Notes from Your Farm: Melons & Zucchini

Hello from the Farm,   

Hours for Pick Up:
Thursday - 3:00pm till 7:00pm
Friday - 11:00am till 7:00pm
Saturday - 9:00am till 1:00pm 


Last week was so exciting bringing many local products together to make a delicious pizza! Your Farmers had fun making their pizzas, check them out below



The pizza on the left used the ricotta cheese from the cheese share with spinach, sliced tomatoes, and a splash of tomato sauce.  On the right the pizza is topped with broccoli, mushrooms, mozzarella, and homemade tomato sauce made with our tomatoes!  The crust was so think and scrumptious, and an easy dinner to create.  If you missed out on the pizza crust or want more contact Abendessen Bread for special orders at: abendessenbread@gmail.com


Guess what?!?! Zucchinis are back!  

Your Farmers planted a second round of zucchini in late June so you would be able to enjoy zucchini, once again, in late August till the beginning of September. We are thrilled to bring back this versatile crop for a few weeks before Fall settles in.  Making summer last a little longer.

What you need to know about Melons

The first week of melons is here!  Melons only last a short time during the summer but are great to have around when it is humid in August.  This crop is one of the trickiest to harvest because we can't cut open every melon to make sure it is ripe.  We go by the noise that the melon makes when we flick it with our finger.  If the melon makes a high pitched noise that means it needs more time on the vine.  If it makes a low pitched noise this normally means the melon is ready and that it is filled out all the way.  I have heard of others looking at the vine connected to the watermelon; if the vine is dead the melon is ready.  This isn't always true...melons can be ready before the vine is dead.  This is what I mean by tricky!

Pointers to take home with you:

1. Should always carefully wash off you melon

2. Make sure the melon is dried off before putting it into the refrigerator

3. Should let melon set for a day or two before eating

4. A melon can last up to 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator

5. Store cut melon in a container or plastic wrap

PYO Field - Herb of the Week  

- Parsley -  

Native to central Mediterranean region. 
Used mainly as an herb or spice in cooking  
Harvesting can be done by cutting off small portions but leaving some leaves behind for future growth.
Storage: keep in refrigerator lightly wrapped for up to one week.

Spaghetti with Parsley Pesto

Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti, Kosher salt, 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted almonds, 4 cups (packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, 3/4 cup chopped fresh chives, 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, Freshly ground black pepper

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, pulse almonds in a food processor until smooth. Add parsley, chives, oil, and Parmesan; process until smooth. Season pesto with salt and pepper.
3. Toss pasta and pesto in a large bowl, adding pasta cooking liquid by 1/4-cupfuls until saucy. Season with salt and pepper.
4. DO AHEAD: Pesto can be made 5 days ahead. Cover surface directly; chill.
   

Recipe from "epicurious" at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spaghetti-with-parsley-pesto-51170240

Additional Note: Many vegetables / herbs / flowers are ready for harvest in the PYO Field even though they do not have a white wooden sign in front of them.  Please harvest whatever you think is ready in the PYO Field even if it does not have a white wooden sign in front of it.

Excited about what you make with our veggies?
Share it on our Facebook page!  This is a great way to share recipes and cooking experiences with other shareholders.  Use recipes that you find, ones that we post on our newsletter, or one that you just made up!  Post a picture of your creation on our Facebook page with the ingredients and directions.
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillatHomefieldsFarm/ 
 

Homefields - Picnic in the Fields
Save the Date - Sunday, September 24
More details at: www.homefields.org  


2017 Season
Know anyone that might be interested in a share at the farm?  Get them in contact with the Farm Manager: Taryn at 717-871-3110 or email thogeland@yourgoodwill.org 
   

Abendessen Bread
Sourdough Bread - Makes awesome BLT's! - $5 a loaf


Fall Coffee Share 
Maybe you wanted to join the coffee share program, or purchase Homefields Breakfast Blend, but the coffee was whole bean and you didn't have a grinder. Well, you no longer have that excuse!  Thanks to College Coffee Roasters / George Street Cafe's very generous donation of a commercial coffee grinder, we now can offer ground coffee as well as whole bean.
  
You have until Sept. 1 to join the coffee share program, just tell us what you would prefer and we'll do the rest. Questions? Call Bruce at: 717-278-0839.

Coffee share will start the week of Sept. 7 and go for six weeks - $36 - make checks out to Homefields, in memo of check put "coffee share" -Send payment to PO Box 41, Millersville, PA 17551

In the meantime, The Breakfast Blend ($6 a bag) and iced coffee (by donation) will be available. 

Feel free to call with any questions regarding the coffee share: Bruce Sullenburger at (717) 278-0839.


Harvest List
- Zucchini - storage: store in a plastic bag in the crisper of your refrigerator and use within one week. For longer storage, cooked summer squashed can be frozen and added to soups in the winter months.

Zucchini and Sweet Corn with Toasted Cumin Seed and Lime

Ingredients: 4 cups of zucchini, 2 ears of corn husked (in season and found at local farm stands), 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil plus more for grilling, 1/2 tsp. cumin seed, 2 garlic cloves minced (found in share), 2 tsp. lime juice, coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (parsley found in PYO field)
Directions: preheat grill to high. Brush zucchini and corn with olive oil and place on grill. Grill zucchini on each side 3-4min or until lightly charred. Grill corn 2-3min and rotate until sides are lightly charred. Remove both from grill. Place zucchini in serving dish. Carefully cut corn kernels off cob, add to zucchini and set aside. In small dry skillet over low heat, toast cumin seed until fragrant. Remove from heat and grind using mortar and pestle and set aside. In same skillet, saute garlic in olive oil until lightly browned (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and stir in lime juice, ground toasted cumin, salt and pepper.  Pour over zucchini and corn, toss to combine, top with cilantro or parsley and serve.  

Recipe from: "Eat Clean Live Well" By: Terry Walters

- Melons - storage: once you've cut into a melon, wrap the remainder in plastic and it should keep in the fridge for about 3 days. If you find yourself with more melon than you can eat before it spoils, freeze it. Cut into cubes, tossing with 1/4 cup of sugar for each 2 cups of fruit if desired, and store in an airtight container.

- Eggplant - storage: best eaten fresh. Store in vegetable crisper for up to one week. For longer storage, make eggplant dishes like baba ghanouj and freeze in an airtight container. 

 Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/4 cup Rice Krispie cereal crushed fine*, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese *, ½ teaspoon salt, Dash of pepper, 1 small eggplant (a 1 pound eggplant will make approximately 2 batches), 1 egg, beaten (add 1 teaspoon of water to egg to beat easier), 1 cup tomato sauce* (more or less according to taste), 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese*

 

Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F., Pour melted butter into a 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Set aside. Place beaten egg in a shallow bowl. Set aside. In a ziplock bag combine Rice Krispie cereal, Parmesan cheese*, salt and pepper and crush. Put mixture into shallow bowl and set aside. Peel eggplant* and cut into 1/4 inch thick round slices. Dip each slice in egg and coat with crumb mixture. Place in prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes; turn slices and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over eggplant and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is just melted.

 

*Notes *

* Corn Flakes can be used instead of Rice Krispies.

* Parmesan cheese is optional.

* You can peel the whole eggplant or just peel in stripes down the length of the eggplant.

* The baked eggplant tastes great with or without the sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sometimes I leave out the sauce and just melt the mozzarella cheese.

* Is really good served with any type of pasta and a salad.

Thank you Susan for this great recipe and photo!

- Tomatoes - storage: do not refrigerate. Maintain their best flavor if kept at room temperature. If your tomato is not quite ripe, let it sit on the counter for a day or two. Can be frozen whole. Core them, freeze on a cookie sheet, and once tomatoes are frozen solid place in zip lock bags and freeze until ready to use.

Herb-Roasted Summer Tomato Sauce Recipe

Ingredients: 20-25 medium tomatoes, cored; 1 medium head garlic (found in share), peeled and separated into wedges; 1/4 cup each minced fresh basil, oregano, and parsley (found in PYO field); 1/4 cup olive oil; Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 1. Place tomatoes cored side-up in a baking sheet. Arrange garlic and herbs over tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  2. Bake tomatoes at 300F 2 to 3 hours or until tomatoes are completely soft and slightly bursting. Cool 20 minutes then puree tomatoes in batches in a high-speed blender until smooth. Transfer tomato sauce to jars and cool slightly before using or storing in refrigerator.

(you can make this recipe smaller)

Recipe from "Whole and Heavenly Oven" at: http://wholeandheavenlyoven.com/2015/08/24/herb-roasted-summer-tomato-sauce/ 

- Peppers - storage: refrigerate in vegetable crisper for 1 to 2 weeks. To freeze, remove seeds and stem and prepare as you like - slice or diced. Place in zip lock bags in the freezer. They will soften once you remove from the freezer, but will be great to add to soups and casseroles. 

Peppers Provencal

Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. butter, 2 cups yellow onions thinly sliced (found in share), 2 large sweet peppers sliced into thin strips, 1/2 tsp. herbs de Provence (find herbs in PYO field), salt and freshly ground pepper, 2 garlic cloves minced (found in share), 1/2 cup finely shredded basil leaves (found in PYO field)

Directions: heat oil and butter together in heavy skillet until butter melts. Add onion and peppers; season with herbs de Provence and salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 45 minutes, or until vegetables are limp, tender an lightly browned. (Mixture should have marmalade appearance). Add basil and garlic and cook for another five minutes. Remove skillet and let cool to room temperature. Drain excess oil. Serve on toasted farm bread as an appetizer (sourdough bread of the week).

- Scallions - storage: place in a jar with water covering roots next to a window. Or do the same thing and then place plastic bag over scallions and put in refrigerator.

- Garlic - storage: place in mesh bag, bowl or paper bag. Do not place in plastic bag, will encourage rot.

- Onions - storage: keep in cool, dark, dry location. Don not place in plastic bag, will encourage rot.  

- Most of the storage ideas were found in our Goodwill at Homefields Farm "A Mostly Vegetarian Cookbook".  Which can be found at our sign in desk at the distribution center 

Make time for the Eclipse that is happening August 21!,

Your Farmers