Kretschmann Farm Sept. 29, 2009
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com
Greetings from the Kretschmanns,
All of a
sudden—it’s broccoli season! And
cauliflower too! These crops are
possible in nearly any month, but our experience in western PA is that they
grow best for the fall crop and are a struggle any other time of the year. The difference is phenomenal. Once ahead of the flea beetles which nibble
the young plants early on in the heat of summer, cole
crops grow with vigor as the days shorten and temperatures cool. For those who favor broccoli, we’ll have a
great supply for the foreseeable future.
The same is true of
apples. They are approaching peak
quality and quantity right now. We’ve
been picking like madmen all the Jonafrees before
they drop on the ground. We like to wait
until every bit of sugar has been deposited in the fruit. Through the Oyler’s,
we’ll also have a good many Golden Delicious and Yorks. And then there will be the flavorful
finales—the Goldrushes.
We’ve been quite
busy the last week pulling all the tomato stakes, bundling them up, removing
drip tape, and seeding the ‘mater fields with cover crops. It’s good to get these fields prepared in
this way so as to minimize the carryover of disease to next year. It’s also good to get these soil improving
crops going a little earlier than usual so they can establish and put on good
growth before the winter. We also try to
get rye or other hearty covers going in the still growing baby greens and
lettuces. If we wait, these fields could
be bare for six months. Since it’s a shame to waste the sunshine, we broadcast seeds
in the aisleways or seed these in offset rows. Thus,
by the time the crop is harvested, the covers are well established and slowly
churn out stored carbon all winter long.
As we settle into
rising a little later in the mornings, we are, sincerely,
Don,
Becky, & The Kretschmann Crew
Veggie
ID: The small green tomatoes in husks are
tomatillos. They make a great salsa or are
good also with pasta. The red apples this week are Galas.
.
Are the
peppers accumulating in your frig?
Assorted Stuffed Peppers:
Smaller sized peppers can be stuffed with a variety of interesting
fillings. Cook 1 c.
cornmeal in 1 c. water with a little salt. After this cools slightly, add 1 egg and 1/2
c. grated cheese. Stuff into hot or
sweet peppers and place in an oiled baking dish and brush with a little oil. Cover slightly with tomato sauce and halve a
few Roma tomatoes in the spaces between peppers. Bake in hot (400 deg.) oven about 30 min.
until tender. You can also stuff peppers with any of the grain-burger mixes
available. Italians stuff hot banana
peppers with sweet sausage. And of
course there's the All American ground beef and rice stuffed pepper. Red peppers make exceptionally tasty
stuffers.
Tortellini
w/Broccoli and Carrots- Either parboil broccoli pieces and sliced carrots until tender and add
garlic powder, or stirfry the same (garlic
first). Add this to hot tortellini with a
little olive oil. Season as desired, salt, nutritional yeast,
oregano, or dry parmesan. It's
very colorful and a quick meal.
This basic sweet yeast dough is so easy and
gets wows every time. It’s like having a
bakery in your kitchen. One can make it in rings as below, or in braids.
Swedish Apple Ring: Basic sweet yeast dough—easy way. Microwave1 c. milk in larger pyrex measuring cup until it just starts to boil. Add ¼ c butter, 1 tsp salt. Allow 1 tbsp. powdered yeast to soften in ¼ c. warm water. Place milk in breadmaker or mixing bowl. Add ½ c. sugar or honey, 1 tsp lemon zest, and the softened yeast. Then add about 5 c. flour. (I usually go ½ whole wheat and keep it to about 4 1/2c. if using the bread mixer—otherwise add flour until it’s soft dough) Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk or use the “dough” option on the breadmaker. Dice 2 apples, mix with 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ c. walnuts meats, and ½ c. brown sugar. When dough is ready, divide into two and roll each out to about 6”x16”, brush with melted butter and spread half the apple mixture on top evenly. Roll like jelly roll and place on greased cookie sheet in a ring, pinching the ends together. Cut with scissors at 1” intervals almost through ring and turn slices slightly. Let rise until doubled and bake @ 375 deg. 25 min. While warm, drizzle with powdered sugar icing. Wait till it cools before….Mmmm….
Special Orders: Organic Apples—Golden Supreme $20/half
bushel Gala--$25/half bushel Beets--$12/half bushel Fresh Cider-- $25/ 4 gallons (non-organic but made by Tom & Sally, of
Sally’s Cider Press, the old fashioned cider press where we have our apples
pressed) Apple butter:
3.50/pint (This is made by Sally
& Tom Davis of Sally’s Cider Press from apples, and boiled down cider—something
healthful, seasonal, and great on toast.)
Local Foods
Dinner at St. Ferdinand (Becky and I will both be there—chef prepared
finest of cusine from the best of local fare),