Weekly Newsletter 3 (week 5)

August 5-11, 2012

Hello everyone, sorry there has not been a newsletter the last 2 weeks.  Things are just so busy and with 2 little ones at home and I am finding it hard to keep up! As if that were not enough, I arranged all the flowers for a friends wedding last weekend! It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed it and everything turned out beautiful.  Here on the farm things are great, we had our first farmers market of the season up in Felton on Tuesday, and will be down town next week as well.  The summer crops are really coming in now - these cooler evenings, misty mornings and warm temperate days have been ideal conditions so far this summer, let's hope it keeps up!  The tomato vines look amazing, thanks to a lot of hard work and attention, and we are expecting the crop to be abundant.  As many of you may remember, August and September bring on an avalanche of goodness and this is just the start!

 GRAVENSTEIN  (and their cousin red Gravenstein) APPLES

Our earliest apple, the Gravenstein is well known for its versatility as a terrific eating, sauce and pie apple.  With a crisp and juicy texture, and good old-fashioned sweet- tart taste the Gravenstein has been a favorite since it was introduced in North America in the early 1800‘s. They are dense with lots of flavor, which makes them perfect for sauces and pies, and they are crunchy and tasty enough for fresh eating!

 

Because Bartlett Pears ripen from the inside out they are never ripened on the tree, but picked and left to sit at room temperature to mature at a more even rate.  They are ready to eat when they turn almost completely yellow, begin to soften when gently pressed around the stem end, and give off a sweet aroma.  Place them in your fruit bowl if they are still a bit green, and check them often.  Never place in the fridge to ripen.   They are very delicate and do tend to bruise easily when ripe so be sure to treat them very gently! When properly ripened they are so sweet and juicy and very delicious, but due to their fragile nature this finicky fruit is not widely grown commercially.  Enjoy!

 

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

·               1/4 cup mayonnaise

·               3 cloves garlic, minced

·               1 tablespoon lemon juice

·               1/8 cup olive oil

·               1 cup sliced bell peppers

·               1 small zucchini, sliced

·               1 red onion, sliced

·               1 small yellow squash, sliced

·               2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally

·               1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or 2 slices any cheese

·               3 or 4 basil leaves

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice.   Set aside in the refrigerator.   Preheat the grill for high heat. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables and top with basil leaves.  Enjoy as open-faced grilled sandwiches

Tomato Basil Green Beans

·  3/4 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

·  1 tablespoons unsalted butter

·  ½  tablespoon olive oil

·  1 small onion thinly sliced

·  2 garlic cloves, minced

·  2 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 basket cherry tomatoes

·  2 TB white wine

·  1 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

·  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well; set aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat.  Add the beans and cook a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stir in the wine and basil and cook until the juices evaporate and the beans are tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve.