Dodson Farms
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Products Offered
Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peppers, Onions, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Peas, Greens, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Melons, Squash, Turnips, Beets, Carrrots, Radishes, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Beans, Gourds, Pumpkins, Flowers, Okra, Birdseed, Handmade Aprons
Market Days
Weekly
Contact Information
Thomas or Bonnie Dodson
http://dodsonfarms.blogspot.com/
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Looking for a special vegetable variety? You’ve come to the right place when you shop with Bonnie and Thomas Dodson at the Memphis Farmers Market. A third generation farmer, Thomas is a commercial grower producing sweet potatoes, wheat and soybeans on 300 acres of land in Forrest City, Arkansas. In the last four years, Thomas and his wife Bonnie have added boutique vegetable growing to their resume. During the spring they cultivate collards, kale, green peas, lettuce, spinach, onions, broccoli and white and yellow (cheddar) cauliflower. During the summer there are tomatoes, peppers, okra and peas. And, of course, there are nutritious sweet potatoes, their specialty.
The Dodsons are unique in that they grow many different varieties of vegetables. This year they grew various pepper varieties such as serranos, jalapenos, and cayenne, and peas including brown crowders, zipper cream and purple hull pink eyes. They are also growing two newly developed, unreleased peas called ebony (black) and Holstein (brown and white). Developed by plant breeder Dr. Teddy Morelock at the University of Arkansas, they were created for their antioxidants qualities. The Dodsons and Dr. Morelock were introduced by their youngest daughter Hallie, a masters degree candidate in horticulture and one of Dr. Morelock’s students. For the past two years, Hallie has been assisting in plant breeding projects. She helps field test new vegetable varieties, many on her parents’ farm. Hallie plans to continue her education by getting a PhD so she can become a plant breeder herself. When Bonnie Dodson isn’t helping her husband and daughter grow vegetables, she’s a full-time public health nurse in eastern Arkansas overseeing four county health departments. The oldest Dodson daughter, Carolyn, is an artist in Memphis and mother of two young children who also helps the family business. She educates MFM shoppers about the nutritional virtues of her parents’ produce, with a special emphasis for children. Four generations of Dodsons have farming in their blood. They make the world a better place by providing a wide variety of high quality nutritional produce.
Red Crowder Pea Hummus
4 cups cooked red crowder peas
1/3 cup tahini
1- 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons garlic
1 large roasted red bell pepper
3 - 5 roasted jalapeno peppers
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until well blended and smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Olives can be added, kalamata are yummy, but you can add just about anything you fancy. Serve with raw veggies and toasted pita - great on sandwiches too!
Roasted Veggies
This isn't a recipe per se, it's more like instructions and you use what you'd like and how much you want. It's just like the Savory Sweet Potato recipe, except I've added lots more.
Sweet potatoes
Baking or new potatoes
Carrots
Turnips
Parsnips
Peel all veggies, except maybe the potatoes. Cut into small similar sized pieces and roast the same as the savory sweet potato recipe. If you have NEVER liked turnips (like me) you will change your mind. I did this to try to sneak in a few veggies my guys would not have eaten otherwise, and they didn't know the turnips and parsnips were in there, and they ate it up!!! Rutabaga would be good too, as well as beets, any root kinda veggies!
Savory Sweet Potatoes
4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 handful rosemary leaves
Coarse ground sea or Kosher salt to taste
Coarse ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. Heat oven to 400º F. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet or baking dish.
2. Drizzle olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper on potatoes and stir to coat. Arrange sweet potatoes on in a single layer (too crowded and they won't crisp).
3. Bake potatoes, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 30-45 minutes. Serve hot or warm as a side dish for fish, chicken or other veggies.
Sweet Potato Casserole
1 stick butter
4 cups grated raw sweet potatoes
2 cups sugar
2 cups Pet milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter in 9x13 baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour into casserole dish. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325º and bake for 45 minutes.
Sour Cream Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients for pie:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweet potato puree
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 9 inch unbaked pie shell
for topping:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 400º F. In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, spices and salt. In another bowl, whisk potatoes, sour cream, eggs and evaporated milk. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid and beat until smooth. Pour filling into pie shell. Cover exposed pie crust with foil to prevent excess browning and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until set.
To make topping: in a small bowl, combine the pecans, sugar and butter. Sprinkle the mixture over the pie and bake for 5 minutes more or until melted. Serve with whipped cream.