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Community Corner

Route 1 Farms Grows Amazing Herbs

Produce from Route 1 Farms does not travel far from the field to your plate.

A great local gem to visit at the Scotts Valley Farmers Market is Route 1 Farms. They are bringing plethora of organic produce week after week, as well as a collection of herbs that rivals any other stand at the market. Basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, and chives are just a few lovely smelling and fresh herbs to add to your next pasta dish, or to roast with vegetables and olive oil.

What’s new:

On the herb front, dill is new to the scene, which farmer David Pew of Route 1 Farms says everyone gets excited about. Another fresh herb just hitting the market and worth getting excited about is Lemon Verbena, which owner Jeff Larkey calls "the new basil."

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"It's not really anything like basil, it's a very fragrant lemony herb. Everybody loves it, and everybody as soon as they smell it goes into an altered state of consciousness," jokes Pew.

The pungent lemon flavor is easily released from the herb when it's steeped, so Pew recommends making a soothing tea from the leaves, or using it to infuse flavor into jams and jellies or dessert dishes. 

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The fennel is also looking particularly healthy, and Pew recommends adding it to a risotto dish or simmering it with coconut milk to get the oils out and then adding it to a curry. People also like to grill it, or eat it in a shaved fennel salad with mandarin oranges, and radicchio, a beautiful purple and white bitter green that just came into season a couple weeks ago.

On the vegetable side of things, Route 1 Farms is bringing a nice green spread of kale, lettuces, cabbages, and spinach. They also have some delicious golden and red beets, as well as zucchini. 

About the grower:

For over two decades, Route 1 Farms has been growing its produce on 65 acres of prime coastal farmland north of Santa Cruz, in Wadell Creek, and along the San Lorenzo River. Owner Jeff Larkey is committed to farming in a way that is harmonious with the environment. Composting, crop diversity and crop rotation ensure the fertility of the soil is sustained, and they pledge not to use genetically modified seeds. 

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