Kretschmann Farm July 31, 2007
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com --note
our new e-mail address—
Greetings from the
Kretschmanns,
One
of the guiding principles of the organic food movement was to find a way to
grow food in keeping with the logic of nature, building a food system which
looked more like a natural ecosystem.
Our small ecosystem does not seem to support growing certain foods—corn,
melons,… We have tried these and usually
lose them to other members of this ecosystem—deer, cucumber beetles,… Over the years we have discovered what our
soils and critters support. We do well
in all manner of greens—lettuces, herbs, mesclun, kale, cabbage…--and many
intensively grown fruits like tomatoes, peppers, summer squashes. It’s not that mammalian competitors don’t
bother these, but that our efforts are directed to a smaller area to defend
than the larger fields required for things like corn and winter squashes. After all, we are surrounded
by woods!
When we first started the subscription
deliveries we didn’t include any sweet corn, but this was quite a shame because
it is one of the most popular of all summer vegetables. Fresh, locally grown corn is about the only
type which is any good at all. We just
happen to be near neighbors of Tom and Marianne Brenckle who specialize in
growing sweet corn and are very good friends.
It’s not organically grown, but Tom insists he uses a bare minimum of
pesticides on his corn. We’ve been
talking with him about growing organically for a long time and this year we are
working to organically certify some of their acres (we are growing beans on
these) and more things in the next few years. This is good news for
everyone.
We’ll
have sweet corn the next few weeks while it is in prime season. If you would like not to receive this conventionally raised corn, please let
us know and we’ll substitute something else.
Lack of rainfall has obsessed us this
season. We got .5 inches last Thursday
and thought that meager amount would have to suffice for the near future. Then,
just when we thought we had missed all the weekend storms, Sunday evening we
were the beneficiaries of a very small thunderstorm cell—another .6
inches. The people and the plants say,
“Thank you, Lord.”
--- Don, Becky, & The Kretschmann Crew
Potato Note: “New”
potatoes need refrigeration because they have not yet developed a thick
skin. It’s just as if you had peeled
them already. Otherwise they will
quickly turn black where the skin has been rubbed away.
Greek Cucumber-Dill-Yogurt Dip: Line sieve with cheesecloth and drain 2 c. yogurt overnight. Seed and grate 2 cucumbers mix with 1 tsp salt, cover and chill 3 hrs. or also overnight. Drain cucumber well. Mix yogurt, ½ c. sour cream, 2 tbs. lemon juice, 2 tbs. finely chopped fresh dill, 1 clove minced garlic. Mix cucumber into yogurt. Chill and dip with pita bread wedges brushed with olive oil and baked until crisp.
Fresh Dill Pickle Spears: Slice 1 or 2 cucumbers into spears and place
in a glass quart jar with a few sprigs of fresh dill. Then heat 1/8 c salt, 1/4 c vinegar, and 2 c
water to boiling with a cut-up clove of garlic.
Pour this over the cukes and when it cools, refrigerate. (To avoid breaking the jar with the boiling
water, run hot tap water on the outside of the jar just before pouring the
boiling liquid in.)
Dilly
Beans: Cook or steam trimmed beans 3-5 min. Drain when beans are still bright green and
just tender. Stir 2 Tbs. fresh chopped
dill into warm beans. Combine 1/4 tsp
red pepper flakes, 1/3 c. cider vinegar, 2 lg. cloves pressed garlic, and 1/2 tsp honey in saucepan and bring quickly
to boil. Simmer 2 min., pour over green
beans and mix well. Add 1 tbs vegetable
oil if desired. Serve hot or chilled.
New Potatoes Baked on a Cookie Sheet: Make sure all potatoes are
about the same size—usually about the size of the smaller ones. Cut larger ones in half. Drizzle about 2 tbs. oil on a quart of
potatoes. Salt. Sprinkle with your choice of paprika, thyme
and rosemary, onion soup powder, cayenne pepper, or all of the above. Toss until coated well and place on oiled
cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 deg. About 20
min. until tender.
Special Order Items: Blueberries:
12 pint flat--$43 Still available by the
flat. Basil: ½ bushel--$10
