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plant-based cheese

Introducing plant-based cheese & butter

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / November 6,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

Introducing plant-based cheeses & butter
You don’t have to be vegan or lactose intolerant to love UNMOO!

Unmoo is a new Richmond company making plant-based cheeses and butter that our Farmer Connector Sam has declared to be, “Amazing!” These artisan cheeses made from the milk of cashews and coconuts have their own unique flavors that people who can’t eat dairy will be grateful for… and the rest of us will want to add to our pizza-, cracker-, sandwich-, and bagel-topping repertoire.

Josh is the man behind it all. Josh loves eggnog. And cheese. And butter. But those dairy products don’t love Josh. Like a lot of lactose intolerant people, the Richmonder can’t eat dairy without suffering…

Read the rest of the newsletter below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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legacy roasting fair trade coffee

Virginia fair trade coffee roasters

Legacy Roasting brews up coffee with a conscience

– By the Veggie Fairy Team

Want to feel good about your cup o’ joe? Make sure it’s sustainably and responsibly sourced.

One way to do that is to look for the certified Fair Trade label. Fair trade coffee means the coffee beans were sustainably grown by small-scale family farmers who got a fair deal.

Another way to make sure it’s responsibly and sustainably sourced is to know your coffee roaster. The only way you can know them is if they’re local. Here at Seasonal Roots, our Farmer Connector Sam knows all the local coffee roasters in our home-delivered farmers market. As a result, we know they’re committed to using beans that were grown and traded in a way that’s good for the environment and the people who do the farming.

legacy roasting & jolly roasters fair trade coffee

The newest local coffee roaster in our market is Legacy Roasting in historic Hopewell, Va. That’s Larry of Legacy Roasting on the right with a longtime member of our market family, Jolly Roasters. We talked with Larry of Legacy Roasting, so you can get to know one of your local coffee roasters, too!

VEGGIE FAIRY:

How’d you get started in the coffee business?

LARRY:

I always knew I wanted to own my own business. I just wasn’t sure what kind of business I wanted to run. When I was in college at VCU studying business, I really liked going to my local coffee shop, and I thought, “This would be cool to own but I don’t know what it takes to own one.” So I started The Java Blog. I’d give coffee shops reviews in exchange for letting me pick their brain. Pretty soon I knew this was what I wanted to do, but I didn’t have the $30,000 to $40,000 that it would take to open one.

VEGGIE FAIRY:

So how did you get around the startup money obstacle?

LARRY:

Well, about that time I reconnected with my old friend Josh. We hadn’t talked since third grade. It turned out he was the roast master at a well-known local roaster in Richmond but he had to step away due to his health. I had the business knowledge and I wanted a shop, and Josh had the production know-how and wanted a coffee roasting operation. Together we had it all covered. So four years ago we just started small. We bought a small coffee roaster — just the machine, not a whole company! — and set up our operation in my parents’ garage in Cheseterfield.

legaacy roasting fair trade coffee 1

We sold our coffee at farmers markets…

legacy roasting virginia farmers markets

…and we did the roasting in the backyard, even in the winter. One time, Josh says, “Larry, it’s starting to snow,” and I go, “We gotta power through it!” Eventually Josh had to step away, but my dad joined the operation and now we’re truly a family business.

VEGGIE FAIRY:

When did you make the move to Hopewell? And why Hopewell?

LARRY:

We wanted to find a community where we could make a positive impact. Hopewell is the oldest surviving English settlement in the U.S. It’s been there since the 1600s. There’s a lot of history there but it’s been economically overlooked. The nearest coffee roaster, for example, is 30 miles away. So we found our niche. In 2017 I signed a lease in a historic brick building downtown and became the first local coffee roaster in Hopewell’s history.

legacy roasting hopewell va

VEGGIE FAIRY:

What does it mean to you to be a business owner in this community?

LARRY:

For me, coffee is just a segue to supporting the community. For example, we’re exploring starting an internship program on how to build and run a business. There’s definitely interest — this past summer Pathways.VA toured our roasting facility. It’s a faith-based non-profit that’s doing cool things for the community. It was really fun to hear everyone’s passions and the businesses they are working to build.

legacy roasting pathways va

VEGGIE FAIRY:

So tell us about your coffee!

LARRY:

We are passionate about coffee! Everything we do is specialty grade coffee that comes from cool places. We have a couple single origin coffees and also blends. We use quite a few certified fair trade and organic beans, and some shade grown as well. Most commercial growing operations are out in open fields where everything grows faster in the sun and they can make more money. But nature actually intended for coffee to grow in the shade. It grows slower and has time to develop more flavor.

legacy roasting fair trade coffee 2

Our latest blend is Wonder City, which is named after Hopewell’s nickname. It’s a three-bean blend: Brazil Santos, fair trade organic Honduras, and organic Mexico. Another thing about us is that we can customize. Most roasters are doing 30-to-60-pound batch roasts and can’t customize for you. My roasting drum does from two to six pounds. So I can customize based on what a person is interested in tasting. It all starts with a conversation about what they’re looking for.

*

We’re welcoming Larry’s Legacy Roasting to our market this weekend, starting with 2 oz bags of Wonder City. Look for it in the Extras section. It’s part of our commitment to bringing you food that’s good for you and the planet from people you know. To learn more, visit the Legacy Roasting website, and check it out on Facebook and Instagram.

legacy roasting fair trade coffee 4

We’ll let Larry have the last word. Here’s what he said on Instagram once:
“I believe coffee has the potential to start open and honest communication. Let’s be real, coffee is the fuel that gets a lot of people started in the day. Due to the impact of coffee, I wanted to be apart of a local community hungry for change using something that positively impacts people. For this reason, I am proud to call Hopewell and the RVA community just that… my home. We are a community of creative, passionate, and just plain awesome people. Plain and simple I believe coffee has the ability to foster a legacy within a community. Will you choose to be a part of that positive change?”

legacy roasting fair trade coffee 3

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grassfed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

unmoo plant-based cheese lactose-free

This plant-based cheese & butter is delish… and lactose-free!

You don’t have to be lactose intolerant or vegan to love Unmoo

– By the Veggie Fairy Team

Unmoo is a new Richmond company making plant-based cheeses and butter that our Farmer Connector Sam has declared to be, “Amazing!” These artisan cheeses made from the milk of cashews and coconuts have their own unique flavors that people who can’t eat dairy will be grateful for… and the rest of us will want to add to our pizza-, cracker-, sandwich-, and bagel-topping repertoire.

Josh is the man behind it all. Josh loves eggnog. And cheese. And butter. But those dairy products don’t love Josh. Like a lot of lactose intolerant people, the Richmonder can’t eat dairy without suffering some very unpleasant consequences.

So, having studied microbiology, Josh put on his labcoat, gathered milk from cashews and coconuts, and experimented his way to some delicious solutions. First he won over his friends with his lactose-free spiked eggnog. (He was a bartender before he was a scientist.) Then he started working on cheese.

Cheese making is an ancient process of culturing milk. It’s possible to make cheese fast without a culture (plastic-wrapped yellow American slices, anyone?), but using a culture helps good bacteria in the milk flourish and leads to a more fully developed flavor in the final cheese, especially when you brine it and give it time to age, too. That’s how Josh makes his plant-based cheese.

unmoo plant-based cheese cashews

The ingredients are important, too. So the nuts Josh uses are all high quality, fair trade, and sustainably grown — just like everything else in our home-delivered farmers market.

unmoo plant-based cheese sandwich

Plant-based cheese #1: Notz

The first cheese Josh invented is Notz. You can see it in its natural state in the picture at the top of this post. It looks like mozzarella, white and semi-firm. But Notz, which is made from cashews and coconut, has a special flavor all its own — mild and buttery, yet tangy, with a creamy texture. It’s lightly brined, gently aged, meltable, shreddable, and really versatile. You can cut it into thick slices and eat it cold with a fresh local tomato and basil…

unmoo plant-based cheese pizza

…or shred it and serve it warm and melty atop pizza, zucchini, or whatever you can think of. You can even fry it. But don’t tell your doctor.

unmoo plant-based cheese bagel

Plant-based cheese #2: AM

Josh’s next cheese creation is made from cashews. He calls it AM, after the time of day when he recommends you devour it: morning. Slather it on bagels, danishes, toast, or if you’re feeling really decadent and rebellious, cheesecake. AM is raw and probiotic, and brightens with age. The flavor can be described as rich, bright, sweet, and creamy. Use it to dip, schmear, or bake.

He didn’t stop at cheese…

unmoo plant-based butter nutter

Plant-based butter: Nutter

Josh describes his European-style butter as assertive, rich, buttery butter. It’s made from cashews and coconuts and the cashew cream is slow-cultured before it’s churned out. Nutter can be spread, sauteed, baked, or whatever you use butter for.

unmoo plant-based cheese pastries

The results of all Josh’s experiments are delicious — so good you’ll enjoy it whether you’re lactose intolerant, vegan, or just looking to expand the cheesy delights in your life. Josh’s locally made cheeses and butter are started to pop up in Virginia restaurants and markets, and we’re excited to welcome Unmoo to our market, too!

Learn more in the Style Weekly profile of Josh and Unmoo.

Check out Unmoo on Instagram and get inspired!

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grassfed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

reuse Halloween pumpkins

5 ways to reuse Halloween pumpkins

Don’t throw away those Halloween pumpkins – they can still dish out more tricks & treats!

– By the Veggie Fairy Team

Is there a jack o’lantern sitting by your door? If the nearest cat is less enthusiastic about your pumpkin’s fashion potential than the kitty pictured here, we’ve got 5 other things you can do with it after the trick-or-treaters are gone. So here are our favorite suggestions for how to reuse Halloween pumpkins.

1. Turn it into pumpkin puree

Puree is incredibly versatile. Use it to make pumpkin muffins, breads, soups, even Thanksgiving pie – or if you have a carving pumpkin (which is bred for thick walls, not nutrition or taste) a facial scrub. Puree is simple to make. Just boil, bake, or steam your pumpkin. Good Housekeeping has step-by-step instructions. If you used a real candle in your jack o’ lantern, cut off and discard any burned sections or leftover wax. Puree freezes well for future use. Put it in zip-top freezer bags, filled and flattened for easy stacking.

2. Build a pumpkin catapult

Are you a home schooler or just need to keep the kids (or yourself) occupied for a few hours… or days? This video shows how one teacher turned it into a lesson in both history and physics. And this website provides plans for catapults large and small.

3. Leave it for the squirrels

One person’s has-been holiday decoration is another person’s feast – if you’re a squirrel. Move it away from your front door unless you like passing by an increasingly macabre-looking horror show every day.

4. Make a pumpkin bird feeder

This is a cuter way of letting the critters have at it. All you need is your gutted pumpkin, a knife, some string, and a stick. Oh, and bird seed. Details here.

5. Compost it

Your leftover pumpkin can help you grow your garden next year. Cut it into smaller pieces and toss it in the compost pile, or just bury it in the garden.

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grassfed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

reuse Halloween pumpkin

Don’t throw away that Halloween pumpkin

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / October 31,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

Don’t throw away that Halloween pumpkin!
It can still dish out these 5 ticks & treats

Is there a jack o’lantern sitting by your door? If the nearest cat is less enthusiastic about its fashion potential than the kitty pictured here, we’ve got 5 other things you can do with it after the trick-or-treaters are gone.

1. TURN IT INTO PUMPKIN PUREE: Puree is incredibly versatile. Use it to make pumpkin muffins, breads, soups, even Thanksgiving…

Read the rest of the newsletter below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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kids eat veggies local food

7 ways I help my kids eat veggies (and fruits)

Ordering them to eat their veggies isn’t one of them!!!

MM morgan– By Morgan P, veggie fairy & neighborhood Market Manager in Virginia Beach

In my five years of motherhood, children and vegetable eating have definitely been an unsolved mystery to me. It’s like it’s in their DNA to rebel against at least some vegetables at some age. Just like most parents I know, I want my kids to be healthy and have balanced nutrition. But sometimes it’s a struggle to get those greens in them.

So here are my best tips, tricks, and suggestions to get help kids eat veggies, with or without their knowledge.

1. Let them unpack the box

Since we started getting our weekly Seasonal Roots basket, my 5-year-old gets so excited when she gets to take everything out and put it on the counter. She sorts, counts, and questions. Sometimes she’ll randomly pop a piece of lettuce in her mouth. The worst thing I can do is let on that I noticed! At least with my kid — it would guarantee instant rebellion. So I rejoice inside as my kid finally tries and admits, “I like salad.”

2. Get a Mother’s Helper stool

I have a “mother’s helper” kitchen stool that my 1-year-old and 5-year-old can stand on or sit on to help me cook. This gets them up where they can indulge their curiosity and taste-test everything. Being part of the process gets them excited to try new things. Bonus: Sometimes after taking the ends off a green bean or a radish they pop one in their mouth, or sample a freshly roasted beet.

3. Let them experiment

Sometimes their experiments are successful. Sometimes they learn what they don’t like.

4. Give them a mission

I give them tasks disguised as missions: Put the beets in the water/vinegar cleaning mixture, or lay the squash on the roasting pan after I cut it, etc. — whatever’s suited to their age and ability.

5. Chocolate chips are a parent’s friend

Recently I began adding a few chocolate chips to pumpkin muffins and zucchini bread. That was a game changer! They’re easy breakfast solutions packed with nutrients and a little sweetness. The pumpkin muffins didn’t last 24 hours in my house!

6. Hide the greens

I purée spinach and add it to meatballs. I add kale to smoothies, then freeze them into popsicle molds. My kids don’t like the smoothie texture but most of the time they love the popsicles.

7. Actually, you can hide just about anything

Case in point: I use puréed sweet potatoes to thicken my chili and it is delicious.

There are so many ways to expose children to vegetables creatively! Kids want to help, and when they help create and cook something they wind up a little more excited about eating it.

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grassfed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

kids eat veggies local food

7 Ways I help my kids eat veggies (and fruits)

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / October 24,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

7 WAYS I HELP MY KIDS EAT VEGGIES (AND FRUITS)
by Morgan, veggie fairy & neighborhood Market Manager in Virginia Beach

In my five years of motherhood, children and vegetable eating have definitely been an unsolved mystery to me. It’s like it’s in their DNA to rebel against at least some vegetables at some age. Just like most parents I know, I want my kids to be healthy and have balanced nutrition. But sometimes it’s a struggle to get those greens in them. So here’s a quick summary of my best tips, tricks, and suggestions to help kids eat veggies, with or without their knowledge – details and examples are on the Veggie Fairy Blog!
1. Let them unpack the box.
2. Get a Mother’s Helper stool.
3. Let them experiment.
4. Give them a mission.
5. Chocolate chips are a parent’s friend. (Learn how…

Read the rest of the newsletter below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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kids love local produce

When local produce is fresh, kids love veggies!

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / October 17,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

WHEN VEGGIES ARE FRESH, KIDS LOVE VEGGIES!
A conversation with Jamila,our Veggie Fairy Godmother & mother of four

THE VEGGIE FAIRIES: Our fruits and veggies have more nutrition and taste because they’re fresh off the farm, from Dirt to Doorstep®. In the time since you joined the Seasonal Roots family, have you noticed any difference in the way your kids eat?

JAMILA: I’ve noticed my kids are more willing to try interesting looking fruits and vegetables. They’ve even started asking for fruits and vegetables in season. When it gets closer to summer, they start asking for strawberries. Then come blueberries, and after we get through peaches, they’re asking for apples in the fall, like now.

THE VEGGIE FAIRIES: Have there been any surprises along the way?

JAMILA: They’ve taught me there is no food that’s just for kids or just for adults. They’ve shown me that they’re willing to eat flavors I never thought they would, like kohlrabi. The way they go through grape tomatoes is …

Read the rest of the newsletter below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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home delivered farmers local food open house

Home delivered farmers market: a peek behind the scenes

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / October 10,2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

TAKE A PEAK BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE HUB
Here’s how your order gets from the farm to your door

Our local farmers and food artisans deliver to the Hub on Monday. As soon as the food arrives, it goes straight into our two big coolers – 3,500 square feet of refrigerated space.

One cooler stays at 50 degrees for tomatoes, which don’t like to be too cold in order to max out their flavor… as well as hardy vegetables and fruits that don’t need to be too cold, like potatoes and apples. The other cooler stays at 41 degrees for greens, berries, and the like.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we set up the conveyor, get out the boxes, pull on our woolen undies, and line up along the conveyor to pack the orders right there in the coolers.
Okay, so most of us don’t wear woolen undies. Or even own them. But hoodies, wool caps, and scarves…

Read the rest of the newsletter below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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home delivered farmers market - open house

Home delivered local food: How it works

Take a tour of the Hub!

– By the Veggie Fairy Team

When we hosted an Open House at our Hub in Richmond, more than a hundred people stopped by check out the place where we pack up your weekly orders. They got to talk about local food, sample it, and peek behind the scenes at how our home delivered local food gets from the farm to you. You can scroll down for a photo tour that shows you how it works! But first…

The Open House

home delivered farmers market - open house

We sure appreciated the farmers who took a break from their chores to come hang out with us! They included Jack from Sion House Farm

home delivered farmers market - g flores produce

…and Enrique and Cristian from the Flores family farm, G. Flores Produce.

home delivered farmers market - cattle run farm

Ralph from Cattle Run Farm was there, too, and brought grassfed beef for the sliders.

home delivered farmers market - farmer connector sam

Your Farmer Connector, Sam, grilled up the beef, along with grassfed chicken from Harmony Hill Farm.

home delivered farmers market - corn pool 1

The smaller ones among us dove into a corn-filled kiddie pool, which hid a whole herd of plastic animals.

home delivered farmers market - corn pool 2

Apparently there was a lot of corn splashing going on. After the last cutie crawled out, the corn was donated to Ralph’s pigs, who pronounced it delicious.

home delivered farmers market - fosters catering zee

Zee of Foster’s Catering is a local food artisan — her muffin tops in our home-delivered farmers market have many, many fans. She’s also a member of the Seasonal Roots team, leading the neighborhood Market Managers on Richmond’s Southside.

home delivered farmers market - fosters catering muffins & child

For the Open House, Zee baked up 265 mini muffin samples and gave them all away. Quote of the day: “These are so addictive!”

home delivered farmers market - fosters catering SR cake

Seconds after this photo was taken of the biggest cake Zee brought, the crowd descended… and this cake was GONE.

home delivered farmers market - fosters catering cakes

Zee also raffled off four mini animal cakes — a pig, a kitty, a cow, and a… dragon?

home delivered farmers market - fosters catering winners

A couple of the lucky winners!

home delivered farmers market - happy team

A lot of members of the Seasonal Roots team were there, too. Jamila, in the middle taking the selfie, is our Veggie Fairy Godmother, the one who helps us veggie fairies on our appointed rounds as we take care of members and support local farmers. Zee is on the far left, and between them is Duane, our founder and Head Veggie Fairy. On the other side of Jamila is Sam, your Farmer Connector who vets each farmer and food artisan and chooses what goes in the market every weekend.

And now for…

The Hub tour

Our local farmers and food artisans deliver their local food to the Hub on Monday. As soon as the food arrives, it goes straight into our two big coolers.

tomatoes beefsteak sion housen cropped

One is kept at 50 degrees for tomatoes, which don’t like to be too cold in order to max out their flavor… as well as hardy vegetables and fruits that don’t need to be too cold, like potatoes, apples, and winter squashes. The other cooler is kept at 41 degrees for greens, berries, and the like.

hub outside cooler

People who take the tour in person are always amazed at how big the Hub is. You can see the entrance to the coolers on the right, there. Through that door, the refrigerated areas alone add up to 3,500 square feet — bigger than a lot of our houses.

hub 2

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we set up the conveyor, get out the boxes, pull on our woolen undies, and line up along the conveyor to pack the orders right there in the coolers. Everyone who takes the Hub tour in person says, “Wow, it’s so cold in here!” Especially if they walk in from a hot summer day. But since the food never leaves the cooler until delivery day, it stays cool and fresh until it comes to you.

hub 1

Okay, so most of us don’t wear woolen undies. Or even own them. But hoodies, wool caps, and scarves, definitely.

box and packing slip

Since most of our members customize their basket and order Extras, every order is different. So a packing slip is generated for each order, and we follow that packing slip as we pack each box.

hub 3

It takes about 12 of us to pack up the orders with 8 others helping.

down the line

When the line gets going, a packed box comes off the end of the conveyor every 30 seconds.

quality control

At the end we do quality control, checking to make sure that each order has everything it’s supposed to have.

seasonal roots truck

At dawn on delivery day (Wednesday in Northern Virginia, Thursday everywhere else), we load up the boxes in our trucks and head out to the party stops.

veggie fairy at party stop

That’s where the neighborhood Market Managers in each area meet up to collect their neighbors’ orders.

loading car

They load up their personal vehicles with the boxes and place perishable items like meat and dairy in a cooler in their vehicle. When they make their rounds, they take the perishables out of the cooler and add them to your order when they arrive at your place — keeping your food cool, fresh, and safe from the farm to your door!

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grassfed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.