The Eating Of The Greens

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
with Tassleberry Farm

This week beckons the annual Irish bacchanal of St. Patrick's Day, celebrated the world over by those of Irish heritage side-by-side with the would-be Irish for a day.

Wearing of The Green, raucous parades, shamrocks, leprechauns and green beer are the usual hallmarks of this celebration with corned beef and cabbage typical table fare.
Now Moms Tassleberry loves cabbage, considering it one of nature's noblest and healthiest foods, but this year she is offering a twist on the menu, using two of Ireland's home-grown favorites, asparagus and strawberries, for an appetizing and healthy pre-meal salad. Both crops fit into the Emerald Isle's short growing season and are beloved by natives
This recipe employs Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar. Rich and complex in flavor, this Tassleberry vinegar recipe replaces the traditional Trebbanio grape base with strawberries and ages the mixture for a sweet and smooth, yet tart, flavor perfect in almost any dish which uses traditional balsamic.
A very healthy vegetable in its own right, asparagus contains properties both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and fights multiple types of cancer. It's chock full of folates, a complex B vitamin necessary for healthy hearts and pregnancies. 
Asparagus is a source of fiber and protein and is low in calories. It prevents constipation and helps one to process sugars and starches in digestion and maintain a low blood sugar count.
Asparagus also provides Vitamins C and K. Vitamin C lowers blood pressure, bolsters your immune system and fights eye disease while Vitamin K strengthens your bones and heart, and helps to prevent stokes. A single cup of asparagus offers more than enough Vitamin K for your daily diet.
And remember, Moms reminds those who may over-indulge, chopped cabbage with vinegar is one of nature's top hangover cures.

Tassleberry Farm St. Patrick's Day
Strawberry Balsamic Asparagus Salad

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

3 lbs. asparagus
1 red bell pepper
1/3 cup Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
3 tblsp olive oil
1-1/2 tblsp mustard, Dijon
1-1/2 tspn dried marjoram
1-1/2 tspn garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions

While boiling large salted pot of water, trim asparagus ends off and toss. Cut remainder of spears on a bias into pieces approximately 2 inches long
Dice red pepper
Chop garlic finely
Place pecans on microwaveable plate and cook on high for 3 minutes, stirring once a minute. Add butter, and season salt to taste. Stir. Microwave on high again for 1 minute. Stir again to spread butter. Let cool
Pour Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar into large bowl then slowly blend in garlic, mustard, marjoram and oil.

Salt and pepper to taste
Toss asparagus into pot. Cook until texture is tender but still snappy, 3-5 minutes depending on bulk of spears
Remove asparagus from heat and drain in colander. Rinse under cold water
Combine asparagus and diced pepper into bowl with vinegar dressing, tossing smartly
Sprinkle on roasted pecans



Available at www.tassleberry.com



A salmon feast to fast with

Fish Fridays with flavor

from Tasslebery Farm

Christians the world over are embarking on their annual journey through Lent.
It started Wednesday with the marking of the ashes and, for many church folk, rituals of fasting and prayer will continue until Holy Saturday six weeks hence, 40 days of self-denial and reflection.
Anglicans, Catholics, Coptics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and regional Orthodox Christian sects will mark this period of sacrifice and, for many, that means no meat on Friday.

Moms Tassleberry knows that the tradition of fish on Friday is taxing to some. Tired cooks may just toss packages of frozen fish sticks and French fries onto a cookie sheet, shove it in the oven and be done with it.
Moms realizes that, even with homemade tartar sauce, the ol' fish sticks routine will grow pretty unpopular pretty quickly. So Moms will do her part by providing a easy-to-prepare fish recipe for harried homemakers for the next six Fridays. Check this page each Thursday for that week's suggestion.
The salmon recipe below employs Tassleberry Farm Blueberry and Sweet Corn Salsa in its preparation. Our salsa is a savory all-natural mixture of our farm-grown sweet corn and Blueberry Vinegar added to fresh peppers, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salt and sugar. It comes mild or hot, according to taste.
Low in cholesterol, fat and calories (just 4-5 per tablespoon), salsa is high in vitamins A, B6 and C and proves itself a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium and beta carotene.
Our salsa is also available in strawberry flavor, mild or hot.
Salmon is chock full of Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential nutrient for good health. It battles heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and arthritis, prevents blood clots and soothes inflammations.

Tassleberry Farm Blueberry Salsa Roasted Salmon

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Blueberry & Sweet Corn Salsa at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

(Serves 4)

Ingredients
• 1 lb. salmon
• 12-oz. btl. of Tassleberry Farm Blueberry and Sweet Corn Salsa
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Prepare salmon for cooking and place in center of large roasting pan
Smother salmon in Tassleberry Farm Blueberry & Sweet Corn Salsa, covering all the fish
Roast until the salmon is flaky on the outside but still pink inside (about 15 minutes)
Remove from oven, slice into quarters and plate
Spoon out the roasted salsa from the pan and, dividing it, top each plate
Pour remaining pan droppings over each piece for a moist roasted topping and to enhance your presentation
Top with parsley if desired
Serve over your choice of rice with a vegetable

Available at www.tassleberry.com

Cherry wood spreader offer extended

Mardi Gras brings fruit-filled

treats at Tassleberry Farm

Like the first birds chirping, or the crack of bats at spring training, Mardi Gras is a harbinger of Spring.
And Moms Tassleberry loves Spring. It's almost planting season around Tassleberry Farm.

Every year when Carnival arrives, Moms whips up a treat for the celebration.
This Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, the magical culmination of the three-day ritual of riotous masquerades, constant revelry, persistent parades, strong spirits, movable feasts and fireworks, celebrated not just in New Orleans but around the world, from the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City to Sydney Harbor Down Under.
The Irish celebrate it. They call it Shrove Tuesday. The English too. For Belgians, it's the best time of year. In Italy, it's also a big deal, stretching 'til Fat Saturday. Most of Europe marks the season and in the capitals of the Caribbean it's been going on for weeks.
Moms gets up early every Fat Tuesday and pads on down to the kitchen to make her celebrated homemade doughnuts. In honor of Mardi Gras, she labels them beignets. "That's French for doughnuts," she laughs.
For Christians around the globe, Fat Tuesday ritualizes richer, fatty delights likes beignets before the long fast of Lent dawns the next day.
Mom first sampled beignets on a long ago trip to New Orleans and says she still enjoys Cajun food but leaves its cooking to the Cajuns.
"They know that world best... those spices... flavors. Hmmmmm... ", she purrs.
Smoothing out some dough with her rolling pin as the new light streams through a kitchen window, Moms peers over her glasses and quips, "And, every once in a while, the cook needs a night off too you know!"
Moms is getting in the Carnival spirit now, fondly recalling the crawfish gumbo and the jambalaya, and announces that Tassleberry Farm is extending its special Butter Kit offer another 10 days.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Whole Fruit Butter Kits at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Now until March 21, Tassleberry Farm Whole-Fruit Butter Gift Kits, containing two 10 ounce bottles of your choice of strawberry or blueberry all-natural whole-fruit butters, will also include a free hand-carved cherry wood butter spreader.
"We started out this offer with 50 spreaders," says Moms. "So it's first-come, first serve."
The whole-fruit butters Tassleberry Farm produces are the result of a preserving process where the fruit is blended after being heated to give it a smoother butter-like consistency. Tassleberry Farm's whole-fruit butters are all natural and made from strawberries and blueberries handpicked in our fields with more than a pound of berries in each 10 ounce jar, along with a little sugar and some spice.
Despite the doughy nature of beignets, there is a sliver lining for nutrition-minded revelers. Fruit preserves carry through on the health benefits of the fruit they are produced from. And, hey, Fat Tuesday comes but once a year.
In the case of Tassleberry Farm's all-natural whole-fruit butters, blueberries are high in flavonoids, protect against prostate cancer, urinary tract infections, cataracts and brain damage from strokes and heart disease; strawberries are high in antioxidants and vitamin C, fight heart disease and provide many vitamins and minerals which support overall health.

Moms Tassleberry's Homemade

Mardi Gras Butter Beignets

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Whole Fruit Butter Kits at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup water, slightly warmed
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 4-1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 ounce active dry yeast
• 1 10-oz jar Tassleberry Farm Blueberry Whole-Fruit Butter
• 1 10-oz jar Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Whole-Fruit Butter
• Oil for deep-fat frying
• Box of confectioner's sugar
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water
Add the sugar, milk, oil and egg and 2 cups flour
Whisk until blended then smooth in the remaining flour until you have a doughy consistency, soft and sticky
Do not knead. Cover bowl and put in fridge overnight
Remove from fridge and flatten dough down
Turn onto a floured surface and gently roll out, leaving a generous thickness (at least 1/4 inch) to dough
Cut into squares, 4x4 inches or less
Fold squares gently into triangles, leaving interior pocket space in middle for whole-fruit butter, then knead edges to form a seal,
Place 1 jar Tassleberry Farm Whole-Fruit Butter in a microwavable bowl and whisk until thin
In an counter-top electric frying pan (for steady temp), heat oil to 375 degrees
Fry triangles, several at a time, making sure not to flatten while flipping, until both sides are golden brown but dough is still pliable
Place bowl containing whole-fruit butter in microwave for 45 seconds to thin further
Remove triangles from pan and place on paper towel to drain off oil
Draw whole-fruit butter in bulb baster
While still warm, use a knife or onion-peeler tip to make an ample hole in the seam of the triangle
Using bulb baster, inject warmed whole-fruit butter into interior pocket; knead over hole in seam
Roll in confectioner's sugar and let cool

Repeat processes until flour and whole-fruit butter supplies run out. Number made corresponds to size of triangles.

Available at www.tassleberry.com

Cherry Wood Spreader Free with Order

Peanut Butter Lover's Day Prompts

Offer From Tassleberry Farm

Tuesday, March 1 is National Peanut Butter Lover's Day and Tassleberry Farm is showing the love with a special offer in honor of the occasion.
Until March 11, we will include a free hand-carved cherry wood butter spreader with each of the first 50 orders of a Tassleberry Farm Whole-Fruit Butter Gift Kit, containing two 10 ounce bottles of your choice of strawberry or blueberry all-natural whole-fruit butters.  

Now, many families consider the peanut butter & jelly sandwich "the greatest thing since sliced bread." But we at Tassleberry Farm know that adage is mis-used, because the PB&J precedes sliced bread by about 25 years, historically speaking.

Fruit has been preserved around the world for many centuries in various forms such as butters, chutney, confits, curds, jams, jellies and marmalades. All of these have regional variations and recipes depending upon the crops distilled into the preserves and methods used in preparation.

Groundbreaking African-American botanist, inventor and all-round genius George Washington Carver came up with 300-plus uses for peanuts during and after the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War but, surprisingly, peanut butter isn't among them!
The idea for peanut butter as we know it came from St. Louis doctor Ambrose Straub who, seeking a way to get protein into the diets of elderly patients with dental problems, began his research in the 1890s and secured a patent for his peanut butter-production machine just after the turn of the last century. There is also evidence that the Mexican Aztecs enjoyed a form of peanut butter back in the Middle Ages.
Pre-sliced bread didn't come into the picture until it was packaged and sold in 1928. The first bread-slicing machine was invented by Iowa resident Otto Rohwedder and it was first marketed as "Kleen Maid Sliced Bread" by a Missouri company.
The PB&J was a big hit at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Food rationing during World War II drove the PB&J to dizzying heights of popularity due to its still-plentiful contents and today the National Peanut Board says kids average 1,500 PB&Js each before they graduate high school.
For something so popular, PB&J, believe it or not, has health benefits.
Peanut butter is a good source of protein, protects against cardiovascular disease and provides needed vitamins and minerals such as vitamins B3 and E and magnesium as well as cancer-fighting folates. It's high in fiber and contains some antioxidant properties.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Whole Fruit Butter Kits at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Fruit preserves carry through on the health benefits of the fruit they are produced from.
In the case of Tassleberry Farm's whole-fruit butters, blueberries are high in flavonoids, protect against prostate cancer, urinary tract infections, cataracts and brain damage from strokes and heart disease; strawberries are high in antioxidants and vitamin C, fight heart disease and provide many vitamins and minerals which support overall health.
Whole wheat or whole grain breads are best. Whole wheat bread is great source of fiber, necessary for a healthy digestive tract, and is known to reduce LDL, or bad, cholesterol. Whole wheat bread also provides important nutrients like vitamins B and E, selenium, iron, magnesium and zinc and has properties that lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
The whole-fruit butters Tassleberry Farm produces are the result of a preserving process where the fruit is blended after being heated to give it a smoother butter-like consistency. Tassleberry Farm's whole-fruit butters are all natural and made from strawberries and blueberries handpicked in our fields with more than a pound of berries in each 10 ounce jar, along with a little sugar and little spice.
A straight peanut butter & jelly sandwich is an American dietary staple, but many folks enjoy variations and additions to this old chestnut.
Some families add sliced bananas or marshmallow fluff. Others may use cheese, raisins or other fruits. Meat lovers pile on slices of bacon. Chocolate, plain butter, honey or maple syrup are also popular. There are some concoctions that employ hummus or potato chips.
Moms Tassleberry is a big Elvis fan and Elvis was a big fan of PB&J. Fried PB&Js. Moms keeps several of Elvis' favorite recipes aside for when company comes over, but she makes these only on special occasions.
That's because everyone knows what happened to Elvis. And, unlike a lot of folks, Moms knows The King's not in hiding. So, she says, you should use these recipes in moderation, but urges you to enjoy your own style of PB&J every day.

Tassleberry Farm Triple Butter King PB&J

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Whole Fruit Butter at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Ingredients
• 2 slices whole-grain bread
• 1 tblsp. of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy to taste
• 1 tblsp. Tassleberry Farm Whole-Fruit Butter, strawberry or blueberrry to taste
• Softened butter or margarine
Directions
Make sandwich with a strong consistency, not liquidy
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a medium-heat frying pan.
Butter the outside of one side of the sandwich and place in pan, buttered side down.
Once buttered side is browned, remove from pan, butter other side and place back in pan. Brown that side, aware that the second side will cook quicker.
Remove sandwich from pan, cut into squares.
Serve while hot.

Tassleberry Farm Graceland PB&J

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Whole Fruit Butter at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Ingredients
• 1 tblsp. Tassleberry Farm Whole-Fruit Butter, strawberry or blueberrry to taste
• 2 slices whole-grain bread
• 1 tblsp. of peanut butter, smooth or crunchy to taste
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• Softened butter or margarine
• 2 tblsp. butter
• 1 banana, thinly sliced
• Maple syrup or honey
Directions
Make sandwich with a strong consistency, not liquidy, then cut in half
In shallow bowl combine eggs and milk.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in a medium-heat frying pan.
Dip each half of sandwich in egg-milk mixture to coat, then place in frying pan.
Cook sandwich halfs on each side until golden brown
Place sandwich on plate, sprinkle banana slices on top, then smother with honey or maple syrup.
Serve while hot

Available at www.tassleberry.com

25 percent off BBQ Gift Sets

Celebrate National Strawberry

Day With Tassleberry Farm

February 27 is National Strawberry Day.
Since the very first time she tied on an apron, Moms Tassleberry has had great affection for the strawberry. Its juicy, fleshy fruit yields a spectacular taste, instantly recognizable, always popular and, yet, incredibly versatile.

Moms respects those attributes, especially the last. She uses strawberry as a base ingredient in many of her kitchen creations. Her Tassleberry Farm BBQ Gift Kit includes a BBQ sauce, a Jamaican Jerk sauce and a marinade, all infused with her farm-fresh strawberries. Strawberries are also key to several of her salad dressings, salsas, vinegars and one whole-fruit butter.
The strawberry is so popular in America, it has 10 separate days on the national dietary calendar. One can celebrate the berry in a variety of ways, on shortcake, in sundaes, there’s even a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day! May is National Strawberry Month.
Moms has marked all those days on her kitchen calendar and strives not to let one slip by without, at very least, a small celebration.
This year, in honor of National Strawberry Day, Moms is taking 25 percent off the catalog price of her Tassleberry Farm Strawberry BBQ Gift Kit. Order her BBQ kit in the next 10 days (through March 8) and get $5 off the catalog price.

For $15 dollars, you’ll get a 12-oz. bottle of Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Marinade, a 10 oz. bottle of Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Jamaican Jerk and a 16-oz. bottle of Tassleberry Farm Strawberry BBQ Sauce. Each kit comes with a pair of pastry brushes.
To take advantage of this offer, through March 8, click here. Order today!

(These two oven dishes can be prepared and served in tandem as they share a common cooking temperature. Serves 4 to 6.)

Tassleberry Farm Strawberry

Marinade Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients
• 5 lbs. new potatoes
• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 12 oz. btl. Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Marinade
• 3 zucchinis
• 1 onion
• 2 lbs. carrots
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• ¼ cup olive oil
Directions
Grease bottom of ample-sized oven pan with the olive oil
Chop new potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, zucchini, and carrots into small chunks.           
Place all the vegetables in the pan  
Add 1 jar of Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Marinade and 1 package of dry onion soup mix into the stir into the pan
Roast in a preheated 375-degree oven covered in foil for at least 55 minutes and uncovered for 5-10 minutes.

Tassleberry Farm Strawberry

 Jerk Chicken From The Oven

Ingredients
• 6 chicken legs
• ¼ cup of Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Vinegar
• 1 cup of Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Jerk Marinade
Directions
Place legs in a bowl (with a cover) and douse with Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Vinegar. Use covered bowl to facilitate mixing, then let sit for several minutes
Rinse legs off with warm water, then using a fork, pierce the meat of the legs
Place chicken back in bowl drained of vinegar, pour on Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Marinade, cover bowl and shake it up to spread marinade
Place chicken in large baking pan, leaving spaces in between. Cover with tinfoil, tightly crimped (or plastic wrap), and place in fridge for at least 2 hours
Remove pan from fridge, remove foil from pan and place into preheated 375-degree oven. Bake for 75-80 minutes, then turn on broiler for 5 minutes to brown chicken's skin

Remove from oven, serve with roasted vegetables and rice.

Tortilla Chips & Tassleberry Farm Salsas

Make for a Happy, Healthy Occasion

Once again this year, America tips its celebratory sombrero to salute National Tortilla Chip Day on Thursday, Feb 24. And Tassleberry Farm salutes America's good taste.
And while most everyone enjoys a few crunchy tortilla chips as a filling snack, they are much tastier - and much more nutritious  - when combined with salsa.
Salsa's origins can be traced back to ancient Mexico. From early times, native Incan, Aztec and Mayan tribes used various natural salsa-like mixtures to spice up meat and fish dishes. After the Spanish Conquistadors overan Mexico in the early 1500s, they introduced salsa to the world.
For several generations, variations of the salsa America now knows and loves have been a low-cost easy way to rescue even the dullest of presentations and in recent years salsa has worn the crown as America's King of Condiments, out-striping even ketchup.
For a tasty treat appreciated by any size gathering, it's amazing when you realize that "All Natural" Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa has a nutritional upside.
Low in cholesterol, fat, and calories (just 4-5 per tablespoon), salsa is high in vitamins A, B6 and C, and proves itself a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium. The tomatoes included also provide beta carotene.
There's no added fat and while there may sometimes be be a small amount of sugar, used in the cooking process, salsa's sugar content pales when compared to sugar-laden ketchups.
Add some chili peppers to a nachos dish and you add properties that are anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-ulcer and anti-bacterial. However, moderation is best with hot peppers. Your body will thank you.
Tassleberry Farm adds its farm-grown sweet corn to just the right amount of fresh peppers, tomatoes and onions, then blends in cilantro, salt and a little sugar, and finally flavors that mixture with either of its Strawberry or Blueberry Vinegars to form a healthy "All Natural" creation so savory that once you start enjoying it, it’s not easy to stop! Ole'


(Tassleberry Farm offers four choices for salsa lovers: Sweet Corn with Blueberry or Sweet Corn with Strawberry and both flavors come either mild or spicy hot.)

Tassleberry Farm's Simple Nachos



CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Sweet Corn Salsa at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

(Serves 6)

Ingredients
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 btl. Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa, Blueberry or Strawberry, Hot or Mild, to taste
• 8 oz. cheese (cheddar or Monterrey Jack)
• Spanish olives
• Sour cream
• 1 lg. bag tortilla chips 
Directions
Mix can of refried beans with Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa, cook for about 20 minutes.
Add cheese and stir until melted.
Pour over nachos, top with sour cream and garnish with olives.

Tassleberry Farm's Nachos Grande

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Sweet Corn Salsa at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
• 1 can refried beans
• 4 c. shredded lettuce
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. med. Cheddar grated cheese
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. Monterrey Jack grated cheese
• 1 btl.Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa, Blueberry or Strawberry, Hot or Mild, to taste
• 1 (8 oz.) sour cream or Ranch dressing
• 1 lg. bag tortilla chips
• 1 tomato
Directions
Brown ground beef in skillet and drain well.
Mix in taco seasoning as directed on back of package.
Crunch tortilla chips and place in 9 x 13 inch baking dish, just covering bottom of pan.
Heat refried beans.
Liberally sprinkle Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa over top with grated cheese.
Put it in the oven to just melt the cheese (350 degree setting is best).
Put a dollop of sour cream on top and serve with ranch dressing
Optional: Sprinkle lettuce and chopped tomato over the top.

Tassleberry Farm's Hot Salsa Dip

(Serves 6)

Ingredients
• 1 lb. Cheddar cheese
• 3 oz. cottage cheese
• 1 btl. Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa, Blueberry or Strawberry, Hot or Mild, to taste
• 5 oz. tomato sauce
• Chopped chili peppers to taste
Directions
Heat all ingredients in crock pot.
Serve as a hot dip with 1 lg. bag tortilla chips.

Available at http://www.tassleberry.com/

A Gift From Mother Nature

With Tassleberry Farm's Vinegars,
Cabbage a Key to Your Good Health

Perhaps Mother Nature's greatest gift, cabbage is a taste one must acquire. It's also a vegetable with properties one's health requires.
"Wild" cabbage has been found in cooking pots and on plates across the globe and throughout recorded history. With over 100 of varieties, from the Italian Savoy to Asian Bok Choi, it was a dietary staple of the ancient Egyptians, Celts, Chinese and Hindus, among others.

Cabbage was finally domesticated and first harvested from Eastern European and Russian gardens right around the first millennium.
Cabbage has been celebrated medicinally since the heyday of the Greeks and Romans and today is considered one of the healthiest foods one can consume, according to doctors and natural food experts.
To borrow from the well-worn maxim, this vegetable is both "an ounce of prevention" and "a pound of cure." Chock full of antioxidants, vitamins (A, C and K) and necessary minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium), cabbage has been proven to possess properties both antibacterial and antiviral.

A certified ally in the fight versus obesity, cabbage contains acids which inhibit sugar and carbohydrates from converting into fat and is a key agent for digestive health and regularity. Substitute one meal a day with a chopped cabbage salad with vinegar, experts say, and easily shed excess pounds.
It's good for your eyes, good for your bones and your belly - inside and out, as well as your heart and your lungs. It's good for you. Period. Raw cabbage can cure headaches. It even fights allergies.
Consumed uncooked, it's filled with glutamine, a basic amino acid your body produces but can always use more of. Glutamine is a powerful wellspring of energy and an agent for healing, fighting stress and inflammations, especially around joints. Cabbage is a vegetarian option for glutamine, as it is largely found in meats, poultry and cheeses.
Cabbage is a "healthy" carbohydrate, a source of protein and necessary natural sodium. It contains a negligible amount of fats and has zero cholesterol.

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry or Blueberry Vinegars at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

The ideal roughage, cabbage is useful against constipation and can help ease prostrate problems. It even has topical applications, such as healing wounds and bruises or soothing breasts swelled from breastfeeding. A true  natural wonder.
With Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day and then Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, pay attention here you revelers: before embarking on a night of drinking, the Egyptians and Romans ate chopped cabbage with vinegar to prevent hangovers and today it remains one of its best remedies. The Romans, lovers of the grape, ate cabbage raw with vinegar before and after each  meal. Herbal healers today still espouse that practice.

Vinegar is also very good for you, albeit in moderate amounts. Vinegar interacts with cabbage at various digestive junctions, smoothing absorption  of its nutrients like calcium, magnesium and Vitamin C. Vinegar itself will kill harmful stomach bacterias and can control blood sugar and insulin levels if consumed after a carbohydrate-rich meal. Hence the long-held Mediterranean custom of finishing a meal with leafy salads, increasing your sense of fullness, thus inhibiting late-night snack binges. Yes, vinegar is an another agent of good health, just don't overdo it (no chugging!).

It's ideal that cabbage and vinegar found each other so long ago, forging this healthy partnership. Because, without vinegar, cabbage, one of nature's noblest foods but bland at its very best, might be a taste many would never acquire. 
That's where Tassleberry Farm comes in...
Thursday, Feb. 17 is World Cabbage Day. Tassleberry Farm invites you to enjoy and celebrate this leafy legacy with its fine assortment of vinegars.

(Recipes below serve 4-6 people; pro-rate ingredients depending on number served.)

Tassleberry Farm's Strawberry
Balsamic Vinegar Cabbage Salad

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Ingredients
• 5 cups shredded cabbage
• 3 tablespoons Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Directions
Combine Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar, honey and oil in bowl, whisking to meld
Add cabbage and strawberries. Toss
Refrigerate, then toss again before serving
Optional: garnish top with chopped pecans

Tassleberry Farm's Blueberry
Vinegar Steamed Cabbage  

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Blueberry Vinegar at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Ingredients
• 1 medium head of cabbage, shredded
• 1/3 cup Tasslebery Farm's Blueberry Vinegar
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp. salt
Directions
Place onion and oil in large saucepan and cook on low heat until mushy
Add cabbage to pan and simmer for 10-12 minutes, adding salt to taste and stirring occasionally
Add sugar and 1/3 cup of Tasslebery Farm Blueberry Vinegar and water.
Cover pan and simmer for 1 hour, adding water as liquid is absorbed by cabbage

Tasslebery Farm's
 Strawberry Cabbage in a Skillet

 CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry Vinegar at
http://www.tassleberry.com/

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
• 3 tablespoons Tasslebery Farm's Strawberry Vinegar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Melt butter in large skillet, medium heat
Add cabbage, salt and onion. Cover pan
Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring
Stir in Tasslebery Farm Strawberry Vinegar and sugar
Simmer 5 more minutes or to desired texture

Available at www.tassleberry.com

A Romantic Menu For When Cupid Calls

Strawberries are red
Blueberries are blue
Tassleberry Farm means good food
Here's some Valentine's recipes for you

Moms Tassleberry's heart is filled with joy over her beloved Cheeseheads' Super success.

Little-by-little, she's been learning about football, so you know how this sort of romance goes...
She's a farm gal... Wisconsin's the Dairy State...
Smitten like the birds & the bees, they've made a true love connection. This Valentine's Day, Moms is hoping for a ring. Her own Super Bowl ring!

But, with The Big Game now come and gone, Moms won't be smelling the roses (OK, maybe a little sniff, here and there).
She knows Valentine's Day traditionally brings a night on the town. Flowers, fine food, violins, intimate conversation. Sounds great, but that can get real expensive, real fast.
So, with money tight all around, Moms has been in her kitchen, cooking up ways for you and yours to save money and celebrate Valentine's in style right at home.

Moms Tassleberry's Strawberry

Vinegar Fresh Broccoli Salad

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry Vinegar at
 http://www.tassleberry.com/ 

Every day now, Moms has many suitors dropping by, some toting a heart-shaped box of chocolates, others a big bouquet and, in return, Moms has been treating each sweetheart to a sample of her wares. Here's one big favorite...
Ingredients
1 head broccoli
1/2 lg. red onion
10 to 12 slices of fried bacon or 1/2 jar of real bacon bits (vegetarian option below)
1/2 to 1 c. raisins
Dressing
1 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar
2 tbsp. Tassleberry Farm's Strawberry vinegar
Directions
Chop broccoli, onion and bacon (if using fried bacon) in small pieces, mix together with raisins.
Mix the dressing and put on 1 to 3 hours before serving.  Don't put dressing on earlier than 3 hours.
Vegetarian option: Not a bacon fan? Get some extra firm tofu, chop it into chunks, then lightly saute it to desired texture. Add pepper to taste.

Moms Tassleberry's Strawberry

Jamaican Jerk Grilled Shrimp Skewers

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry Jamaican Jerk at
 http://www.tassleberry.com/

Moms is no stranger to love, but also no stranger to a broken heart. Once, but a lovestruck teen, a fickle beau left her for another.
Moms was crushed. When she asked why, he made himself a public spectacle, loudly claiming, “You don't deserve me! You’ll never have anyone like me again!”
"Right about then," says Moms, "I’m thinking, 'I hope not!' What a jerk!" Speaking of Jerk...

(To complete this recipe during wintertime, the chef will need an in-stove or portable electric kitchen counter grill.)

Ingredients
½ cup pineapple or orange juice (or combination) – use the juice from a large can of pineapple chunks
1½ pounds large EZ peel or Zipperback shrimp
½ cup Tassleberry Farms Strawberry Jerk
2 large green peppers
1 one red onion
Directions
Combine juice with jerk; marinate shrimp for 20 minutes. Do not marinate for more than 30 minutes! Use EZ peel shrimp because the slit down the back allows the flavors of a marinade to penetrate the shell but there is still enough shell to protect them from drying on the grill. Drain marinade. While the shrimp marinate, soak wooden skewers in water to prevent them catching fire on the grill.
While the shrimp marinate, cut 2 large green peppers and 1 red onion into bite size chunks. Thread shrimp and veggies onto skewers with chunks of pineapple. Grill over medium low heat until veggies are tender crisp and shrimp are pink and curled, about 8 minutes.
Optional: Omit the pineapple chunks if desired and use bottled juice or orange juice.

Moms Tassleberry's Strawberry

Balsamic Vinegar Pork Chops

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar at
 http://www.tassleberry.com/

Moms always wears her heart on her sleeve. She likes what she likes and visa-versa. But one recipe she swears by is her vinegar pork chops. It shows off the versatility of her Balsamic Vinegar, using it as both a marinade and a finishing sauce. "That vinegar's a two-timer," chuckles Moms. "A real heart breaker."
Ingredients
4 boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4" thick
1/2 cup Tassleberry Farms Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, slivered
1 large green pepper, sliced into thin strips
4 cups hot cooked buttered rice, to serve
Directions
Pierce pork chops all over with a fork or a toothpick. Cover pork chops with vinaigrette and marinate at least four hours, refrigerated. Drain marinade from chops and reserve.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add pork chops so that they are not touching (do two at a time if necessary) and brown on all sides.
Add onions, peppers and reserved marinade. Cook three minutes, then lower heat to medium low, cover pan and continue cooking until veggies are tender and pork is cooked to 155 degrees.
Add a half cup of chicken stock if liquid cooks down too quickly.
Put a cup of cooked rice on each plate, top with a pork chop and spoon veggies and pan juices over the top.

Moms Tassleberry's Double

Butter Strawberry Satisfaction

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
whole-fruit Strawberry Butter at
 http://www.tassleberry.com/ 

Now Moms Tassleberry loves a valentine. Who doesn't?
But she knows that love is fleeting and that many find themselves alone that fateful day. For those whose passion may go unrequited this year, here's a little comfort food.
Like Moms says, "Chocolate, strawberries, gooey, creamy... Ummmmm... Is that peanut butter? Wow! What's not to love?"
Ingredients
2 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
1 heaping tbsp. Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Butter
1/2 cup whipped cream
Directions
Place 1 peanut butter cup on a medium sized microwaveable plate
Liberally slather the whole-fruit butter over the top of the peanut butter cup, then cover that with the other cup, face down, like a sandwich.
Microwave for 2-3 minutes or to desired texture.
Remove from microwave. Smother in whip cream. Serve while warm.
Optional: Garnish with whole strawberry, or chocolate jimmies - if you dare.

Available at www.tassleberry.com.

Playbook For Super Sunday

Rise To The Occasion: Time

To Plan Your Super Bowl Buffet 

The football season is finally winding down, but Super Bowl buffet season

is just gaining steam. The pressure is on and this contest is going down

to the wire.

This year, it's your turn to host the Super Bowl party. You've made your guest list and you know which fans will be wearing Steelers jerseys and which ones will be sporting Cheeseheads. The Las Vegas bookmakers have posted the odds, the Super Bowl Squares are filling up and you've got game day marked on your calendar.
The clock is ticking...
This buffet is going to be a lot of work, but you've been training hard all season and relish the opportunity to finally show everybody what you've got. That feeling swells, builds and builds, and suddenly finds its voice. You rise up, grab your spatula and shout out loud, "Put me in Coach, I'm ready to cook!"
Now is your time...

You've dug up your lucky NFL apron and realize you've got some choices to make. Moms Tassleberry doesn't know much about football but she she knows her way around a kitchen and how to make football fans smile. So she's been working overtime on a solid game plan for you and your guests.
As before any big-game buffet, spies from the Las Vegas books have been hanging around her kitchen, sampling the wares, handicapping her recipes and waiting to see what Moms is going to serve up. (Boy, those guys have some big appetites!)
Clock management is key in football... and also in buffets. Moms knows you want to satisfy your guests, but have time left over to enjoy yourself. With that in mind, here's a taste of Moms' playbook and how the Wise Guys rate the plays...

Chips With Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
Sweet Corn Salsa at
 http://www.tassleberry.com/

   It's almost game time, but your hungry guests are just warming up. Before the coin flip, scatter a few platters of corn chips around the viewing area with a big bowls of Blueberry or Strawberry Tassleberry Farm Sweet Corn Salsa in the center. Always a fan favorite!
What the Wise Guys are saying... "Order some extra bottles because, 10-1,  you'll run out of salsa before you run out of chips."













(The recipes below are family sized (4-6 people), so you'll have to pro-rate the amounts of ingredients used, depending on how many guests you entertain.)

Moms Tassleberry's Strawberry Spinach Salad




CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
 Strawberry Vinegar at
 www.Tassleberry.com

 Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound fresh baby spinach, washed
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
Directions:
In a medium bowl, blend together, salt, sugar, mustard and Strawberry Vinegar. Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into mix and whisk until blended. Whisk in remaining oil. Add spinach and strawberries; gently toss
well to coat.
What the Wise Guys are saying... "2-1 this is the first empty serving bowl on your table."

Moms Tassleberry's Chunky

Chicken Salad With Grapes and Walnuts

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your
 Strawberry Dressing
&  Vegetable Dip at
 www.Tassleberry.com

Ingredients:
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (leftover deli rotisserie chicken is
perfect!)
• 1/2 cup celery, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup seedless grapes, white or red, halved
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced, green and white parts
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaved parsley, minced
• 1/2 cup Tassleberry Farm Strawberry Dressing & Vegetable Dip
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Directions:
Combine dressing, mayonnaise and half of parsley. Into a medium bowl, toss chicken, grapes, walnuts, celery and white parts of green onions. Combine with dressing and toss gently to mix. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving for flavors to combine. Garnish with remaining fresh parsley and green onions before serving.
Presentation ideas:
Serve in ripe hollowed out tomatoes (save tomato pulp for sauces), lettuce leaf cups or pastry shells. For a lower fat pastry shell, spray sheets of phyllo dough (thawed) with margarine spray and press into lightly greased muffin cups. Repeat so that each cup has six layers of dough pressed into it and bake according to package directions. Gently remove each shell from the cup and fill as desired.
What the Wise Guys are saying... "4-5 that no matter how much of this you make, it won't be enough."

Moms Tassleberry's Beef And

Blueberry & Sweet Corn Salsa Burritos



CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your Blueberry
 & Sweet Corn Salsa at
 www.Tassleberry.com

 Ingredients:
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, well-drained
• 1 cup Tassleberry Farm Blueberry and Sweet Corn Salsa
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese
• 8 medium flour tortillas
Directions:
In a large non-stick skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour off drippings. Season beef with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in spinach and salsa; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.
What the Wise Guys are saying... "This dish is off the board, because
everybody's going to love it."

Moms Tassleberry's Strawberry &

Sweet Corn Salsa Macaroni and Cheese

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your Strawberry
 & Sweet Corn Salsa at
 www.Tassleberry.com

Ingredients:
• 1 cup of elbow macaroni
• 12 ounce jar of Tassleberry Farms Strawberry & Sweet Corn Salsa
• 14.5 ounce can of un-drained whole tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Cook macaroni as desired
Heat remaining ingredients (except the cheese) in a 2 quart pan, medium heat breaking up tomatoes
Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered 5 minutes Stir in macaroni and add cheese Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
What the Wise Guys are saying...
"The over/under on this popular dish is going to be very high, so make plenty. Take the over."

Moms Tassleberry's Cheesecake

With Whole Fruit Butter



CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
Purchase your whole fruit Butter kit
 with handy spreader at
 www.Tassleberry.com

The game's winding down, but your guests saved plenty of room for dessert. Pull a cheesecake out of the fridge and liberally lather it with either Strawberry or Blueberry Tassleberry Farms Butter, a whole fruit mixture jam-pack with farm-fresh goodness. Chill for 10 minutes then add a circle of whip cream to the outside edge on top. Better yet, pull out two cheesecakes and prepare one of each flavor.

What the Wise Guys are saying... You've worked hard, so take a bow and your guests will leave cheering. 

Available at www.tassleberry.com.