Turtle Times
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Vol. 15, No. 17, Aug. 31, ‘10 7260 NW 58th St., Johnston 50131 278-4522 (577-9208)
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Rain: No Rain!
In the Box . . .
Garlic ‘German Extra Hardy”
Green beans ‘Maxibel’, ‘Jumbo’ (some sites)
Cucumbers ‘Marketmore’, ‘Tokiwa’
Tomatoes ‘Amish paste’, Abe Lincoln, ‘Jetstar’, ‘Garden Peach’, ‘NE Wedding’, ‘Golden boy’, ‘Green Zebra’, ‘Evergreen’, ‘Italian gold’, ‘Opalka’ (maybe)
Eggplant ‘Pingtung’, Black Beauty, ‘Falcon’, ‘Long Green’, ‘Rosa Bianca’ (some sites)
Summer Squash ‘Dark Green’, ‘Costata’, ’Zephyr’, patty pan
Peppers ‘Islander’ (purple), ‘Banana’, ‘Romanian’, ‘Ace’, ‘Flavorburst’ (yellow), ‘Franks’, ‘Lemme’s Italian’, ‘Odessa market’
Raspberries ‘Autumn Bliss’ (some sites)
Okra (rotating among those who requested it—or anyone else who would like to try it)
Ala carte options: Lemon, lime, thai, Sacred and cinnamon basil, rosemary, choc. mint ($1 ea.)
Free: Basil bouquets (two free per share for the season or one for half share—additional ones $5)
(Please email angela@turtle-farm.com or call 278-4522 to request ala carte or free items.)
Farm Update
We had quite a fun, community event with our hoop house raising today. The plastic is back on and it looks great. We were a little nervous about the breezy forecast, but we had enough hands to hold on tight and keep things under control. It took 2 ½ hours total time for both layers to be put on separately. It was great having a meeting of the minds on best ways to accomplish the task. We were led by Ben and Jason Jones (farm manager at The Homestead), who had experience doing this once before. Other helping hands included Ron Wheeler, Donald Bustell, Nancy Rambo, John and Sandy Grace, Ryan Lensing, Tracey and Joel Boyles, John and Angela Tedesco. There was even enough energy to cut up the locust tree that had fallen on the potato field and clear out the tree debris from our stream’s log jam. A big hug and thanks to these members for coming out to help. And we had our usual delicious assortment of potluck food afterwards with a few other Turtle Farm friends while we gazed at our morning’s accomplishment!
This week we send out the first German Extra Hardy garlic. We saved the most beautiful variety for last. We still have a lot of them to clean, so you will get a steady stream over the course of the next few weeks. Also our cucumbers and summer squash are slowing a bit. They have been our mainstays the past month or so, and we have been amazed at how they have produced despite the flooding. Our green beans are slowing and the next succession is blooming but not ready yet, so we will see a little lull in them now. The raspberries are fading, and as you know the tomatoes have been a flash in the pan. And yet, the okra flourishes!
Recipes
After a discussion of okra at the potluck, Nancy Rambo sent these recipes to share. The first one is similar to one I make every year (minus the green pepper and garlic) to freeze and enjoy all winter.
Smothered Okra
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp butter
2 c sliced okra
2 c chopped, peeled tomatoes (any fresh tomatoes or you can use a can of chopped tomatoes)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
Saute' onion, green pepper and garlic in butter until soft.
Stir in okra, tomatoes and seasonings.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Makes 4 servings
Okra Casserole
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/3 c melted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c chopped tomatoes (any fresh tomatoes or a can of chopped tomatoes)
1 1/4 c sliced okra
1/2 tsp dried basil
4 slices cheese (original recipe calls for velveeta but I prefer to use grated raw milk cheddar - just enough to cover the top of the baking dish)
In a saucepan, sauté onion and green pepper in butter.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper and mix well.
Add tomatoes, okra and basil.
Spoon mixture into a greased 1 1/2 quart baking dish and arrange cheese slices on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Makes 6 servings.