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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Farm Fresh Newsletter, August 3, 2011

A great big hello & sigh of relief from our farm!  This sigh is a sigh of relief that the high temperatures and humidity have finally broken again.  We got so much farmwork done this morning, now that we are no longer walking through syrup & soaking wet with sweat.  When it's very hot with high humidity, we pretty much have to quit any field work by noon - it's just too hot in the blaring sun.  So it was nice to work longer today, and I'll be heading back out after I've sent this newsletter to you all!

This time of year we are very busy harvesting the summer crops like cucumbers, peppers, summer squash, and soon tomatoes.  We have so much squash & cucumbers that this week we're offering a Bulk Bin discount: a 1/2 bushel of cucumbers (that's about 25 full size cucumbers) or 1/2 bushel of summer squash, each for $10.  There are many things you can do with an abundance of cukes or squash, and I'll list some recipes & ideas at the end of this week's newsletter.  You can pickup your 1/2 bushel this Saturday at farmers market, or even stop out at the farm some day if that works better for you.

However, what's keeping us just as busy as harvesting right now is our fall planting!  We are putting  thousands of seeds and hundreds of seedlings into the ground now in preparation for our fall harvests.  We have many vegetables that grow great in our fall climate here.  So many, in fact, that we just announced a Fall Share of our CSA (our Community Supported Agriculture program delivers a "share" of vegetables to your door each week).  Here is a bit more info on our fall shares:

Fall Shares Announced!  Wishful Acres will be running a fall CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), running October 7-November 25 (8 weeks).  The cost will be $240 for a full share (breaks down to $30 / week), half shares are also available, and I'm taking names for a list now.  To view the information and vegetables available in fall shares, here is the page on the farm blog: http://all-natural-mama.blogspot.com/2011/08/fall-csa-announcement.html . If you'd like to be added to the fall share list please email me at wishfulacres@gmail.com.  Tell your friends & neighbors who may be interested!  We'll be able to take on more customers this fall, and are planting now in preparation for those wonderful fall vegetables!  Help us expand our farm CSA!  :-)

Optional purchases this week: ( If you want any just let me know by Friday night via email and I'll make a note.) Can be picked up at Saturday farmers market or at the farm
  • From the bulk bins: 1/2 bushels of our cucumbers & summer squash now available, $10 each (that's about 25 cucumbers & even more squash!) - ideas & recipes at end of newsletter
Here is what I'll have at the Freeport Farmers Market this Saturday morning, From 7:30-11 (located in the CVS parking lot at the corner of South & West streets, near Higher Grounds coffee shop)

-Sweet Pepper - not a lot available, come early!

-Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Yellow Zucchini, etc.

-Basil.  Not a lot, again come early

-Lettuce Mix - only a bit this week, our CSA shares get first dibs on all the vegetables, and lettuce is not plentiful this time of year.

-Cucumbers - oodles.  Several varieties!

-Sweet Onions-  can be eaten fresh from the fridge or frozen for future use!

-Garlic -

-Flat Italian Green Beans -
the first small harvest of a new planting, there wasn't enough yet for the CSA shares, so I'll have some at market.

-Maybe some more surprises.


And here are some recipe ideas for all those delicious organic veggies!

Recipes:


Stuffed Patty Pan Squash 
(recipe with picture is here on farm blog: http://all-natural-mama.blogspot.com/2010/08/recipe-italian-stuffed-patty-pan-squash.html )

Serves 4
  • 4 small to medium-sized Patty Pan Squash
  • 1/2 pound Italian Sausage or Ground Beef
  • 1 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
To prepare the patty pan squash for stuffing, wash and then cut a circle around the stem, leaving a bit of the edge - as you would cut open the top of a pumpkin.  Use a small spoon to scoop out the seed cavity and dispose of the seeds.  The inside should now be hollow.  In a pan, brown the meat.  Then add the marinara and stir to combine.  Stuff the marinara sauce into the hollowed-out patty pan squash.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until the squash is soft.  To eat, cut with a knife and fork, eating the squash along with the stuffing.  Enjoy!


Pesto made with Basil
-1 sandwich bag full fresh basil
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-1 clove garlic
-1 tablespoon parmesan cheese (optional)
-dash salt (optional)

Place all into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.  Enjoy over pasta, or drizzled over cooked squash or tomatoes.  Also great as a dip for bread or fresh veggies.


More information on the Extra Purchases:


  • Bulk Bins: 1/2 bushels of cucumbers or summer squash (mixed varieties) - $10 each.  Tons of cukes are great for making freezer, refrigerator, or canned pickles or for eating fresh, you can go in on a 1/2 bushel and get about 25 cukes to split with friends & neighbors!  As for the summer squash, a 1/2 bushel can be used in many different recipes & frozen for use this winter!  We love to make Creaming Zucchini Soup - here is a very detailed recipe on our farm web site blog: http://all-natural-mama.blogspot.com/2009/10/creamy-zucchini-soup.html


Thanks again, everyone! 

Penny Peterson
Wishful Acres Farm
Certified Naturally Grown
http://wishfulacres.blogspot.com

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