Sunday, August 29, 2010

Apples are here!

The newest addition this week was apples! Karen had three varieties for sale: Rambo, Gala, and Matsu. We bought a bag of Matsu apples and they were delicious, crisp and flavorful!


Dogpatch Nursery

Sadly, this week marks the end of Keith's delicious rainbow of tomatoes. Plant disease ended his season, but he'll still be around for the market. Who knows what he'll bring along!

Last week my husband made a simple and delicious golden tomato pasta sauce that turned the pasta a beautiful sunny yellow. Here's the recipe he used, which can be found at 101 Cookbooks.

Golden Tomato Sauce Recipe (printable)

I don't bother peeling the tomatoes here, but you certainly could. You can also do a double or triple batch. The sauce will keep refrigerated for about a week. Also, the color of your tomatoes will dramatically impact the color of your sauce. I like to choose tomatoes that are bright yellow in color, like you see here. Alternatively, yellow tomatoes with a hint of orange make a striking sauce as well.
  • 1 1/2 pounds / 24 oz / 680g ripe yellow tomatoes, cored and halved
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we used a pinch of chipotle pepper powder instead)
Run your finger along the inside of each tomato to remove and discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch chunks, reserve any juice, and set aside.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes in a cold medium sauce pan. Now, heat the ingredients, stirring occasionally, until the garlic begins to sizzle and take on a bit of color. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved juices, and bring to a simmer. Cook for just a couple minutes, long enough for the tomatoes to start breaking down a bit. Remove from heat, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Makes 2 cups / 475 ml.


Ochoa Produce

Another week of delicious yellow and red watermelon, as well as frog-skin and regular cantaloupe, not to mention juicy, delectable peaches. Last week I was trying to think of creative things to do with all of the melon and peaches that we purchased so I got out my smoothie blender and made Cantaloupe-Peach Smoothies. Freezing the fruit before making the smoothie means that ice isn't needed, so the flavor isn't watered down.

Cantaloupe-Peach Smoothie (printable)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes
  • 1/2 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, cut into chunks, and frozen
  • 1 peach, pitted, cut into chunks, and frozen
  • 1 cup fruit juice
  • 1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Makes about 4 cups.

Every week samples of Ochoa Produce's delicious melons and peaches are available, so you know what you're getting before you purchase.



There's a wide variety of produce: yellow squash, zucchini, yellow zucchini, yellow pattypan squash, white pattypan squash, three varieties of eggplant, Carolina Gold orange tomatoes, green tomatoes, red tomatoes (available by the box for canning as well), hot peppers (habanero, jalapeno, and poblano)




sweet peppers (cubanelle and bell peppers, both green and red), cucumbers (slicing, pickling and English)


yams, white sweet potatoes, red potatoes, white potatoes, red onions, yellow onions


radishes, kale, collard greens, crowder peas ( a flavorful type of bean similar to a cowpea), broad beans, greens beans

If you haven't tried crowder peas, I encourage you to do so! My 9-year-old son loves to help me shell them and they have a wonderful, unique flavor steamed with a bit of salt and pepper. They're also very flexible and can be used in place of pinto beans in Mexican dishes.

This post online guided me in my first efforts to prepare them, and a Google search of crowder pea or black-eyed pea recipes gave me more ideas than I could possibly use!

Fresh black-eyed peas are so delicious. I simmer them in unsalted water until soft. (How soft is a matter of preference.) Then add salt.

Sometimes we eat them plain, maybe add a dash of hot sauce.

Peas and greens are a simple preparation: Cook a strip of bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and cook chopped onion in the grease. Add chopped greens (turnip, beet, chard...) with some water or broth. Cook until the greens are soft. Add cooked black-eyed peas and heat through.



Next Week

Next week look for more greens, and in a couple of weeks you can expect butter and lima beans. Once the nights cool down watch for turnips and beets, as well as other cool weather crops such as herbs.

Karen McLeod

Not only did Karen bring delicious apples, she had a selection of canned goods such as jam, relish, watermelon pickles, and tomato preserves, as well as a variety of baked goods.



Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Karen's Kitchen

Karen's Kitchen offers home-canned jams, jellies, condiments, and preserves, as well as baked goods such as pies, cakes, breads, muffins, and cupcakes. Most items are made with fruit and produce produced by Karen or by local farmers. She takes special orders for home-baked items, so keep her in mind for your next special event or family gathering. She can be reached at 540-222-5819. Karen also offers apples when they're in season.

Jams, Jellies, and Preserves (* - New)

Apple Butter
Apple Jelly
Apple Preserves
Applesauce
Blackberry Jam (Summer)
Blueberry Jelly
Cherry Jam (Summer)
Damson Jam
Dandelion Jam *
Fig Preserves (Fall)
Grape Jelly
Lemon Jelly *
Lilac Jelly *
Mint Jelly
Nectarine Jam
Peach Butter
Peach Jam
Pear Butter
Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
Pepper Jelly
Plum Butter
Pomegranate Jelly *
Pumpkin Butter
Strawberry Jam
Strawberry-Kiwi Jam *
Tomato Preserves
Violet Jelly *
Watermelon Rind Pickles

Breads, Cakes, and Muffins (Muffins Vary Weekly)

Banana Nut Bread
Cranberry Orange Bread
Pumpkin Bread
Zucchini Bread
Apple Cake
Applesauce Cake
Date Nut Cake
Apple Muffins
Banana Nut Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Specialty Items

Apple Pie
Peach Pie
Blueberry Pie
Apple Cobbler
Peach Cobbler
Carrot Cake

Items change weekly, so be sure to stop by and check out the baked goodies!

Fruit, vegetables, a tomato rainbow, and baked goods!

This week there was a bountiful harvest!

Dogpatch Nursery


Keith is understandably proud of his beautiful rainbow of tomatoes!


Whether heirloom or hybrid, they're all delicious...


Ochoa Produce


Whether you're looking for succulent peaches, the best watermelon and cantaloupe I've ever tasted, sweet and delicious corn, or any of a variety of vegetables, Ochoa Produce has something locally-grown and bursting with flavor that's sure to please.



Karen McLeod


I was so excited to meet Karen! The Eastern Orange Farmer's Market now offers baked goods such as pies, cakes, breads, and cupcakes, as well as home-canned jams! The blueberry and raisin cinnamon muffins were delicious, and I can't wait to try the plum jam. She takes special orders for home-baked items, so keep her in mind for your next special event or family gathering.