The Best Guacamole You've Ever Tasted

If you’ve ever tried Guacamole from the store or restaurant, and didn’t like it… you might need a “do-over”. Not only can Guacamole be so flavorful, but it’s also a very easy dip to make for any party, taco night, or just a good old fashioned self care night in. Grab a bag of salty tortilla chips, and let’s get to making The Best Guacamole You’ve Ever Tasted…

First, start by heading over to Garden Valley and picking out your ripe avocados, juicy tomatoes, tangy limes, and flavorful red onions. We chose the better boy tomato, but you can easily substitute that for another tomato that you would prefer. If you ever need help in knowing if your avocado is ripe, any of our knowledgeable employees would be glad to assist you.

Also, did you know that avocados are REALLY good for you? Here’s some of the health benefits:

+ High in monounsaturated fats, which help prevent heart disease AND lower blood pressure
+ Great source of fiber, which is wonderful for gut health
+ High in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds
+ Packed with nutrients that support satiety in diet, helping support a healthy weight/diet
+ Great source of folate, a very important vitamin needed in fetal development

Okay now that you’re home, let’s get to the good stuff…

Start by slicing your avocados and dumping them into the bowl. Add in your freshly squeezed lime juice, garlic, salt, red onions, and tomatoes. Now mash, chop, and stir ingredients until blended to the texture you desire. Some people like no lumps, while others like a little bit of texture when dipping their chip. It’s all in the preference you choose.

There’s no science to this recipe, which is what makes it sooo easy. Just dump, smash, stir, and dip. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how fresh and amazing this guacamole tastes. We also think you’ll be making this for every party from here on out. Trust us, it’s always the first thing to go at the appetizer table, and your friends and family will be raving about this recipe for a long time. Don’t worry though… it will be our little secret.

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The Best Guacamole you’ve ever tasted
SERVINGS: 4 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

3 Avacodos
2 Freshly Squeezed Limes
1/4 C Finely Diced Red Onion
1/3 C Finely Diced Tomato
1 1/2 t Garlic Powder
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice avocados and scoop the meat of them into mixing bowl.
2. Squeeze the juice of your two limes into bowl with your avocados.
3. Finely chop 1/4 C tomato and 1/3 C red onion while the avocado is absorbing the lime juices.
4. Dump onion, tomato, salt, and garlic powder into the bowl.
5. Smash your avocados and stir until your have reached desired texture and consistency in your guacamole.
6. Grab a chip (or two) and taste test.

S I D E N O T E
We have found that letting the avocado absorb the lime juice prior to smashing it does help to soften it. This helps if your avocado was not quite ripe enough.

WE WANT TO KNOW…

have you ever made Guacamole from scratch? Let us know in the comments below. You can also share your delicious Guacamole with us by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram. We can’t wait to see!

Our Top 3 Easy and Refreshingly Delicious "Mocktails"

So you visited Garden Valley and bought a TON of delicious produce… now what? Well, eating all of it is, of course, a very easy and obvious choice. BUT, may we also throw out the idea of drinking your produce? We’ve test-tasted 3 delicious “mocktail” recipes that will up your drink game, and can easily be made for entertaining your friends and family… or served as a refreshing afternoon drink for your kiddos without all of the added processed sugars.

3 Easy and Refreshingly Delicious “Mocktails”

Blueberry and Lime Mojito

Ingredients

1/2 oz lime juice (about a half lime)
3-4 tbsp pink lemonade
2 tbsp fresh blueberries
6-8 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
2 oz coconut water
3 oz club soda
Ice cubes

Directions

1. Muddle blueberries, mint, lime juice, and the pink lemonade at the bottom of your glass
2. Add a few ice cubes and top with 2 oz coconut water
3. Finish with club soda
4. Garnish

Strawberry and Honey Mint Smash

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh strawberries
2 tbsp mint leaves
1 tbsp honey
1.5 oz club soda (or vodka)
Crushed ice
Sprite

Directions

1. Muddle strawberries, mint, and honey together
2. Add club soda or vodka
3. Add 1/2 cup crushed ice and top with Sprite
4. Garnish

Cucumber, Watermelon and Basil Lemonade

Ingredients

3 cups cubed watermelon
1 large cucumber
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup lemon juice
Club Soda

Directions

1. Pulse watermelon, cucumber, basil, and lemon until fully blended
2. Pour mixture over strainer, cheese cloth, or into french press. Strain
3. Pour strained liquid over ice and to with soda water
4. Garnish

FROM GARDEN VALLEY:

Enjoy these delicious and refreshing drinks this spring and summer, because we know we will! We also want to thank you for choosing to shop local with us, and we hope you continue to join our journey of planting better, eating better, and living better.

We would love to see you and your friends drinking these mocktails, so don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok! We can’t wait to see! @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket

How to Care for Million Bells

How to Care for Million Bells

Million bells (Calibrachoa) are so amazing because they form excellent colorful ornaments for gardens, wonderful bedding plants and gorgeous hanging baskets. And because their long stems spill and cascade so beautifully over their containers, they make great additions in any pot, mixed container, or window box.

What’s the difference between a Million Bell and a Petunia you ask? Well, the Million Bell’s blooms are smaller than the Petunia’s, and they do not require as much fertilizer to keep them vibrant and thriving all spring and summer long. They also LOVE those North Carolina hot and humid summers, so we highly recommend these if you’re wanting a flowering plant.

Care Requirements For MILLION BELLS

LIGHT - Full Sun – Million Bells are considered to be full sun plants. They can do best when placed in direct sun for at minimum of 6 hours daily. If plants do not get enough light they may look tired and blooming will decrease and the plants will begin to stretch. This is an indication that the plant needs to be moved in a location where it gets at least 4-6 hours of direct and filtered sun in a day.

FERTILIZER - Regular Liquid Fertilizer – Lighting is important to a bright, eye-popping, color display Calibrachoa provides. But fertilizer is also very important. Heavy blooming the entire summer means heavy demands on plant nutrition. To keep plants strong, fertilize every other week with a liquid fertilizer. Fertilization is the key for blooming your calibrachoa throughout the season well.

SOIL – Well Draining - Most in-ground gardening soils do not have the best drainage. This is why Million Bells are normally found growing in containers. Plant them in a well draining container with good quality potting soil and you will be just fine!

WATER – Soak but Let Soil Dry - Million Bells needs generous amount of water for “soaking” the roots. However, the soil needs to be given time for drying out until the next watering cycle. When watering, water the soil thoroughly and allow the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry before watering again. Soggy soil lead to plants rotting.

PRUNING - Regular Trimming - When plants start looking tired or non-vibrant, it signals for trimming. Trim your Million Bell from the bottom up (1-4 inches) in mid-summer time. Trimming stimulates root growth, which allow more blooms to produce and will pick up in about a week or two. You do not need to dead head Million Bells either, as they are a self-cleaning plant. Blooms will automatically drop and be replaced with another gorgeously vibrant bloom.

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FROM GARDEN VALLEY:

Hopefully these tips will help keep your Million Bells look stunning all season long! And we hope that they also help keep you planting better, eating better, and living better.

We would love to see how you place your Million Bells at your home! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok! We can’t wait to see! @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket

3 Ways to Protect Your Plants from Frost

The beautiful season of spring is finally here for us in central North Carolina, but unfortunately, we do have an occasional frost that could cause devastation to our vegetable plants and delicate flowers. But don’t worry, Garden Valley has got you covered with 3 ways you can protect your plants from a cold frost:

A little information first- A frost would be considered to happen between 28 and 32 degrees F. And as a general rule, most plants (tomatoes, annual flowers, watermelon, etc) will need to be covered unless they are cold tolerant, especially if they are starting to bloom.

3 ways to protect plants from frost

1. Cover with a breathable fabric.

Covering your plants with a breathable cloth like material will allow moisture to escape and not suffocate your plant like a plastic material would. You could use blankets, bed sheets, and even pillow cases for those small plants.

HOW? Just place a tall stake or stick throughout the area and cover. This will help keep the plant in tact and allows for room between the material and the plant. After all, we don’t want to crush our plants in the process, do we?

2. Cover with mulch/straw/leaves

Covering the soil around your plants with a mulch-like substance will help to regulate the swinging temperatures of the soil and keep prevent “shocking” your root system from the bitter cold. At least 3” of mulch, straw, or leaves should suffice.

3. Cover seedlings/small plants with a glass or cloche

Covering your smaller plants with a glass like material will help to keep the heat in but also allow for the sun to shine through.

HOW? Just cover your plant right before the sun goes down, and then uncover them when the temperature finally raises above freezing.

FROM GARDEN VALLEY:

Hopefully these tips will help you and your plants make it through the next few weeks before the temperatures stay above freezing. And we hope that they also help keep you planting better, eating better, and living better.

We would love to see how you keep your plants safe during the frost! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok! We can’t wait to see! @gardenvalleyfarmersmarket