Kretschmann Farm Aug. 15, 2006
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com
Greetings from the Kretschmanns,
It
really got quite dry over the last week and we have begun to irrigate regularly
again. We are in a good situation
because the pond is close to full and from this time on in the season with less
and less daylight there is less evaporation.
So we’ve actually been watering for longer periods of time than we
normally would, just to get the water to the crops in abundance.
We hope the quality of our produce has been
acceptable. We don’t try to imitate the
grocery stores where cosmetic appearance is everything. We consider our garden to be your garden and
gardeners don’t usually toss hard earned produce for it’s
appearance. It is very difficult to
inspect everything every day and to check each and every bag or item as it goes
into the crates. We tell our crew as
they are picking, washing, bagging or packing your box that the bottom line is
that if you wouldn’t eat it, then don’t expect others to do so. But then that’s always a fuzzy line. We try
to pick things as close to when they are needed as is possible, but certainly
some things need to be picked well in advance for a variety of reasons. The lettuce has been particularly hard to get
right for the last few weeks because it was so hot. In attempting to get the earlier plantings
out of the field before they became overmature, we
had to pick them well before we needed them.
And in leaving other, younger plantings in the field we found that they,
then, in turn were at risk. There’s also
a lettuce virus sweeping the country. (brown tips and
spots especially on romaine) It’s not been ideal. But that’s generally true for any greens in
midsummer.
The red apples this week are Redfrees. They are
another of the disease resistant varieties which we have planted. It’s been a real treat to switch gears and
pick apples. Looking up instead of down
makes all the difference.
Our good friend and neighbor says the sweet corn looks fabulous. We should have some finally next week.
Hoping
your summer has been “looking up” too, we are, sincerely,
Becky, Don, & The Kretschmann Crew
The final payment for the
veggie season is now due. Small--$200, Medium--$250, Large--$300, 1# coffee/mo
add $27. Decaf-$33. We’ll be sending out a statement, but it saves the
postage if you send it before that happens.
Extra items you might have gotten will be added.
Here's a great marinade/sauce for
any type of meat with veggies:
Saute strips of
beef, chicken, or shrimp with carrots, onions, and peppers 5 min. then turn
down low and cover tightly. Meanwhile,
in a saucepan heat ½ c. vinegar (wine, rice, or cider) 1/3 c. brown sugar, ¼ c.
soy sauce, tbs. ea. Minced garlic and minced ginger. Reduce liquid by ½ and
dress the sauted items. Serve w/brown rice.
Italian
Stuffed Tomatoes: Top
4 large firm tomatoes and scoop out insides.
Mix ¼ c. dry bread crumbs, 1 diced green onion, ¼ c parmesan cheese, 2
cloves minced garlic, ½ c. shredded mozzarella, 1 tbs
minced basil, and 1 beaten egg.
Pack tomatoes tightly with mixture.
Top w/ mixture of shredded mozzarella, bread crumbs
and butter. Bake uncovered 350 deg. 25-30 min. Dress w/ balsamic vinegar
boiled to reduce to ½.
Stuffed Raw Tomatoes: Remove top and core of 2 tomatoes,
chop parts removed. Mix ½ c. sliced green onion, ½ c. minced basil, ½ c grated mozzarella,
¼ c. diced Kalamata olives, tbs
olive oil, salt, and pepper. Fill tomatos with mixture, dress with parsley sprig.
Lesco: Saute 1 sliced onion and 4 peppers (several green and
several red or yellow) in 2 tbs oil for about 2 min.
Add 2 tbs. paprika and stir well. Add 3
tomatoes quartered and saute another minute. Add 2 well beaten eggs and salt to
taste. Stir until just cooked. Serve on rice or potatoes. (Hungarian dish)Stir Fried Spicy Carrots with Peanuts: Preheat the oven to 350 deg.
Put ¼ c peanuts in a shallow pan, and bake for 10 minutes .
Cool and chop coarsely. Coarsely grate 1 pound medium carrots and stir fry in 2
tbs butter or peanut oil about 5 min. Stir in peanuts, ¼ tsp hot pepper flakes or
to taste. Season with
salt pepper and a dash of lime juice.
Serve hot.
Special Order Items:
Blueberries:
12 pint flat--$39 Basil-1/2 bu. @ $10. Hungarian hot Wax Peppers—1/2bu. $18 Bell Peppers—bu. $20