After a small mishap last week, I received my first CSA share on Thursday from Texas Daily Harvest. There were a LOT of vegetables we had never tried, but we started simple. On Sunday night we made some root vegetable fries (a little olive oil, salt, and baked in the oven).

We also had some bok choy, lettuce, and onions. The onions were happily given to a co-worker, since we don’t eat them here. It was all local, organic, and delicious. Being able to order all of my produce and dairy from the same place and then pick it up about a mile from my job is terrific. So far, so wonderful.

I also managed to get my first serving of green beans off the porch plants. It’s only enough for one serving for one person, but I was SO happy. Now I know I can grow green beans on my porch. First porch garden success.

I have to say, the eatin’ around here has been very very good.

And now it’s time for a glowing recommendation.

I am absolutely in LOVE with Texas Daily Harvest. Several months ago at the local Whole Foods, I found a local and organic milk to try. It was priced reasonably close to that of the other brands I had been drinking. However, it was absolutely the best milk I have ever had. Several gallons later I actually logged on to their website and learned about their delivery program and CSA for this coming year. On Thursday I picked up my first order. I was able to get yogurt, beef, pork, and eggs dropped off at a location close to my job and for about the same as buying it from the grocery. Needless to say, it met all my ‘ethical’ obligations as well as my ‘culinary’ ones. I had been looking for a program like this in DFW for the past year, so I am excited to have finally worked it out. I’m looking forward to the CSA shares later in the spring. There will be obligatory blog posts as I learn how to cope with some new foods (I have promised the gf that I will try ANYTHING they put in the box, except onions and garlic… could be a hard promise to keep but I’ll work at it).

(*image taken from the Texas Daily Harvest website)

If you came to our Slow Food $5 Challenge Lunch, then you most likely tried this amazing ice cream, handmade by Penelope Ryholt.  In all her ice cream, Penelope uses Texas Daily Harvest milk – the local, organic, non-homogenized, low-pasteurized milk we sell at Urban Acres.  Penelope even got to visit Texas Daily Harvest to see the farm and meet the farmers for herself!

The Pearl Brand flavors we currently have:

• Tahitian Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Earl Grey
• Mint Chip
• Strawberry Lavender Sorbet

You can wipe the drool off your chin now.

About Pearl Brand…

Pearl Brand Ice Creams are lovingly handcrafted in Dallas, TX in small batches with fresh ingredients. They proudly use locally produced organic milk and cream from Texas Daily Harvest for the richest, purest flavor and never use artificial colors, flavors or fillers.  

>> Read The Dallas Observer article on Pearl Brand: “Churning Desire: The Making of Dallas’ Newest Artisanal Ice Cream”

>>Like Pearl Brand Artisanal Ice Cream on Facebook

…And come down to Urban Acres to try some today!

• Plums: $1/lb
• Bananas: $.50/lb
• Strawberries: $3/clamshell
• Pears: $1/lb
• LOCAL cherry tomatoes: $2/lb
• Avocados: $1 each
• Sweet potatoes: $.50/lb
• LOCAL jalapeno cheddar cheese: $15/lb (normally $18/lb)

Also, we have Texas Daily Harvest milk back in stock – hooray!

Urban Acres

Milk is milk to me. If I’m passing a pharmacy I won’t think twice about popping in for a gallon rather than driving elsewhere for the organic stuff (foodies please don’t balk!). Sure I think that organic milk tastes better than conventional but it’s not enough for me to go the extra mile – literally. That is until last weekend when fate gave me a chance encounter with Texas Daily Harvest Milk at Urban Acres in Oak Cliff.

Inside Urban Acres

We had just missed Pikelet’s class after yet another excrutiatingly long wait at Oddfellows in the Bishop Arts District so we took the opportunity to visit the organic grocer store, Urban Acres on Davis. It’s a small store but has enough variety of produce, dairy, meat and dry goods to stock most households. All the produce is organic and Urban Acres sources locally where possible.

Fruit table

Steven Bailey, owner of Urban Acres says at times there can be as as much as 85% local. “It all depends on the time of year and weather.  The only thing we source outside of the US is tropical fruits and we make sure its certified organic.  Its important to know that Urban Acres is not a pure co-op.  Or a pure CSA.  Or a pure grocery store.  We took the best of all those worlds and crammed it all together to get what we have now”.

Lollo actually found the milk!

The Texas Daily Harvest Milk they stock is made by pure happy jerseys who are pasture raised on grass out in Yantis, Tx. The big difference Bailey says of the milk is that “it is low temperature pasteurized which means they don’t kill off all the good stuff like regular organic milk which is ultra pasteurized. It’s old fashion cream on top. Or non homogenized.”

TDH Milk (left) vs Organic Milk

So here’s a picture of two glasses of milk side by side. Both are organic but the one that has the rich creamy yellow color is from Texas Daily Harvest. And the taste? Incomparable – Texas Daily Harvest Milk goes down like cold liquid ice cream. Do a taste test yourself. It’s just milk right?

Till our next happy meal.

ITTYBITTY INFO:

Texas Daily Harvest products including milk, yogurt, cheese and meat are available for home delivery or pick up at certain locations each week. Click here for all info.

Or pick up a gallon from Urban Acres. While you are there, check out Urban Acres’ awesome fruit and vegie co-op.

UPDATE: Texas Daily Harvest Milk is now available at Whole Foods Market. Just picked up a gallon @ Whole Foods Market on Park Lane (September 30th, 2011).

Ice Cream

If you’ve ever been afraid of eating real butter, or been told that margarine is actually better for you, you need to read this article!  People have been eating deliciously creamy real butter for thousands of years and enjoying its many health benefits.

Come get some of Texas Daily Harvest’s real farm butter at Urban Acres!

>> The 20 Health Benefits of Real Butter

Come spend $10 in the store by Sunday, March 13th at 5pm, and we’ll give you a FREE gallon or half-gallon of Texas Daily Harvest milk.

• Drink it!
• Cook with it!
• Give it to a friend who’s never tried it!

Come and get the best old-fashioned, cream-on-top milk in Texas!

If you HAVE ALREADY tried Texas Daily Harvest milk…

• Tweet, post on Facebook, blog, or send a mass email to your friends on Mon, Feb 7th or Tues, Feb 8th about how much you love Texas Daily Harvest milk from Urban Acres.  Your post/tweet/email MUST mention Urban Acres and Texas Daily Harvest.
• Send us the link to your post/tweet, or copy us on the email (info@urbanacresmarket.com).  We’ll email you back with a coupon for FREE Texas Daily Harvest Milk that you can cash in at our store in Oak Cliff by 7pm closing time on Tues, Feb 8th.

If YOU’VE NEVER tried Texas Daily Harvest milk…

• Stop by our store in Oak Cliff on Mon, Feb 7th or Tues, Feb 8th and tell us you’ve never tried the milk and want to test it out.  You must commit to participating in the promo after you test the milk.  We’ll give you free milk to take home with you and try right away.  We’re confident you’ll love it!
• Tweet, post on Facebook, blog, or send a mass email to your friends on Mon, Feb 7th or Tues, Feb 8th about how much you love the milk.  Your post/tweet/email MUST mention Urban Acres and Texas Daily Harvest.
• Send us the link to your post/tweet, or copy us on the email (info@urbanacresmarket.com). 

Talking Points about Texas Daily Harvest milk:

• Texas Daily Harvest is a Certified Organic 1000-acre dairy farm in Yantis, TX
• The milk is low-pasteurized/non-homogenized, meaning it’s “old fashioned milk” with the cream on top!  Low-pasteurized means it’s heated to the minimum temperature required by law, so it still contains all kinds of good bacteria naturally living in milk that you and your family need to stay healthy, as well as natural enzymes to help you digest the milk.
  
• Urban Acres carries gallons and half gallons – whole, 2%, and skim
• Best milk you’ll ever taste!
  

Texas Daily Harvest.

“This milk tastes like melted ice cream!” ~Urban Acres customer

Kent Jisha, founder of Texas Daily Harvest in Yantis, TX, has been in the dairy business for 18 years.  After graduating from vet school at Texas A&M and practicing as a vet, he and his wife started a certified organic 1000-acre dairy farm in summer 2007.   The Texas Daily Harvest philosophy goes beyond just organic certification, though.  They strive to utilize sustainable practices and produce food that is of the highest quality.  One very important part of that is making certain grass makes up the vast majority of the animals’ diets.   Cows that graze produce milk that is healthier for you. Texas Daily Harvest’s low pasteurized/non-homogenized milk is one of our best-sellers!  We think you’ll find that there’s no other milk that tastes like it!

>> Download this PDF for more info on the milk!