Kretschmann Farm Aug. 21, 2007
Greetings from the
Kretschmanns,
It’s hard to believe that our student summer
helpers are leaving us—Mike last week, Melanie this week—and we are just
approaching the midpoint in our season. I’m jealous of the
Having been through a blur of dry, dusty days this season, here it is late August with rain on the
horizon each day this week. Getting hard
to accomplish anything for the rain! If
it ain’t one thing, it’s another… Luckily we picked a storm of things late last
week and stored them away. Monday
morning we got a fast start on things and picked lots of peppers before the
torrents came. We’re swimming out for
the remainder now.
We’ve picked a few bushels of Redfree apples and are starting to pick
some Primas. They are a little
disappointing, some showing what could only have been weird scarring from the
Easter freeze, some eaten on the tree by Japanese beetles, many hail pocked,
and many attacked by other apple craving insects. We’ll be sorting through
them.
We’ll hope to be picking some really nice green beans next week as they
should fill out beautifully with the moisture.
As it dries out we’ll be digging the rest of the early potato
field. Tomatoes have been coming fast
and furiously, but as we mentioned earlier they are quite diseased, don’t keep
well, and will be hard to predict. But
as long as they’re here, it beats whatever we’ll get in a grocery store all
winter.
Hoping you’re well in the rainy summer, we are --- Don,
Becky, & The Kretschmann Crew
Veggie ID: The husked green tomatoes in a bag
with Jalepeno peppers are tomatillos. They
make a nice green salsa—boil with a tiny amount of water (include jalepeno as
desired) , puree with fork or potato masher, add lemon, cilantro, onion.
Fresh
Salsa: 4 tomatoes, 1
bunch cilantro, about 1 green onion (or 1 medium sized dry onion or a small
bunch of chives)--chop all very finely.
Add salt, 4T lemon or lime juice, dash of garlic powder and if you like,
about 1 tsp. of finely chopped hot pepper—go easy because they are hotter
fresh. Mix and enjoy You can also add chopped cucumber, bell
pepper, or corn.
This is one
of the most unique and best tasting soups you’ll ever have—easy to make as
well.
Carrot Soup
With Dill Pesto: Saute 4 large carrots, 1 onion and and 1 tsp dill seeds in 2 tbs
butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are very tender, about
35 minutes. Transfer soup to blender in batches and puree. Thin with more broth
if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine 1 c. fresh dill and 2
tbs pine nuts or sunflower seeds in processor and chop finely using on/off
turns. Then slowly add 2 tbs olive oil
and process until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.. Ladle
into bowls. Swirl pesto into soupbowls.
Frittata: Saute chopped green onions 2 min. Add and
continue to saute for 3 min.- 2 cloves garlic.
Add your choice(s): 1 med. zucchini in 1/4" slices, 1# chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped pepper, diced
potato. 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. This works well in a cast iron skillet.
Waldorf Salad: Cut up 3-4 apples into chunks. Add several grated carrots&raisins to
taste. Dress with mayonaise, or yogurt and mayo 2:1. Or get creative...add grated pepper, orange
sections,nuts, a little lemon rind, orange juice...
Roasted Tomato Pizza: Brush a cookie sheet with oil. Lay tomatoes sliced 3/8-1/2" thick on the cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil and dust with garlic powder and bake about 1/2 hr at 350 deg. until they start to dry out a little. When the pizza crusts are ready, carefully move the tomato slices with a pancake flipper and arrange to nearly cover the pizza. Sprinkle a small amount of grated mozzarella on top and then top with vegetables sauted slightly in olive oil with garlic (suggestions: peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions).
Special Order
Items: Basil:
½ bushel--$10. Tomatoes for
canning:$12/half bushel. Hungarian Hot Wax peppers--$20/half bu.
