Susan's Sicilian Pasta Sauce

Take a trip to your local farmers market, grab some farm fresh Roma tomatoes (or yellow tomatoes if you need a less acidic sauce), some fresh oregano, basil, and thyme plants, and let’s get to making Susan’s famous Sicilian Pasta Sauce.

Side note- Growing your own fresh herbs is so much more flavorful than buying them from the store! Garden Valley has a great selection of fresh herbs for you to choose from, as well as fresh, homegrown tomatoes that are juicy and make the perfect base for this flavorful pasta sauce.
Also, if you head to this Garden Valley location, you’ll meet Susan, the founder of this delicious recipe that leaves her grown children coming back home for supper with empty stomachs, and leaving with full hearts (and bellies).

how to make susan’s sicilian pasta sauce

Before starting, we recommend that you turn on some of your favorite Italian music.

Cut the tops of the tomatoes off and slice the tomato in half. Add your tomatoes to the pan, and begin to cook over medium heat with salt and pepper and a 1/3 cup water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Turn off your stove but let them sit for a bit, which will make it easier to peel the skins off.

Add your peeled tomatoes into the food processor or blender and pulse so that tomatoes are blended well but still have a thicker consistency. (If you’re wanting a smoother consistency, you can always choose the blend button instead of pulse.)

In a large pot, add 4 tablespoons of butter and whatever seasonings you’re wanting. We like to add Garlic, chopped Onion, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Salt, and Pepper. You can also add red pepper flakes if you’re wanting a little bit of heat in your sauce. Let simmer, for 5 minutes, deglaze with a splash of red wine, and add your blended tomatoes.

If you’re wanting to add meat to your sauce, cook only three-fourth’s of the way through, and then add to sauce. This allows the meat to absorb the flavor of the tomato sauce, and will allow the meat to finish cooking without becoming dry.
A few meat suggestions:
+ Italian Sausage, Pork Ribs, or this Homemade Meatball recipe from Our Balanced Bowl

Bring ingredients to a boil, simmer throughout the day, and enjoy the fresh aroma of homemade pasta sauce filling up your home.

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Susan’s Sicilian Pasta sauce

INGREDIENTS

10-12 Roma (or Yellow) Tomatoes
1/3 C Water
4 T of butter
1 Medium Vidalia Onion
3 Garlic Cloves
2 T Oregano
2 T Thyme
3 T Basil
2 T Parsley
Splash of Red Wine

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes.
2. Slice the tomatoes in half. Add halved tomatoes, water, and salt/pepper (to taste) into your pot and cover with lid. Let simmer on medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once finished, let tomatoes sit for 5-10 minutes to cool off. Peel skins of tomatoes off, add to blender, and pulse until a smooth texture is achieved.
4. Add butter, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil and parsley to a large pot. Simmer over medium-high flame for approximately 5 minutes. Deglaze with a splash of red wine. Add blended tomatoes and stir together.
5. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer at least 4 hours.

S I D E N O T E
If you are adding meat to your pasta sauce, cook only three-fourths of the way through so that your meat is not dried out and is able to absorb the flavor of the sauce. Here is a great meatball recipe.

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When you try this delicious sauce, we would love to see your photos, so tag @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket in your posts, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #gardenvalleyfarmersmarket and show us your pasta night!

Lastly, if you find this information helpful, we’d love it if you would support us
by sharing with your friends.

Happy Pasta Night!

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. If you’re wanting to earn rewards and be easily connected with us, download our new App. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

Herb Infused Olive Oil

Want a super easy DIY to satisfy your cravings until Spring comes? Well, we’ve got the perfect solution for you: Herb Infused Olive Oil. You’re welcome. This oil recipe makes the perfect gift, is super easy to make (but looks like it’s not), and will bring so much flavor to your next dinner. 

IMPORTANT: you want to make sure that you choose a high quality olive oil, as this is the main ingredient. Second, you want to make sure that you’ve prepared for everything to be completely dry- bottles, utensils, herbs, etc. If not, mold can settle, and that’s no bueno for your recipe. 

You can use any herbs for this recipe that you want, and can even mix them, but for this recipe we will be using Rosemary. If you are using fresh herbs from your garden or pots, remember to dehydrate them before beginning. See below on how to do that. If you don’t have access to fresh herbs, you can always buy dried herbs from the store. But remember that we open up soon, and will have ALL the fresh smelling herbs ready for you!

Dehydrating your herbs: 

• Cut your herbs to the size you want them in the bottle

• Wash any dirt off, then dry them with a paper towel

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place your sprigs on it

• Set oven on lowest temperature and “cook” for about 1 ½ to 2 hours

How to Make Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

Add about 2 cups of your olive oil together with about 3 to 5 sprigs of Rosemary into your pot. Then heat over a medium temperature for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let your oil cool. Once your oil has cooled down, you can strain and store in a jar that allows you to close the lid tightly. You can even add a few sprigs of Rosemary to your jar for a pretty aesthetic. This oil will last for about 3 months and needs to be stored in the refrigerator, but with how easy it is to make, you’re probably going to be making more very soon anyways. 

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Rosemary Infused Olive Oil
Total time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Olive Oil
5 Rosemary Sprigs

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine your oil and Rosemary sprigs into a pot
2. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes
3. Remove from heat and let cool
4. Strain oil into a jar with a tightly closed lid
5. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 months

Rosemary is a great herb that lasts all year long in central NC, so don’t forget to pick up one for yourself when we open, which will be VERY soon.

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Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook, Youtube, or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

Immunity And Energy Boosting Elderberry Smoothie

Elderberry is an easy addition that we can all add to our daily wellness routine, and one that has recently exploded in popularity in the last few years. But it’s actually been around for quite some time. We’re putting together a few facts about Elderberry syrup and how you can make this easy and delicious elderberry smoothie that boosts your energy and immune systems.  

DID YOU KNOW?

Native Americans would use elderberry for infections, ancient Egyptians used it for healing burns, and it was used in folk medicine to treat influenza, headaches, and even used as a laxative.

IMPORTANT
Elderberry syrup is a sweet and delicious way to boost your immunity, but the berries can only be eaten when cooked. They are poisonous when consumed raw, so please, be wary of that if growing your own.

WHY IT’S HEALTHY

It’s full of antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber, all of which are very beneficial to our bodies in so many good ways. You can read more about why in this article: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323288.php#nutrition

This smoothie recipe not only has immune boosting properties due to the elderberry syrup, but is also has energy boosting vitamins and some protein. So you get a little bit of everything with this recipe, and, it’s delicious. We also used this specific elderberry syrup, which is locally made here in North Carolina, and a product that we try to keep in stock for you year round.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR SMOOTHIE

Gather all of your ingredients, put them in the blender, and blend for approximately 60 seconds. It’s even easier than our apple pie recipe. What your left with is this creamy, sweet, and refreshing smoothie that’s sure to be enjoyed by you and your smoothie drinking buddy.
So cheers to your health and drink up!

If you’re wanting to order your own Elderberry syrup, click here and let us know.

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Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to visit with us, come by any of our five North Carolina locations. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

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Immunity and energy boosting elderberry smoothie
servings: 2 people
Total time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups milk (can substitute with your favorite non-dairy option)
2 dollops greek yogurt
2 teaspoons elderberry syrup
Handful of spinach
1/4 cup strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1 banana (can substitute an avocado)
1 tablespoon chia seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

+Place all items in your blender
+Blend until smooth, approximately 60-90 seconds depending on your blender

s i d e n o t e s
+ If your fruit is not frozen or cold, you can always add a few ice cubes to get a colder temperature.
+Can also substitute an avocado for the banana if you aren’t wanting your smoothie to be as sweet.

The Easiest Two Ingredient Apple Pie Recipe, Ever

We’re going to go ahead and say you’re welcome ahead of time, because this apple pie recipe is going to be saving you a TON of time and energy this holiday season. With only two ingredients, this mouth-watering apple pie is going to leave you and your guests going back for seconds (and only you will know how easy it was to make).

We’ve got you covered, so here’s what you need to do:

First, we’re going to need you to go to the grocery store and grab a pie crust of your choice.
Second, head over to Garden Valley Farmers Market and grab you a jar of Apple Pie preserves. If you need a reminder on where we are located again, click here.

Second, roll out the first half of your dough and line the bottom of your pie dish with it.

Third, fill with one and a half to two jars of our delicious Apple Pie Preserves. Super easy.
Top off your filling with the second portion of your dough.
Then, place your pie in the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool,
and then cut into the most deliciously mouth-watering apple pie
that you are ever going to taste.

Thank you so much for joining us here. For more information on what Garden Valley Farmers Market is about, you can visit us here. If you’re wanting to follow along with us, you can do so either on our Facebook or our Instagram. And if you’re wanting to check out our other recipes and blog posts, or are needing more inspiration, follow us on our Pinterest. We’d love to have you join us in our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.
Much love,
Your Garden Valley Farmers Market Team

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The Easiest Two Ingredient Apple Pie Recipe, Ever
Servings: 6-8 PEOPLE
TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR (15 MINUTES PREP)

INGREDIENTS

Pie Crust
Apple Pie Preserves

INSTRUCTIONS

+ Roll out the first half of dough and line the bottom of pie dish
+ Fill with one and a half to two jars of Apple Pie Preserves
+ Cover apple pie filling with the second portion of your dough
+ Place pie in oven and bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes
+ Remove from oven, let cool