Red Springs Family FarmJuly 17, 2008, Week #8
This week:
GARLIC Green Pepper
Summer Squashes Cucumber
Tomatoes Lettuce
Tomatillos Beets
Celery Parsley Basil
Another three inches of rain fell on us over the weekend and we enjoyed the great relief of just watching the garden grow. The squashes burst forth in a frenzy of blossoms, which are all full of bees. The squash patch is buzzing every morning.
ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATE: We would like to change the way that we all think about missing a veggie pick up. If you see that you cannot make it to a pick up, we would like you to try to find someone else to pick up your basket for you BEFORE you drop out for the week. This way, more people get to experience fresh local food (and meet our charming daughter!), and we are saved the scramble of trying to sell extra (growing is enough work). If you cannot find a surrogate veggie eater, and you give us enough notice (at least 48 hours), that’s fine. We have fallen under our goal of 20 baskets per week several times this season, which adversely affects our budget needs, especially for the long winter of no sales. Thank you for helping us out.
In the common CSA model, there is an agreement between the grower and the consumer for the length of the season. Customers pay for the entire season up front and carry the responsibility of picking up their food, come what may. We have made a more flexible system. However, your assistance in consistently getting the veggies baskets distributed is a big help. When you send a replacement, we can treat them as a first time guest. The basket they receive can be paid for separately, and not deducted from your basket count, unless you request otherwise.
ALSO – we’ve got a blog! It’s pretty simple so far, but it is UP, and I will endeavor to keep it updated weekly with the latest newsletters and occasional new photos. Look up:
http://www.redspringsfamilyfarm.blogspot.com/ . If you have missed out on a newsletter, or tossed one already and want to find a recipe, let this be a resource for you.
Local corn is beginning to hit the market. We’re still a little ways out from our corn harvest in this hollow. The first planting was hit hard by the heat and drought. The second planting looks great. Enjoy what’s out there and we’ll be bringing you some sweet pearly ears before too long.
Poona Kheera cucumbers were a new one for us this season. It’s taken awhile to figure them out, but finally, I think we understand. My theory is that Poonas are a predecessor of the modern cucumber. They are at their best when they look completely weird. I couldn’t believe I was slicing this round brown skinned fruit to put in a salad, but wowee – the white flesh was crisp and sweet and really tasty. Be bold!
The variety of garlic available this week is called Chesnok Red. It is considered the premier roasting garlic and it photographs well when peeled down to its beautiful inner red paper. We hope you will thrill as we do to the full flavor of fresh garlic.
Tomatillos are coming in. We are delighted by them. We use them in fresh salsas – made with whatever is at hand and enjoyed immediately. At their peak they are sweet and fruity. When still a little green, there’s a twist of tartness that is unlike anything else. I have had great success slicing them into half moons and throwing them in a light stir fry with summer squashes and peppers. Unless the flesh is split they keep well on the counter. Experiment, and enjoy.
Here’s a recipe for Zucchinis from Cella…a simple zucchini recipe, how my mom fixed it:1. wash zucchini, striate skin with fork and halve lengthwise.2. lay in pan, inner sides up, and top with tomato chunks, salt, oregano and parmesan cheese3. bake until zucchini is softened and cheese is melted (@ 350 degrees @ 20-30 min?)my mom used canned tomatoes, but fresh is better! i don't have the baking numbers written down, but i think these would work.
A couple of creative dressings and a beet idea from Kripalu Kitchen:
Kukatahini Yields four cups
¾ cup sesame seeds, 1 ½ cups cucumber
toasted and finely ground ½ cup lemon juice
1 cup tahini ½ cup oil
1/8 cup tamari 1/8 cup honey
¼ tbsp. cumin 3/8 tsp. Paprika
Peel and cut cuke into small pieces. Blend all wet ingredients in a food processor first, then add spices and finally blend in the sesame seeds gradually. Blend for quite some time so that all the seeds and other ingredients are well-absorbed. This dressing is also good over cooked vegetables or grains.
Parsley Tahini Dressing Yields 1 ½ cups
¾ cup parsley ½ cup tahini Chop the parsley fine, add the other
1 tbsp. lemon juice ½ cup water ingredients and blend together well.
1 tsp. Tamari dash of cayenne
Pickled Beets (refrigerator – style) Yields 5 cups
4 cups cooked beets 5 cups water 1 tsp salt
Marinade:
½ cup lemon juice 1 cup vinegar ¼ cup honey
½ Tbsp dill (or more) ¼ tsp. Mustard powder
Cook the beets, and remove them from the heat. Soak and chill the beets in salt water for several hours and them drain off the water. Prepare all the ingredients needed for the marinade, mix them together and pour marinade on top of the beets. Allow this mixture to marinate overnight and serve the next day. This has a tangy sweet taste, perking up your lunch or dinner.
Next week – we’ll have green beans and carrots again. Have a great weekend.
Yours ~ Paul, Coree, and Lulah
“One of the failings of modern culture is that it deprives us of the time that we need to take care of ourselves. We are caught in a process of expending energy but not of renewing it. However, if we really value our well-being we will take the time. The responsibility is ours, and there is no one else to blame if we do not make the effort.”
– Dr. David Frawley, Ayurvedic Healing
Red Springs Family Farm, PO Box 351 Red Boiling Springs TN 37150 ~ coreekaleseed@yahoo.com
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