- · Sweet peppers
- · Hot peppers
- · Tomatoes
- · Cherry tomatoes
- · Lettuce
- · Basil
- · Zucchini
- · Cucumbers
- · Edamame
- · Tomatillos(pineapple or regular)
- · Onions
- · Leeks
- · Garlic
- · Apples
- · Plums
- · Pears (Asian)
- · Kale or Chard or Collards
Fall is on its way. The fall crops are slowly gearing up for their show, a few broccoli heads are trickling in and the cabbage is growing. The Brussels sprouts look like they are months out, so I guess they think Thanksgiving is the only time we want to eat those little delicacies. We are basically done with planting outside. Our attention turns towards the hoop houses. We have most of the beds filled already but keeping them weeded is the challenge.
The end of the season is near. We are gearing up for the canning party. It will be small and sweet (famous last words) with recipes focused on tomatoes, hot peppers and shallot marmalade. We also have beautiful plums and apples that will make great chutney and pie filling. Please sign up so I know who to expect and can plan accordingly.
What to bring to the canning party: Saturday September 22, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Please bring:
1. a sharp knife, labeled with your name
- a cutting board
- an apron if you want it
- a potluck dish to pass (a plate and utensils for each family member)
- 1 box of half pint jars with lids and rings, preferably run through your dishwasher and replaced in the box. Lids and rings should be brought separately and do not need to be run through the machine
- 6 quart jars or 6 more pints brought the same way as the jars above.
- If you have an outside gas or electric burner we could use a few extra, please let me know and bring it.
- If you have canning supplies, like tongs, large pots with canning baskets etc. please bring and label.
- Sign up in barn, just so we have an idea how many will come, you can still just show up
- A box to take your canned goods home labeled with your name
- $20 cash to contribute to additional items purchased for the event
- If you have backyard fruit that needs to be put up please bring it
- Come with ready hands to harvest, cut, can and most of all HAVE FUN!!
We have beef!! The first week of October the beef is going to the butcher. This is some of the best grassfed beef around. Please submit your requests to us at lynjuve@msn.com or call Juve directly at (503)830-0342. You need to make a deposit of $100 and you need to order ¼ to ½ an animal. ¼ beef is about 150# and the price is $3.50/#. It keeps for about 1 year in your freezer.
The lamb situation was very sad. We lost 8 lambs to coyotes and ended up butchering only 4 of the remaining 7 as we kept 3 for breeding stock. We will need to have a different strategy next year as the coyotes have gotten a taste for lamb.
Edamame (green soy beans)
Boil 6 cups of water with 1-2 teaspoons salt. Add washed soy beans still in the pod. Boil for 3- 5 minutes (don’t over cook). Strain and wash with cold water. Salt pods and eat by popping the whole pod in your mouth and pulling out the bean with your teeth. Spit out the pod.
Tomato Bisque
Use fresh tomatoes1 to make a luscious creamy tomato soup2. It is quite easy to make and much more tasty than canned cream of tomato soup. If you are lucky enough to grow your own tomatoes or have a good farmer’s market nearby, you can easily freeze tomatoes without the fuss of canning, and they will also taste fresher than canned. Simply wash, pat dry, place whole tomatoes in a freezer zip-top bag, suck out the air with a straw, seal, and freeze. When you thaw them, the skins will slip right off, and they are ready to go.
Ingredients:
- ·3 Tablespoons butter
- ·1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- ·2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ·2 cups water
- ·4 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into pieces
- ·2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- ·6 whole cloves
- ·1 teaspoon salt
- ·Freshly ground black pepper
- ·1 cup medium or whipping cream
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and toss to coat. Stir over medium heat until the onion is tender. Sprinkle on the flour and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture foams. Stir in the water and bring to a boil.
Measure out 3/4 cup of the tomato3 pieces and set aside. Add the remaining tomato pieces to the boiling mixture. Stir in the brown sugar and cloves. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, at the gentle bubble for 30 minutes.
Transfer to a food mill and force through. Return to the saucepan and stir in the reserved tomato pieces. Blend in the salt, pepper, and cream. Place soup4 over medium heat and warm gently, but do not boil.
Yield: 6 servings
Julia’s cherry tomato notes:
-I like these as a snack as is.
-Basic (cherry) tomato sauce: Wash several baskets worth, then put in a pot with onion, garlic and oregano and cook down for about 1/2 hour over medium heat. (olive oil can be added if you like). Then let it cool some, put through a food mill, and voila: tomato sauce!
-Add cherry tomatoes halved to a grain salad such as couscous, rice, orzo or other pasta. I find them to be an essential ingredient!
Here’s a recipe from a 35 year old cook book called America’s Best Vegetable Recipes from the editors of The Farm Journal:
“Try cooking cherry tomatoes. Saute them in a skillet in butter for only 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of sugar to make them shine. A bright and tasty addition to a dinner plate.”
Cherry Tomato and Olive Relish from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 or 2 yellow or other tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
24 nicoise olives, pitted and halved (I use the already pitted kalamata from trader joes, I chop them roughly for this recipe)
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped marjoram (I use oregano when I don’t have marjoram available)
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
fresh lemon juice to taste
salt and pepper
Put the tomatoes in a bowl with the olives, capers, and herbs. Moisten with the oil, then season to taste with the S & P & lemon juice. Serve right away, or at least within the hour of making it.
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes 4 servings
2 baskets Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Finely chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon Finely chopped rosemary
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix tomatoes, onions, parsley, rosemary, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl and let tomatoes marinate at room temperature at least 1 hour, but preferably 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally. Enjoy with crostini or as a side dish.
Cherry Tomato & Avocado Salad
1 basket cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tablespoons chopped scallion or other mild onion
1 cup (approx.) chopped avocado
2 tablespoons chopped herb (such as parsley, cilantro, dill….)
optional vinaigrette to coat (whirl 2 T lemon juice or vinegar, 1 small clove garlic, 1 t mustard, pinch salt and pepper, with 1/2 cup olive oil in blender.) Gently mix all ingredients. Serve. (The avocado is optional but delicious)
Blanched Broccoli with Basil Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes adapted from Pasta e Verdura by Jack Bishop
2 pounds broccoli di cicco
salt to taste
1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbs. pine nuts
6 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 pound pasta (such as shells, or other open shape)
Bring 4 quarts of salted water to boil in large pot for cooking the pasta. Bring several quarts of water to boil in another pot. Chop the broccoli into small, bite-sized pieces. Add the broccoli and salt to taste to the boiling water. Cook until broccoli is tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside the broccoli. Place the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in the work bowl of a food processor and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour the oil through the feed tube and process until smooth. Scrape the pest into a large bowl. Stir in the cheese and additional salt to taste. Cut the tomatoes in half. Add the tomatoes to the bowl with the pesto and toss gently. Add the broccoli to the bowl and toss gently. Taste for salt and adjust seasonings if necessary. While preparing the sauce, cook and drain the pasta. Toss the hot pasta with the broccoli sauce. Mix well and transfer portions to pasta bowls. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
CHICKEN WITH ORANGE, SPINACH AND CHERRY TOMATOES
| 2 tablespoons. 2 teaspoons 1 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon 1 cup 1 tablespoon 4 4 cups
|
minced fresh dill grated orange peel minced garlic salt cherry tomatoes, halved olive oil skinless boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced crosswise firmly packed torn fresh spinach leaves (about 8 ounces)
|
Preheat oven to 450F. Place large baking sheet in oven to heat. Meanwhile, mix dill, orange peel, garlic and salt in medium bowl. Season with pepper. Combine tomatoes, oil and 1 teaspoon dill mixture in small bowl. Add chicken to remaining dill mixture in medium bowl and toss to coat. Cut 4 sheets of foil, each about 20 inches long. Place 1 foil sheet on work surface. Arrange 1 cup spinach on 1 half of foil. Place 1/4 of sliced chicken mixture atop spinach. Spoon 1/4 of tomato mixture atop chicken. Fold foil over, enclosing contents completely and crimping edges tightly to seal. Repeat with remaining 3 foil sheets, spinach, chicken mixture and tomato mixture, forming 4 packets total. Arrange foil packets in single layer on heated baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 400F. Bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plates; let stand 5 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
Bon Appetite March 1998