Swiss Chard

Turnips

Fourteenth Pick Up Is Today 9.22.2009

Hello Everyone,

Don't forget to pick up your vegetables *and fruit* this afternoon from 4:30 until 6:30 at your respective pick up location. This week we're including lots of apples so a bit about what to do with them- eat them of course but also consider refrigerating them. They will hold longer that way. Consider a baking project or making applesauce to eat this winter. There are recipes below.

When I was younger my family would visit my maternal grandparents in Philadelphia a few times each year. The evening meal was always a big deal and almost always it started with a plate of raw carrots, celery and radishes. My grandmother was a good cook and I remember that the meals were always very good but I don't remember specific dishes she served as much as I remember eating off of the plate of raw vegetables- the crack of the carrot as I broke it in two before eating it, the strings of the celery that would get stuck in my teeth and that curious moment after biting into a radish waiting to see how spicy it would be. This week we have beautiful radishes included in your containers. If you think you don't like radishes I implore you, try them again. Maybe raw with a sprinkle of salt or try the recipes below.

The first annual Charlotte Regional Farm Tour was a success. Thanks to everyone who helped and to everyone who attended. Apparently about 500 people participated and the rain held off.

Speaking of rain, thanks for the rain dancing last week. We got about 2 inches at the farm which was just what we needed. It meant we didn't get much transplanted last week because the fields were too wet to work but the plants already in the field really needed it.

The high tunnel at the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm is partial complete. A picture is above. This Saturday volunteers are needed to help try and get the rest of it erected. Let me know if any of you are interested. 704/305.6654

Here's a question, would everyone be willing to pick up your last two containers at the farm instead of downtown at Two Leaves and a Bud? The farm is only 5.5 miles from downtown Concord and we're hoping to give everyone a chance to see the Lomax Incubator Farm before our 2009 CSA program ends for this year. I thought I'd ask to see how many of you would be willing to make the trip for the last couple of pick ups.

This week:

APPLES!
Radishes
Sweet Peppers (red and green)
Hot Peppers
Okra
Chery Tomatoes

Have a good week.

Aaron


Recipes:


Mom's Apple Cake (Seriously, my mom's apple cake)


4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil or Crisco
½ c. orange juice
2 ½ tsp. Vanilla
3 c. flour
3 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Salt


Mix Together
3-4 apples – thin slices
4 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

Mix ingredients well. Pour ½ batter into pans.
Mix apple mixture – stir into batter – pour
remaining batter into pan.

Sprinkle top with sugar & cinnamon if desired.

Bake: 1 ½ hr. at 350 degrees (tube pan)
1 hr. at 350 degrees (in 2 loaf pans)
(I use small loaf pans and get approximately 4 cakes
per recipe – they freeze well!)


Broiled Okra (from Dean Mullis at Laughing Owl)


Coat pods of okra with olive oil and sea salt and toss them into the broiler pan of your toaster oven at 350-400 degrees . Take them out when you smell smoke or 10-15 minutes later. Let them cool and dip in mustard. Awesome.


Radish Crisps

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice radishes into very thin chips and spread on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with olive oil.
Lightly mist radish slices with oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. (if using other seasonings, now is the time to add them).
Bake for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until crisp. Time may vary so watch these after flipping.


Baked Radishes

1/2 lb radishes, cut in half
1 tbl Honey
1 tbl butter
1 dsh cinnamon

Steam radishes for 5 minutes; drain and arrange in a shallow baking dish.
Combine honey, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan to make a glaze. Pour over radishes and bake uncovered at 350 until tender, about 30 minutes.

Directions for making apple sauce and canning it!

http://www.pickyourown.org/applesauce.htm

Another great link from Molly

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-ways-to-preserve-the-summer-harvest.html

Thirteenth Pick Up Was Yesterday 9.15.2009

Hello Everyone,

Last week we planted more fall vegetables and did a lot of watering. If you're so inclined this would be a good time to strap on your rain dancing shoes. Let's hope the weatherman is right and we get some precipitation over the next few days.

Everyone got apples this week and will get more next week. If anyone has paper bags from the grocery store that they'd like to donate please bring them to the pick up next week. We're going to try and do a better job of separating the vegetables and the apples so nothing gets squashed. [I know, I really should warn you before including vegetable puns]

The farm tour is this weekend. If you'd like to volunteer you'll have to sign up today, preferably right after you read this email. Send an email immediately to: info@knowyourfarms.com or give me a call. 704/305.6654.

If you want to buy tickets and visit the farms on the tour you need to do that by midday Thursday or you'll have to buy tickets the day of the event, this Saturday, September 19th and then they'll be more expensive. More info is available here.

http://knowyourfarms.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:2009-farm-tour

The new wash sinks arrived at the Elma Lomax Incubator Farm yesterday. They will get plumbed today along with the ice machine and an old water fountain I removed from a hospital building before the building was destroyed. I salvaged that water fountain more than a decade ago and I've been hauling it around ever since. Most recently it spent some time in the basement of my father-in-law's office. Both he and my wife are happy that I've finally found a permanent home for this antique.

Also construction is continuing on the high tunnel (unheated greenhouse) at the Incubator Farm. I'll have more information on the availability of winter vegetables next week.

This week you'll get:

Okra
Sweet Peppers (Green and Red or Brown)
Hot Peppers
Red Slicing Tomatoes
Green Zebra Tomatoes (yes they are ripe)
Cherry Tomatoes
Apples!

In light of all the apples I'm including recipes for using them. I'm also calling for recipes from all of you to help eat 'em up.

Aaron



Raw Apple

Ingredients:

1 Apple

Method:

Bite into apple
Continue to eat apple until you get down to the core
Remove seeds and plant them as a project with your children
Compost apple core

Serves one


Mom’s (but not my mom's) Apple Cake (Mom I need your recipe)

6 apples, Mom uses McIntosh apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced


Method

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust.
Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.


Somebody's Mom's Baked Apple Slices Recipe


Ingredients

4 cups of peeled, sliced apples - use apples that cook up well (like the Golden Delicious you got this week)
3 Tbsp sugar
A sprinkle of cinnamon
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Method

As you slice up the apples, check for their flavor.
Put apple slices in a glass bowl. Sprinkle on top the 3 Tbsp of sugar. Add a light sprinkle of cinnamon. Bake in microwave oven for 5 minutes on high heat. Adjust the time for your microwave and how many apples you are doing. Ours has a powerful high setting so 4 cups of apples only takes 5 minutes. If you use more apples, you will probably need to cook it a little longer. I suggest starting with 5 minutes and testing for doneness with a fork. If it needs more cooking time, give it more. When done, remove and mix so the sugar coats well all the apple pieces. Add maple syrup to taste, about 1 Tbsp.

Delicious with whipped cream on top, or with vanilla ice cream on the side.

2009 Charlotte Regional Farm Tour :: Know Your Farms

The Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm is one of the farms on the tour.

Get more information by clicking here.

Concord Chicken Vote Coming Up Thursday

I would have shaved if I'd known they were coming.

Twelfth Pick Up Is Today 9.8.2009

View Know Your Farms 2009 Fall Farm Tour in a larger map

Hello Everyone,

This past week we planted more root vegetables and greens including radishes, spinach, lettuce, mizuna and more. We also planted a lot of broccoli. We now really need some rain.

Thanks to Kim and her family as well as Colleen for coming out last week and picking cherry tomatoes. There are plenty more if any others of you are interested in helping this week. Also thanks to Christy and Ruthie for helping pick peppers yesterday.

Remember the first annual Charlotte Farm Tour is September 19th. We encourage you to go and take a look at all of the other participating farms throughout our region. Also if you have a working share with us at the Cold Water Creek Farms CSA you're welcome to put in your four hours for this season by volunteering to help with the farm tour. If you're interested let me know soon. This can't be a last minute thing.

A high tunnel is being built at the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm Park where we grow most of our vegetables. A high tunnel is basically an unheated greenhouse used to extend the season and provide vegetables in the winter. There are lots of people at the Incubator Farm participating in this project. I thought I asked how many of you would be interested in purchasing winter vegetables- lettuce, spinach, greens, radishes, etc. throughout the winter? Also if you're interested in the construction of this high tunnel come out and take a look. It's being built from scratch right now.

This week:

Tomatoes
Okra
Peppers
Garlic
Maybe More


Recipes:

Gnocci w/Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh or frozen gnocchi
2 TBS Butter
2 med Onions
1 lb Zucchini, very thinly sliced lengthwise (I used veggie peeler)
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Fresh ground Pepper to taste
1/2 C grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 C chopped fresh parsley

Method:
Cook gnocchi according to package instructions or until they float. Drain.
Melt butter in pan. Cook until butter is beginning to brown (2 min). Med Heat - Add onions & Zucchini & cook, stirring often, until softened, 2-3 min.
Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg, & pepper & keep cooking, stirring often, until tomatoes are just starting to break down (1-2 min).
Stir in Parmesan Cheese & parsley. Add gnocchi & toss to coat.
serve immediately.


Stewed Okra

Ingredients:
1 small sweet onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup -- sometimes it's hard to find a small sweet onion, so use half a medium onion)
2 cups okra, rinsed, trimmed and sliced (see below)
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with juice)
2 tablespoons bacon drippings (or 1 tablespoon bacon drippings and 1 tablespoon olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
In a saucepan or sauté pan with a close-fitting lid, sauté the onion in the bacon drippings over medium heat until softened, not browned.

Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the okra and tomatoes. Add the salt, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the pepper. Makes about 4 servings.


Southern Fried Okra

1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil

Wash and slice okra; pat dry with paper towels. Combine eggs and buttermilk; add okra, and let stand for 10 minutes. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Drain okra, small portions at a time, using a slotted spoon. Dredge okra, small portions at a time, in flour mixture. Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3-inches in a Dutch oven of deep-fat fryer and heat to 375*F (190*C). Fry okra until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.


Fried Okra Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups self-rising yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound fresh okra
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Peanut oil
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 large tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium-size sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
Lemon Dressing
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Method:

Combine cornmeal and salt. Dip okra in buttermilk; dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Pour peanut oil to a depth of 2 inches into a Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Fry okra, in batches, 2 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter; top with tomato, onion slices, and bell pepper. Add Lemon Dressing, tossing to coat. Top with fried okra, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.