This week the muscadines are ripening.  The Muscadine is a native American grape that primarily grows in the southeast.  They have a wonderfully sweet pulp, tough skins and contain large seeds (the seeds are fine to eat and are beneficial to your health ). Researchers  have found that eating muscadines lowers cholesterol levels and the risk of coronary heart disease.  Muscadines  contain an organic compound thought to inhibit the start of cancer caused by certain chemicals.

  The 2^nd round of tomatoes are loaded down with beautiful tomatoes, the Sungold tomatoes are still coming on strong and the third round of tomato plants are covered with blooms.  The last round of squash plants are growing well and the sweet potatoes are almost ready to be harvested.

 The first round of fall starts are in the ground and the second round will be going in this week.  The heat and lack of rain has made the conditions less than ideal for these cool season crops .   A little rain would be wonderful right now however, the irrigation seems to be sufficient in keeping these plants alive.

Muscadine vines

2nd round of tomatoes

3rd round of tomatoes

Patty Pan Squash

This weeks CSA:

Muscadines

Tomatoes

Cantaloupe

Basil

Butternut Squash

Okra

Peppers

Recipes:

Penne with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce

1 lb penne or ziti pasta

2lb butternut squash

2 TBSP butter

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper (crucial, do not skimp)

1 cup half and half

1/2 cup parmesan plus more to top

parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down on a roasting sheet and roast about 45 min until tender. When done, let cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, remove any dark areas from the cut edge, then spoon the rest of the flesh into a bowl. Puree in food processor .

2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking water.

3. Meanwhile, in another large pot or pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper ; cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the squash and half and half and bring to a boil. Mix in the pasta and the reserved pasta cooking water. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve. Top the pasta with the parsley and more parmesan.

Basil Butter

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 pound butter, softened

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1.In a food processor, chop basil. Add butter, lemon juice and pepper and garlic salt; blend until smooth. Drop by half-tablespoons onto a baking sheet; freeze. Remove from baking sheet and store in freezer bags. Use to flavor chicken, fish or vegetables.

Roasted Okra

Although grilled okra is my favorite, I am not always able to grill it. This is a simple alternative
 okra

salt to taste

pepper to taste

olive oil spray

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a shallow baking dish with olive oil, add okra, and season to taste. Give the okra one quick (1/2 second) spray with olive oil, and put them into the oven. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes, until okra is browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Serve hot out of the oven.

Second Session

Welcome Back!

  During the past two weeks we have been turning over the summer plants and preparing for the fall.  This week we are planting Toscano Kale, Imperial Broccoli, Arcadia Broccoli, Green Goliath broccoli, Copenhagen cabbages. red express cabbages, snow crown cauliflower and we are seeding radishes, arugula and beets.  Next week we will put 2 varieties(winner and Kolibri) of kohl rabi in the ground as well as Tropicana lettuce, joi choi (Pac choi),Siberian kale, bright lights Swiss chard, savoy cabbages and we will be seeding carrots , turnips, mustard, cilantro,  fennel and parsley. On 9/15/11 we will plant Winterbor kale, Red Russian Kale, Flash Collards, Ermosa Bibb lettuce, Nancy Butterhead lettuce, Winter Density (Romaine) lettuce, Devil’s Ear Deer Tongue Lettuce and we will be seeding Asian Greens mix and salad mix.

  We are sorry to say that there will not be any sweet corn this year.  The variety that we planted was tough and not sweet- Next year we will go back to our trusted favorite Silver Queen Corn.

  This weeks CSA will be the remaining summer vegetables:

Heirloom tomatoes

Cantaloupe

Watermelon

Red Bell Peppers

Basil

Hot Peppers  (Jalapeno, Serrano and Mushroom - HOT!)

Ping Tung Eggplant

Okra (Green and Burgundy)

Butternut (winter) squash

Potatoes

Rosemary

Fall plant starts

Recipes:

Butternut squash tacos:

                       

Butternut squash has a tendency to go all mushy when roasted, because the squash cubes steam when they are crowded into a pan. I’ve found that scattering the squash in a thin layer across the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet helps the pieces develop crunchy, caramelized bits. Because this recipe calls for so much squash, I divide it between two pans and rotate them in the oven halfway through the roasting process.

You’ll need:

½ of a medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (about 5 cups)

½ cup white onion, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 ½ teaspoons coriander

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped (or 1 15-ounce can fire roasted, diced tomatoes)

2 15-ounce cans black beans

2 jalapenos

1 serrano chile (if you like spicy beans)

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

12 small corn tortillas

½ cup crumbled cojita cheese (or feta)

Lime wedges

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high. Place the jalapenos and serrano (if using) into the pan and cook until the skins are charred and blistered in spots. Remove the pan from the heat and set the peppers aside.

In a large bowl, toss the squash and onions together with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, 2 teaspoons of the chile powder, and 1 teaspoon salt over the squash and onions and toss until well coated. Divide the vegetables between two rimmed baking sheets and spread them out in a thin layer, so each piece has a bit of room between it and its neighbors. Place into the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges of the squash and onions begin to brown. Rotate the pans and give the vegetables a quick stir halfway through.

Meanwhile, peel, stem and seed the chiles before chopping them finely. Then, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two before pouring in the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes and garlic to bubble briskly for five to ten minutes, or until the tomatoes reduce down to a loose sauce. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the chile powder over the tomatoes and then stir in the chiles and the beans with their liquid. Cook the beans over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring carefully so you do not smoosh them. When the beans reach your preferred consistency, remove them from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and adjust the seasonings.

To assemble the tacos, spread a few spoonfuls of strained beans (I use a slotted spoon) onto a warm tortilla. Place a mound of roasted squash and onions on top of the beans. Shower the tacos with crumbled cojita cheese, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

 

  This week is the 12^th and final week of our 1^st session CSA.  We hope that you have enjoyed the produce in the first session.  This was our first time doing a CSA from our farm and we feel ready to add a few more subscriptions to the 2^nd session – please let your friends know about your experience with us.   The 2^nd session will start the week of August 22.  You can expect sweet corn, Pink eyed purple hull peas, tomatoes, squash, eggplant and other summer vegetables along with the  fall varieties such as kale, lettuce, cilantro, radish, bok choy, cabbage, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

  During the next two weeks we will be replanting some summer squash, cucumbers, summer lettuce and other varieties along with getting the fields ready for our fall crops, which we will start transplanting and seeding on August 15.  We are also trying out two new markets on Tuesday one in Kennesaw and one in Smyrna.

  This week we are harvesting the first cantaloupes and winter squash. Enjoy!

This week’s CSA:

Cantaloupe

Winter squash (Butternut)

Watermelon

Green Beans

Crowder Peas

Okra

Heirloom tomatoes (Rutger, Sun gold, Green Zebra)

Eggplant

Bell Peppers

Hot peppers

Summer Squash (crooked neck, patty pan, zucchini)

Potatoes

Recipes:

Roasted Butternut squash

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons brown sugar

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up. Place 1/2 teaspoon butter in the middle of each squash. Sprinkle brown sugar over each squash. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast 25 minutes, until flesh is fork-tender.

SMILEY FACE TOMATO

CRIMSON SWEET WATERMELON

SWEET CORN IS ALMOST READY!