Monthly Archives: January 2013

I bet you thought we only grew strawberries.  Here at Parkesdale Market, not only can you find the sweetest strawberries around, we also have the sweetest onions!  These amazingly sweet onions, often called "Strawberry Onions", grow right in our strawberry fields.  They are a Savannah hybrid sweet onion.  We pick them daily straight from our fields in Dover, Florida.

Strawberry Onion

Some customers tell me they eat them like an apple, but I just can't get myself to try that.  My favorite way to enjoy these sweet onions is by seasoning them with salt, pepper and olive oil and grilling them for a few minutes on each side.   The best thing about these sweet onions is  that they won't make you cry when you are preparing them!   They are wonderful in salads, sandwiches, soups and just about any dish you would use onions.

Here are some great recipes:

Sweet Onions with Parmesan-Pecan Crumble

Cucumber and Sweet Onion Salad

Cantaloupe Salsa

Sweet Onion and Bread Soup

Sweet Onion Casserole

Sweet Onions Ready to Ship

You can stop by our market to pick them up now through March.  Remember we are now open 7 days a week from 9 am to 6 pm.  If you can't make it to our market, you can also order them online through our website,  or by calling us directly at 888-311-1701.  We can ship them via FedEx Ground to the southeast and northeast USA.   For shipping out west, please call us for more information.

Have you tried our "Strawberry Onions"?

Are you a "Sweet Onion" fan?

I've been on a yellow tomato kick this week and came up with three easy tomato salads.  So far, I've eaten yellow grape tomatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  A couple of days ago, I roasted a double batch of eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers (red, yellow and orange), mushrooms (button and baby bella), purple onion and yellow grape tomatoes.  Sure it took a bit longer to make a double batch, but they cooked together and I had plenty for various meals.  Win Win.  Once you have roasted them, you may eat them right away or add to your lettuce mix.  If you have any leftovers, you can add it to your salad the next day or mix them in with quinoa or bulgur wheat.

Roasted Tomato Salad

Roasted Yellow Tomato Salad:

1 Eggplant, cubed

1 package mushrooms, quartered

1 zucchini, cubed

1 sweet red bell pepper, cut in thin strings

olive oil

salt to taste

In to the broiler for about 30 minutes.  I moved them around half way through.

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

Green Beans and Yellow Tomato Salad

My second favorite tomato salad is Green Beans and Yellow Tomato Salad.  Easily made in your pan by searing a handful of green beans, yellow tomatoes and one clove of garlic.  I added the green beans first.  Cooked them with some Olive Oil and salt for about 5 minutes, then added the garlic.  After about a minute, I added a handful of yellow tomatoes.  It was amazing.  The tomatoes got sweeter and somehow juicier.  They seemed to explode in your mouth with every bite!

Swiss Chard and Yellow Tomato Salad

Swiss Chards and Yellow Tomatoes:

If you've been reading my blog, you'll remember I planted a backyard garden from seed in December.   That garden has been growing steadily and I've harvested some Rainbow Swiss Chards as well as Black Seed Simpson Green lettuce.  Along with my eggs, I sauteed a handful of swiss chard and some yellow tomatoes with a little bit of salt and Olive Oil.  Amazing! The flavor combination between the bitter and slightly salty chard and the sweet grape tomatoes was better than any other cold salad I've ever tried!

Yellow Grape Tomatoes

And if you are wondering why I'm on such a tomato kick, the reason is that these little beauties are at our market right now.  They look so happy and cheery I couldn't help but try them.  We should have them in stock for a few days, so try them before they are gone!  And if that's not enough to get you to try them, you should know they are grown in Immokalee, Florida!  Gotta love Florida produce!

Have you ever had a salad with cooked veggies?

What's your favorite salad?

Last summer, while we were on vacation, I came across a twitter message indicating a deadline was coming up for the FitFluential Ambassador program.  FitFluential is a nationwide group of people sharing their healthy lifestyle choices through social media.  These "FitFluential Ambassadors" would post motivational messages, exercise routines, goals, and healthy eating tips on Twitter.  Most of them have personal blogs where they expand on their fitness journeys.  I was hooked!

At the time I was training for my first half marathon so it seemed like a great way to keep myself motivated and most importantly accountable.  Not sure that I would be what they were looking for I went ahead and applied.

For the past few years, I've always been a "summer" runner.   While most runners were participating in races in January, February, March and April, those were the months I ran the least mileage because of our work schedule.  Now that I'm a FitFluential Ambassador I'm going to attempt to keep a regular exercise program during the months of January, February and March.  Even if it's only two runs a week, that will be my goal.  I'm hoping that if I stay active enough, I could run the Athleta Iron Girl half marathon in April.

FitFluential has always been an encouraging forum.   Check out their FitFluential Enthusiasts program.  If you are passionate about fitness but don't have a blog, this is a great way to get involved.  You will also qualify for special discounts and giveaways that are only available to the FitFluential family.  Also, by following @FitFluential on twitter, you'll get great advice, tips and that extra encouragement you need whether you are starting a new fitness program or you are a pro.

Have you ever heard of FitFluential?

What are your fitness goals for 2013?