Farm Fresh Newsletter, July 15, 2011

Hi Everyone,

It will be a very abbreviated newsletter this week, I apologize.  It's been crazy on the farm - I had an awesome farmer training day at a 1,200 share CSA farm near Madison, Wisconsin yesterday.  That was fascinating, but took nearly a whole day's work away from my own farm!  Our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes are being delivered or picked up this week as well.  Plus our intern and I harvested all the garlic this week, which took half a day.  Whew!   I'll let you know the veggies I'll have at the Freeport Farmers Market (Saturday morning, 7:30-11, CVS parking lot near Higher Grounds Coffee).  Sorry, no Rockford City Market this week for us.

• Garlic!  The garlic was harvested this week, pick some up at market, it's fresh & crunchy.
• Green Beans & Yellow Wax Beans
• Walla Walla Onions
• Baby Squash
• Full Sized zucchini & some summer squash
  
• Lettuce Mix
• Herbs: parsley, cilantro, dill
• Hot peppers: only a few
• Snow peas: last of them, not a lot available
• Swiss Chard

I have a couple recipes for you this week:

Recipes:

-7 layer salad (includes everything)
-1 bag lettuce, chopped
-1/2 bag swiss chard, chopped
-1/2 bag sugar snap or snow peas, chopped
-1 onion, chopped, including green tops
-1/2 bag baby squash, chopped
-1/2 cucumber, chopped
-hard boiled eggs, chopped, or cooked bacon, chopped.

Chop all veggies and layer in a bowl.  Layer eggs or bacon on top.  Top with dressing of choice or the typical 7 layer salad dressing:

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

-Roasted Garlic

Ingredients

• garlic bulbs
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Using a sharp knife, chop off the tops of the garlic bulbs so the inside of the cloves are exposed. Place bulbs on a piece of aluminum foil that is big enough to make a "tent" enclosing the bulbs.
2. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the cut bulbs, allowing it to reach the cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Form the aluminum foil tent by matching opposite sides of the foil and either rolling or folding them together. Leave a pocket of air inside the tent so the garlic has room to steam itself.
4. Cook garlic in a 425-degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until garlic is beginning to caramelize. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before trying to extract the garlic (shells are extremely hot!). When garlic is cool enough to handle, turn bulbs upside down and squeeze out the soft garlic into your dish of choice.
   
5. Roasted garlic can be spread on bread (including pizza dough), mashed into potatoes, added to tomato sauce,or mixed into a salad vinaigrette.

Thanks, everyone & have a great week!

Penny Peterson

Wishful Acres
http://wishfulacres.blogspot.com

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