Edible Monterey Bay

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Jamie CollinsJamie Collins

Jamie Collins is the owner of Serendipity Farms and has been growing organic row crops at the mouth of Carmel Valley since 2001. She distributes her produce through a CSA, u-picks and farmers’ markets.

WHAT'S IN SEASON

LAVENDER

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK TREGENZA

Transport your cooking with the scent of a Mediterranean summer

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Who doesn’t love the smell of lavender and the instant relaxation one gets when instinctively squeezing the flowers between your fingers or breathing in its essential oil? Not only is lavender great for calming the nerves, it also is a drought resistant plant and a magnet for bees—that can extract pollen and nectar throughout the summer, even when other flowers are no longer blooming. When I first saw my home farm, I imagined the driveway and walkways lined with lavender and now, a decade later, I am so happy I made that choice because butterflies hover about while the hummingbirds dart from plant to plant, and the bees, attracted by the sweet … Read More

Farming and Eating in the Time of Coronavirus

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March 17, 2020 – I am writing this on the evening the Shelter in Place ruling for Santa Cruz County was put in place, with Monterey County likely follow suit. Now more than ever, this experience shows us that we are all in this together; we all have the same fears and are all increasingly overwhelmed as our basic needs are being threatened and access to food is impaired. 

As a farmer who sells mostly at Farmers’ Markets, the last couple of weeks have been a rollercoaster. Three weeks ago the Farmers’ Markets were empty and very little money was made. People were obviously scared of being out in public, but at the same time there were lines around the block at Costco and many items couldn’t be restocked fast … Read More

WHAT’S IN SEASON

Microgreens

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICK TREGENZA – STYLING BY DIANE GSELL

Go small this spring for a dose of locally farmed nutrition

Who doesn’t love microgreens on avocado toast, in salads or sprucing up a sandwich? Microgreens, with their crunchy texture, pack a punch of nutrients and add flavor to most anything. Herbaceous cilantro, mint or basil microgreens can give that final “pop” to a dish or even fancy up a dessert. Or you can keep it simple and just graze them straight from the bag, something I have been known to do often!

People often confuse sprouts and microgreens. Sprouts are grown without soil by keeping the seed moist, stimulating it to grow. Sprouts don’t need light or nutrients to grow because they are eaten when only the cotyledons—the first embryonic … Read More

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