Produce of the Month: Asparagus 5.3.15

Limehouse Produce Announces Winners of Second Annual “Berry Creative” School Campaign 4.24.15

Several of Charleston County’s finest schools went all out for this year’s “Berry Creative Campaign” with Limehouse Produce to promote local strawberries. Students from a variety of schools submitted essays, recipes, artwork, videos, and more promoting why the loved the tasty fruit so much. It was extremely difficult to pick just one winner and all of the schools will be recognized for their involvement. The top three winners receive 100 lbs of local strawberries and every school that submitted receive 10 lbs. All of the entries will be on display at the Charleston County Library’s main branch for the month of June. Below are the participants and some highlights of the entries:

• First Place: Hursey Elementary School, Teacher: Jane Madden
• Second Place: James Simmons Elementary, Teacher: Michelle Kraft
• Third Place: Jennie Moore Elementary School, Teachers: Mary Arthur and Susan Hogeboom

Other participants (all winners!):

• Orange Grove Elementary, Teachers: Candyce Lyon, Angela Helms, and Erin Wilson
• Stiles Point Elementary, Teachers: April Davis and Lauren Sayle
• St. Andrew’s School of Math and Science, Teacher: Jenna Campbell
• Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science via Green Heart Project, Teacher Tavish Vans Koik
• Charleston Progressive Academy, Teacher: Penzola Cromwell

Congrats to all those involved in this year’s campaign and here’s to eating delicious local foods!

Featured Produce of the Month: Spring Onions and Garlic 4.1.15

Featured Produce of the Month: Spring Onions and Spring Garlic

April 2015

The Facts:

¨ Locally we recommend Geechie Boy (http://www.geechieboymill.com/geechie-boy-farm/) who grows Edisto Sweet Onions on the three acre farm located next to the market

¨ Spring onions, also known as “salad onions”, have larger bulbs and are more mature than green onions. The bulb is white and sweet to taste.

¨ Springs onions can be eaten raw, and are often found as a finishing for salads and soups.

¨ Spring garlic, also known as green garlic, can be used where you use regular garlic, but it will be slightly less intense and you may end up using more than normal.

¨ The entire plant of a spring garlic is edible, from the bulb, to the stalk, the leaf, and the scape.

¨ Spring garlic have a nutty-oniony flavor and can substitute onions, scallions, and leeks in recipes.

Recipe: Spring Onion Hoe Cakes by Chef Chris Stewart, Glass Onion

Ingredients
2 cups sliced spring onion (green and white part)

½ cup pickled carrot (see below)

3 eggs

½ cup flour

¼ cup cornmeal

1 tbl salt

1/2 tbl black pepper
Directions

Combine ingredients thoroughly. Working in batches, spoon mixture out into sauté pan.  Cook over medium heat about one minute on each side. Serve with sour cream, yogurt or a soft cheese like brie.

Pickled Carrot

Brine:

1 qt. water

2 cups  apple cider vin.

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup salt

½ Tbl. fennel seed

½ Tbl whole coriander

½ tsp. celery seed

3 cloves

Combine all ingredients for brine. Bring to a boil and pour over chopped carrots. Refrigerate overnight and serve.

Flashback Friday: Charleston Cuisine Ten Years Ago 3.27.15

A staple every year is American Cuisine’s “Charleston Cuisine” menu book that features a variety of local chefs, along with a profile on their respected restaurant and their current menu. As a change for this week’s Flashback Friday, we look at the 2004 book cover. Ten years ago Charleston looked very different than it does today and we highlight some of those changes below:

• John Zucker, Cru Cafe: Cru Cafe is a lowcountry institution and Chef Zucker has continued to offer great food in this charming single house. The restaurant celebrates its 15th year anniversary this year….cheers to that!
• Aaron Siegel: At the time of the photo, Aaron was executive chef at Blossom. In 2006, he left and opened Home Team BBQ in West Ashley and now has a location in Sullivan’s Island and will soon open a downtown spot.
• Craig Deihl, Cypress: Chef Deihl is still chef at Cypress and has gone on to open Artisan Meat Share future expanding his charcuterie offerings for the city.
• MariElena Dickson, Robert’s of Charleston: MariElena Raya, daughter of fame local chef Robert Dickson, has since married Joe Raya and together opened The Gin Joint where Robert’s was located. They also started Bittermilk, a company making and selling craft cocktail mixers.
• Marc Collins, Circa 1886: Ten years ago, Chef Collins was working hard on the original Planning Committee for the Charleston Wine + Food Festival and has been chef at Circa 1886 for over ten years. Circa 1886 just completed a restoration and continues to be a local favorite.
• Scott Crawford, Woodland’s: Woodland’s has since closed and Chef Crawford has moved to Raleigh where he is working on opening Standard Foods in a few months.

Who do you recognize from this photo?

We applaud those chefs who 10 years later are still a significant part of Charleston’s ever evolving culinary scene. Who will be around in another 10? We will have to wait and see.

Eat Local Month Shines Light on Local Food 3.26.15

Lowcountry Local First (LLF) kicks-off its 4^th annual Eat Local Month April 1st. Presented by Limehouse Produce, Eat Local Month is a Lowcountry Local First initiative to raise awareness of the positive community benefits of supporting lowcountry farms and food businesses. Throughout the month, LLF will provide educational opportunities and events for the community to directly connect with local farmers, restaurants, businesses and organizations. Activities and events to include:

• Eat Local Challenge: April 1-30 – Shift at least $10 of weekly food spending toward local food and drink. Sign up now as an individual, family or team. Free.
• Plow to Chow: Sat April 4 – Celebrate the opening day of the downtown Charleston Farmers Market under the LLF tent with complimentary chef tastings by Artisan Meat Share, Cypress and The Glass Onion sourced with fresh produce from Limehouse Produce, along with a kid’s activity by The Green Hearts, and a farm-inspired photo booth. Marion Square, 8am – 2pm. Free.
• Chef’s Potluck: Sun April 26 – The biggest farmer-to-chef-to-table event in the southeast, with 15 chefs and 20+ farmers under the live oaks at Middleton Place. Music by Garage Cuban Band, live auction, and local libations. 4-7pm. Tickets are all-inclusive and on sale now.

“We have great momentum in the Charleston area around supporting our local farmers and fishermen but there is still a need to shift more dollars towards these businesses in order to see the long-term benefits,” explains LLF Executive Director Jamee Haley. “Eat Local Month provides a reminder to the community on the environmental, societal and local economic benefits we achieve each time we choose to spend our money with a local food producer.” Proceeds from Eat Local Month support Lowcountry Local First’s Growing New Farmers Program which incubates six farm businesses at Dirt Works Incubator Farm, has graduated 107 new farmer apprentices, provides training for hundreds of small to mid-sized farms, and educates the public on the importance of supporting local farms and food businesses. “Limehouse Produce is proud to sponsor Eat Local Month again for the 4th year as the kick-off to another season of South Carolina produce,” says Andrea Limehouse, Vice President of Limehouse Produce. “We support the mission of Lowcountry Local First, and it’s always exciting to honor the annual arrival of local produce after the winter months.” Eat Local Month is made possible by our generous sponsors, including presenting sponsor Limehouse Produce as well as Charleston City Paper, Charleston Magazine, Charleston Convention and Visitor Bureau, Cypress, Glass Onion, Middleton Place, Nelson Printing, Roper Saint Frances, Ruth’s House Event Rentals, Sonitrol Security Systems and Summers Corner. ABOUT: Lowcountry Local First, a nonprofit organization, cultivates local economic prosperity and quality of life by increasing community support for locally-owned, independent businesses and farmers. To learn more about Eat Local Month, visit lowcountrylocalfirst.org; find us on Twitter: @lowcountrylocal #EatLocalCHS; and Facebook: facebook.com/LowcountryLocalFirst.