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What’s in the bag?

On the menu: July 11, 2011

Tomatoes

Charentais melon or cantaloupe

Yard-long Asian green beans – purple and green OR red cabbage

Cherry Tomatoes ‘Black Cherry,’ ‘Gold Nugget’ etc.

Farm fresh eggs

Apple ’Granny Smith’

Bell Pepper, Jalapeno, Hungarian Wax Pepper (hot), and Cayenne

Potatoes

Cucumber

Onion

 

The following passage is attributed to the 17th century French poet Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant, in reference to the Chanterais Melon.  

 

This melon is firm to the centre, with few seeds like grains of gold*. It is better than the beloved apricot, better than strawberries and cream, better than the Holy pear of Tours or the sweet green fig. Even the muscat grape I love is bitterness and muck compared to this divine melon.
O sweet grassy snake ,crawling on a green bed. It is Apollo’s masterpiece. The brothels of Rouen will be free of the pox… tobacco smokers will have white teeth… I will forget my love’s favours before I forget you-
O fleur de tous les fruits! O ravisant MELON!

Must be a good melon!

 

 

 

Hot and Dry Growing Conditions

 

The garden is suffering. Too hot. Too dry. I still have (or can get) enough produce to fill my orders, but I am not adding any new subscribers – they are all going on a waiting list. I may be bumping some of you to a standby list soon. If any of you are willing to volunteer to go to this status, let me know. Sometimes “veggie fatigue” starts in and you would like to take a break – this is a good time, and that might allow someone to remain on the list who has a real need or desire to keep getting the veggie deliveries. Call 870-653-3062 or send me an email at georgiaberry@yahoo.com.

The supply of veggies that are available will be decreasing for a while due to heat and drought conditions. In 2010, we made the last summer veggie delivery on July 19. I can already see a slight reduction in produce at the farmer’s markets, and I am having more and more difficulty in keeping enough moisture on my plants in certain areas of the garden – irrigation just does not entirely replace rain!

We are also seeing dramatically increased pressure from wildlife over this last week – deer and rabbits have virtually wiped out my stand of Asian Long-beans. These animals are suffering in the drought and looking for something fresh and well-hydrated to eat.

We will keep it up as long as possible…just letting you know what the trends are…

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On the menu: June 27, 2011

Asian yard-long beans 'Red Noodle'

 

Tomatoes

Japanese Eggplant

Yard-long Asian greenbeans – purple and green

Peaches ‘Harvester’ from Jamison Orchard, Nashville AR

Cherry Tomatoes ‘Black Cherry,’ ‘Gold Nugget’ etc.

Farm fresh eggs

Jalapeno and Hungarian Wax Pepper (hot)

White Onion ‘Elizabeth’

Cucumber

Summer squash, including ‘Zephyr’ (bicolor), ‘Eight Ball’ zucchini, ‘Golden Glory’ zucchini, white and yellow patty pan and straight neck squash

Asian Yard-long Green Beans

I first encountered these wonderful beans at the farmer’s market last year – I knew I wanted to grow these beans.  I ordered the seed for two varieties, ‘Gita’ and ‘Red Noodle,’ and we planted them at the end of the summer, letting almost all the beans mature into seeds, thereby increasing our seed stock so that we could have enough to plant for all our subscribers.  They succeeded spectacularly.  Hardy plants have put on lots and lots of beans, even in the harsh growing conditions we have experienced this summer.
These beans are delicious steamed, in stir-fry, or fresh as a snacking veggie.  Eat them fresh and you will taste their natural sweetness.

yard-long beans growing on trellises in the garden

 

 

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On the menu: June 6, 2011

First Ripe Tomatoes! ‘Taxi’ (Yellow when ripe)

Red Onions

Red Oakleaf Lettuce

Sweet Corn ‘Peaches and Cream’

Peaches from Jamison Orchard, Nashville AR

Green Tomatoes for Green Tomato Salsa

Jalapeño and Hungarian Wax Pepper (hot)

Cilantro

Spring Garlic

Cucumber

Farm fresh eggs

Ripe Tomatoes – ‘Taxi’‘Taxi’ is a yellow tomato, and the first to ripen in the garden this year.  If they seem a bit green, leave them out on the counter for a day or two and they will ripen up nicely.  We picked all the ripe tomatoes before yesterday evening’s windy rainstorm, or they would have all been knocked off the vines.  Let’s eat them up!  You could make yellow tomato salsa, same recipe…

Berries –  I am disappointed not to have any berries in the bag this week. The mid-season blackberry variety is not performing well this year.  Hopefully I can get some fruit off the next variety to ripen up.  I will do my best

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On the menu: May 30, 2011 plus Green Tomato Salsa recipe

Red Onions

Chard ‘Sunshine Mix’

Carrots

Blackberries!

Green Tomatoes

Cayenne and Hungarian Wax Pepper (hot)

Cilantro

Spring Garlic

Green Beans ‘Roma 2’

Herb Bouquet

Farm fresh eggs

 

Fresh from the Garden Green Tomato Salsa

A Sunshine For Dinner original recipe!

Perfect for a relaxed Memorial Day meal.

Green tomatoes – a couple

Garlic – plenty

Cilantro – a bit

Fresh peppers – how spicy do you like it?

Red onion – a few tablespoons

Lemon or lime juice – a few tablespoons till it tastes bright

Salt – to taste

 

Run it all through the food processor until coarsely blended, or chop it up with a knife and mix it in a bowl. Enjoy!

 

I think I put all you need in the bag – except the lemon or lime juice. What you really need here is an acid to balance the flavors, so if you need to, substitute some kind of light colored vinegar, no balsamic! The color will be very unappetizing!

 

Garlic: This is spring garlic – uncured, just freshly pulled from the soil. Very easy to peel, very delicious, and needs to be kept refrigerated. My garlic crop is not looking too good this year, but the taste of spring garlic makes up for the disappointment.

 

You could also make fried green tomatoes if the salsa is not for you!

 

 

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On the menu: May 23, 2011

Spring Onions

Chard ‘Sunshine Mix’

Carrots

Bok Choy

Radishes

New Potatoes

Spring Garlic

Herb Bouquet

Farm fresh eggs

 

Spring garlic:
Spring garlic is like the soft-shell crab stage of garlic.  The papery layers haven’t matured and cured yet into their customary dryness.  To enjoy this delicacy, just peel off the outer leathery layers and then chop up the entire head – no need for any more peeling!
Keep this garlic refrigerated, and use it up quick.  It is not for storing, it is for using!

Herb bouquet:
What to do with this?  That is the question I ask myself each time I go in or out my front door, passing my overflowing herb garden!
The best thing to do with it is drop it down into a small juice glass with water, and put it in your refrigerator.  Each time you open the door, the beautiful scent and appearance of the herbs will cheer and refresh you!
Pick them out of the bunch and use them as you like, when they wither, put them in the compost pile.
Contents: parsley, rosemary, chives, sage, lavender blossom, lemon balm, dill

Enjoy,
Georgiaberry

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On the menu this week: May 16, 2011

Spring Onions

Yellow Summer Squash

Red Russian Kale

Beets and Beet Greens

Radishes

Baby Romaine Lettuce

Parsley

Chives

Rosemary

Farm fresh eggs

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On the menu this week: May 9, 2011

Spring onions

New potatoes – ‘Red La Sota’

Red Russian Kale

Beets and Beet Greens

Radishes

Baby Romaine Lettuce

Parsley

Chives

Rosemary

Farm fresh eggs

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On the menu – June 14, 2010

Fresh Garlic

Farm fresh eggs

Blackberries

Green Onions

Tomatoes

Summer squash – straightneck yellow, green zucchini and ’Gold Rush’ zucchini

Bell Pepper

Peaches ‘Harbelle’

Cabbage

Rosemary and Thyme

Basil

Potatoes ‘Red La Sota’

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On the menu – August 3, 2009

Slicing Tomatoes

Cherry tomatoes ’Black Cherry’

Eggplant

Apples ‘Golden Delicious’

Rosemary

Sweet Basil

Baby Onions

Garlic

Potatoes

Bell peppers

Cucumber ‘Burpless’

Farm fresh eggs

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On the menu this week – July 6, 2009

Slicing Tomatoes and ‘Sun Gold’ Cherry tomatoes
Blackberries
Summer squash
Rosemary ‘Tuscany’ and basil
Cucumber
Garlic
Farm fresh eggs
Sweet Corn
Sweet and mild peppers – Bell, banana, and poblano
Baby red onions

It is that time of year, tomato season, and that means it is time for the annual reissue of the

Sunshine Tomato Salad recipe!

Here it is:

For a platter salad, use slicing tomatoes and cut very thin.  Lay in a single layer, and top with a drizzle of olive oil, salt to taste, finely minced garlic and fresh basil.  Serve either chilled or room temp.

For a layered salad in a pretty clear glass container, do the same but stack the tomatoes with each layer dressed with the seasonings.

To use cherry tomatoes, just cut each one in half and dress with the seasonings.  Serve as a side dish.

Leftovers (if there are any!) are wonderful on a sandwich.

If you lack fresh basil, just leave it out – the salad will still be delicious.  Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to replace with dried basil!

About ‘Sun Gold’ tomatoes – these are an orange or gold color when ripe.  They are the variety that is all the rage this year, and I think they are a winner.

I packed them in clamshell to prevent crushing in the bag, but they need ventilation, so open the shell as soon a possible.  Conventional wisdom is to store tomatoes at room temp and not in the fridge, and I find that this is true.  But these sugary little cherry tomatoes need to be eaten up rather promptly.

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