Available for free Saturday delivery & at farmers market this Saturday: Cilantro, Radishes, Salad Mix, Baby Turnip Greens, Brown Eggs, Garlic Spinach Mustard Orders for Freeport area Saturday free delivery emailed to me by 8 am on Friday please: wishfulacres@gmail.com .
It's been a fun past couple of weeks dodging storms while trying to get the hundreds of tomato, eggplant, and pepper seedlings transplanted. Just a few days ago, I was transplanting hot pepper plants when the sky turned an ominous shade of gray. Storms had been predicted, and I was trying to get as many plants as I could into the soil before the storms arrived. Not long after the skies darkened, the wind picked up, blowing the seedling containers here & there as I frantically dug and planted. Then the thunder arrived in the distance. Still, I planted away. The thunder wrapped around the farm - coming from the West as well as the South. I had less than 50 plants to go - so I called in backup support. With my husband's help, we finished transplanting all of the hot peppers just as the first raindrops arrived. That's what organic farming is like - trying to work in harmony with nature. The rains then watered the newly planted seedlings for me. The same process was repeated two days ago, and today I planted a hundred more tomato plants and am hoping the predicted rain falls tomorrow to take care of their watering needs. This process will continue until all the seedlings are transplanted into the ground, which I hope to have done by the end of this coming weekend. It takes a long time to plant over 1,000 tomato, pepper, and eggplant seedlings by hand!
While my work and focus on tomatoes & peppers is something that you won't see come to fruition for another couple of months, I can tell you that this week I'll be harvesting more of the cool-season crops! New this week is the first harvest of cilantro. A friend recently shared an article with me from the Chicago Tribune - here is a link - stating that the USDA tested grocery store cilantro and discovered at least 34 unapproved pesticides on it. I'm wondering how many approved pesticides they found as well! You know that your cilantro from Wishful Acres farm will have "0" pesticides, approved or unapproved, because it's Certified Naturally Grown following organic standards.
The available veggies this week are listed below, and I will have some recipes this week as well at the bottom of this newsletter.
I'll be at the Freeport Farmers Market this Saturday, located in the CVS parking lot in Freeport (corner of South & West streets, near Higher Grounds Coffee Shop), from 7:30-11 am. Look for the blue tent with the Wishful Acres Farm sign. If you're unable to attend market, but would like your order delivered free of charge (Freeport & outlying area only), please email your order to me ( wishfulacres@gmail.com ) by 8 am on Friday (available products are listed below - vegetables and plants as well as eggs). I'll be delivering orders after farmers market on Saturday, so you can expect your order to arrive sometime between 11:30-1:00. If you won't be home, you can simply leave the money, and direct me to a place you'd like your order left (a porch, cooler, etc).
New this week - the first harvest of Cilantro. Hands-down my favorite herb, cilantro is great on any Mexican food and really brightens up a salad just tossed on top of the lettuce. A sandwich bag full, $1.
Also new this week, first harvest of baby Turnip Greens. A very healthy green leafy vegetable! See the turnip greens recipes at the end of the newsletter for ideas.
This week, the organic Salad Mix will feature a gourmet blend of beautiful Baby Red & Green Romaine lettuces, frilly Tango lettuce, light green Simpson lettuce, baby kale, baby spinach, other baby greens, and succulent sugar snap pea tendrils. The organic salad mix is triple washed, bagged, and ready to eat. Approximately half gallon. $2.50 per bag.
The pastured hens are laying lots of big, beautiful brown eggs. These are extra-large in size, and the yolks are a beautiful healthy orange color you won't see in store-bought eggs, with a rich taste and firm
white. $3 per dozen.
The Garlic Spinach mustard is still being harvested as well. This slightly bitter green is not a true spinach, rather a delicious relative of the mustard family. It's a highly nutritious leafy green that has a mild garlic flavor. Garlic Spinach is also great on salads mixed with your lettuce. $2.50 per bag, half gallon.
Radishes are ready! Mild & crunchy, I'll have 2 varieties available - a beautiful French Breakfast radish (elongated, pink with a white tip), and a red cherry radish. $1 per bunch.
Hope to see you soon!
Penny
Wishful Acres
Certified Naturally Grown produce & more
Wishful Acres: http://wishfulacres.blogspot.
Blog: http://all-natural-mama.
RECIPES
(Keep in mind this week's harvest is baby turnip greens, so they will not require as long of a cooking time as mature turnip greens).
Country Turnip Greens
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound lean salt pork or bacon, diced
- 4-1/2 pounds fresh turnip greens, trimmed
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, fry salt pork just until cooked. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings. Stir in the remaining ingredients in the reserved drippings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until greens are tender. Yield: 8-10 servings.
Memphis Turnip Greens
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds turnip greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions
Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until tender and fragrant. Add the washed and cleaned turnip greens. Mix together. Cook until they have wilted down, about 3 minutes. Add pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, whisk the Dijon mustard with the chicken stock. Add to the wilted greens and cook until the liquid has all but evaporated. Add the toasted pecans and serve immediately.
Add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until tender and fragrant. Add the washed and cleaned turnip greens. Mix together. Cook until they have wilted down, about 3 minutes. Add pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, whisk the Dijon mustard with the chicken stock. Add to the wilted greens and cook until the liquid has all but evaporated. Add the toasted pecans and serve immediately.
Turnip Greens & Potatoes with Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, pureed with salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound new or red waxy potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound turnip green leaves, washed
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and let cool slightly.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with the olive oil. Add the greens and boil for 5 minutes, or until done to taste. Drain well and chop coarsely. Place warm greens and potatoes in a shallow mixing bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss well to coat.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and let cool slightly.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with the olive oil. Add the greens and boil for 5 minutes, or until done to taste. Drain well and chop coarsely. Place warm greens and potatoes in a shallow mixing bowl, drizzle with the dressing and toss well to coat.
Serve warm or room temperature.
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1000 seedlings - Wow!!
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