2010 Summer Newsletter 15
The Veggie Voice Village Acres Farm Summer CSA • August 240, 2010 • Distribution 15 of 28 address: 229 Cuba Mills Rd., Mifflintown, PA 17059 phone: 717-436-9477
email: [email protected] website: www.villageacresfarm.com
"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." - Laurie Colwin Farm Note • a word from the Village Acres Crew: Dan has promised me a Farm Note next week – he needs some time to mull over his thoughts, I suppose – so I’ll fill in for now. Things seem to be chugging along here at the farm lately. The August workload is as heavy as always, but the crew seems to be getting used to it. The volume of produce no longer surprises anyone, and the first killing frost is still weeks away, so we go on steadfastly picking tomatoes, beans, and raspberries in what seems like a never-ending cycle. The raspberries are the high point of this rotation, picked under the high tunnel when the dew is still on the grass outside and fog shrouds Moyer Ridge to the south, and these cool, foggy mornings are perhaps a hint that this cycle is not really endless after all – I find myself throwing a blanket on at three in the morning now, and the sky still dark at six. Fall plants are popping up around the farm – beets, turnips, cabbages, and the rye and oat cover crops that keep our soil protected through the winter. The bees are filling their frames up with honey, the pumpkins are turning orange up on the hill, and I don’t know whether I’m excited for fall or not. It’s my favorite time of year, but there’s so much summer left to enjoy – I still want to spend a few more days fishing on the Juniata, camping in Rothrock, relaxing at barbecues, and (I’ll admit) sending weighed-down, packed-full trucks of tomatoes, beans, and raspberries to our wholesaler. I might have to concentrate on farming for a while, so hopefully all of you can make good use of the rest of your summers this week! -Dave Produce and Cooking Notes Garlic: I can’t use enough garlic, personally, especially when tomato season is in full In the Box swing. But if you don’t find yourself using this too often, feel free to keep it in a Garlic shaded place (like a brown paper bag) at room temperature – it should last for months. Green Beans Green Beans: We just harvested these green beans this morning, so the quality should Heirloom Tomatoes be pretty good – but they tend to get tough during hot August days. Let us know if Raspberries there’s anything off about them. Watermelon Heirloom Tomatoes: The heirloom tomato harvest this week is incredibly orange, I Bell Peppers know, consisting mainly of blocky orange Valencias, round striped-orange German Yummy Peppers* Pineapples, and the big orange Amanas. A few reddish Cherokee Purples, pink Eggplant or Beets* Brandywines, and Garden Peaches round out the color scheme. Onions Sungolds Raspberries: The last of these raspberries was picked just this morning – the wet Hot Peppers weather didn’t leave the crew too excited, but the yield seemed to be OK. If they’re (*full shares only) wet, though, the shelf life might decrease, so make sure to eat them soon! (If you need that advice). Bell Peppers: The ripe bells are finally starting to come in without that annoying blossom end rot problem we’ve been struggling with, so there’s enough for everyone today. Yummy Peppers: These snack-size peppers produced enough this week to give all the full shares a couple. Beets or Eggplant: There’s a choice for full shareholders today between a bag of beet roots or an eggplant. The beets are one of two types – either the dark-colored Detroit Dark Reds or the red-and-white candy-striped Chioggas. We continue to struggle with eggplant production, but there are a lot of promising young fruits developing. Hopefully they’ll be enough for all of you in the weeks ahead.. Onions: We’ll be pulling all the white onions out in the next few weeks and giving them to you in your shares or selling them to our wholesaler. If you’re looking for red or yellow varieties, you’ll have to wait: those types
are designed to keep longer in storage, so we’ll try to space them out a little more. Sungold Tomatoes: The bright beacons of summertime continue to pop off the plants and into our mouths. Hot Peppers: Anna has packed a couple surprise peppers in the boxes today; all I know is that (as always) if you get a tiny one it’ll be super hot. Blue Rooster Farm –on special for Tuesday, Aug 31st, eye round roasts for $5.75/lb. I have both large and small roasts, so please specify which you prefer. Thanks, Julie Eggs From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian Fajitas with Peppers and Salsa Adapted from The Farmer’s Market Cookbook For Mustard Vinaigrette: ♦ 600 g (1.3 lbs) skirt steak ♦ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ♦ 2 large cloves garlic ♦ 3 tablespoons wine vinegar ♦ 75 ml olive oil ♦ Salt and fresh pepper ♦ 3-5 limes ♦ 1 large shallot, cut into chunks ♦ 2 bell peppers ♦ 1 heaping teaspoon good mustard, or ½ ♦ 1 onion teaspoon dry. ♦ flour tortillas ♦ cilantro For the salad: ♦ 7 tbsp chili powder (or, ideally mixed from 2 ♦ 4 large eggs tbsp California chiles, 2 tbsp pasillas, 1 tbsp ♦ 2 shallots, thinly sliced anchos, 2 tbsp ground cumin) ♦ 4 cups mixed greens, like mesclun, or bitter ♦ 2 tbsp paprika greens like dandelion or frisee ♦ 2 tbsp oregano ♦ Salt and freshly ground pepper ♦ Salsa cruda ♦ 5 to 6 tomatoes, preferably a colorful variety of heirlooms, cored, seeded, and cut into wedges The day before, mix spices and rub them over the ♦ 2 cups croutons, preferably homemade. meat on all sides. Refrigerate overnight. At least two hours before, mix the garlic with the First, make the dressing. Combine all the olive oil and lime juice and marinate the meat, ingredients except the shallot in a blender and turn turning it once or twice. it on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 When you’re ready to cook, slice the peppers and seconds. Taste and add more vinegar a teaspoon or onions into long strips, thinner than a pencil. Heat two at a time until the balance tastes right. Add the a ridged grill pan or barbecue very hot. Drain the shallot and turn the machine on and off a few times meat and drill it until it is well browned but just until the shallot is minced with the dressing. Taste, pink in the center – it will cook more on the plate. adjust the seasonings, and serve. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven. While the meat is grilling, sauté the peppers Hard-cook the eggs. When they’ve cooled to room and onions in olive oil until soft. Keep them temperature, peel and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch warm. slices. (Plunging hard-cooked eggs into cold water Cut the meat into strips ½ inch wide. Toss it with will help cool them off so you can handle them and the peppers. Get the tortillas out of the oven. Put also help loosen the shells a little). the beef and peppers, chopped cilantro, and salsa Put the shallots and lettuce in a large mixing bowl on the table and let people fill their own tortillas. and toss with ¼ cup of the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Arrange on individual serving plates or a platter. Top with the tomato wedges, egg slices, and croutons, drizzle with a The Veggie Voice is sponsored in part by: little extra dressing, and serve.
State College, Pa 814.231.3927 www.envinity.com
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Hard-Cooked Edited by Dave Ruggiero and Anna Mast Village Acres Farm is owned and operated by Roy & Hope Brubaker
email: [email protected] website: www.villageacresfarm.com
"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins." - Laurie Colwin Farm Note • a word from the Village Acres Crew: Dan has promised me a Farm Note next week – he needs some time to mull over his thoughts, I suppose – so I’ll fill in for now. Things seem to be chugging along here at the farm lately. The August workload is as heavy as always, but the crew seems to be getting used to it. The volume of produce no longer surprises anyone, and the first killing frost is still weeks away, so we go on steadfastly picking tomatoes, beans, and raspberries in what seems like a never-ending cycle. The raspberries are the high point of this rotation, picked under the high tunnel when the dew is still on the grass outside and fog shrouds Moyer Ridge to the south, and these cool, foggy mornings are perhaps a hint that this cycle is not really endless after all – I find myself throwing a blanket on at three in the morning now, and the sky still dark at six. Fall plants are popping up around the farm – beets, turnips, cabbages, and the rye and oat cover crops that keep our soil protected through the winter. The bees are filling their frames up with honey, the pumpkins are turning orange up on the hill, and I don’t know whether I’m excited for fall or not. It’s my favorite time of year, but there’s so much summer left to enjoy – I still want to spend a few more days fishing on the Juniata, camping in Rothrock, relaxing at barbecues, and (I’ll admit) sending weighed-down, packed-full trucks of tomatoes, beans, and raspberries to our wholesaler. I might have to concentrate on farming for a while, so hopefully all of you can make good use of the rest of your summers this week! -Dave Produce and Cooking Notes Garlic: I can’t use enough garlic, personally, especially when tomato season is in full In the Box swing. But if you don’t find yourself using this too often, feel free to keep it in a Garlic shaded place (like a brown paper bag) at room temperature – it should last for months. Green Beans Green Beans: We just harvested these green beans this morning, so the quality should Heirloom Tomatoes be pretty good – but they tend to get tough during hot August days. Let us know if Raspberries there’s anything off about them. Watermelon Heirloom Tomatoes: The heirloom tomato harvest this week is incredibly orange, I Bell Peppers know, consisting mainly of blocky orange Valencias, round striped-orange German Yummy Peppers* Pineapples, and the big orange Amanas. A few reddish Cherokee Purples, pink Eggplant or Beets* Brandywines, and Garden Peaches round out the color scheme. Onions Sungolds Raspberries: The last of these raspberries was picked just this morning – the wet Hot Peppers weather didn’t leave the crew too excited, but the yield seemed to be OK. If they’re (*full shares only) wet, though, the shelf life might decrease, so make sure to eat them soon! (If you need that advice). Bell Peppers: The ripe bells are finally starting to come in without that annoying blossom end rot problem we’ve been struggling with, so there’s enough for everyone today. Yummy Peppers: These snack-size peppers produced enough this week to give all the full shares a couple. Beets or Eggplant: There’s a choice for full shareholders today between a bag of beet roots or an eggplant. The beets are one of two types – either the dark-colored Detroit Dark Reds or the red-and-white candy-striped Chioggas. We continue to struggle with eggplant production, but there are a lot of promising young fruits developing. Hopefully they’ll be enough for all of you in the weeks ahead.. Onions: We’ll be pulling all the white onions out in the next few weeks and giving them to you in your shares or selling them to our wholesaler. If you’re looking for red or yellow varieties, you’ll have to wait: those types
are designed to keep longer in storage, so we’ll try to space them out a little more. Sungold Tomatoes: The bright beacons of summertime continue to pop off the plants and into our mouths. Hot Peppers: Anna has packed a couple surprise peppers in the boxes today; all I know is that (as always) if you get a tiny one it’ll be super hot. Blue Rooster Farm –on special for Tuesday, Aug 31st, eye round roasts for $5.75/lb. I have both large and small roasts, so please specify which you prefer. Thanks, Julie Eggs From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian Fajitas with Peppers and Salsa Adapted from The Farmer’s Market Cookbook For Mustard Vinaigrette: ♦ 600 g (1.3 lbs) skirt steak ♦ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ♦ 2 large cloves garlic ♦ 3 tablespoons wine vinegar ♦ 75 ml olive oil ♦ Salt and fresh pepper ♦ 3-5 limes ♦ 1 large shallot, cut into chunks ♦ 2 bell peppers ♦ 1 heaping teaspoon good mustard, or ½ ♦ 1 onion teaspoon dry. ♦ flour tortillas ♦ cilantro For the salad: ♦ 7 tbsp chili powder (or, ideally mixed from 2 ♦ 4 large eggs tbsp California chiles, 2 tbsp pasillas, 1 tbsp ♦ 2 shallots, thinly sliced anchos, 2 tbsp ground cumin) ♦ 4 cups mixed greens, like mesclun, or bitter ♦ 2 tbsp paprika greens like dandelion or frisee ♦ 2 tbsp oregano ♦ Salt and freshly ground pepper ♦ Salsa cruda ♦ 5 to 6 tomatoes, preferably a colorful variety of heirlooms, cored, seeded, and cut into wedges The day before, mix spices and rub them over the ♦ 2 cups croutons, preferably homemade. meat on all sides. Refrigerate overnight. At least two hours before, mix the garlic with the First, make the dressing. Combine all the olive oil and lime juice and marinate the meat, ingredients except the shallot in a blender and turn turning it once or twice. it on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 When you’re ready to cook, slice the peppers and seconds. Taste and add more vinegar a teaspoon or onions into long strips, thinner than a pencil. Heat two at a time until the balance tastes right. Add the a ridged grill pan or barbecue very hot. Drain the shallot and turn the machine on and off a few times meat and drill it until it is well browned but just until the shallot is minced with the dressing. Taste, pink in the center – it will cook more on the plate. adjust the seasonings, and serve. Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven. While the meat is grilling, sauté the peppers Hard-cook the eggs. When they’ve cooled to room and onions in olive oil until soft. Keep them temperature, peel and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch warm. slices. (Plunging hard-cooked eggs into cold water Cut the meat into strips ½ inch wide. Toss it with will help cool them off so you can handle them and the peppers. Get the tortillas out of the oven. Put also help loosen the shells a little). the beef and peppers, chopped cilantro, and salsa Put the shallots and lettuce in a large mixing bowl on the table and let people fill their own tortillas. and toss with ¼ cup of the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Arrange on individual serving plates or a platter. Top with the tomato wedges, egg slices, and croutons, drizzle with a The Veggie Voice is sponsored in part by: little extra dressing, and serve.
State College, Pa 814.231.3927 www.envinity.com
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Hard-Cooked Edited by Dave Ruggiero and Anna Mast Village Acres Farm is owned and operated by Roy & Hope Brubaker
