Weary, of Roundabout Farm in Keswick, are staring at VDOT plans that would slice an estimated 40 acres off their farm. Besides being good friends, excellent people, and amazing farmers, the Wearys were also a major supplier of Retail Relay's local produce this summer, so this could hurt you, me, Retail Relay -- and an entire community of locavores.

What are the Weary's like? Check out this video we shot back in the wet, wet, spring, when their buttery lettuces, garlic stalks, and red-white-and-blue potatoes were just getting under way. Get to know a real farming tandem, and shoot them an email at info@roundaboutfarm.net to see how you can help fight their good fight. Don't let the bumper sticker read, "Local Food Lost is Local Food Lost Forever."

2009-10-06T15:44:00.007-04:00

You may have noticed, Retail Relay is growing -- by leaps and, ahem, trucks! Last week Arnie and Dennis went down to South Carolina to score a second truck. Now we've got the means to service two pick-up spots at the same time! Thanks, guys, for making the trip...

Slip Skin Grape Harvest is on!

2009-09-03T11:12:00.005-04:00

The fall slip skin grape harvest is on in the Shenadoah Valley. The Concord and the Niagara varieties of grapes are both North American in origin. Concords are blue in color, and do not have a reddish glow in the sunlight when ripe. It is a bit more difficult to tell when a Niagara berry is ripe. The berries actually turn from a green shade to a somewhat yellow color when ripe, and they are often referred to as a "white" grape.

The amount of sugar in the Concord and Niagara berries continues to rise over the month of September. Both varities are very delicious to eat, great for making juice, jams, and jellies, and for making wine. Each variety has a unique flavor of its own. It's all a matter of taste as to which variety is your favorite.

What's a slip skin grape? Check the FAQs at Wengers.

Shameless Commerce Dept:
Today at Peter Jefferson Place Outpatient Care Center and tomorrow at the Martha Jefferson Hospital pick up, Retail Relay will have ultra-local fall fruit for sale. Come by for a sample and pick up a bag....

Slip-skin September Grapes!
Concord Grapes, from Wengers Grape Vineyard, Stuarts Draft -- Incredibly sweet, when popped in the mouth. Great for jellies and preserves. The best anti-oxidants! $2.49/ 1 lb container

Niagra White Grapes, from Wengers Grape Vineyard, Stuarts Draft -- Often called "white" grapes, fresh and delicious. $2.49/ 1 lb container

Big Red Apples
Big Red Apples, from Henley's Orchard in Crozet, are a winter-type apple -- sweet, crisp, firm. 1/2 Peck Bags, $5

Tomato Haiku

2009-08-27T10:11:00.000-04:00

Planet Green held a Tomato Haiku contest back in July -- a bit premature by our season's timetable, but they received (and published) over 73 entries. Retail Relay didn't get that many for our Peach Haiku extravaganza, but an amazing number of excellent offerings (some of which bordered on the unpublishable!), for reasons that exist only in the realm of the senses and, indeed, the wide array of responses good haiku can elicit.

Now, with the arrival of the big Beefsteaks, the mad-shaped Heirlooms, the golden Pears, the explosive Cherries, we're posting Tomato Haiku from our customers, farmers, gardeners -- everyone in the C-ville and surrounding areas.

So let 'em rip. Again, follow the familiar 5-7-5 syllable rule -- or don't! Tell us about the challenges of growing them (what rhymes with blight?). Or about that moment just before picking.... and then just after picked. And of course there's always the eating. Depends on the la tomate, no doubt. Personally, I like them thickly sliced, with a dash of salt and pepper.... hey, that's a haiku!

Thickly sliced tomato
glistening, studded
with salt and pepper

Post your Tomato Haiku in your comment.

Cool Gazpacho Evenings

2009-08-24T13:52:00.000-04:00

Sure, we're getting our late August heat, but you can cool off in the evenings with the infinite variety of Gazpacho. We've got everything you need to make your own -- fun for one, fun for two, fun for the whole family! Check out the ingredients list here -- all available from Retail Relay.

Of course, the easiest course of action is to order up a quart or a gallon from Rev Soup. No muss, no fuss!

The cool thing about Gazpacho is that it is very hard to mess up -- here are the basic recipe ingredients plus a few of the more popular variations. Blend it, taste it, add a bit more of this (or that) -- keep tasting! It's hard to go wrong.

Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice

Method

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

Serves 8.

Caprese Crazy

2009-08-20T13:31:00.000-04:00

Last night, we had dinner with friends. Cool outside, sweltering inside -- no A/C! -- these folks are old school. The body adjusts. After awhile you don't notice that you keep wiping your forehead on your short sleeve, your wife has a sweat-bead mustache, and the hostess is drenched when she straightens up from shoving the salmon fillet under the broiler.

The main diversions: a bit of wine, good conversation, and a delicious antipasto of Caprese Salad, that subtle combination of thick-sliced tomatoes, just-picked basil, and "freshe mozzarella" (as the guy at Christians Pizza used to say).

Anyway, our hostess gave her Caprese a sweet-wet twist by adding a round slice of watermelon to the stack. You didn't see it at first, but then the melony wetness busted through. Very nice, very beat-the-end-of-summer heat.

Shameless Promotion Department
Tomorrow, at beginning at 3:00 PM, at our pickup location at Martha Jefferson Hospital in town, we will be offering Caprese Salad fixin's for cheeeeeeep!

Heirloom Tomatoes, 2lb bags, $5.00
Slicing Tomatoes, 3lb bags, $4.00
Basil Bunches -- Purple or Green, $2.00

While supplies last. Cash and checks welcome. Hope to see ya!

Last of the Peaches

2009-08-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

No, it's not the unpublished first draft by J. Fenimore Cooper -- it's the story of your favorite locally-grown stone fruit! As we approach the end of August and the beginning of school days, we say goodbye to local peaches with another pick-up spot 1/2 peck special!

Today, beginning at 4:30 PM, at our pickup location at on 250 West -- across from The Boar's Head Inn, we will be offering 1/2 Peck bags (about 5-6 lbs) of fresh, juicy -- and local! -- yellow peaches for the low, low price of $6.00! -- only while supplies last. Cash and checks welcome. Hope to see ya!

Food Inc, Asks, Retail Relay Answers

2009-08-03T12:53:00.000-04:00

It may be tough to watch in some spots, but Food, Inc. is a thought-provoking film that raises questions everyone should consider. Playing right now at Vinegar Hill, it connects the dots between industrial food production's treatment of animals, workers, farmers, the land, and ultimately our own health.

Shamless Commerce Dept:
At Retail Relay, our Virginia's Bounty collection of farms offer you a direct from the farm way to bypass industrial food production. Check out just two of our farms, Wolf Creek Farm and Wild Oats Farm, which offer the best in humanely-raised, grass-fed, and tasty beef, lamb, and pork products.

Peach Haiku

2009-07-29T13:26:00.000-04:00

The peaches are rolling in to our farms and produce stores. Some are local, some from points south. But all of them are ready for cutting up, cobblering, canning -- and, of course, eating right out of the bag.

To celebrate we are posting Peach Haiku, sent in from our customers -- and where-ever. You can follow the familiar 5-7-5 syllable rule or you can ignore it. The point of haiku is two-fold, maybe three-fold: to stop and savor a particular moment, and to get a reader to do the same. Then (here's the tricky third part), to go beyond succulent description, toward the unsayable, the ineffable, the fun.

Post your Peach Haiku in your comment. Let 'em rip!

Update:
You can submit Peach Haikus to our website in the field at the bottom of every page! Here are the beauties that have come in so far:

Fuzz on a rough tongue
Something firm, resisting, yields
Sweet juice down my chin

Tasty, fuzzy orbs
Nectar: such succulence sweet
Too bad for the pits

Warm breeze and linens
A window sill: picturesque
Who stole my cobbler?

Hanging high above
Steve Miller was right.
I would... Like to shake your tree

Not quite an orange,
Nor the forbidden fruit, no!
You are just peachy.

The original
Chin dribbler in the round,
Worthy of stickiness

Beau's favorite treat,
The pride of Fishersville farm
Thanks be to Ronnie!

One peach and two hands?
An infernal conundrum.
I'd better buy two.

Pepper or a peach?
Which did Peter Piper pick?
Oh, Peter you fool!

Scrumptious citrus spheres
Spongy suede spills sloppily
Slurp: sounds of summer

The secret to life?
Wise man, lost in reverie...
"To live peachfully"

More in Comments section... Thanks to all!

Relay Living

We've Moved!

Classes in Canning and other Pioneer Arts

Local Hydroponic Greenhouse Tomatoes, about 1 lb.

Horse and Buggy Couples Share

Local Whole Wheat Bread Flour, 5 lbs

School lunches: you CAN take it with you

Your Questions: What's in Season?

Meatless Mondays

There is a Certain Celebration

Some Fresh Sausages

Where do you get your recipes?

Buy local eggs, save Virginia agriculture

Baby Carrots

Ronnie and Roxie

We're on TV!

Watermelon Capers

What a month!

WHOLE FOODS!

Community

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from Shelia Talbott

Roasted Kale Chips with Sea Salt and Vinegar

Slow Money Relay

Looking Through a Glass Onion

Cuties!

Local Lamb Lovers

Club Med For Pigs

Crocuses and the taste of summer

MMMona Lisa

Banana bread will cheer you up...

Why buy local?

FAT!

Sesame Noodles from Mary Ann Valente!

Buzz This.

Sweet Success

AHH!

Where's the beef?

Perky Jerky and more...

Happy (Cozy) Chickens

Dreary days won't slow us down

Mmm Soup...

Friends at the CASPCA

South Street Crisis Averted!

Fresh, clean turkey to the full extent of your desire...

Turkey Mornay with Steamed Broccoli

Diversification in 2010

New Year's Already?!

Phew!

Stay Warm

Don't forget the Christmas Cookies!

The Gift of (Difficult) Beer

Get your Polyface here, folks!

DP: 250East Growth Strains Highways, Residents

Relay Supports First Night 2009

Big Doings on Friday

Avoiding Factory Farm Foods: An Eater's Guide

Faster Slow Food

Know Your Farmer

Slip Skin Grape Harvest is on!

Tomato Haiku

Cool Gazpacho Evenings

Gazpacho Recipe

Ingredients

Method

Caprese Crazy

Last of the Peaches

Food Inc, Asks, Retail Relay Answers

Peach Haiku