Notes from Your Farm July 22

Hello from the farm!

Between storms this week, we were able to get the fall brassicas planted. Fall crops are planted in mid-summer, when you are not thinking about fall, but if you wait until fall to plant them, they wouldn't mature in time. Using the water wheel transplanter, which makes a divot and fills it with water, we planted about five thousand green and red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and even some Brussels sprouts.

The hot July weather brings with it some of our favorite summer vegetables: the farm crew picked over 170lbs of snap beans. Beans don't weigh very much, that's pretty amazing--plenty of beans for 175 shares. In addition to the usual green and yellow beans, we also did a test planting of pink and purple bean varieties. See the raw bean salad recipe if you want them to retain their color. We continue to dig potatoes, and yesterday while mowing between the beds of tomatoes and peppers I was delighted to see touches of red on some of the tomatoes as well as some color on some of the peppers. And....the melons and watermelons are starting to ripen also, so you will probably see some of these starting this week or next.

Raw Green Bean Salad
Ant Egg Soup, Natacha Du Pont De Bie

Pink and purple beans turn green when cooked, so here is a recipe for using them raw:

• 1 large clove garlic, peeled
• 1 birds-eye chili or red chile powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon rough salt
• 1 level dessert spoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts
• 1 pound raw green beans or long beans, topped and tailed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (omit if desired)
• 3 flavorful medium tomatoes, quartered, or 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• juice of one lime (or more, to taste)

Pound the garlic, chilies, salt and sugar in a pestle and mortar until they are a rough paste. Add the peanuts and pound to break them up (not too fine). Add the bean pieces and fish sauce and pound them until they are bruised so the flavors infuse. Add the tomatoes and pound a few more times. Squeeze on the lime and serve immediately.
--from http://faretoremember.blogspot.com/2010/04/seeing-green-lao-raw-green-bean-salad.html

Suggestions for the Harvest

Sweet Onions: super for carmelizing, for any onion task, very sweet--keep refrigerated.
Carrots: carrots sticks, pennies or grated for salad, roasted, boiled with butter and brown sugar or maple syrup, curried, carrot soup...the colors will fade when cooked.

Cabbage: the simplest ways to use this are cut into wedges and serve with a bit of salt, or shred and add to salad.

Potatoes: bakes, boiled, mashed, roasted...

Beets: grate and add to salad, roast, pickle,

Summer Squash: add raw to salads, steam lightly, or stir-fry. Don't overcook.

Cucumbers: add to your lettuce and greens for salad. Dice and add to yogurt with onions and garlic scapes.

Chard or Swiss Chard: sautee, oil, garlic, parmesan etc...use like spinach

Thank You
Thank you Law Reh, Elizabeth, and trainees for a job well done!

Scott

Scott Breneman

Farm Manager

Goodwilll at Homefields Farm

PO Box 38
150 Letort Rd
Millersville, PA 17551

http://www.yourgoodwill.org/farm

P: 717-871-3110