Spring Superfood Bowl ft. Blueberry Ginger Dressing

Spring Superfood Bowl
Featuring Blueberry Ginger Dressing

Spring offers so many yummy greens while we wait for fresh berries to come back into season in Summer. Lately we've been obsessed with spinach and have been enjoying our superfood bowls a little too much! So much so in fact that we just had to share!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz spinach
• 1/2 cup cook quinoa
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 6 oz fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 avocado, peeled, cored, and diced into small pieces

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• salt & peper to taste

Instructions:

• Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a food processor. Pulse until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• For the salad divide the spinach into two bowls. Top spinach with quinoa, sprouts, chickpeas, almonds, and blueberries, and avocado, dividing evenly between bowls. Top with blueberry-ginger dressing and serve. 

Saturday Morning Waffles

Saturday Morning Waffles

The weekend is always the right time for delicious waffles, so this morning we broke out the waffle iron and had some delicious nutrient dense blueberry waffles.

Now the rains have set in here in Oregon it really feels like fall, and waffle also tend to just fit in to a lazy rainy day feel.

We hope you enjoy the waffles as much as we do!

Ingredients

•  1 3/4 c. AP flour
• 1/4 c. corn starch
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 c. milk
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 c. frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Add the wet ingredients and mix: eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla paste.
4. Fold in the blueberries.
5. (Grease waffle iron before each use) Pour approximately 1/2 cup batter onto the hot waffle iron, and cook for 3:30 minutes, or according to your waffle iron's instructions. (It really depends on your waffle iron size, one of our fits the 1/2 cup mentioned while we have another that is 1/4 cup)
6. Enjoy!

*Store leftovers in an air tight container*

Sunset Valley Organic October Newsletter

Happy October! 

We hope everyone’s fall has started off with a bang! For those who aren’t local, Oregon is starting to change color, and our blueberry plants are just starting to change from green to red and orange.  Be sure to follow us on Facebook for Autumn Photos from around our farm.

News From Around the Farm

Our harvest might be over, but we haven’t slowed down just yet. We are busy prepping ground for another planting of Aronia berries. Once we finish planting it, we will have a grand total of 70 acers of Aronia berries, and will have the largest planting of Certified Organic Aronia berries on the West Coast, which we think is pretty exciting. Aronia berries are best known for being grown in the mid west, but we are really excited to be trying this new venture.

We are also hard at work putting our berries to bed for the winter. For the raspberries we have already finished training and tying the canes, and have moved on the blackberries. We have about six weeks to two months to finish them up. For the blueberries we have started our Fall Foilers, which we have designed to encourage fruit bud set for next years crop. We are also spreading a sawdust and mulch mix at the base of the plants. 

Last month we also talked about getting our freeze drier up and running for making powders. A quick update about it is that we have made a couple of trial batches, however they aren’t perfect yet. And we want to give you all the most perfect powder. So we are going to continue to work hard on perfecting our timing with the freeze drier and finish tweeting it to perfection. Keep an eye on our social medias for some up coming photos of our process for freeze-drying. We want to thank everyone for their continued interest in this project we know it’s been a long time coming. 

Frozen Availability

With the start of fall we are nearing when we are able to send frozen berries my ground. We aren’t quite there yet, as some areas of the country are still really warm. We are looking at sometime next month being able to send frozen by ground. When we are able to, we will be posting a notice on the home page of our site. 

In order to get the ground shipping price you will need to call us to place your order, just as it has been in the past. 

Fall & Winter Hours

We will be open at the farm Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm. If you are unable to make it between these hours just call us and schedule an appointment. You can reach us at (541)752-0460.

Website Changes on The Horizon

We are going to be making changes to our website, so if you see something wonky, or weird. Please have patience as we will be improving and changing it over the next few months. Our goal is that in 2016 we will have a brand new site, that is educational, and user friendly.

IFBC in Seattle

This month we are doing something new! We have an opportunity to go to the International Food Bloggers Convention in Seattle, WA. We hope to learn tons of new things to make our blog, and website better.  We will also be posting about our experience there on our blog, so be sure to keep an eye on it.

• Adventures In Seattle At IFBC Part 1
• Adventures In Seattle At IFBC Part 2

Specials For This Month

This month we have a few different Coupons to offer to you guys, and since it's Halloween, we are having Three specials on our candy

1. We have an ad in the Pet Press magazine. If you see it and tell us about it you can get $5 off $25+ This offer will last as long as the issue is out. So September until November.
2. Trick Or Treat Chocolate Blueberry Clusters Special. We offered this last year and it was a big hit! So we brought it back, this special contains 10 mini chocolate blueberry packages for $12.95. See it on our site.  (Use code CLUSTER at check out when buying 2 to get the 3rd free!)

Simply Homemade Greek Yogurt Banana + Blueberry MuffinsWhile I was at the grocery store I found Fleischmann’s Simply Homemade Muffin + Bread Mix, specially for Greek yogurt. So I thought I would give it a go. And they turned out so good I just had to share it!If you pick up this box, it has directions on it for what to do. But instead of the corn oil like they suggest, I used olive oil, and I also added one cup frozen blueberries to the mix at the very end then just stirred it a couple times to get the blueberries all mixed in.With the addition of the blueberries, I ended up baking the muffins longer in the oven, on the box they recommend 15 to 20 minutes, and I baked mine for 30.Ingredients:Box Mix1 Single-serve container (5.3 oz) or 2/3 cup plain or vanilla Greek Yogurt2 eggs½ Cup oil (corn, coconut, olive, whatever you prefer)¼ Cup water1 Cup Frozen SVO BlueberriesDirections:1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line 12 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners or spray with cooking spray, set aside.2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a spoon, stir until mixture forms a batter, about 50 to 60 strokes (or, mix 30 seconds at medium speed with an electric mixer, scrape down sides, than mix for an additional 30 seconds.3.Spoon batter evenly between prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.

Final Harvest Report for 2015

Happy Monday Everyone! As most of you are aware of we closed our U-Pick about two weeks ago now (wow how time flies!) and we had such a great season! Thanks to everyone who came and bought/picked from us. We wanted to make one final harvest report, because tho we are done harvesting (and processing!) our blueberries we still are picking and processing blackberries, and Aronia berries.

We have finally finished harvesting and processing our blueberries. If you ordered bulk 30 pound boxes from us you should have received a phone call letting you know they are ready to be picked up. If not, feel free to call us at 541-752-0460.

Our blueberries did incredible this year. We harvested, and processed a record amount! We made it through the hot weather and our farming practices are really starting to show. If you missed it check out the following table. In 2010 we test our berries for what minerals where in them and how they stacked up against our competition. This summer we did it again, and we have seen a ton of improvement. 

Our blackberries are still being harvested and processed. We are not selling any fresh but we will have frozen in the coming weeks. (Just the same as raspberries- we expect to have these suckers back in stock in mid September.)

Our Aronia berries are just a baby crop and we are still at least a week away from picking them. It's just a baby crop and we are excited to start experimenting with them in freeze dried powders and spreads. If you are unaware what Aronia berries are check out this post from us, it give a good over view of them.

We also wish to remind everyone we have switched to our Fall/Winter Hours, Monday - Friday 10 am to 4 pm.

Lastly we are trying to get to 1000 likes on Facebook, when this happens we will be doing a contest/giveaway of our products! So tell your friends, family members, and neighbors about us!

Lemon Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

Tangy lemon balances out the tart blueberry flavors for a great tasting dessert under 250 calories. Plus edible flowers make an easy, pretty decoration for any outdoor party you may have.

Ingredients

• Cupcakes:
• 1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 10 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1 large egg 
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 
• 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
• Frosting:
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened 
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 
• Fresh blueberries (optional) 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.
3. To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Source

Cold Weather Means Cheaper Shipping Rates!

With the cold weather we have been experiencing lately we can ship our frozen strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Arizona, and other states for cheaper rates. But you have to call us or contact us through our website in order to confirm that your state qualifies for the cheaper rates. Call us at 541-752-0460, we are open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm Pacific Time.

Summer's Finally Heating Up!

Saturdays are always a busy day for us here on the farm. Today is no different. The U-Pick field is busy with people coming out of the field with huge gorgeous berries. We are still on the first pick of the field, and plan on doing a second, however those berries look to be just as large as the first pick, and it’s pretty amazing! Our U-Pick price is $2.65 per pound, and we are open from 8am to 6pm daily.

We have another berry that is just coming into season, blackberries that are plump and as large as my thumb! We have two sizes available at the farm stand and at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers Market which is one pound for $5.00 and five pounds for $18.00. This is the first weekend we are having them and we expect the season to go for at least three weeks. If you are wanting to get a lot we in courage you to place an order, or wait until we are mid season and have a lot more of a supply.

This weekend’s heat is sure to help ripen every crop, and we are anticipating the start of our frozen picking season to start this coming week. Which also means we are going to start packing this year’s crop in our frozen boxes, please call ahead to find out if we are indeed packing or if your wanting to pick up more than 2 boxes (30 pounds per box) at a time.

Have a great weekend everyone! Keep cool!

U-Pick Is Open, Let The Season Begin!

Yesterday was the first day of our U-Pick Field being open and we had a great day! So many people came out, especially for being a Wednesday. Our field is full of huge, gorgeous blueberries, that are getting sweeter with every passing day.

Our U-Pick Price is $2.65 per pound, we recommend bringing your own containers to take your berries home in. We are kid friendly, but ask you leave your pets at home. On sunny days there is little shade to park under and animals are not allowed in our fields. We are open from 8am to 6pm daily, now until around the 17th of August. 

If you dont have time to come visit us at the farm, stop on by the Corvallis Farmers Market on Saturdays. The market is on 1st. Street, along the river front in downtown Corvallis. Our booth is across from Denison Farms at the end nearest Great Harvest Bakery. We have all of our products available for purchase as well as fresh fruit.

Also look for our fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries at Albertsons (Corvallis,OR), Market of Choice (Corvallis, OR), Trillium, and  Ocenana (Newport, OR). If they are out request us by name for more! 

For our out of state costumers, don't fret we haven't left you out! Soon you will be able to indulge in our raspberries and blackberries by buying them frozen and buying our other products that will become available sometime this fall! Keep checking back for details!

Passionate for Pies? We are too!

This Year's Crop of Blueberries are Picked, and Frozen for Fall!  

Which gets us thinking about baking.
Our Frozen Blueberries are perfect for baking, as evidence by one of our most enthusiastic customers:

Passionate for Pies Bakery 

on Orcas Island Washington!

They not only make amazing looking pies, but they're delicious, and healthy too!
Their philosophy is:

Health begins within. All of our ingredients are carefully chosen with the intention to maintain balance in our body, our mind, and our planet. This means knowing the people and farmers. Organic and Local. 90% of our ingredients come directly from Northwest farms, including produce, flour, and dairy.

 We got a chance to taste one this summer, and loved it!  Let us know if you get the pleasure of traveling to the San Juans to sample some of their amazing wares!

Frozen Blueberries- Nutrition and Flavor Year Round

In the spectrum of healthy fruits, Blueberries stand out—for their delicious taste, small size and big health benefits. With more antioxidant capacity per serving than most other fruits, frozen Organic Blueberries have a lot of what it takes to combat disease and promote healthy aging. Just a ½ cup of frozen Organic Blueberries satisfies one fruit serving and is a good source of dietary fiber. Visit the nutrition section of our site to get the scoop on the testing we've done to learn how nutrient-dense our organic blueberries are.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient and available year-round. What’s more, frozen makes it easy to get the colorful variety needed to ensure the widest range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Plus, the FDA has concluded that frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh and may even retain its nutritional value longer—all of which makes frozen an excellent value for consumers wanting to increase their intake while making the most of their food dollar.

So take a tip from the nutrition specialists...get your winter share of fiber, anti-oxidants AND a taste of summer, with Frozen Blueberries. Check out our recipes for many ways to use frozen blueberries

All Year Yummy Blueberries!

Frozen Market started today, this means that we machine pick the blueberries at night (firmest in the cool of the night), they then go into our holding rooms that are kept cool. They then make their way across an assortment of machinery including a fan, soft fruit detector, two color sorters, an inspection belt and a metal detector. To sum it up the blueberries are washed, sorted, and ready to be frozen.

We pack our berries into 30 pound boxes which are available year round to the public for $90.00, that is $3.00 per pound. We also offer gallon bags, that have five pounds of blueberries in them for $19.00, that is $3.80. Finally we have one pound bags, for 5.25 each. All the sizes are available year round, so you never run out of nutrient dense blueberries that taste great!

Our frozen market last usually three weeks once we get started, and this year we are keeping the front farm stand open an extra two weeks to keep up with demand of the U-Pick ($2.50 per pound) and our fresh market berries.

We are open seven days a week from 8am-6pm. However you are more than welcome to call, or e-mail with questions. (Check our website for details http://www.buyorganicberries.com/)

Frozen Blueberries as Teething Snack

For teething toddlers, there's nothing more soothing than something ice cold on their gums.

For older toddlers, where they don't pose a choking hazard, we found that frozen Blueberries were the perfect solution. A small bowlful of frozen blueberries for a fussy toddler satisfied both the sweet tooth and the need for something cool on the gums. And mom could feel good about a healthy snack. (always supervise small children eating something small and round).