Turtle Times
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Vol. 12, No. 16, Aug. 21, ‘07 7260 NW 58th St., Johnston, 278-4522 (577-9208)
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Rain: 8/16, 0.1”; 8/17, 0.2”
In the Box . . .
Pac Choi ‘Fuyo shumi’
Carrots ‘Nelson’ (Growing Harmony Farm—not certified organic)
Garlic ‘Spanish Roja’ (remaining)
Tomatoes ‘Dona’, ‘Arkansas Traveler’, ‘Amana Orange’, ‘Celebrity’, ‘Big Beef’, ‘Brandywine’ (RAFT), ‘Golden boy’, ‘Nebraska wedding’ (RAFT), Amish paste’ (RAFT), Kentucky Beefsteak’, ‘Green zebra’, ‘Evergreen’, ‘Orange strawberry’
Eggplant ’Pingtung Long’, ‘Black bell’, ‘Cloud 9’, ‘Italian blush’, ‘Thai green’, ‘Rosa Bianca’, ‘Neon’
Peppers ‘Ace’, ‘Antohi Romanian’, ‘Jimmy ‘Nardello’, ‘jalapeno’ (some sites)
Hot Peppers, ancho, pepperoncini (only to those requesting hot peppers)
Cucumbers ’Tokiwa’, ‘Double Yield’, ‘Poona Kheera’
Summer Squash ‘Goldie’, ‘Zephyr’, ‘
Raspberries ‘Autumn Brittany’, Autumn Bliss’, ‘Caroline’
Basil
Okra (for those requesting it)
Herbs available by request by anyone: sage, parsley
Herb share availability: mint (regular and chocolate), marjoram, thyme, rosemary, lemon, lime, thai or cinnamon basil, lemon grass. For tarragon or lavender (call ahead)
Farm Update
Ordering vegetable seed in the cozy indoors of January is like being a child in a candy store. Reading the descriptions of each variety, you try to read between the lines to help you decide which variety will be best for your needs. Glen Drowns of Sandhill Preservation Farm has a great catalog with many heirloom varieties of vegetables, not to mention poultry. This year I decided to expand my okra horizons with a few new varieties from his collection. In the past I’ve only grown ‘Cajun Delight’ and ‘Clemson Spineless’ with good success, and they are still my standards. What fun, though, to find ‘Emerald’ and ‘Louisiana Green Velvet’—okras without ridges that grow so fast, I think the 12 inch long ones are probably still tender. But the ‘Evertender’ variety whose stalk at 8 foot and still rapidly growing will be the biggest challenge to pick without climbing it. Come check them out at the potluck next Sunday. We could use some “tall” pickers!
This week we bring back Gary Guthrie’s carrots for an encore treat. And we have a new variety of pac choi for your boxes. We will take a break from green beans until new varieties are ready in a week or so.
“Not Quite Fall” Potluck
Don’t miss this year’s potluck Sunday August 26 at the farm, 4 pm. We’ll plan to eat around 5 pm. Bring a dish to share, your own service, and chairs or blanket for sitting. Drinks provided.
Recipes
Roasted Eggplant Spread (sent in by Ginger Soelberg)
Toss the following ingredients together and spread onto a large oiled jelly roll pan:
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed in large chunks
2 red peppers, cubed in large chunks
1 red onion, cubed in large chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
Bake at 400o for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through the baking process.
Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.
Blend in food processor with 1 T. tomato paste. Process to desired consistency.
Store in refrigerator; serve with crackers or pita bread.
CAPONATA (From Dr. Shapiro's Picture Perfect
Weight Loss Cookbook) Sent in by Karine McLaughlin
Serve hot or room temperature. Optional: sprinkle with Parmesan
cheese
I've added more eggplant, used roma tomatoes, too.
1 1/2 T olive oil,
Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat
1 small onion,
chopped Add
onion, garlic and eggplant, cook stirring
1 cloves of garlic,
sliced frequently
8 min. Add bell pepper and cook
1 baby eggplant, cut into 3/4"
pieces 8 more minutes. Add
tomatoes, olives, capers
1 med bell pepper, chopped
(yellow) salt, pepper,
water and cook stirring occ
3 c cherry tomatoes,
halved for
10-15 min or until vegetables are tender.
1/4 c kalamata
olives Stir
in basil and vinegar
1 tsp capers
1/2 tsp
salt
8 servings, 65 calories
1/8 tsp freshly grd black pepper
1/4 c water
1/4 c fresh basil leaves, sliced
1 T balsamic vinegar