Kretschmann Farm Aug. 29, 2006
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com
Greetings from the Kretschmanns,
The recent rain
was welcome—and doubly so because it was on Sunday when we wouldn’t be working anyway, and
yesterday, as well, the showers began conveniently after dark. In anticipation of the moisture we had spent
Saturday getting another planting of lettuce into the ground. Planning paid off!
On the minds
of many of us in the farming community as we reach that ever increasing
“average age” is where the next generation of farmers will come from. The roots of the problem are many, but the
result could be shocking. As farmland
lies iadle it is prone to easy acquisition and “development.” As less is produced domestically, our country
becomes as dependent on foreign food as it has become on foreign oil. And as know-how in this most crucial of
locale specific husbandry disappears, recovery of production becomes more
difficult still. Please encourage young
people with a love of the natural world, being outside, and working hard, to
consider farming. It’s a truly noble and
fulfilling vocation. It’s one with a
maximum of job security and which inspires respect and trust (not easy to come
by in many occupations).
We’ve got a
mountain of peppers in the field right now—of all types. About half the field is the traditional bell
pepper. Many people don’t realize that a
red pepper is simply a green one which has ripened completely. Even jalepenos and the yellow varieties will
turn red when they are fully mature. The
horn shaped pepper is one called “Italia” which we grow because it turns red
earlier than others. In our northern
latitude getting any number of red peppers can be problematic and some years
there are very few. If the weather stays
hot and dry we usually have more. Many
folks, myself included, would rather have the mature fully red peppers, but in
leaving them in the field to turn red, one always loses a lot. They seem to be more visible to insects; the
peppers are heavy and tend to bend the plant down and then they start to rot
where they contact the soil; and peppers can “sunburn” on one side (you’ve
likely seen a discolored spot with a hole in the center?). One would typically lose perhaps half of the
peppers while waiting for them to turn red.
When picking peppers we take some of the larger green ones and all the
red ones-no matter what the size. But
the question is always, “What is considered red?” If a pepper is half red, is that
enough? 2/3? ¾? What about that halfway stage when one spot
is red and the rest is almost brownish?
What I’m getting at here is that we try to do the best we can, but it’s
hard solely to pick the “ideal” peppers.
Many of the “suntans”--half red-half green--are sweeter than the greenies
and make great roasters to saute.
We are trying hard not to be excited by what
looks like one of the best ever winter squash crops. Lots can happen in a week or two, but all
types have been growing like gangbusters—spaghetti, acorn, butternut, and
kabocha. The fall beets and carrots look
good too and the broccoli is starting to show small heads. The stars might be in alignment!
Enjoying
the last days of August, we are, sincerely,
Becky, Don, & The Kretschmann Crew
With all the
peppers and tomatoes it’s hard not to think “
Stuffed Tomatoes: Cut tops off 4 large firm tomatoes and scoop out insides. Mix ¼ c. dry bread crumbs 1 beaten egg, 1
diced green onion, 1/3 c grated parmesan cheese, 1 tbs basil, 2 cloves minced
garlic, ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 tbs parsley, salt pepper to taste.
Pack tomatoes tightly, top with shredded mozzarella, bread crumbs, butter, and
bake uncovered 25-30 min. @ 350 deg.
Zucchini Frittata: Saute 1 c. chopped green onions 2 min. Add
and continue to saute for 3 min.- 2 cloves garlic, 1 med. zucchini in 1/4"
slices, and 1# chopped tomatoes. Add 1/4 c. chopped basil, 1/4 tsp chopped
thyme and 6 well beaten eggs. Sprinkle
with 4 oz grated mozzarella and bake 350 deg. until eggs set (15 min.), then
broil 2-3 min until golden on top. (We made this for a quick Sunday brunch with
peppers as well.)
Special
Order Items: Hungarian Hot Wax
Peppers—1/2bu. $18 Jalapenos—1/2 bu
$20. Bell Peppers—bu. $20 Tomatoes—20# box (half bushel +-)--$10 It’s a great time to put up some Italian
pickled peppers. It’s really easy to do
and can be done in about 2 hrs. on two consecutive evenings. Use either the Hungarian or Jalepeno
peppers. Recipe is on our website with
the newsletters.
Beef Note:
Our
neighbors, the Lewis’s, have just
butchered a few grass fed beef. If you
are interested in buying any, contact them at 724-452-7735 or gorge@zbzoom.net