Check out the Urban Farm Bike Tour!

September 19th, 2010, approximately 8 am to 4 pm.
There will be two rides: the longer is 28 miles, and the shorter is 14 miles. Each ride will visit several of the city’s many urban farms.
Henry Got Crops! is on both rides.

For more information and to register, visit: http://weaversway.coop/index.php?page=july_bike_tour.

Happy Fall!

By Nicole Sugerman

Okay, it’s not officially fall yet—but it sure does feel like it here on the farm. The students are back, in their second week of the school year- the energy is busy and exciting. All 500 of our winter squash are curing in the hoophouse, sealing up their cuts and getting sweeter so we can store them and give them out to you all throughout the fall. We are busily planting out our very last field crops- baby greens (mesculun, arugula, lettuce, and spinach), bok choy, lettuce heads, and radishes- and beginning to plant our kale and chard in the hoophouse, where it will (hopefully) be able to survive through the winter, using passive heat from the sun that is magnified and then trapped in a plastic structure.
The recent cool weather has been enjoyable for the crew, although it’s making our summer crops slow drastically in production. We have gone from harvesting 140 pounds of peppers in one day to harvesting 20! But fall favorites are here or just around the corner- enjoy the refreshing tang of our first radishes, and anticipate the near arrival of greens, bok choy, kohlrabi, and more. I appreciate my newfound interest in eating warm oatmeal in the mornings, a food previously unappetizing when the mornings were hot. We have started to wear our flannel, and it’s dark when we bike home on share pickup days.
We would like to welcome Simon to our full-time crew. Simon will be with us for the next five weeks as a fall intern. He is in Philadelphia for the fall, but lives in Germany, where he studies agriculture. Welcome, Simon!

A Guide to Storing Roots

To keep your root vegetables crisp and firm, remove their leafy tops before storing in your refrigerator. You can use the tops, however! Carrot tops are great in soup stock. Beet greens are delicious sautéed or braised, as are turnip tops and radish greens. See next page for some recipe ideas for root vegetable greens.

Zuccini Splinters

Thanks to Shareholder Clare for the following recipe!

Recipe from an "Electro-Sun: Food Dehydrator” instruction booklet:

Toast sesame seeds to a light golden brown
Slice fresh zuccini in 1/8" thick rounds [sponge off moisture]
Lightly sprinkle the zuccini slices with garlic [or seasoned] salt and the toasted sesame seeds.
Put on a dehydrator tray in a single layer, and dry for a day or two, with vents open.
Delicious with a dip or as a snack.

Note that the booklet suggested other vegetables that may be dehydrated, and used for snacks or as "salad crunchies" to add to your salads. Some suggestions were carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms.

Purslane Pickles

Use any size jar with a plastic lid. Narrow-necked bottles can be a problem. Fill your jar or bottle with freshly-harvested purslane cut into two-inches pieces. Leave a little space at the top. Fill the jar or bottle with room-temperature apple cider vinegar, being sure to completely cover the plant material. Cover. (Metal lids will corrode; do not use.) Label, including date. This is ready to use in six weeks; but will stay good for up to a year.

To use: A tablespoon of purslane vinegar on cooked greens, beans, and salads adds wonderful flavor along with lots of minerals. You can also eat the pickled purslane right out of the bottle or add it to salads or beans.

Susun S Weed

Salsa Verde

• 3 unpeeled garlic cloves
• 1 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed
• 1 small onion, quartered through root end
• 3 to 6 serrano chiles or 2 to 4 jalapeño chiles
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon (or more) sugar
• Coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lime juice

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread garlic onto skewer. Grill garlic, tomatillos, onion quarters, and chiles until dark brown spots form on all sides, about 9 minutes for onion, 6 minutes for tomatillos and chiles, and 4 minutes for garlic. Cool. Peel garlic. Trim core from onion. Scrape some of burnt skin off chiles; stem. Seed chiles for milder salsa, if desired. Coarsely chop onion, chiles, and garlic. Transfer tomatillos and all vegetables to blender. Add cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon sugar; puree until smooth. Season to taste with coarse salt.
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Carefully add tomatillo mixture (juices may splatter). Stir until slightly thickened, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add broth and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture measures 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and more sugar and lime juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and chill.


Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Salsa-Verde-242139#ixzz0zTGboUDZ

Turnip Greens

Note: mustard greens, collard greens, or kale can be substituted in this recipe.

1 bunch fresh turnip greens with roots
1 medium piece salt pork
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bacon drippings, butter, or margarine
Pinch of sugar (optional)


Strip the stems from the greens (unless they’re very tender) and wash thoroughly. Place in a saucepan and add the pork, water, and salt. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes over medium heat, or until tender. Remove the pork and pour the greens into a colander to drain. Place in a pan and chop scissor-like with two knives. If necessary, add more salt to taste. Keep hot and add the bacon drippings and a pinch of sugar.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Turnip-Greens-105051#ixzz0zTFh9DYj

Beets with Greens in Vinaigrette

• 1 1/2 pounds medium beets (about 4; 2 1/2 pounds with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cover beets generously with water in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool to warm, then slip off skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch slices.
Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, onion, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking, then add warm beets and parsley and toss. Season with additional sugar and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cooks' note: Beets can be roasted and sliced 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before tossing with vinaigrette and parsley.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beets-in-Vinaigrette-241086#ixzz0zTF4pTGI

Sauteed Radishes with Radish Greens

• 2 pounds radishes with greens attached
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt (preferably sea salt)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Cut greens from radishes and coarsely chop. Trim radishes and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté radish wedges with salt, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm, loosely covered.
Sauté garlic in remaining tablespoon butter in skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add greens and sauté, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute.
Return radish wedges to skillet and stir in chives.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Radishes-105226#ixzz0zTELkEPQ

Saving Tomato Seed

By Nina Berryman

During U-Pick the other day, one of the shareholders asked me a few questions about how to save tomato seed. Saving seed is a great way to increase your self-sufficiency, select for traits that are specifically adapted to your unique growing area, save money, and connect with your food in yet another way. When you save seed from a tomato, you are most likely going to get the seeds that produce a plant that grows tomatoes just like the one the seeds came from. In other words, the plants do not cross-pollinate and the seeds will be true to their parent plant. This is true most of the time. There are a few varieties of tomato that do not produce seeds that yield the same types of fruit. Those are potato-leaved varieties (such as the popular brandywine variety), currant tomatoes and any fruit formed from double blossoms of beefsteak tomatoes.
The following paragraphs are selected from one of my favorite farming resources, “Seed to Seed” by Suzanne Ashworth.

Pick and wash fully ripe tomatoes, and then cut the fruits across the middle, not through the stem and blossom ends. This exposes the large seed cavities and makes the seeds accessible without smashing the fruit. Now squeeze the seeds and surrounding gel into a bowl or bucket.
Each tomato seed is encased in a gelatinous sack. The gel in these sacks contains chemicals that inhibit sprouting inside the wet flesh of the tomato. In nature the ripe tomatoes fall from the plant and destroyed. Eventually the fruits totally rot away leaving the seeds on the surface of the soil, ready to germinate when conditions are right.
Artificially duplicating the tomato fruit’s fermentation process is not difficult. In addition to removing the gel sack, fermentation also kills many seed-borne diseases.
The container of tomato seeds and gel should be set aside to ferment to one to three days. Fermentation will proceed more quickly as the daytime temperatures increase.
During this period the container of seeds will begin to stink and will become covered with a layer of white or gray mold. Because of the horrible smell, do not keep the bowl in the house or where it might be tipped over by animals or children. The fermentation process should be stopped when the layer of mold completely covers its surface. Be sure to monitor the process closely because, if allowed to continue too long, the seeds will begin to germinate in the mixture.
Add enough water to double the mixture and then stir it vigorously. The good seeds will settle to the bottom of the container, allowing the mold and debris and hollow seeds to be poured off. Add more water and repeat the process until only clean seeds remain.
Some growers prefer to pour the entire contents of the container into a strainer, without adding any water, and then wash under running water. Make a fist and use the fronts of your fingers to rub the mold and softened debris through the screen. Wipe the bottom of the strainer on a towel to remove as much moisture as possible and dump the seeds out to a glass or ceramic dish to dry. Do not attempt to dry the seeds on soft paper or cloth or non-rigid plastic, as it is extremely difficult to remove the seeds from these surfaces. Coffee filters, which are inexpensive to purchase reportedly work well and tend to wick the moisture away from the seeds during drying.
To ensure even drying and to prevent the seeds from bunching together, stir at least twice a day. Never dry seeds in direct sunlight or in an oven. Tomato seeds will begin to germinate if not dried quickly. In hot humid weather, a fan will help speed the drying process.

Eggplant Casserole

• 1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, diced
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 slices bread
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf marjoram
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Butter a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.
Steam the diced eggplant just until tender, about 5 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute, stirring, until onion is tender. Add the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
Spread bread slices with the butter and cut into cubes. Stir the eggplant and bread cubes into the onion mixture. Let the mixture cool slightly. Stir in the beaten eggs, salt, pepper, thyme, and marjoram. Stir in half of the shredded cheese. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and cover with the remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/eggplantcasserolerecipes/r/r100203a.htm

Heirloom Tomato Salad

• 8 to 10 small tomatoes, a variety of colors if possible
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup diced sweet onion or purple onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, or 1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Cut cores from the tomatoes; slice each tomato into 8 to 10 wedges. Combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss to blend well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve on salad greens, if desired.
Serves 6 to 8.
Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/tomatoes/r/r70622h.htm

Skillet Green Beans and Peppers

• 16 ounces green beans, cooked
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced in strips
• 1 small onion, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add cooked green beans, peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring, until peppers are crisp tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8.

Source: http://southernfood.about.com/od/greenbeans/r/bl50727j.htm

Salmon and Swiss Chard Quiche

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 8 ounces salmon fillets, skin removed
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 10 inch pie plate using about 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs into the pie dish and shake to coat evenly, discarding excess.
2. Pour the milk into a large saucepan and warm over medium heat. Add the salmon fillets and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until salmon can be flaked with a fork.
3. Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and Swiss chard; cook and stir until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt, pepper, marjoram and nutmeg. Set aside to cool; you should have about one cup of chard and onion.
4. Spread the chard mixture and flake the salmon into the prepared pie plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and one cup of cooled milk from poaching the salmon. Pour into the pie dish.
5. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is set. Cool slightly before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

*you can substitute any winter squash

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced and zested
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
1. Melt butter in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, and stir in the butternut squash cubes, orange juice, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the squash cubes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour back into the pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Whisk in sour cream until smooth, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat over medium-low heat until almost simmering, and serve hot.
• The number of servings is largely dependent on the size of your butternut, so it can be a good idea to double the recipe for soup for a group--it's always a big hit!
• Substitute vegetable stock for chicken broth to make a vegetarian soup.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Giselas-Butternut-Squash-Soup/Detail.aspx

Urban Farming in Philadelphia’s History

By Nicole Sugerman

On Grist.org, an environmental news website, farmer and food writer Tom Philpott recently wrote an inspiring article, “The history of urban agriculture should inspire its future”. I urge you all to read this informative and interesting piece. In it, he traces the surprisingly deep roots of agriculture in cities, from 19th century dairy farms in New York City to the 1970’s rise of community gardens in post-industrial Detroit. Philpott is enthusiastic about the current popularity of urban food production and its roots, explaining: “In trendy neighborhoods from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to San Francisco's Mission district, urban youth are nurturing vegetables in window sills, fire escapes, and roofs. . . But growing food in the city isn't just the province of privileged youth -- in fact, the recent craze for urban agriculture started in decidedly unhip neighborhoods.”

Like the cities mentioned in Philpott’s article, Philadelphia has a rich history of food production that often goes unacknowledged in the current moment of burgeoning excitement around urban agriculture. When William Penn originally conceptualized the city of Philadelphia, he imagined it as “a greene Country Towne, which will never be burnt, and allways be wholesome”. Although shipping and industry quickly began to
dominate the agricultural roots of the city’s economy, farms and agriculture remained in Philadelphia. Beyond 40th street, West Philadelphia retained a primarily agricultural character throughout the 19th century, with farms remaining farther west even throughout the 1900’s (http://www.phillyh2o.org/backpages/
OverbrookHistory.htm).

Besides large farms existing within the city’s limits, small-plot urban gardening, for both subsistence and marketing, also has a long history in Philadelphia. In 1897, the Vacant Lot Cultivation Association was founded with the intent to promote land access, youth involvement in gardening, and to foster market gardening (Vitiello and Nairn, 26). Throughout the 1900’s, community gardens in Philadelphia fluctuated in popularity, with spikes in times of economic hardship or war. Urban gardening really took off in the 1970’s, spurred by deindustrialization’s effects on both the availability of jobs and the density of neighborhoods. Gardening was well funded and supported by programs through organizations like the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Penn State Cooperative Extension. This support peaked in the 1970’s, then suffered a sharp decline in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s (Vitiello and Nairn, 34).

As detailed in Philpott’s article for grist.org, and evidenced by increased institutional support, media coverage, and empirical data, urban gardening is undergoing a new renaissance. As Philpott says, this “hip” new trend is not new. However, the face of the urban gardening movement has changed. As the historical trends illustrate, growing food in urban areas has traditionally been based on need, evidenced by its correspondence to times of economic hardship, and cultural preservation; in the Philadelphia Harvest Report, Vitiello and Nairn explain, “The majority of community gardeners in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s came to Philadelphia in the Second Great Migration of African Americans after World War Two, the contemporaneous Great Migration of Puerto Ricans, and the Southeast Asian migrations following the Vietnam War. Gardening offered opportunities for a combination of cultural preservation and, especially where gardens involved a mix of ethnic groups, for social integration as well”(p. 27).

While this is still true to a certain extent, the new poster child of the urban agriculture movement is young and, more often than not, white. The ‘new’ gardeners are growing heirloom tomatoes for personal use, or choosing careers in urban agriculture as conduits for living out personal politics of localism and ground-up change. While there is nothing wrong with these trends in and of themselves, I find myself troubled at times. Asking why there is so much attention paid to urban gardening now, despite the long, rich history of urban agriculture, is important. While perhaps unintentional, obscuring the history of this work by working class people and people of color is very unfortunate and seems unfair. I do not mean to suggest that all the people presently involved in urban gardening are white, nor do I mean to suggest that those of us who are white should not be excited about growing our own food.

However, I do think that recognizing that these ‘new’ trends in food politics- organic food, raising chickens, growing one’s own vegetables—are in fact quite old, is significant, and, furthermore, I recognize that these concepts have often reached
the consciousness of the mainstream only when adopted by upper-middle class, young, white people.

For the urban agriculture and food movement to grow, we must acknowledge, learn from, and continue to support the work happening by all people in all areas of our city—not just the ‘trendy’ neighborhoods, or when practiced by ‘privileged kids’ who get a disproportionate percentage of the attention, support, and ultimately credit for a series of activities and actions that far precedes me—work that has been done outstandingly well by others for a very long time.

Sources:

Levine, Adam. “A Brief History of the Overbrook Neighborhood of Philadelphia, focusing on Changes in the Natural Landscape”. JASTECH Development Services. 2005.
http://www.phillyh2o.org/backpages/Overbrook History.htm

Philpott, Tom. “The history of urban agriculture should inspire its future”. 3 August 2010. www.grist.org

Vitiello, Domenic and Nairn, Michael. Community Gardening in Philadelphia: 2008
Harvest Report. Penn Planning and Urban Studies, University of Pennsylvania. 2009.

Winter Squash!

Winter squash are here! A mystery to everyone—why are they called winter squash when
they mature in the early fall or late summer? Hmm. . .
We grew five types of winter squash this season. The most easily recognizable squashes we grow are butternut, a large, pear-shaped, nutty-brownish-peach squash, and acorn, a small, dark green squash. We also grow sweet dumpling, a white and green striped pan-shaped delicata squash, a green kabocha, a squat, slate-blue squash, and orange kabocha, a dark orange squash with very firm flesh. Enjoy!

Spiced Carrot Salad

Serves 4 to 6
2 cups diagonally sliced carrots
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
Lemon slices
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add
carrots; boil until barely tender and still
brightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Drain the carrots and immediately run cold
water over them to stop the cooking. Drain
well.
3. Transfer carrots to a large salad bowl. Add the
parsley, cilantro, and mint. Toss to combine.
4. Mix the lemon juice, garlic, cumin, cinnamon,
paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl. Stir in
the sugar. Slowly pout in the olive oil in a
thin stream, whisking constantly, until the
dressing is thick and no longer separates.
5. Pour the dressing over the carrots and toss
until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at
least 2 hours.
6. Let salad come to room temperature before
serving. Top each serving with a lemon slice.
From: Farmer John’s Cookbook

Butternut Squash Polenta

3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1
medium)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups winter squash purée
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup instant polenta
• 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-
Reggiano (1/2 cup)
Cook onion in 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-
inch heavy skillet over moderate heat,
stirring, until very soft, about 8 minutes. Stir
in squash and cook, stirring occasionally, 2
minutes.
Bring water, milk, salt, and pepper to a boil
in a 4-quart heavy pot. Add polenta in a thin
stream, whisking. Cook polenta at a bare
simmer, stirring with a long-handled whisk
and turning down heat as needed to prevent
spattering, 5 minutes.
Stir in squash mixture and cook, stirring, 3
minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in
cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4. Gourmet Magazine, 2005

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food
/views/Butternut-Squash-Polenta-
233272#ixzz0y9XnnZc9

Kabocha Squash Cake with Brown Sugar Cream

Bon Appetit, 2007
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/
Kabocha-Squash-Cake-with-Brown-Sugar-
Cream-239812#ixzz0y9WB1UuS
Brown sugar cream:
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large egg whites
Cakes:
• 2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded kabocha
squash (from one 3-pound squash)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup lager (mild-flavored beer)
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For brown sugar cream:
Place 1 tablespoon water in cup. Sprinkle gelatin over.
Let stand 10 minutes to soften.
Stir cream and sugar in medium saucepan over
medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add egg whites and
whisk until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes (do not
boil). Add gelatin mixture; whisk until dissolved.
Strain into large clean bowl. Chill until cold. Cover
and chill overnight.

For cakes:
Combine squash and milk in heavy small saucepan.
Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to
simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat
to medium-low, and simmer until squash is very
tender, about 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Drain
squash. Place in processor and blend until smooth. DO
AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray six 3/4cup ramekins with
nonstick spray. Place 1/2 cup squash puree in large
bowl (reserve remaining puree for another use). Add
sugar, oil, beer, and egg to puree and beat to blend.
Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt over; beat
to blend. Divide batter among prepared ramekins.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out
clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cakes in ramekins. Turn
out onto plates. Beat brown sugar cream to firm peaks;
spoon alongside cakes.

Young Swiss Chard with Sesame Seeds

1 ½ pounds swiss chard, washed and kept
whole
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons roasted and very lightly ground
sesame seeds
1 ½ tablespoons white wine or dry sherry
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
Drop in the chard and bring back to a boil.
Cover partially and boil rapidly for 3 to 4
minutes, or until the stems are just tender.
Drain and rinse under cold water. Squeeze out
as much water as possible and put the chard in a
bowl. Separate the leaves, which will be like
strands now.
Combine the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and
wine. Mix well. Pour the dressing over the
chard and toss to mix. Serve at room
temperature or chilled.
Serves 4.
From: World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey

Is the Share Getting Smaller?

By Nina Berryman

Some of you may have noticed the share seems a little smaller these last few weeks. This may seem strange since it’s the middle of August, which is usually the peak of the season. The truth is, it is and it isn’t. The number of items on the table at the pick-up has decreased over the past few weeks, but the number of items on the U-Pick has increased. The reason the U-Pick has increased is simple, these crops have recently started to produce in the quantity that everyone can pick them.
The reason the items on the table at the pick-up has decreased is more complicated. The culprit: the hot, dry weather. Over a month ago I wrote an article about our lack of rain and hot temperatures, and I described the different irrigation techniques we use to compensate. Since then it has only continued to be hot and dry. In July there were 19 days above 90 degrees, the average is 10 (http://www.weather.gov/climate/getclimate.php?wfo=phi). Some vegetables have reputations of thriving in the heat, such as tomatoes and eggplant. In fact we even plant them in black plastic mulch to heat up the soil so they grow faster. However, this summer seems to be even too hot for some of these heat-loving plants. There is a maximum temperature at which plants can set fruit (meaning the flowers develop into vegetables). According to one source, eggplant set fruit best between the temperatures of 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07616.html). For tomatoes, fruit setting is “poor” at 26 degrees Celsius, which is about 78 degrees Fahrenheit (http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/88/5/869.pdf). Another source said fruit setting is “inhibited” at 30 degrees Celsius, which is about 86 degrees Fahrenheit (http://www.tomatosphere.org/teacher-resources/teachers-guide/grades-5-7/tomatoes.cfm). It seems the paste tomatoes are hardier in this hot weather than some of the larger, heirloom varieties (Friday’s pick up from last week can vouch for the bounty of pastetomatoes and the scarcity of the larger varieties).
There are also of course the crops that don’t like hot temperatures, and they are suffering even more than they usually do in a typical summer. Everyone loves lettuce heads, but they sadly fall into this category. Over the winter when we made our planting schedule we decided we would transplant lettuce every week because it is so popular. On one of the recent and rare lettuce harvests our intern Kirsten said, “I think this is only the second time I’ve harvested lettuce this summer.” She started in the beginning of June. Some of our lettuce plantings have completely dried up and fried. Almost all have bolted before they even sized up.
The result of all this is less variety on the table during the pick-up. One of our returning shareholders suggested I write an article reminding people of the basic premise of a CSA: that shareholders share the risks as well as the bounty of agriculture with a farmer. In my own curiosity I calculated the value of last week’s share based on the prices we sell the same vegetables for at farmers markets. Not including U-pick, both Tuesday and Friday were above the weekly value of a small or large share. We are proud to say that everyone is still “getting their money’s worth” of vegetables, even on a small week, even disregarding the U-pick.
So please, everyone do your rain dances and wish for the best! I’m writing this on Saturday evening and I just checked the weather forecast and according to the National Weather Service “showers are likely” for tomorrow!

From the Perspective of a Student

My first day at the C.S.A was an amazing experience. I learned a lot about the different fruits and vegetables they grew. My favorite vegetable that the C.S.A produce is carrots. I learned that the part of the carrot we eat is in the ground like potatoes. After the vegetables we weeded. The most important step before you start is to make sure your wearing long pants and goggles. Starting up the weed whacker was the hardest part because it took a lot of strength. Before you pull the string you have to turn it on and pump the primer. Then you pull the string to start the motor. Once i started weeding i couldn’t stop. It was so fun and it wasn’t an easy job. Most of my classmates complained because of the heat but I didn’t care. Hopefully i can do it again. The C.S.A was both fun and educational. This was one of the most exciting experience of my life. Maybe in the future i can own a farm and produce my own crops.

Sierra Davis- incoming Freshman, class of 2014

Thai Basil and Eggplant Stir Fry

• 2 T peanut oil
• 1/2 - 1 tsp sambal oelek (chili garlic paste)
• 1/2 onion, cut in slivers
• 4 - 6 cloves of garlic minced, 2 reserved
• 1 -3 chili peppers, finely chopped
• 2 Japanese eggplant, cut in irregular slices
• 1/4 C vegetable broth
• 3 T soy sauce, 2 reserved
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 T cornstarch
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 C basil leaves, torn
• First, assemble your ingredients for the stir fry. Chop the onion, hot pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and eggplant; combine them in a bowl.
• Prepare your sauce. In a small dish, combine the 2 reserved tablespoons of soy sauce, the brown sugar, the sesame oil, and the reserved garlic.
• In a separate small dish, dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water.
• Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large saute pan.
• When the oil is hot, add the chopped vegetables and the sambal oelek. Stir fry the vegetables for 5-6 minutes, adding the broth toward the end of the cooking time to keep the vegetables moist.
• Season the veggies with a tablespoon of soy sauce, and stir fry for another minute.
• Pour the sauce mixture over the stir fry, then the cornstarch mixture.
• Stir well, then add most of the basil. Let it wilt.
• Remove the pan from heat and serve.
• Garnish with the remaining basil and serve over steamed rice.

Source: http://www.grouprecipes.com/72851/thai-basil-and-eggplant-stir-

Roast Red Pepper Tomato Soup

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 red bell peppers
• 4 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon white sugar
• 6 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
1.Roast peppers: rub oil on peppers and put them under the broiler until blackened, turn to get all sides. Put into paper bag and seal. Let rest for 15 minutes, then peel will come right off and core and seeds will fall out. Chop peppers.
Reserve one chopped pepper; set aside.
2.Heat olive oil over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, bell peppers (except reserved), thyme, paprika, and sugar. Cook over medium-low heat until all the tomato juices have evaporated, about 25 minutes
3. Stir in chicken stock, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce (if using). Bring to boiling, lower heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Strain soup, reserving broth. Place solids in food processor or blender, and process until fairly smooth. Add puree back into broth.
5. Melt butter and stir in the flour, cook for 1 minute. Stirring slowly, add the broth/vegetable mixture. Add reserved chopped pepper and bring to boiling. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
6. Ladle into bowls and add 1 tablespoon of sour cream to each bowl. For a lighter soup, this is also delicious without the sour cream.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/roasted-red-pepper-and-tomato-soup/Detail.aspx

Tomato Pepper Sauce

• 4 large tomatoes
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully add the tomatoes to the water, and boil until the skin begins to split. Remove from the water, cool under cold running water, and peel off the skin.
2. Place tomatoes into a large skillet, and mash with a potato masher. Mix in the bell peppers, onion and garlic. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until onions and peppers are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/tomato-pepper-sauce/Detail.aspx

Anticipation

a Baby Winter Squash!

Tarte aux Blettes et Graines de Courge

- a bunch of swiss chard, white and green (about ten leaves)
- 1 tsp squash seed oil (substitute olive oil)
- two heaping tablespoons of ricotta
- 1 egg
- one roll of pie dough (I use store-bought, but home-made would be great)
- a handful of squash seeds
- salt, pepper
- 1/4 C caramelized shallots

Rinse the swiss chard under cold water. Separate the white stems from the green leaves. Chop the stems, discarding the ends. Cut the greens in pieces.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped stems, season with salt and pepper, and cook, covered, over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender slightly translucent. Add the leaves to the skillet, and cook, covered, for another 10 minutes, until the greens are wilted. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning.
In the meantime, toast the squash seeds in a small dry skillet, and preheat the oven to 220°F (430°F).
Transfer the cooked chard into a food processor, add in the egg and the ricotta, and pulse until thoroughly mixed.
Line a tart pan with the pie dough. Spread the caramelized shallots on the bottom of the dough, and sprinkle with half of the toasted squash seeds. Pour in the chard mixture, even out the surface with a spatula, and sprinkle with the rest of the squash seeds.
Put in the oven to bake for about 40 minutes, until the filling is somewhat set and the pie crust starts to turn golden. Serve with a salad, dressed with balsamic vinegar and squash seed oil.

Source: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2004/03/swiss_chard_and_squash_seeds_tart.php

White Bean and Tomatillo Chicken Chili

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 pint tomatillos, drained and chopped
• 1 lb diced tomatoes
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed





Ground Cherry Pie

1 tsp. tapioca
4 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 c. ground cherries (or combination of fruit)
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. apple pie spice
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Shuck and wash ground cherries. Put tapioca, flour, and butter in the bottom of an 8 inch pie crust. Mix ground cherries, sugar, and spices together and pour over the mixture in pie crust. Put top pie crust on and seal edges of the 2 crusts. Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees, then 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Source: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1637,153187-245193,00.html

White Bean and Tomatillo Chicken Chili
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 pint tomatillos, drained and chopped
• 1 lb diced tomatoes
• 1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 ears fresh corn
• 1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1 (15 ounce) can white beans
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
1. Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
2. Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/White-Bean-Chicken-Chili/Detail.aspx

Ground Cherry Pie

1 tsp. tapioca
4 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 c. ground cherries (or combination of fruit)
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. apple pie spice
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Shuck and wash ground cherries. Put tapioca, flour, and butter in the bottom of an 8 inch pie crust. Mix ground cherries, sugar, and spices together and pour over the mixture in pie crust. Put top pie crust on and seal edges of the 2 crusts. Bake 10 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees, then 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Source: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1637,153187-245193,00.html

Green Beans and Blue Cheese

Ingredients
• 5 ounces fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon bacon drippings
• 1 ounce crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts, toasted
• salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place green beans in a saucepan with one inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
1. Heat the bacon drippings in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green beans, and toss to coat. Saute until the beans are heated through. Sprinkle with nuts and crumbled blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Green-Beans-with-Blue-Cheese/Detail.aspx

Haikus from Zemora

pieces of summer
parting words in haiku form
with love, zemora.

the blur of farming
feels like time is speeding up
as summer winds down

june, july, august
all day every day
in rain, mud, and sun

hot as heck out here
according to our logbook
one hundred and three

i've learned so many
things here, many of them have
to do with farming.

i leave with new skills
trellis, transplant, rake, or seed,
bed prep, plant, and weed

now i understand
in harvesting tomatoes,
gentleness is key.

when used correctly
scuffle hoes might surprise you
with their great power.

fairwell, oh sweetest
furry creature of the field
our friend the groundhog

just kidding, please leave
our vegetables alone
and never come back.

nina! and nicole!
and kirsten! and sarah! and
yona! and vicky!

y'all are really the best
i know we'll cross paths again
thanks for teaching me.

love, revolution,
talking in the fields all day
'bout the food system.

our community
supports our agriculture
how awesome is that?

Logistics of the Pick-Up

By Nina Berryman

It’s exactly half way through our 26-week season with the CSA. My how times flies! As all organizations, we are constantly learning and growing together as a group of people. We have chosen to come together over the common interest of local, healthy food, and we are half-way through that seasonal journey. I thought I would take this mid-season perspective as an opportunity to review and respond to questions and concerns I have received recently.
I would like to reiterate how we are all really a community, working together to make local agriculture work. We as farmers appreciate your support in making this type of agricultural business viable; and you as eaters (hopefully!) appreciate the opportunity we are creating for you to eat local, healthy food. Our interactions with each other are not your typical producer/consumer relationship found in almost all other aspects of our capitalist society. Instead, it is one based on trust (paying in advance for a product), respect (for each other and the land), and a common goal (supporting local agriculture). Unlike a supermarket, a farmers market or a restaurant, customers can’t choose whatever they want from a set of options. While we of course have a few options to choose from (e.g. chard or kale), for the most part we determine what vegetables go home with you every week. That being said, we know everyone likes diversity and we work very hard to offer as many different vegetables as possible to keep your dinner tables and diet diverse. This brings me to the main point am I interested in up. When you are at the pick up and you see one item run out and another one replace it, please keep in mind a few points. The first is that an extremely large amount of time and consideration goes into thinking about what to plant, how much to plant, and what vegetables get paired during a pick-up. Even when you plant 100 eggplant all on the same day they will not all be ready at the same time.Also, because of environmental variability, all those 100 eggplant will not continue to produce at the same rate all season. If we were to plant enough eggplant as to ensure that all 130 families all got eggplant on a given week, we would have to more than double the size of our planting! That in turn would mean we wouldn’t have room for other crops, like the onions for example. These are the type of very complicated, multi-faceted considerations we take into consideration during the winter when planning the upcoming season. “What, how much, and when?” are like a three-dimensional puzzle we have to squeeze into the area of the field and the time constraints of the season.
Another thing to keep in mind when you are less than happy about a sub-in, is that if we are continuously pairing eggplant and peppers for example, we will try to rotate which goes out first from week to week to accommodate people who can only ever come to the farm at a certain time because of their personal schedules.
Please also keep in mind the fact that the people staffing the pick-up are your fellow share-holders. They are paying for the vegetables just like you and are putting additional time into the CSA to help make it run smoothly. They restock things as needed and replace things as we, the farmers, request. Because of their hard work, the vegetables are kept as cool and fresh as possible given our facilities. Imagine how much harder your pick-up would be if you had to walk down into the field to find a farmer every time the kale ran out! The shareholders staffing the pick-up are not responsible for the harvest but are happy to answer your questions about it. If they don’t know the answer they can always direct you to a farmer in the field. The pick-up staffers are not waiting on you, they are working with you to help make this farm run smoothly. Everyone’s contribution, whether it is monetary or labor, helps keep the farm functioning.
On another note, I am sure you have all noticed the U-Pick has increased in these last few weeks. We are excited to be seeing more share members in the field, creating more opportunity to meet each other and speak with one another, farmer to eater. We hope you all enjoy the opportunity to become even more familiar with the land and the people that produce your food. The U-Pick is created as another way of increasing the diversity of food that is available to you, as well as to provide another, fun way to become closer to where your food comes from. The U-Pick items tend to be ones that are popular yet labor-intensive to harvest. If we did not offer green beans as U-Pick, we simply wouldn’t be able to offer them at all as we would never have enough time to harvest green beans for 130 families every week! In my ideal world everyone would harvest all of their own food at least at one point in their life to gain an appreciation of where it comes from and the joy and work that goes into growing it. Of course, this is unrealistic, but I hope our small U-pick option fosters that awareness and joy.
130 families is a lot and while I am excited about our ability to expand as a farm, I am saddened by my inability to get to know all of you and hear your feedback on your farm experience. Those of you who I have spoken with about your positive and negative experience, I appreciate your input. My hope is that this article has clarified any questions or concerns people may still have at this point in the season. I look forward to more dialogue with you all as the remainder of the season unfolds!

Tomato pictures

Goodbye, Interns!

Our summer interns are leaving, and we sure are sad. Saul students Vicki and Yona worked with us through a six-week program with the Philadelphia Youth Network, which funds high school students to take internships and gain job experience. These past six weeks have passed so quickly! I wish we could hire the two of them on full-time, but, alas, they have to return to high school after a couple of weeks to relax. We had a really great time getting to know the two of them and experiencing their amazing energy and work ethics. The first day of their internship was 103 degrees; the two of them came to work on time and stuck it out through an eight hour day. We were all so impressed. If you see either of them in the field, congratulate them on a summer very well spent. Luckily, since the two of them attend Saul, we hope they’ll be back in the fields to visit!
Zemora has been working with us since June, and she leaves this Friday to head back to Massachussetts, where she will attend the Northeastern Organic Farmers Association summer conference before returning to college. Zemora has been an amazing addition to our team this summer, asking lots of questions and offering lots of positive energy and input into everything that we all have been doing. Zemora is lucky enough to attend a school with its own fourteen acre farm—so at least she will not be far from organic vegetable production! It’s been such a great summer, and we wish the three of them the very best of luck in their vegetable-producing futures.

A Field Update

First and second fall plantings of broccoli are in, as well as fall kale, collard greens, cauliflower, and broccoli. We’ve seeded our rutabagas, first hakurei turnips, first radishes, and daikon radish. The last plantings of beets and carrots are going in this week, as are the third planting of broccoli and the first fall kohlrabi.
The weather has been very, very dry, which is a little stressful. The irrigation and sprinklers are on non-stop to try to keep our plants healthy and our seeds from drying out before they germinate. We are praying for rain- I wish the dust would settle in the fields!
The winter squash are looking really healthy, and we have pulled most of the onions out of the field, hanging them in our storage shed so they can cure. Hon Tsai Tai is new in the share this week- it’s a new green that we are trying, and so far, we really like the look and the taste of it. Let us know if you enjoy it if you get it in your share this week.

Medicinal and Magical Uses of Some Vegetables

Cucumber

Folk names: Cowcucumber, Agurk, Haswey, Kheyar, Lekiti, Gurka

Powers: Chastity, Healing, Fertility.

Magical Uses: The fruit of the cucumber, when eaten, hinders lust.
The peel bound onto the forehead relieves headache pain, while the seeds are eaten to promote fertility.

Lettuce

Magical uses: Rub lettuce juice onto your forehead or eat the leaves to sleep easily.

String Beans:

Historical Medicinal Uses: Used to be used for the treatment of diabetes.

Current Medicinal Uses: String beans are a medium-strength diuretic, stimulating urine flow and flushing toxins from the body. Powdered or infused, beans are also hypoglycemic, reducing blood glucose levels in the treatment of diabetes. Powdered beans can be dusted on areas of weeping eczema to soothe itching and dry out the skin.

Eggplant

Current Medicinal Uses: Eggplant lowers blood cholesterol levels. Fruit can be applied fresh as a poultice for hemorrhoids, but is used more commonly in the form of an oil or ointment. The fruit and its juices are effective diuretics. A soothing, emollient poultice for burns, abscesses, cold sores, and similar conditions can be made from eggplant leaves [note: eggplant leaves can be toxic if taken internally.] The mashed fruit can soothe sunburn.

Basil

Folk names: Albahaca, American Dittany, “Our herb”, St. Joseph’s Wort, Sweet Basil, Njilika, Balanoi, Feslien

Powers: Love, Exorcism, Wealth, Protection

Magical Uses: The scent of fresh basil causes sympathy between two people, and this is why it is used to sooth tempers between lovers. It is added to love incenses and satchets.
Carry basil in your pocket to attract wealth.

Historic Medicinal Uses:
In parts of Africa, basil used to be used to relieve the pain of a scorpion’s sting. Ancient Romans used basil to relieve gas, to counteract poisoning, as a diuretic, and to stimulate breast-milk production.

Current Medicinal Uses:
Basil is good for the digestive and nervous systems, easing flatulence, stomach cramps, colic, and indigestion. It can be used to prevent or relieve nausea and vomiting. Basil is a mild sedative, useful in treating nervous irritability, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Applied externally, basil can as an insect repellant, and the juice can relieve insect bite stinging or itching.

Sources:
Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier

Encyclopedia of Magical Plants by Scott Cunningham

Creamy Zucchini-Cumin Dip

4 small or 2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin seeds or ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika

-Place the zucchini in a medium bowl; add the salt and mix well. Transfer to a colander and set in the sink to drain for at least 15 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
-Meanwhile, put the sour cream, onion, lime juice, and cumin in a large serving bowl; stir until well combined. Season with pepper and paprika to taste.
-Squeeze as much moisture as you can from the zucchini with your hands; add the zucchini to the sour cream mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.
-Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve cold or at toom temperature.

From: Farmer John’s Cookbook

Broiled Eggplant with Crunchy Parmesan Crust

Oil for greasing the baking sheet
Mayonnaise
Eggplant, cut into ¼ inch slices
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (about ½ cup)
-Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a baking sheet
-Spread mayonnaise sparingly on both sides of each eggplant, then dip the slices in the grated parmesan cheese, thoroughly coating both sides.
-Arrange the slices in a single layer on the oiled baking sheet and place under the broiler until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the slices and broil until golden brown and crunchy on top and the eggplant is soft, about 3 minutes more.

From: Farmer John's Cookbook

Hon Tsai Tai with soy sauce and oyster sauce

1 bunch hon tsai tai
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cut hon tsai tai crosswise into half-inch segments. In a skillet, heat oil over moderately high heat and stir-fry the hon tsai tai with salt for two minutes.
In a bowl stir together water and soy and oyster sauces. Add soy mixture and butter and stir-fry until crisp-tender, one to two more minutes.

source: http://www.tucsoncsa.org/2008/12/hon-tsai-tai-with-soy-sauce-oyster-sauce/

Sauteed Hon Tsai Tai

-adapted from a Harmony Valley Farm CSA recipe
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
2-3 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 clove garlic
1 bunch Hon Tsai Tai sliced thin
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over moderate heat. Saute garlic and ginger about 1 minute.
Add Hon Tsai Tai and season with salt and pepper. Stir greens to wilt them down. Cover and let steam for 2-3 minutes, adding 1 tablespoon of water if there is not enough moisture from the greens.
Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and serve.

source:http://www.redlandorganics.com/newsletter/20071215.pdf

Basil Harvest

Zemora and Sarah harvest basil.

Bartering veggies for ice cream

Mid-Summer Has Arrived

August is here! August is a confusing, exciting, hard month on the farm. The end of the season is in sight; we are planting out our first fall greens (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, and radishes have all gone in!) and nearing the end of our successions of lettuce and carrots. Days grow shorter, and I start to think of fall. Such thinking, however, is premature. This is the hard part of August. Harvests are long, and have been for quite some time, days continue to be stiflingly hot, and the season is not even halfway over.
Despite the challenges of will, though, August is a lot of fun. Tomatoes are going strong, and everyone loves tomatoes. Our crew has reached a high level of familiarity and rapport with each other by now, and we can help and support each other through the mid-summer exhaustion. A return to planting is refreshing after several months spent mostly weeding and harvesting.
And, before we know it, the students will be heading back to school, cooler mornings will move in, and that kale that looks so tiny now will be full-sized and sweet. So we enjoy summer while it lasts.

Crispy Zucchini Chips

Recipe by Christina Pirello

avocado or light olive oil
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 (one quarter) cup yellow corn meal
sea salt
4-5 firm zucchini, sliced into paper thin oblongs
2 fresh lemons, sliced into paper thin rounds
4-5 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced
8-10 sprigs watercress, stems trimmed to create 3-inch sprigs.

Put about 3 inches oil in a deep saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to warm.

Mix flour, corn meal and a generous pinch of salt in a bowl. Add about a third of the zucchini slices to the flour and toss gently with your hands to coat. When the oil is hot, fry floured zucchini until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain and arrange on lined baking sheet and place in a warm oven. Repeat with the balance of zucchini slices.

Dredge the lemon slices in flour mixture and fry until golden, about 2 minutes.
Drain and combine with zucchini in the oven, keeping oil over heat.
Just before serving, toss fried zucchini and lemon with parsley and transfer to a serving platter. Quickly fry watercress sprigs until crisp and mound them on the zucchini and lemon as garnish. Makes 6-8 servings.

Minted Green Beans with Red Onion

• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
In a kettle of boiling water cook the beans for 2 to 4 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender, transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking, and drain them well. Pat the beans dry with paper towels and chill them, covered, for at least 3 hours or overnight.
In a large bowl whisk together the mustard, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. Add the beans, the mint, and the onion and toss the mixture until it is combined well.

From: Gourmet Magazine
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Minted-Green-Beans-with-Red-Onion-12549#ixzz0vVqMzJPm

Fried Green Tomatoes with Basil Mayonnaise

• 6 hard green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
• Dash hot sauce
• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups Japanese panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 recipe Basil Mayonnaise (recipe follows)
Basil Mayonnaise:
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Making the Basil Mayonnaise:

Pulse the basil, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until smooth, then transfer to small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. The Basil Mayonnaise can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Making the Green Tomatoes:

Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a plate. Whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce in a shallow bowl or a pie tin. Whisk together the cornmeal and panko bread crumbs in a separate pie tin.
Working with one green-tomato slice at a time, coat the tomato first in flour (knocking off excess), then in the buttermilk, then finally in the cornmeal— bread crumb mixture. Transfer the breaded slice to a baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining slices. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a second baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 3/4 inch of vegetable oil in a medium skillet to 350°F.
Working in batches, fry the tomato slices until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked tomatoes to the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep the cooked tomatoes in the warm oven while you fry the remaining slices. Serve the tomatoes warm, with a generous dollop of Basil Mayonnaise.

From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fried-Green-Tomatoes-with-Basil-Mayonnaise-355938#ixzz0vVpOuFPU

Different Ways to Preserve Tomatoes

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t feel like eating any more gazpacho, or salsa, or tomato sauce. And I don’t know about you, but I have trouble buying tomatoes in the off season, knowing they aren’t as fresh and have little flavor (I know, I’m spoiled from being a vegetable farmer. . . ) So, I often try to preserve some of my tomato harvest for later use. Canning is a classic way to preserve your tomatoes, but it takes a great deal of both time and attention to detail. So, here are a few other interesting ways to save your tomatoes.

Freezing

I was skeptical of this tomato preservation method, but apprentice Danielle tried it last season with great success. She would just cut her tomatoes into quarters, stick them in a freezer bag, and freeze—later, when making tomato sauce or other recipes that call for cooked tomatoes, she would just dethaw and use the frozen tomatoes. This is not recommended for dethawing and trying to eat the tomatoes fresh- the consistency is a little off. However, it works really well for cooked tomatoes in recipes.

Fermentation
The following recipes all come from Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning, one of my favorite books. The next recipe is for fermented tomatoes. Some of you know that fermenting foods is a slight obsession of mine.
Tomato Balls

Ripe tomatoes
Salt
Oil
Herbs
A fine strainer
A finely woven cloth
A screen
Canning jars and lids

Pick a good amount of tomatoes that have ripened well in the sun. Cut them in half, squeezing lightly to release any water, and put them in a jar. Set the jar outside in the sun (bring them in at night) until they begin to foam and smell a bit fermented.
Pass the tomatoes through a very fine strainer, rubbing it through with your fingers. Collect the strained portion; place it in a clean, finely woven cloth; hang it ouside in the sin until you get a paste dry enough to be shaped into balls. Let the balls dry on a screen in the sun. Then add salt, and put them in a canning jar. Cover them with oil, season with herbs to your taste, and close the jar.
-Jennifer Rocchia, Beaurecueil

Preserving with salt

Whole tomatoes preserved in brine

Tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
A saucepan
Glass jars and lids

Make a brine (one-quarter cup salt to one quart of water), and bring it to a boil. Allow to cool. Choose firm tomatoes, preferably (Editor’s note: paste tomatoes are great for this), wash and dry them carefully, and put them in glass jars. Pour in the cooled brine, up to one and a quarter inches below the rim, and fill in the remaining space with olive oil to cover. Close the jars airtight and store them in a cool place.
These tomatoes will keep for nine to ten months; use them for sauces.
-Jean-Yves Cousseau, Millau.

Tomato Chutney

2 lbs. tomatoes, scalded, peeled, and chopped
2 medium-sized onions, thinly slices
3 apples, peeled and diced
1 ½ cups brown sugar
½ cup raisins
2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cayenne peppers, dried and finely chopped
6 cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
An enamel or stainless steel saucepan
Canning jars and lids

Prepare all the ingredients and put them in an enamel or stainless steel pan. Slowly bring to a boil and continue simmering over low heat, uncovered. Stir from time to time. The mixture will gradually thicken; when done, it should resemble a thick jam. This could take up to three hours or more.
Put the chutney into jars. Close and store in a cool, dry, place.
-Jeannette Busiaux, L’Etang-la-Ville

Guidelines For Successful U-Pick

Harvesting Tomatillos
•Harvest the ones that completely fill their husks
•To tell, touch the husk- if you can feel the tomatillo pressing against the husk, it is ready!
•Ripe tomatillos can have brown or green husks
•Do not eat the husk- peel before eating

Harvesting Ground Cherries
•You can harvest them right off the ground (it’s why they are called ‘ground’ cherries!)
•They are ripe when the husks are brown or yellow, and the fruit inside is yellow
•To eat, peel back the husk and eat the fruit

Harvesting Cherry Tomatoes
•We grow yellowish-orange and red cherry tomatoes
•To tell if they are ripe, see how squishy they are—not how red!
•Look near the bottom of the plant- there are more ripe ones near the ground.

Harvesting Paste Tomatoes
•Look for red tomatoes- might be close to the ground or a little deeper inside row
•If you want to use them later in the week, harvest them half red and half green- tomatoes ripen very well off the vine.

Harvesting Basil
•Harvest whole stems, rather than leaves, at growing nodes—at the junction in between two branches or leaves. This will allow the plant to put energy into productive stems rather than dead-end stems with no leaves on the top.

New Jersey Farm Tour

By Nina Berryman

Last Thursday we took the afternoon off to visit some other farms in New Jersey. As I’ve said before, there are so many different ways to accomplish the same task of growing vegetables; visiting other farms is a great way to generate new ideas and broaden our resource base of knowledge. It seemed like a daunting idea at first, “taking an afternoon off during the middle of the summer?! How will we get the harvest done?” Well, we got to the farm an hour earlier than usual and somehow pulled it off. Here’s a recap of what we saw and learned.
Our first stop was at North Slope Farm in Lambertville, NJ. They are a 50 acre, organic vegetable farm, with a small egg production on the side. The actual land under vegetable production at one time is under 20 acres. Having these “extra” 30 or so acres enables them to rotate their crops from year to year while leaving different parts of the farm fallow, meaning in rest and not in production. This lets the soil rejuvenate and replenish. If only we had such a luxury in our cramped quarters in the city! It certainly inspired me to think about creative ways to incorporate a fallow period rotation into our current production scheme. The head farmer spoke about his take on farmers market production versus CSA production. He used to do a CSA but stopped because of the stress involved. He elaborated by saying he preferred growing for markets because you don’t have to produce a certain amount every week for people who have already paid for their produce! When selling for a market, if you bring 10 lbs less to the market than you expected, the only person you are disappointing is yourself. While I can relate to what he was saying (for example, the painstaking ordeal of making sure every shareholder got one head of broccoli during the first two weeks of the broccoli season!), I also hope that the everyone who signs up for a CSA is understanding and knows what they are signing up for; and that is an agreement to share both the risks and the bounty of the upcoming season!The farmer at North Slope Farm was trying out a new method of weed management called a bare fallow. This means in an area that is fallow, he would let the weeds germinate but not go to seed and till them in repeatedly throughout the summer. This repetitive destruction is supposed to beat down the persistent weeds, draining them of their reserves and eventually kill them. We are thinking about trying this in our potato field across the street from our main growing area where the weeds are terrifyingly aggressive.
The second farm we visited was Honey Brook Organic Farm, the oldest organic CSA in New Jersey, as well as one of the largest in the country. They operate on 250 acres, growing vegetables on about 65 at any given time. They have 2,500 members this year! We were blown away. To be honest, the farm had an eerie feeling of being an organic vegetable amusement park! The grass was perfectly mowed, the beds were perfectly uniform and the soil was a perfect dark, dark brown. I didn’t see one weed and their shareholders had to wear badges into the pick-up area to identify themselves. While I have to admire their ability to maintain such a large farm, I felt the absence of the farmer-to-customer interaction. Their community is divided between three states!
The next stop we made on the tour was Cherry Grove Organic Farm, also a CSA. They grow on approximately 20 acres and have about 160 shares. An interesting aspect of their CSA pick-up was that they simultaneously sold extra produce to the public, like a farm stand. I thought this was an efficient way to use time, so one person could simultaneously staff both the pick-up and the farm stand. This year they were experimenting with a new kind of plastic mulch. Instead of using the black plastic that some of you may have seen in our tomato section, they used silver plastic. The idea behind that is it not only acts like a weed suppressant like ours does, but it also is supposed to deter insect pests.
The last farm we visited was a goat farm. The woman managing this farm was just getting started and was planning on making goat cheese next season. While this farm was less pertinent to our current production, it did inspire me to think about ways we could potentially incorporate Saul’s existing animal programs into our farm.
Time will tell how many of these new ideas will turn into reality here on Henry Avenue!

Philadelphia Youth Network Partners with Henry Got Crops!

For the second year now we have partnered with the Philadelphia Youth Network to offer summer employment for students at Saul. Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is a nonprofit that encourages job training for youth by providing funds to organizations like ours who in turn hire youth to work with them. It’s a great way to offer summer employment to students while introducing them to the ins and outs of what it takes to work on a farm. We are privileged to be working with two great students from Saul this summer. They have been working hard, side by side with us since the beginning of July and will work a total of 6 weeks at the farm. Vicky and Yona have endured the 100 degree weather of July, helped us harvest record amounts of squash and cucumbers and are helping us save our tomatoes with hours and hours of pruning and trellising to get them up off the ground so they can grow more productively. We have been blown away with their level of maturity, curiosity in urban farming and endurance in working long, hard days. I would go on, but I’ll hold back and save some room so they can introduce themselves!

Vicky
Hi, my name is Victoria and I work for my school. I and another intern are learning the ups and downs of growing your own crops. While working here I've learned that tomatoes get diseases really fast and that the leaves on the squash can make you break out if you don't have sleeves! Let me tell you a little about myself. I am 5'2”, brown eyes and black hair. I like eating yellow carrots and love drinking peach and raspberry tea. I try to be more independent than people think, because I am growing up I think I want to do more things on my own. I also like the color green and the color purple. I enjoy the twilight series (team Jacob)! lol. I am a free spirit, and like crafty things. I think my motto would be “it is what it is.” I like picking blackberries and raspberries too.

Yona
Hi, I’m Yona. I’m a summer intern at Henry Got Crops. I’m a sophomore at W.B. Saul. I’m a gemini, 15, and I’m majoring in food science. What I want to get out of the internship is to learn more about urban organic farming. Also, to meet new interesting people. So far, I think I've gotten just that. I like farming because I get to interact with people every day and I like being part of a team. Also, growing local organic vegetables. I was born and raised in Philadelphia. Love the city and culture and super excited about farming over the summer.

The Wednesday Farm Stand

Part of our mission at Henry Got Crops is to make local, healthy food accessible to the community in which we grow. We realize that the CSA model is one of many means of distributing vegetables and it’s a system that doesn’t work for everyone. In light of this we set up a farm stand every Wednesday on Henry Ave, right next to the farm driveway. After we finish the harvest on Tuesday morning we divide up the harvest in such a way as to prioritize the share members. No matter how you work the numbers though, there is always a small amount of food left over that can’t be divided evenly among the families who pick up their shares on Tuesday. We also over plant in an effort to make sure we cover all the shares. This extra food is what we sell on Wednesday. We accept cash and WIC checks. The farm stand is great for someone who doesn’t want to commit to the weekly supply of vegetables that the CSA delivers. It’s also great for someone who wants to pick and choose specific vegetables according to their preferences on that day.
We had the farm stand last summer as well. Last year our sales averaged $40 a week. This year we are almost doubling the sales. I attribute this to the wonderful phenomenon of word of mouth, getting our location printed in a local pamphlet, and our beautiful new, hand painted sign! One of the interns, Kirsten, impressed us with her professional finger painting skills at the beginning of the summer!
The farm stand not only serves as an additional mode of distributing food to the community, but it also serves as an educational opportunity for everyone on the farm. Since the CSA is based on transactions that occur earlier in the season, the farm stand is a great way for seasonal interns to learn about face to face money transactions, customer service and accounting.
Our stand is open every Wednesday from 2:30 to 5:30: tell your friends!

Magaricz

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
• salt to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes
1. Place eggplant in a colander, lightly salt, and leave to drain for about 45 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add eggplant, red and green bell peppers, onion, and carrot; stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mixture resembles the consistency of coarse jam. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.
3. Cover, and chill at least 1 hour. Serve chilled as a condiment with your favorite bread or crackers.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/Magaricz/Detail.aspx

Ketchup

• 6 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1 bulb fennel, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 10 whole cloves
• 2 whole star anise pods
• 1 tablespoon salt
1. In a large saucepan combine tomatoes, fennel, onion, garlic, sugar, molasses, vinegar, cloves, anise pods and salt. Reduce over low heat until mixture becomes very thick, about 4 hours.
2. Puree mixture in a blender and strain through a mesh strainer. Chill and store in refrigerator.
Source: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/ketchup/Detail.aspx

Chilly Dilly Carrots

• 1/2 pound carrots, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons Ranch salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
1. Place carrots in a small saucepan and cover with water; cook until crisp-tender. Drain and place in a small bowl. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over carrots. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chilly-Dilly-Carrots/Detail.aspx

Eggplant, Tomato and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

• 1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• Olive oil
• 6 large 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French bread
• 9 ounces soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet)


Combine chopped tomatoes, chopped fresh basil and red wine vinegar in small bowl. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Brush 6 largest eggplant slices lightly with olive oil (reserve remaining eggplant for another use.) Brush bread lightly with olive oil. Grill eggplant and bread until golden, about 4 minutes per side for eggplant and 2 minutes per side for bread. Arrange bread slices on plates. Spread goat cheese over, dividing evenly. Top with eggplant slices. Season with salt and pepper. Using slotted spoon, mound tomato mixture on eggplant, spread to cover and serve.

From Bon Appetit Magazine, 1994

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Tomato-and-Goat-Cheese-Sandwiches-1802#ixzz0uBodQK4f

Spanish-style Grilled Zucchini

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium zucchini (12 ounces), cut diagonally into ¼-inch-thick slices
Salt
About 2 tablespoons Spanish-style Garlic and Parsley-flavored olive oil (see below)
1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsely

To make Spanish-style garlic and parsley flavored olive oil:

1 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Put the oil and garlic in a small pot and set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for just 5 seconds, then immediately turn off the heat. Let the oil cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the salt and parsley.

To make the zucchini:

Set a cast iron griddle or frying pan over high heat. Let it get hot. Dribble just enough olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, to grease it lightly. When the oil is very hot, a matter of seconds, lay down enough zucchini slices to cover the bottom in a single layer. Do not overcrowd. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the bottom of the slices turn a rich medium brown.

You may need to move the slices around so they all cook evenly. Turn the slices over. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the second side turns medium brown. Remove the slices from the pan and arrange in a single layer on a large platter.

Cook all the zucchini slices this way. With each batch, remember to add enough oil to keep the pan lightly greased.

When the zucchini are all cooked, lightly sprinkle salt over the slices. Dribble the flavored oil evenly over the top, sprinkle on the parsley and serve.

Serves 4

From: World Vegetarian

Strozzapreti- Italian Swiss Chard Dumplings

Serves 8 to 10.

1. Wash 1 large bunch Swiss chard. You will need about 2 lb. Cook it in the water that clings to the leaves. Drain, cool, and squeeze dry. It is easiest to use a food processor here, however a blender or even chopping by hand with a heavy knife will do. Puree the chard adding 3 eggs (if using a machine) or beat the eggs by hand and add to finely chopped chard. Melt 2/3 stick butter and add to chard with 1 cup parmesan and 1 to 1 ½ cup bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill.
2. Make tomato sauce.
3. When ready to serve, fill a large pot 1/3 full of water. Add 1 Tb. salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Test one dumpling to see if it holds together in the poaching liquid. If not, add more bread crumbs. The point is to keep them as light as possible and not have them fall apart. When batter is perfect, poach about 5 dumplings per serving using 2 spoons to shape ovals. Drain on paper towel before placing in shallow soup boel. Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan and serve tomato sauce on the side.

From: The Political Palate

Classic Andalusian Gazpacho

Ingredients:
• 1 (2-inch-long) piece baguette, crust discarded
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar (preferably "reserva"), or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 2 1/2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Andalusian hojiblanca)
• Garnish: finely chopped red and green bell peppers
To Prepare:
• Soak bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water.
• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.
• Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
• Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Classic-Andalusian-Gazpacho-106874#ixzz0uBSbhcJf

Poems from Walden by Haiku

By Ian Marshall

a long war with weeds
sun and rain and dews
on their side

distinctions with the hoe
level one species
cultivate another

seeds
see if they'll grow in this soil
truth and the like

Guidelines for Tomato Selection and Storage

By Nicole Sugerman

With so many colors and varieties of tomatoes, it can sometimes be hard to tell which are ripe. If you are unsure, ask the shareholder staffing the pickup for help. Here are some guidelines when selecting tomatoes:
• We harvest some of the tomatoes less ripe purposefully. Tomatoes ripen very quickly. If you do not think you will eat your tomatoes within the next day or two, do not select the ones that are the ripest—select one that is a little firmer, with some green, and it will ripen up within a couple of days on your kitchen counter.
• You can determine ripeness by how squishy the tomato is, and how it smells. Some of our tomatoes ripen green, some ripen yellow, some pink. Instead of looking only for bright red color as an indication of ripeness, feel it and see if it is soft or firm. A riper tomato will also smell more tomato-ey.
• For best taste, do not put your tomatoes in the fridge! Refrigerating tomatoes ruins the consistency and diminishes some of the flavor. Your tomatoes will not spoil if you leave them at room temperature—just eat them when they are ripe. If you use part of a tomato, you may have to refrigerate the unused half to prevent molding.

Carrot Harvest

By Zemora Tevah

Sweetness stored in soil
Pop says earth as she lets go
Vibrant purple roots

Tomato Taste Test!

By the entire crew


Last week, the farm crew had an impromptu communal dinner at Nina and Nicole's house. The main course was beet borscht, but tomatoes were just coming in, so I brought home a sampling so everyone could familiarize themselves with many of the varied and unique tomato varieties we are growing. We had a great time with this tomato taste test, and we wrote down our reflections to help you pick out a tomato you might enjoy. Tomatoes vary greatly in taste from variety to variety, due to differing sugar/acid ratios. This is why I find growing different, weird varieties so seductive and exciting. We are growing almost thirty different types! Here are our reflections and descriptions of a few:

Red Zebra- (Small, red and green striped)- Beautiful, mild, subtle tanginess.
Goldie- (Large, deep orange)- sweet, pineapple undertones, pleasant, fleshy
Mule Team- (Deep red, large)- classic, earthy undertone, complex, awesome
Purple Cherokee- (Large, deep purple with green shoulders, almost black inside)- smoky, tender, good on a bagel or blt, high sugar content, unique
Paul Robeson- (Smaller, dusky dark red with green shoulders)- juicy, grassy, thick skin
Green zebra- (Small, green and yellow striped)- tart, good consistency, almost citrusy, more acidic
Kosovo- (Pink, pointed on the bottom, medium sized)- mild, dull sweetness, subtle like cucumber, refreshing
Oxheart- (pink, pointed on botton, large)- good, sugary, satisfyingly meaty, rich, not too acidic, good for sauce
Look for more tomato guidelines as more varieties ripen and we sample more of them!

Tomatoes and the Lingering Terror of Late Blight

By Nicole Sugerman

Tomatoes are in! I am excited after a spring in which I did not allow myself to think about how much I enjoy this beloved summer crop. I did not think about their juiciness, or imagine all the recipes I could make that feature this joyful fruit. On Monday, we had our first gigantic tomato harvest of the season—once they come in, they really come in—and I allowed myself to feel excitement over eating tomatoes for a long time to come, but also relief; we got tomatoes before late blight got us.

Those of you who are returning members may remember last year’s late blight. Brought in on seedlings sold at big-box stores from commercial greenhouses in the south, where late blight can overwinter, late blight devastated the tomato and potato crops of farmers throughout the northeastern United States. Late blight is named for the fact that it usually hits this region late in the season, traveling up from the south and thriving on cooler weather, but last year’s unusually cool wet conditions combined with its assisted travel to this area early in the season created the perfect conditions to foster a minor catastrophe. Many small farms make up to 30% of their income on tomatoes. While some farmers, like us, were able to keep their tomatoes alive and producing (with diminished yields and quality, in many cases including ours) for a while, some farms lost their entire crop before a single tomato ripened. I recently spoke to one farmer who operates a fifteen acre organic farm in New Jersey who estimates that he lost $30,000 worth of tomatoes last season; the tomatoes were all staked, tied, pruned, and ready, before late blight wiped out his entire crop.

We are all still a little traumatized. We still swap late blight stories, and strategize and debate about whether we will get it this year, and how we might avoid it; even though the weather is hot and dry, and the late blight was not supposed to be able to overwinter in this area, the late blight is still returning earlier than usual, with sightings already reported in western Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut. One farmer I know is letting all the weeds get big between his tomato rows to try to decrease air space for spore travel, which is how late blight spreads. Other farmers I know are spraying copper sulfate, an organic-approved fungicide, preemptively. Others are just stocking up on fancier, more efficient spray equipment so they can be ready if the late blight hits.

We had a late blight scare already this season. On our lowest row of tomatoes, we noticed spots that resembled the late blight lesions of last season. We concluded that we had the disease. Nina and I stayed at the farm until ten o’clock that Friday night, removing affected leaves from the plants and spraying copper to try to prevent it from spreading. We took samples of the leaves to send to Penn State Extension, which performs free diagnostic tests on plant samples sent to them by farmers, just to make sure, but we were sure our tomatoes were doomed for another season.

Luckily, we had misdiagnosed our tomato disease. Two days after we sent in the samples, I got a call from Penn State assuring me that the samples were late blight free—we had early blight, a common, not-very threatening early season disease for organic growers, and Septoria, a leaf spot-causing fungus. Both diseases can be controlled through crop rotation, increased air circulation, and cleaning up crop debris in the fall to prevent overwintering. While having disease is not good news, tomatoes, especially heirlooms, catch diseases very easily, so getting them is not particularly worrisome if they are not late blight! We were thrilled and relieved.

I have heard other farmers tell me the same story, with false scares and anxious tomato patrolling throughout the spring. While we could still get late blight, at least the tomatoes are in and producing heavily—so we can all enjoy the amazing taste of tomatoes for what I hope will be a long while. Even though harvesting tomatoes is no one’s favorite task on the farm (it takes forever, the fruits damage easily, and the plants make us itch!) we are all thankful for the privilege this year. Enjoy your tomatoes! We are happy to have them for you.

CARROT TOP PARSLEY

Cut off your green carrot tops. Lay them in a warm, dry, dark place, all spread out. When completely dry, collect and crumble into flakes. Use as a parsley replacement in cooking.

SQUASH BLOSSOM FRITTERS

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
a few grinds of black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano
1 egg
8-9 squash blossoms, torn into thirds
1/4 cup diced mozzarella
2 thin slices ham, cut into thin strips (optional)
Vegetable oil for frying


In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, pepper, salt, Parmigiano and egg and stir until well combined. Add in the squash blossoms, mozzarella and ham. Stir in enough cold water until a nice batter forms (should be the consistency of a pancake batter).

Heat about a 1/2 cup of vegetable oil over medium heat until shimmering. Using a dinner spoon, drop a spoonful of batter into the oil to make small pancakes. Fry on both sides until golden, a few minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and season with a pinch of salt. Continue frying the remaining pancakes.

http://www.finecooking.com/item/18493/squash-blossom-fritters

CHINESE SCALLION PANCAKES

recipe by Elsa Chen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring the rolling surface
1 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
A bunch of green onions, green and white parts, chopped medium-fine
A few tablespoons of oil to brush on pancakes (a mix of canola or corn oil and sesame oil is good) some salt A few tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
Mix together the first three ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Flour a surface and knead the dough. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before continuing.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a big, flat square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces and a little salt. Starting at one short end, roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, so you have a "snake."
Cut the "snake" crosswise into 8 - 10 pieces. Then flatten each piece again gently with your palm and rolling pin to make a little rectangle. Don't flatten it too firmly, because you want a little air to remain trapped between the layers of the pancakes so they'll puff up a bit between the layers and be lighter.

Press one or both sides in sesame seeds (optional).

Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Serve plain or with dipping sauce. An easy sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce with a little minced garlic, scallion, and rice vinegar

http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/scallions.html