Fresh Corn Salsa

This recipe is perfect for a summer BBQ or as a great addition to include with your meals throughout the week. 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 11 minutes

Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients 

3 cloves Thames River Melons garlic, minced

1 cob Thames River Melons sweet corn, kernels removed from cob 

2 lbs Thames River Melons tomatoes; we used a combination of green tomatoes and grape tomatoes, diced

1 medium Thames River Melons red onion, diced

1.5 lbs Thames River Melons peppers; we used a combination of jalapeno peppers, green bell peppers, and sweet banana peppers, diced

¼ cup lime juice 

1 teaspoon salt 

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash corn, tomatoes, onion, and peppers under cool water. 

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add in cob of corn, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and let it cool. Once cooled, cut the kernels off the corn. 

3. Mince the garlic. Dice tomatoes, onions, and peppers. 

4. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir well. 

5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. 

6. When serving, stir the salsa to mix any ingredients that may have settled to the bottom during storage. 

Note: We used green tomatoes, which means they aren’t ripe yet! So if you are using these, you will want to pan-fry them in a small amount of oil on medium heat for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. This will soften them up to become a perfect addition to your salsa!

Cost

• Corn is $1.00 a cob. 

• PYO costs include: 

• Garlic is $3.00/lb

• Tomatoes are $0.25/lb

• Grape tomatoes are $2.00/lb

• Peppers are $2.00/lb

• Onions are $1.00/lb. 

In total, the cost of the corn and PYO produce is $0.85/serving.

Nutrient Profile 

This fresh corn salsa contains 2 grams of fibre/serving! Did you know fibre plays a role in helping your digestion? The daily recommended intake of fibre is 38 grams for men ages 19-50, 30 grams for men over 50, 25 grams for women ages 19-50, and 21 grams for women over 50. Adding this salsa to your meals is an easy and tasty way to help you increase your fibre intake!

Storage 

Store the salsa in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Reference:

Health Canada [Internet]. Ottawa: Government of Canada; c2025; [updated 2023 Dec 18; cited 2025 Aug 11]. Dietary reference intakes tables: Reference values for macronutrients; [about 7 screens]. Available from: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/dietary-reference-intakes/tables/reference-values-macronutrients.html.

Blueberry Lemon Scones

These blueberry lemon scones are soft, buttery, and bursting with flavour! 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 8 

Ingredients
Blueberry Lemon Scones

½ cup granulated sugar 

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup cold unsalted butter, grated or 1 cm cubes 

1 egg, beaten

½ cup heavy whipping cream 

1 cup Thames River Melons blueberries 

Zesty Lemon Glaze 

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions
Blueberry Lemon Scones 

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. In a bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and lemon zest to make lemon sugar. 

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Next, stir in the lemon sugar. 

4. Slowly add in the cold butter while stirring the mixture. Having cold butter is important because this is what gives your scones a light, flaky texture! We grated our butter, which mixes in easily, but if you choose to cube your butter, you may need to cut it into the flour. To do this, you can use a pastry cutter, forks, or your fingers. At this stage, you will see clumps starting to form. 

5. In a separate bowl, stir together the heavy whipping cream and egg until combined. Slowly add this to the flour mixture, stirring the flour mixture as you pour.  Mix just until a dough forms. 

6. Gently fold the blueberries into the dough. Note: if you are using frozen blueberries, some colour might bleed into the mixture – this is normal!

7. Add flour to a clean surface and place the dough onto it. Pat the dough down to 1 inch and shape it into a circle. Cut into 8 triangles.

8. Place each scone onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.

9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the edges start to become golden brown.

Zesty Lemon Glaze

1. In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 

2. Drizzle over blueberry lemon scones about 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. 

Cost

PYO blueberries are $4.50/lb. In total, the cost of the PYO blueberries is $0.28/scone. 

Nutrient Profile 

These scones contain blueberries and lemons, both of which are sources of antioxidants, such as vitamin C. Vitamin C is important to our health because it supports wound healing, protects our cells from damage, and helps our bodies absorb iron from plant foods. 

Storage 

Store these scones in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

For longer storage, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, warm in the oven or airfryer for a few minutes.

Reference:

Unlock Food [Internet]. Canada: Dietitians of Canada; [updated 2019 Mar 21;  cited 2025 Aug 14]. What you need to know about vitamin C; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Vitamins-and-Minerals/What-you-need-to-know-about-vitamin-C.aspx. 

Balancing the Sweet Stuff: A Farm-Fresh Look at Sugar & Health

Hi everyone! We’re Alex and Angelique, two Master’s students specializing in Dietetics (aka: food and nutrition). If you’ve visited the farm recently, there’s a good chance you’ve seen us out and about chatting with folks about food, farming, and all things nutrition. 

During these chats, one question kept popping up again and again: “Should I be worried about the sugar in fruits, jams, jellies, and other preserves?”. 

We love this question for many reasons, but a big one is because there’s so much conflicting information out there about this topic. It causes a lot of confusion and unnecessary fear, especially when it comes to the sweet, seasonal foods we all enjoy.  

So, think of this as a “back to the basics”,  where we’ll break down the science to help you understand how to enjoy your favorite fruity foods while nourishing your body. Before we start, one small disclaimer: this information is for educational purposes and is general enough that it can apply to both those with a condition that impacts sugar metabolism and normal sugar metabolizing folks alike. That being said, nothing you read online should replace individualized care recommendations from your health care team, so take what fits and leave the rest! 

Let’s dive in!  

It seems like every time  we open our phone, turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or even have conversations with friends and family, everyone has an opinion about sugar. Limit this, don’t eat that, fruits are bad, fruits are good, just cut out sugar completely! The list goes on… But the reality is, sugar is a necessary part of our diet, to keep our brains  functional. The conversation shouldn’t be  about avoiding sugar altogether, but rather it should be about understanding how to enjoy it safely and confidently!  

We talk about this much more over in our Nutrition Hub but our bodies ultimately break down even the most stereotypically “healthy” foods into simple sugars to keep our basic functions going.  Think of these foods like a chain linked together, and every time our body breaks off a link of the chain, it releases some energy needed to survive. If the chain is strong, we are going to break it apart one link at a time, with a gradual release of that energy. If the chain is weak, then we  break it apart all at once, giving a quick burst of energy that can often leave us feeling not so great. So, how can we make the chain stronger? Protein and fibre! 

Protein and fibre make the chain stronger. These two components require  a lot of  energy to break apart in order to access  the fuel (aka glucose). If your body is focused on breaking apart these components, it’s harder for the sugar you eat to spike your blood sugar. Clinical research trials  found that eating something high in protein before something high in sugar will lower blood sugar spikes. This observation has been repeated so many times that the idea of pairing protein with high sugar, (aka high carbohydrate) foods is encouraged by Diabetes Canada. Fibre, especially soluble fibre (the type that forms a gel, commonly found in fruits, chia seeds, and oatmeal) can actually slow down the speed that our body takes sugar into the blood while digesting it. Insoluble fibre (the kind found in vegetables and grains to make up their “bulk”) is known to improve insulin resistance over time when consumed regularly. Insulin is like the key unlocking the door to let sugar into our cells so we can use it as the energy we need. If we improve insulin resistance, it means that our bodies are going to react to insulin the way it is supposed to, not “resisting” its unlocking effect. This means we will have steadier blood sugar levels even if we eat foods with sugar! Pretty cool huh?   

Now that we’ve broken down the science, let's chat about what this looks like when it comes to your everyday food choices.  Throughout this section, our hope is that you can see that balance is more important than restriction. 

Many of the farm visitors we spoke with expressed how much they love preserving the berries they pick into delicious jams and jellies. But, they don’t feel like they can eat these items anymore because of the sugar content. Taking what we’ve learned above, here are a few ideas for eating the delicious preserves without spiking your blood sugar:

1. Try a simple snack of your homemade jam on some wholegrain toast, with some high protein yogurt on the side! 

Not your thing?

1.  Try some oats, chia seeds, your jam and a hard-boiled egg with eggs from our chickens! 

2. Make  a delicious berry crumble, but use a sugar alternative in the crumble like stevia, with a variety of seeds to add more fibre. When enjoying this, try some vanilla high protein yogurt as a swap for the ice cream. Or, have a scoop of your favorite ice cream with your crumble and a protein shake. 

Noticing a trend here? Good! That brings us to the idea of building your plate strategically to enjoy your favorite foods without a burst of sugar. Remember the goal, balance not restriction! When enjoying anything that’s high in sugar, try building your plate so that you have something high in protein and something high in fibre to eat along with the higher sugar foods.  

Food labels are a great tool to help you understand where to be strategic. When we look at a food label, Health Canada shows us the “percent daily values”. Health Canada has also created the easy to memorize tagline: “5% is a little, 15% is a lot”. This is a great tool for knowing when to pair your foods with protein and fibre. Think about it like this, if the label shows a sugar content above the 5% daily value cutoff for it being “a little”, pair it with protein and fibre! Additionally, the ingredients list is a good indicator for pairing foods with protein and fibre. Ingredients are listed in order, from most to least by weight. This means that the first ingredients listed are what there is the most of, and the last ingredients are what there’s the least of. So once again, if you see sugar as one of the first ingredients, pair it with protein and fibre! 

You’ve made it to the end! Congratulations. We really hope that this blog post has given you the confidence to eat foods that have sugar in them, without being afraid. Remember, sugar has a place in a balanced diet. It's much more important to consider what you pair the sugar-forward items with, and how these delicious items fit into the bigger picture of your food choices over time. Get curious and try combinations of protein and fibre to see what feels best with your body. Don’t feel guilty for enjoying these delicious foods. And if you see us (Angelique and Alex) around the farm, come say hi and let us know how you’ve tried putting this into practice! 

Sources: 

1. Diabetes Canada. (2024). Protein and Diabetes:  What You Need to Know . Toronto, ON; Diabetes Canada. 

2. Song, J., Oh, T. J., & Song, Y. (2023). Individual postprandial glycemic responses to meal types by different carbohydrate levels and their associations with glycemic variability using continuous glucose monitoring. Nutrients, 15(16), 3571. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15163571 

3. Bae, J. H., Kim, L. K., Min, S. H., Ahn, C. H., & Cho, Y. M. (2018). Postprandial glucose‐lowering effect of premeal consumption of protein‐enriched, dietary fiber‐fortified bar in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus or normal glucose tolerance. Journal of Diabetes Investigation, 9(5), 1110–1118. https://doi.org/10.1111/jdi.12831

4. Weickert, M. O., & Pfeiffer, A. F. (2018). Impact of dietary fiber consumption on insulin resistance and the prevention of type 2 diabetes. The Journal of Nutrition, 148(1), 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxx008
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3 Blueberry Smoothies to Blend This Season

Each smoothie serves 1

Ingredients

Smoothie 1: Bright and Tangy Berry Blend Smoothie

½ cup Thames River Melons blueberries

½ cup Thames River Melons raspberries

¾ cup cold water or liquid of choice 

1 tablespoon chia seeds 

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt 

1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice 

Smoothie 2: Blueberry & Carrot Smoothie

1 cup Thames River Melons blueberries

½ cup shredded carrot

¾ cup soy milk or liquid of choice 

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed 

1 tablespoon tahini

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Smoothie 3: Blueberry Banana Pie Smoothie 

1 cup Thames River Melons blueberries

½ banana 

¾ cup milk or liquid of choice

2 tablespoons rolled oats 

1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter or Wow Butter for anyone with a nut allergy

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Notes:
When making our smoothies, we decided to use frozen fruit to make them have a thicker consistency. If you like your smoothie sweeter, add in a date, or a teaspoon of maple syrup or Thames River Melons honey. 

Instructions 

1. Add all ingredients to blender. 

2. Blend for approximately 30 seconds or until all ingredients are mixed. 

Helpful tip: Place your liquid and softer ingredients closer to the blades and the harder ingredients (like frozen blueberries) away from the blades. This will make your smoothie blend a lot easier! 

Bright and Tangy Berry Blend Smoothie

Blueberry and Carrot Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Pie Smoothie

Cost

PYO blueberries and raspberries are $4.50/lb. In total, the cost of the PYO berries for each smoothie is $1.40. 

Nutritional Density 

Blueberries are also a great source of antioxidants! 

Final Note:

Smoothies are meant to be customizable! We love using whatever we have on hand when creating our recipes. Check out our smoothie formula to help you when crafting your own!

From Berry Patch to Blender

Blueberry season is in full swing at the farm, and we’re celebrating with a closer look at what makes these tiny berries such a big deal—and how you can incorporate them into our easy to remember smoothie formula! Whether you're picking your own or grabbing a pre-picked basket at the farm(ers’) market, there's no better time than now to blend them into something delicious.

Blueberries aren’t just sweet and juicy—they’re also full of antioxidants!

Antioxidants are molecules that help fight harmful substances in your body called free radicals. Free radicals are tiny molecules that are missing one of their parts (called an electron). As a result, these free radicals try to steal this missing part from other molecules in your body. When free radicals build up, they can damage your cells over time—a process linked to aging and many chronic diseases. These free radicals are naturally formed when you breathe, eat, and exercise, but their levels can rise due to things like air pollution, cigarette smoke, and stress. 

The good news? Antioxidants help protect your cells by giving free radicals their missing part. Research has shown that eating antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries may help reduce the risk of developing conditions like heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

Blueberries are especially high in a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins—the same molecules that give them their deep-blue colour and contribute to many of their health benefits. 

Want to learn more about antioxidants? Head over to our nutrition hub! 

One of our favourite ways to enjoy this antioxidant-rich berry is by using them in our smoothies. 

Build Your Smoothie Using Our Easy Formula!

We like to keep things simple when it comes to blending smoothies. That’s why we’ve created a simple formula to keep in mind when making your smoothies. 

Let’s discuss each of the components of this formula!

1. Fruits and/or Vegetables (1–3 servings)
Start with a mix of fruits, veggies, or both! Using what’s in season—like fresh blueberries—is less expensive and a great way to maximize flavour.
Don’t be afraid to add in some vegetables too! Options like carrots, spinach, or zucchini can be easily blended and add fibre and other nutrients to your smoothie without altering the taste too much. 

2. Liquid
Choose a liquid to help everything blend smoothly. Our go-to options include:

• Water 

• Milk 

• Milk alternatives like almond, oat, or soy milk

The liquid helps with texture, but it also helps keep you hydrated! Using milk or fortified alternatives can also increase the protein or micronutrient content of your smoothie.

3. Fibre
Fibre helps you stay fuller longer, supports digestion, and helps to regulate blood sugars. Some great smoothie-friendly options include:

• Chia seeds

• Ground flax

• Rolled oats

• Hemp hearts

4. Healthy Fats
Adding in a healthy fat can help make your smoothie creamier and keep you satisfied. Try adding in:

• Greek yogurt 

• Peanut butter or other nut butters

• Tahini

• Avocado

Once you have chosen your base ingredients, you can stop there! Or you can consider adding in a little something extra to elevate the flavour. We call this your flavour pop! Some of our favourites include:

• Thames River Melons Melon Blossom Honey 

• Cinnamon

• Vanilla

• Lemon

By using our smoothie formula, you can create endless tasty combinations that will keep you satisfied! Watch out for our next recipe post, where we use this formula to share our three favourite blueberry smoothie recipes.  

References:
PEN Nutrition [Internet]. Canada: Dietitians of Canada; [updated 2018 Dec 17; cited 2025 Aug 1]. Antioxidants and your diet; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.pennutrition.com/KnowledgePathway.aspx?kpid=3127&trid=13678&trcatid=467.

Unlock Food [Internet]. Canada: Dietitians of Canada; [updated 2019 Feb 20; cited 2025 Aug 1]. What you need to know about antioxidants; [about 3 screens]. Available from: https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Vitamins-and-Minerals/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Antioxidants.aspx.

5 Minute, Garden-Fresh Herb and Greek Yogurt Dressing

5 Minute, Garden-Fresh Herb and Greek Yogurt Dressing

This is a vibrant and flavorful dressing for salads, or a delicious dip/sauce for your favorite foods. 

Prep time: 5 minutes

Storage:  Keeps for up to a week when refrigerated in an air-tight container. 

Yield: 2 cups (~8 servings) 

Ingredients

1 cup fresh Thames River Melons dill

½ cup fresh Thames River Melons sage

½ cup fresh Thames River Melons tarragon

¼ cup green onion 

1 clove garlic

3 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup plain greek, or skyrr yogurt (thick yogurt)

Salt and pepper to fit your tastebuds

Instructions

1. Prep the herbs

• Wash the dill, sage, tarragon, and green onion thoroughly.

• Remove any stems that feel too woody—this means anything that feels unusually stiff or hard when you bend it.

2. Blend it all together

• Add all the ingredients into a food processor or blender.

• Blend on medium speed (or pulse) for 60 to 90 seconds, until smooth and creamy.

3. Store and serve

• Transfer the sauce into an airtight container.

• Keep it in the fridge for easy serving throughout the week.

4. Enjoy!

• Spoon over warm zucchini fritters, use as a dip, or drizzle over roasted veggies.

Notes:

• Feel free to swap out any of the herbs used in this for your favorite options or with whatever you have on hand. 

• Our Pick Your Own fields are full of beautiful herbs, come out and grab some!

Zucchini Fritters

Zucchini Fritters

These fritters are a great way to use up large, overgrown zucchini. They are a delicous side with breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 15 Minutes

Yield: 10-15 fritters, depending on the preferred size and thickness you choose. 

Ingredients

4 cups of shredded Thames River Melons zucchini (3-4 medium zucchini)

¼ teaspoon  salt

1 teaspoon  each of garlic powder, onion powder, and cracked black pepper 

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons corn starch

Instructions

1. Shred the zucchini

• Grate 3 to 4 medium zucchini to get 4 cups of loose shreds. Place them in a large bowl.

• Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and let sit for 15 minutes. This helps pull out excess moisture. Too much moisture left in the shredded zucchini will make for soggy fritters that don’t hold together well.

2. Remove the moisture

• After 15 minutes, use a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer to squeeze out as much water as possible.
  (Tip: Zucchini water makes excellent fertilizer for houseplants!)

3. Make the batter

• Return the drained zucchini to a clean, dry bowl.

• Add garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, corn starch, and eggs.

• Stir well to combine into a uniform batter.

4. Heat the pan

• Place a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.

• Lightly grease the pan with neutral oil like canola, avocado, or olive oil. You may need to adjust the heat slightly as you cook—the idea is to aim for golden brown, not black.

5. Form and cook fritters

• Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per fritter into the pan to form 2-inch rounds.

• Let them cook undisturbed until the edges start to look dry and golden.

6. Flip and finish

• Carefully flip the fritters and gently press down with a spatula.

• Cook until the second side is golden brown and the fritters feel firm to the touch.

7. Serve or store

• Serve hot with our herby Greek yogurt sauce (recipe on our website).

• Meal prep tip: Let fritters cool, then freeze. Reheat in the oven or air fryer for a quick and crispy meal.

Notes: 

• You can swap out frying these fritters in a skillet to baking them in a greased muffin pan at 375°F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

• Using cornstarch instead of flour makes for crispier fritters. It is also naturally gluten free - making this recipe celiac friendly!

Farmer Rob's Favourite Steak Marinade

If you’re ever chatting with Rob about our Black Angus Beef, he’s almost certainly mentioned this marinade. He swears by it, and wants everyone to experience the deliciousness along with him.

Marinades work best with tougher cuts of meat, and for steaks that will be cooked on the grill.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Creamy Zucchini Pasta

Ingredients

6 slices bacon

3 zucchini, sliced into half rounds

1 head green garlic, minced

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

½ cup vegetable broth

½ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup cream

4 cups noodles of choice, cooked according to package directions

2 teaspoons breadcrumbs

More Parmesan, for topping

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crisped to your liking. Be sure to flip and cook both sides evenly. Once ready, remove bacon from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Pat the bacon strips to remove excess grease, then roughly chop into homemade bacon bits. Set aside for later.

2. In the same pan and still over medium heat, cook the zucchini and garlic. The bacon grease will provide all the fat you need and will offer delicious flavour. Stir often and continue to cook until the zucchini is golden brown and garlic is fragrant.

3. In the meantime, set a large pot full of water on another element. Salt the water, bring to a boil, and cook your pasta according to package directions.

4. Turn the heat off the pan with the zucchini and carefully pour the broth into the pan. Scrape up all the bits of garlic that have likely started to stick, then quickly transfer the zucchini and broth mixture into a blender.

5. Add cream and Parmesan to the blender as well, then buzz until a smooth sauce has formed.

6. Pour the sauce over the cooked noodles and stir until everything is evenly coated.

7. Serve pasta, then top with the bacon bits you prepared earlier, as well as breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan.

8. Serve with an additional protein if you’d like! We chose some leftover chicken strips. Sausage or grilled chicken would be delicious as well.

9. Enjoy!

Note: This recipe could be easily modified to become vegetarian by subbing olive oil for the bacon fat. To make it vegan, try using nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan and cashew cream or coconut milk instead of the dairy cream!

Chili Crisp and Green Garlic Potato Salad

Ingredients

4lbs potatoes (red, white, or  Yukon Gold)

2 ½ teaspoons salt

6 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

¼ cup Thames River Melons Corn Relish

3 stems green garlic, washed and minced (white and green parts separated)

1 teaspoon black pepper

¾ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup yogurt

1 tablespoon Thames River Melons Candied Jalapeno Syrup

2 tablespoons Chilli Crisp

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

Instructions

1. Cut potatoes into bite sized chunks (peel first if desired – we didn’t!). Place the potatoes and 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add peeled and diced hard-boiled eggs, corn relish, white parts of the minced green garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, mayonnaise, yogurt, candied jalapeno syrup, chili crisp, 1 tablespoon of the rice wine vinegar, and chopped bacon. Stir to combine.

3. Drain the potatoes well in a colander, then transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar evenly over the potatoes. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

4. Add the potatoes to the bowl of dressing and fold to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day before serving.

Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients

Cheese Filling

½ cup cream cheese (we used a local version called Crowdie, from Golspie Dairy!)

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or whatever you have on hand)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 green garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sundried tomatoes, diced

Salt & Pepper

Spice Mixture

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon brown sugar

Protein

2 chicken breasts

8 slices bacon

Other

8 – 12 spears asparagus, ends trimmed

Neutral cooking oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Prepare the cheese filling: in a medium bowl mix cream cheese, Parmesan, shredded cheese, lemon juice, garlic, sundried tomatoes, salt, and pepper until smooth.

3. Prepare the spice mixture: in a small bowl, measure out spices and whisk together until evenly combined.

4. Set cheese filling and spice mixture aside until later.

5. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise, leaving you with a total of 4 thin pieces (they should be around ¾ inch) of chicken. If they are too thick, wrap in saran and pound with a meat tenderizer. If you don’t have one, a rolling pin will work as well! And if you don’t have one of those? Try a can of beans!

6. Now you are ready to assemble the stuffed chicken:

   1. Season the inside of the chicken slices with a sprinkle of the spice mixture.

   2. Next, add 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture and spread so it covers the full length of the chicken.

   3. Finally, add 2 – 3 spears of asparagus.

   4. Carefully roll up the piece of chicken and wrap with 2 slices of bacon.

7. Place an oven-safe pan over medium heat on the stove top. Once hot, add the stuffed chicken pieces to the pan.

8. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture all over the top of the chicken. Sear for 2 minutes per side, to give the chicken a nice golden brown exterior.

9. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 20 – 25 minutes, until an internal thermometer shows the chicken has reached 165°F (74°C).

10. Serve alongside veggies and a grain of your choice. We went with more asparagus and Cavatappi noodles sprinkled with more Parmesan and black pepper.

Sweet & Spicy Pickled Rhubarb

Ingredients

3 stalks rhubarb, washed and trimmed

1 mason jar of choice

1 cup water

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

Zest from 1 orange

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon peppercorns

1.5 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ginger

1 spring fresh thyme

Red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds

6 cloves

Instructions

1. Combine water, vinegar, and sugar in a small pot then add all seasonings.

2. Mix thoroughly, then set on the stove over medium heat.

3. Bring the pickling brine to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until sugar is dissolved.

4. While the brine boils, prep your rhubarb. Slice stalks in half, then cut on an angle until they are roughly the height of the mason jar you chose. Pack prepared rhubarb slices upright into the jar.

5. Remove the brine from heat, let cool, then pour overtop of the prepared rhubarb, into the mason jar.

6. Let cool on the counter then tightly screw the lid on the jar and transfer to the fridge.

7. Let sit in the fridge for at least 1 day before enjoying. The longer you leave them the more flavourful they will get!

Chicken Salad with Pickled Rhubarb

Ingredients

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup yogurt

2 stalks green garlic, washed and minced

½ teaspoon celery seed

½ teaspoon thyme

Salt

Pepper

½ cup pickled rhubarb, chopped

2 cups shredded chicken

Instructions

1. Whisk together mayonnaise and yogurt. Add green garlic, celery seed, and thyme, then whisk again. Season with salt and pepper and taste.

2. Fold in rhubarb and shredded chicken, and mix until evenly coated.

3. Serve on bread of choice (we used croissants!), with your preferred toppings (we chose farm fresh lettuce and a slice of local cheese).

4. Enjoy!

What's Happening at the Farm This Month🌷

May on the farm means everything is moving at full swing. It’s a tricky month, due to the cold temperatures we still feel most evenings, and means we are trying to balance transplanting and crop growth with frost protection. We've had some long nights worrying about and working hard to keep everything safe, but it's definitely worth it!

The best part of May is that home deliveries have started, Farmers’ Markets are opening, and our Farm Market (including the Farm Food Truck!) is up and running. After a long winter, it feels so wonderful to connect with all of you in person again!

ON THE FARM

✅Farm Events

• Meet The Bees // May 31st + June 7th

  • Put on a suit and follow our beekeeper, Nathan, to the hives to learn all about beekeeping. Finish up with a sweet treat enjoyed on the farm.

• Harvest Brunch // July 5th + 19th

  • Spend time in the fields and harvest your own fruits and vegetables. Learn about your produce and culinary tips from Registered Dietitian, Alex Chesney. Enjoy your local and delicious brunch on the farm.

✅Farm Market

Open Daily 9am - 5pm. Always stocked with pre-picked produce, preserves, baked goods, and Black Angus Beef. A convenient way to shop local.

✅Pick Your Own

Asparagus and rhubarb are both available in our Pick Your Own fields. Be a farmer for the day and experience harvesting your own produce. Plus, this is the most budget-friendly option we have available. Open Monday - Saturday 9am to 5pm.

✅Farm Food Truck

Now open 7 days a week 11am - 5pm! Serving Black Angus Smash Burgers, fresh-cut fries, milkshakes, and poutine. Everything on the menu is made from scratch using produce grown on the farm. Make a day of it and enjoy our walking trails, kids’ playset, or hanging out with our chickens and cows.

📍Farm Address: 775530 Blandford Rd, Innerkip

OFF THE FARM

Starting this weekend, you can find us at the following Farmers’ Markets and Pop-ups. Be sure to stop by and say hello! 👋

✅Farmers’ Markets

• St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market

• Masonville Farmers’ Market

• Cambridge Farmer’s Market

• Guelph Farmers’ Market

• St. Lawrence Market (new North Building)

• Woodstock Farmers’ Market

• Stratford Farmers’ Market

• Milton Farmers’ Market

• East York Farmers’ Market

Click here for the full list of Farmers’ Markets we’ll be attending this season.

✅Daily Pop-ups

• Cambridge ONRoute (both East and West)

• Toys R Us in Kitchener (419 Fairway Rd S)

FROM THE FARM

🐝An update from our Beekeeper, Nathan:

The bees' springtime is for pollination and growth. They're hard at work in the apples, peaches, and strawberries. As they fill their hive with this food and new bees, they prepare to swarm. They make a new queen, who stays behind with half the bees while the old queen takes the other half to start a new hive. To avoid losing bees this way, we split the hives before they swarm, giving them more space to grow.

🐄Black Angus Beef Update:

Our website has been restocked with all of your favourites. We work directly with a local butcher to provide you with fresh and delicious cuts from our very own herd. We recommend stocking up your freezer with steaks for easy summer meals. Click here to order Black Angus Beef for delivery.

Farm Kitchen Update🥧

Our team is back baking daily in our Farm Kitchen! Fruit pies, muffins, savoury pies, focaccia and more are being whipped up daily, and are available for sale via home delivery or here on-farm. We also send a selection of pies to many of our Saturday farmers' markets. If you have a special event you need something delicious for, be sure to reach out and place an order!

Our Favourite Ways to Eat Green Garlic

Green garlic is the young, tender version of garlic harvested before the bulb fully matures. It’s milder and sweeter than the garlic you’re used to, with hints of fresh onion and a delicate garlic flavour. Perfect for adding a subtle punch to your dishes without overwhelming them.

We’ve shared several recipes featuring this delectable spring crop, and thought we would round them up here for your convenience. Give them a try and let us know what you think!

Cheesy Smashed New Potatoes & Garlic Scapes

Asparagus & Green Garlic Ricotta Pasta

Sauteed Shrimp with Green Garlic

Grilled Green Garlic

Asparagus & Green Garlic Flatbread

Steak Frites with Asparagus & Halloumi

Ingredients

2 Thames River Melons Black Angus steaks (rib or striploin)

1 block halloumi, sliced into rectangles

1 bunch Thames River Melons asparagus, washed and trimmed

1 bag frozen fries (or make your own!)

Salt

Pepper

Neutral cooking oil

Neutral cooking oil spray

Seasonings (We used Kinders Buttery Garlic Rub, from Costco)

2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Cook Steaks

1. Thaw steaks in the fridge overnight.

2. Remove from packaging and thoroughly pat dry using paper towel. Once steaks are dry, let them sit out for 15 minutes, to come to room temperature. Thoroughly salt both sides of the steaks.

3. Heat a large stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat.

4. When pan is very hot, pour in 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat pan.

5. Cook steak 6 - 8 minutes, until a brown crust forms. Flip, and cook for another 6 - 8 minutes.

6. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 125°F (51°C).

7. Transfer steak to a cutting board.

Prepare Asparagus & Fries

1. Next, prepare the asparagus and fries for the oven.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F

3. For the asparagus, spread out evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Drizzle with cooking oil and season with salt and pepper, along with any other seasonings you’d like.

5. Transfer the prepared pan of asparagus to the oven and roast for approximately 15 minutes.

6. Spread the fries out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and generously spray with cooking oil.

7. When 10 minutes remains on the asparagus timer, add the pan of fries to the oven as well.

Cook Halloumi

1. While the asparagus and fries bake, cook your halloumi. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to a large pan and place over medium-high heat.

2. Add your slices of halloumi and cook until golden brown. Flip and repeat.

3. By now, your asparagus, fries, and halloumi should all be ready. Turn off the oven and leave the asparagus & fries. Transfer the halloumi to an oven safe plate lined with paper towel and place them in the oven as well, to stay warm.

Cook Steaks – Part 2

1. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan you originally cooked your steak in, and turn the heat to medium-high.

2. Slice your steaks into bite-sized pieces, working against the grain.

3. Once butter is melted, add steak bites to the pan. Season with your preferred selection of herbs and spices (again, we used that garlic-butter mixture from Costco!).

4. Cook until your desired level of doneness is achieved. The temperature listed earlier in the recipe (125°F/51°C) is rare.

Assemble Plates

1. Layer shallow bowls with a scoop of fries and top with halloumi, steak, and asparagus. Serve with a salad of your choice and enjoy!

Family Day 2025

Happy Family Day!

From our family to yours

Happy Family Day! Alex here again with another story to share. First, though I hope you are enjoying a day full of fun and relaxation with your family members.

In honour of Family Day (and Valentine’s Day last Friday!), we wanted to share the special origin story of one of our favourite preserves: Strawberry BBQ Sauce. We’ve shared this story before, but wanted to fill in a few details and even share some photos! What can I say, I’m feeling the love.

On June 14, 2015 we hosted one of my favourite parties ever — our wedding! Fun fact, our wedding day was a Sunday, as Saturdays have always been for farmers’ markets.

It’s hard to believe, but this coming June 2025 will mark 10 years since then. You’ll notice a few themes throughout the below photos, and it’s moving to see how the parts of the farm we loved most back then have grown into foundations of our work today.

The day started off a bit rocky, due to a rainy forecast! Like any respectable farming family, we were keeping a close eye on the radar, and we’re no strangers to working with what Mother Nature has to offer. So, we popped up the umbrellas for photos, and, although our plans for an outdoor ceremony were dashed, the rain cleared up just in time for the reception and we were able to celebrate without any concern.

In retrospect, I often wonder what we were thinking hosting a wedding in June. Nowadays we barely get a chance to celebrate. It’s prime strawberry season, after all! We weren’t living and working on the farm full time yet though, and Rob *did* always say that June was the prettiest month of the year — still lush and green from spring rain, before things dried out and turned brown later in the summer.

Plus, strawberries played a very important role in our wedding day! They were served as part of our cocktail hour, included in one of our signature drinks (a Strawberry Gin Smash), and were a key part of dessert. I’m not a fan of wedding cake, but I DO love pie. So we did things our way! I baked and froze pies leading up to the wedding day, along my grandmas and Uncle Randy (the other pie bakers in the family). Today we churn out thousands of fruit pies a season, and I even have a pie tattoo!

Our wedding favours were tiny jars of our Melon Blossom Honey. Very fitting, given that Nathan now oversees all of our beekeeping operations!

Finally, back to the berries. Like I mentioned earlier, strawberries were a key part of our wedding day. And the last way we incorporated them was through our first-ever batch of our Strawberry BBQ sauce. Sadly we don’t have a photo of that, but it will live on forever on our shelves and farmers’ market tables. We love cooking with it at home, and we now serve it alongside our burgers and fries at our Farm Food Truck.

10 years later, and we continue to Eat, Drink, and Be Married

Now, for today’s pitch! If you’re curious about our trying our Strawberry BBQ Sauce, or any of our other preserves, we’re delighted to be introducing our Preserve Subscription.

Preserve Subscription Details

Each week from May - November (7 months/28 weeks in total) one unique farm preserve will be delivered to you or the lucky recipient you are purchasing for. Preserves include a mix of jams, jellies, pickles, sauces, and spreads that are all made fresh from produce grown on our farm:

• Blueberry Jam

• Raspberry Jam

• Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

• Strawberry Jam

• Champagne Mustard

• Horseradish Mustard

• Hot Mustard

• Strawberry BBQ Sauce

• Salsa

• Hot Sauce

• Onion Scape Jelly

• Red Pepper Jelly

• Candied Jalapeno Syrup

• Corn Relish

• Candied Jalapenos

• Pickled Asparagus

• Spicy Pickled Scapes

• Sweet & Savoury Pickled Scapes

• Dill Pickled Beans

• Spicy Pickled Beans

• Pasta Sauce

• Dill Pickles

• Melon Blossom Honey

• Honeycomb

• Creamed Honey

• Caramelized Honey

• Maple Syrup

• Surprise Addition

This would make a perfect gift for Mothers’ or Fathers’ Day, or for someone who loves to cook and try new flavours.

Please note these are listed in no particular order, and don’t necessarily reflect which week you will receive which item!

Valued at nearly $300, available for $260 until the end of March

Friday Florals

Good morning friends of the farm! It’s Farmer Alex here to bring you all things flowers this fine Friday. I’m often the one sending out emails, but thought I would make that extra clear today, as flowers are special to me.

Growing up, I had two avid gardening grandmothers to look up to. They both had big beautiful gardens that I loved to play in and explore, and they generously shared their flowers with me, our family, and community. Their love of flowers continued into my adulthood as well, and I was lucky enough to be able to share this with them once I started my own flower garden back in 2021 — more on that in a moment. For now, meet Grandmas Nancy and Annie!

Below left is a photo of Grandma Nancy and me in front of her beautiful home garden. If you look closely, you’ll see that she’s holding some weeds in her hands — she’s always on the lookout for pesky ones to pull! The below right photo shows Grandma Annie, proudly sitting in front of the gardens that she maintained at our home farm after she moved nearby in her later years.

Today, Grandma Nancy often has little jars of tulips and daffodils ready for visitors to take home with them when they stop by for a chat. We sadly lost Grandma Annie in spring of 2023, and we think of her every time we look out at the beautiful space she created.

Thank you to my grandmothers for showing me the magic and delight of flowers. I admire you both so much and am endlessly grateful for the patience, perseverance, and dedication you’ve taught me through gardening.

Now that you’ve seen the gardening superstars who came before me, I’ll tell you a bit about my own flower growing journey.

That first season in 2021 was all about learning. I selected easy-to-grow varieties like Cosmos, Sunflowers, and Zinnias, found a spot for my small plot, and got to work seeding, transplanting, watering, and caring for my little beauties. After a near disastrous number of weeds that first year, I added a layer of landscape fabric in 2022, and it was a real game changer. In 2023 I decided to add some Dahlias to the mix and learned how to dig up the tubers in the fall and store them over winter. We successfully re-planted the tubers in 2024 and now have a very large collection stashed away for our upcoming season in spring 2025. I’ve also added a few other varieties along the way: Asters, Calendula, Carnations, and bouquet fillers like Tanacetum and Feverfew.

I mostly grow flowers because I love them, a love I inherited from my grandmothers and one that I delight in sharing with others. If you invite me to a backyard BBQ or Sunday brunch, you better believe I’ll be showing up with a jar for your kitchen table! I also love to fill my own home with them, scattering random jars and vases across as many surfaces as I can. Plus, they come in handy when decorating for farm events and brightening up our On Farm Market. I was even lucky enough to be in charge of florals for some dear friends’ engagement party last fall (pictured in the below in the top right photo).

Today, my dogs Blueberry and Peach love to wander through the flower patch and explore just like I did through my grandmas’ gardens.

I decided to share my love of florals a little bit further by opening them up to our loyal customers, first on a small scale throughout 2022 and 2023, and then more regularly in 2024 with the introduction of our Flower Subscription, a service we are excited to be offering again in 2025.

Learning how to harvest, style, and safely deliver jars of flowers took some time and practice. I had some fabulous team members helping me along the way (shoutout to Chloe, pictured below left, and Melissa!), and like all family businesses some late nights calling in Nathan, Maria, and Ella for back up. We battled rainy days, endless mosquitos, and some pretty intense heat. We had so much fun along the way, though!

And so, that brings me to today’s pitch: would you consider purchasing a 2025 Flower Jar Subscription? Because I mostly do this for fun, there are a limited number of subscriptions available. Last I checked there were 60 left, and once those are gone, they’re gone for good! Unlike our other crops, which are grown on a larger scale, we’re working with just one small flower patch! We did steal a couple more rows out of our rhubarb patch last year, though, which we plan to do again in 2025.

Flowers are one of the smallest parts of our farm business, and honestly not the most profitable, but they bring me so much *joy*. Now more than ever we could use more joy, right?

A Flower Jar Subscription would make for a perfect gift for a friend or family member, or a self-care treat for yourself. Order ahead for a birthday, Mother’s Day, or just-because.

A link to the Flower Jar Subscription is included below, as well as some important pricing and timeline details. If you made it this far, thank you so much for following along.

Annual Flower Jar Subscription Details

With our farm fresh Flower Subscription, 1 jar (375mL size) of flowers will be delivered to your door each week from July through September (Months 3 – 5). These flower jars will contain a selection of flowers grown & harvested on-farm. Sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, and more will be included!

A one-time, up-front payment is required to secure you three months of weekly flower delivery.

2025 Home Delivery Subscriptions

Thames River Melons Home Delivery

From our Farm to your Front Door

In 2020 we offered our first ever season of home deliveries. At that time we had just one option for delivery — our Market Box! This service was so popular that we decided to extend it to following seasons, and have continued to grow our delivery options over the years. 2025 marks our sixth season of delivering to your home, and we’ve added even more exciting services for your convenience. We can’t wait to get started again!

Below you will find details outlining delivery options, prices, and a timeline. We encourage you to take time to review, as well as check out our Delivery FAQ Page. If you have additional questions though, don’t hesitate to reach out!

What we really want you to know is that everything we offer for delivery is grown, raised, made, or baked here on our farm, using our very own ingredients. We are incredibly proud of what we offer, and even more grateful that you choose to support our family’s farm and feature our food on your tables.

Our 2025 Home Delivery Service will once again be offered for 28 weeks: 7 months, 4 weeks per month. Deliveries begin the week of May 5th and end the week of November 10th. A more detailed outline of the timeline is included at the end of this overview.

For now, Annual Subscriptions are available for purchase. These subscriptions offer the absolute best value, with built in discounts in exchange for up-front, in-full payment. Just like 2024, we will have 3 subscriptions to choose from that can be delivered to you:

• Market Box Subscription

• Beef Subscription

• Flower Subscription

…PLUS 3 exciting new ones:

• Farm Kitchen Subscription

• Fill Your Freezer Subscription

• Preserve Subscription

For both Market Boxes and our Beef Subscription, there will be 2 registration options: upfront in-full payment, or a monthly subscription. Either way, there will be 3 size options.

Our Flower Subscription is offered for a shorter time frame (12 weeks), and is only available for the full season.

Farm Kitchen, Fill Your Freezer, and Preserve Subscriptions are available for the full season only, and span all 28 weeks of our delivery season.

Once our regular delivery season commences, monthly and weekly farm fresh items can also be ordered. for delivery from our fields to your front door. These options include:

• Monthly Subscriptions (Market Box & Beef)

• Bulk produce

• Black Angus Beef

• Baked Goods

• Preserves: jams, jellies, pickles, & sauces

• Farm Merch

We will continue to utilize our upgraded delivery notification system this season, which has been working very well for us since 2022, thanks to its smooth and detailed customer service experience.

2024 Holiday Deliveries

Have you started holiday shopping yet? If not, we’ve got you covered! We are offering some one-time deliveries during the week of December 16th. If you’d like to snag some last minute gift baskets, individual preserves, merch, baked goods, or bulk produce this is your chance!

To help get you inspired, we’ll be sending out a few farm fresh gift guides over the next couple of weeks!

To kick things off, check out our options for the best host(ess) you know!

Heading to a holiday party over the next few weeks and looking for a hostess gift? Check out our selection of gift baskets! Most offer customization, which allows you to tailor to specific taste preferences. And all baskets can be delivered to you either wrapped up in cellophane or unwrapped (handy if you want to add some of your own goodies!). Either way, they will feature some festive holiday bows and ribbon.

The deadline to order for Holiday Deliveries is Friday December 13th. Alternatively, visit our Farm Market (open Wednesday - Saturday until Friday December 20th) and select one in person. Start shopping local today!

Pictured above are two of our gift basket options: The Big Dill (left) and Charcuterie (right).

We all have that person in our lives who adores pickles — The Big Dill is for them!

• 1 pickled garlic scape, 1 pickled asparagus, 1 dill pickle, 1 pickled bean

Charcuterie gift baskets are full of pickles, spreads, and jellies — all perfect accompaniments to your charcuterie board full of cheese, meats, and crackers. Choose from one of three size options!

• Small

  • Pick 1: Onion Jelly, Salsa, Garlic Scape Mustard, Hot Sauce, Red Pepper Jelly

  • Pick 1: Garlic Scapes, Pickled Asparagus

  • Pick 1: Dill Pickles, Pickled Beans

• Medium

  • Pick 2: Onion Jelly, Salsa, Garlic Scape Mustard, Hot Sauce, Red Pepper Jelly

  • Pick 1: Garlic Scapes, Pickled Asparagus

  • Pick 1: Dill Pickles, Pickled Beans

• Large

  • Pick 2: Onion Jelly, Salsa, Garlic Scape Mustard, Hot Sauce, Red Pepper Jelly

  • Pick 2: Garlic Scapes, Pickled Asparagus

  • Pick 2: Dill Pickles, Pickled Beans

These next two gift baskets are Sweet Tooth (left) and Spread the Love (right).

Our Sweet Tooth Gift Baskets feature jams made with our own fruit, and Melon Blossom Honey harvested from hives located right here on the farm. Both of these preserves make the perfect topper for your morning toast.

• Mini: 1 jam + 1 Melon Blossom Honey

• Small: 2 jams + 1 Melon Blossom Honey

• Medium: 3 jams + 1 Melon Blossom Honey

• Large: 4 jams + 1 Melon Blossom Honey

Meanwhile, Spread the Love contains combination of jams, jellies, mustard, and honey make the perfect basket for meals full of homemade marinades, salad dressings, and baked goods.

• 1 jam, Garlic Scape Jelly, 1 Mustard, Red Pepper Jelly, Honey

Full of pantry essentials, the Dinner Party Gift Basket makes the perfect hostess gift!

Savoury Dinner Party:

• Pasta Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Salsa, 1 Jelly (Garlic Scape or Red Pepper), Garlic Scape Mustard, Hot Sauce

Sweet & Savoury Dinner Party:

• Pasta Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Salsa, 1 Jelly (Garlic Scape or Red Pepper), Garlic Scape Mustard, Hot Sauce, 1 jam, 1 honey

PYO Meal Series: Garlicky Green Bean Salad

For our next Pick Your Own (PYO) meal, we are featuring The Garlicky Green Bean Salad. Summer is the season of salads. If you like garlic, and aren’t sure what to do with green beans,  this salad will not disappoint. It has the best balance of flavours, a satisfying crunch, and is incredibly easy to throw together. This is a really good make-ahead salad as it gets even more delicious the next day. We love this salad on its own but it would pair well with fish or chicken! 

Please tag us on Instagram (@thamesrivermelons) if you try this recipe!  

The giant green beans!

Recipe

*Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 lbs Thames River Melons beans 

1 cup parmesan cheese 

1 cup of pistachios (or sub slivered almonds), shelled and chopped

For the Dressing

⅓ cup of olive oil 

Salt and pepper

1 lemon, juiced and zested

6 cloves Thames River Melons garlic 

1 tsp Thames River Melon Blossom honey 

Here is what you will need!

Instructions

1. Trim and wash green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Blanch beans for 3 minutes by submerging them in the boiling water. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Use tongs to transfer the blanched beans into the ice bath to stop them from cooking. Once cool, drain, pat dry, and place in the fridge to stay cool while the rest of ingredients are prepared.

3. Make the dressing: combine olive oil, the zest of one whole lemon (zest before cutting), juice from one whole lemon, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tsp TRM honey, salt and pepper. Shake well.

4. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of chopped pistachio (or sub slivered almonds),  1 cup of grated parmesan cheese, and top with pepper. 

5. Toss beans and dressing together in a large bowl so that beans are well coated, then slowly add the parmesan and nut mixture and toss well.

Serve up cold! This makes a perfect side dish.

Garlicky Green Bean Salad

Cost 

PYO beans are $3/lb. 2 lbs of green beans are needed for this salad. 

Therefore, the total cost of PYO vegetables for this salad was $6.  

Nutritional Density

* Please note these amounts are based on 6 servings. If you want smaller portions or to get more servings per batch, divide by the amount of servings you decide to make, to get the correct amounts of fibre and protein. 

Storage

This salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. However, it’s important to note that the beans will not maintain their bright green colour for more than 1-2 days. 

The dressing will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Modifications

This recipe may be modified to suit your needs. If you have tree nut allergies or want to make this salad for a back-to-school meal, you may roast pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. 

Recipe inspired by Molly Baz, developed and photographed by dietetic interns Lise Wolyniuk and Lexie Nobbs and reviewed by Alex Chesney, RD

Reference:

Health Canada. (2023). Canadian Nutrient File. Government of Canada. Retrieved August 12, 2024, from https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/newSearch