Turtle Times
_____________________________________________________________________
Vol. 13, No. 17, Sept. 2, ‘08 7260 NW 58th St., Johnston 50131 278-4522 (577-9208)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rain: 8/24, 0.3”
In the Box . . .
Onion ‘Clear Dawn’ (storage onions)
Tomatoes ‘Dona’, ‘Golden Boy’, ‘Big Beef’, ‘Celebrity’, ‘Sioux’, ‘Garden Peach’, ‘Amish paste’, ‘Arkansas Traveler’, ‘Nebraska Wedding’, ‘Italian Gold’, ‘Green zebra’, ‘Evergreen’, ‘Pineapple’
Cucumbers ‘Tokiwa’
Summer squash ‘Zephyr’, ‘Sunburst’, ‘Dark green’
Peppers ‘Islander’ (purple ones), ‘Romanian’ (light yellow ones), ‘Orion (green),’Ace’, ‘Lipstick’, ‘Jimmy Nardello’, ‘Tequila Sunrise’, ‘Frank’s’, ‘Tolli’s sweet’,
Green beans (haricot vert) ‘Maxibel’ and ‘Masai’ (short ones)
Eggplant ‘Snowy’, ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Ping tung long’, ‘Rosa Bianca’, ‘Italian blush’
Raspberries and strawberries rotating sites
Swiss Chard (to anyone who requests it)
Ala Carte Herbs & Veggies ($1 ea): Lavender, parsley, tarragon, thyme, lemon, lime, thai, and cinnamon basils, collards ($3)
Free herbs to anyone who requests them: marjoram, sage (and the basil buckets at each site or basil bouquets)
Farm Update
This week’s box looks a lot like last week’s, but some changes are slowly creeping in. We have new varieties of summer squash ready. Soon we will have more variety with fall crops such as spinach and braising greens and radishes
I will be contacting those of you who requested October shares. We are taking the first 53 requests for the full month. The remaining 31 who didn’t quite make the cut will get the choice of doing two weeks of the October share. I will be contacting you as well. As it stands now, the regular season will go through October 3rd. Then the October share would go the remaining four weeks in October. Most likely we will only deliver on a Tuesday at a reduced number of drop sites, but we will let you know when we have all the details worked out. Also, I will be contacting those with ala carte money still left to encourage you to spend it
The fliers in your boxes last week (Friday) and this week (Tuesday) highlight the Garlic Fest fundraiser dinner that follows our field day on September 13. The menu looks very interesting. Most of the farm crew plans to go. We hope you will consider it, too.
Turtle Farm Cohousing Revisited
Over a year ago, I brought up the concept of cohousing as a way of preserving the farm land at Turtle Farm beyond my tenure there. From the interest in that initial meeting, a small core group has continued to move ahead working toward that goal. At this time we are ready to publicize it more widely to recruit more interest and members. If you want to learn more about our progress (or about cohousing) we now have a website being constructed—check out the link on www.turtle-farm.com starting this Tuesday Sept. 2. Anyone is invited to an informational and work meeting set for Sunday September 14 from 2-4 pm at the home of Nancy Rambo and Donald Bustell, 6520 Del Matro in Windsor Heights. Let us know if you are coming (e-mail or call 278-4522) as we may change the location depending upon the number of people attending.
Recipes
Mediterranean-style Sandwich (from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)
Vinaigrette:
¼ c. olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp minced dried rosemary, ground fennel seeds, or dried thyme
Pinch of ground black pepper
Sandwich fixings:
1 tiny eggplant, peeled and sliced
¾ c. thinly sliced red bell peppers
½ c. thinly sliced onions
20-inch baguette
1 ½ c. mesclun or mixed baby greens
½ c. grated smoked mozzarella, feta, or Parmesan Cheese
1 c. thinly sliced tomatoes
8 fresh basil leaves, whole or chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, the herb of your choice, and the black pepper and set aside. Spread the eggplant rounds in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch or larger baking dish. Add the bell peppers and onions, keeping the vegetables in a single layer, if possible. Reserve 1 T. of the vinaigrette and pour the rest over the vegetables. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes.
When the vegetables are roasted, cut the baguette in half lengthwise. Brush the cut surfaces of each half with the reserved vinaigrette. Layer on half of the baguette with the greens, place the roasted eggplant rounds along the length of the loaf, and cover with the bell peppers and onions. Top with the cheese, tomato slices, and the basil leaves. Cover with the other baguette half and slice into thirds to make three sandwiches.