• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sweet peppers
• Hot peppers
• Green beans
• Winter squash
• Summer squash
• Cucumbers
• Onions
• Garlic
• potatoes
• Plums
• Basil
• Thyme
• Kale
Luna and I are back from our trip to Homer Alaska. We had a great time with Jacob as he toured us around his new community. He seems to be thriving in the cool Alaska climate. He is working with the University, studying salmon habitat. He spends the majority of his time outside, doing field work, which suits him just fine. Luna and I had the opportunity to participate in water sampling while he measured flow and depth of streams where salmon spawn. We saw eagles, Sandhill cranes, salmon running, whales, sea otters and more. We took an all day fishing trip to catch the “big one” (halibut) but got 6 small ones instead.
The farm is surviving the heat with some damage from record setting temperatures. The greenhouses are super hot and frankly unbearable. The cucurbits (zucchini and cucumbers) have taken the heat very hard and have pretty much stopped producing. Later this week when it cools off we will be turning over the crops and getting fall lettuce, spinach and radicchio planted in place of the wilted vines of dead cucumbers.
I surveyed the damage from the goat and horse and the fall Brussels Sprouts were half eaten. My fall flowers were destroyed and the remaining lettuce consumed. I am saddened by the damage, but as Juvencio says, “It could have been worse”. The farm rules have been changed. I have sent them out attached to the weekly newsletter email. Basically there will be no more visiting the animals. You are welcome to view them through fences, but no one is permitted to enter the fenced areas.
The fall crops will be affected by all of this late summer mess. Terrible heat, crop damage by animals and seeding failure (mainly due to the heat, things did not germinate!!). We hope for some delicious crops to offer , but this year has been and challenge all the way through! We look forward to a fun filled canning party and Harvest festival. Here are the dates to remember:
1) September 16 (Saturday) Canning party – full now, but you can still be added to the wait list
2) October 15 – Harvest Festival (Sunday) – from 2 – 6 p.m.
3) October 22 – 27 – last week of the 2017 season
4) November 19 – Thanksgiving Harvest add on $40 ( more details to come)
We have both Beef and Pork for sale. Please text Juvencio for details or look under here http://finquita.com/wordpress/?page_id=435 .
Sorry for the late posting our internet was acting up this morning!
Here are some recipes to enjoy:
Kale and Lentil Soup
(Marilyn’s invention from Sue)
3 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 onion and 1 rib of celery (chopped and sauté for 4 minutes)
6-7 cups of water
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups green lentils (rinsed and checked)
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ – 1 # kale (washed and sliced)
12 oz. Kielbasa (slice in 1” rounds)
16 oz. plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and celery for 4 minutes. Add water and chicken broth as well as lentils to the sauté mix. Add the bay leaf and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Then add the Kale, kielbasa sausage, tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more and serve. Great the next day.
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)
Gazpacho
By Beth
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes (4-6 depending on size)
1 cucumber
1 onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
Dice above ingredients and combine in a bowl
Add the following:
3 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Use an immersion blender or food processor and blend to taste (chunky or smooth)
Serve cold for the hot weather!
a
Indian Spiced Kale and Chickpeas
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 11/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon garam masala ¼ teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz.) chick peas, rinsed
Healt oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute. Add broth, spices and salt. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook unitl chickpeas are heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
This is a delicious, low-fat version of eggplant Parmesan. Instead of breaded, fried eggplant, though, the eggplant in this dish is roasted and sliced, layered with a rich tomato sauce and freshly grated Parmesan, and baked in a hot oven until bubbly.
For the tomato sauce:
1. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2. 1 small or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
3. 2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste)
4. 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill or else peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 1/2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
6. 1/8 teaspoon sugar
7. 2 sprigs fresh basil
8. For the gratin:
9. 2 pounds eggplant, roasted
10. Salt and freshly ground pepper
11. 2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
12. 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
13. 1/4 cup bread crumbs
14. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1. Roast the eggplant.
2. Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Stir until tender, about five to eight minutes, then add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and then turn the heat back to medium. Stir often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs.
3. If you did not peel the tomatoes, put the sauce through the fine blade of a food mill. If the tomatoes were peeled, pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the bread crumbs. Oil the inside of a two-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick, and set an even layer of slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant, and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Yield: Serves six
Advance preparation: The tomato sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The casserole can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, then baked when you wish to serve it. Don’t add the last layer of bread crumbs and Parmesan, with the drizzle of olive oil, until right before you bake it.