Aug 18-19
Member Appreciation Meal:
October 4, 2015
6pm
Volume 2: Issue 13
What’s In the
Bag?

Tomatoes

Tomatillos, Cherry Tomatoes,
Zucchini, Cucumbers, Eggplant
CSA Newsletter
Recipes

Peppers

Jalapeno
Potato Pancakes

Yellow Onions

Shallots

German Butterball Potatoes

Blue Potatoes

Garlic

Basil
4 lb baking potatoes
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of ground cinnamon
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. minced onion
2 lg eggs, beaten
oil, for frying
salt
Heirloom Spotlight
Bull Nose Bell Pepper
Chili peppers are an ancient
vegetable, with a history as
colorful as their fruit. Thought
to be one of the first crops
cultivated by man, chili peppers originated in South America, with traces found in Ecuadorian bowls dating back 6,100
years. The first chilis were
brought back to Spain in 1493
on Columbus’ second voyage to
the West Indies. Thanks to the
Columbian Exchange, chili
peppers spread throughout the
Western Hemisphere, and
reached Asia by the 16th Century. Once in the “Old World,”
monks experimented heavily
with chili peppers’ culinary
purposes and realized their
potential as a black peppercorn
substitute, which was unaffordable at the time. Despite
their popularity in Latin cuisine, India is actually the largest producer, consumer and
exporter of chili peppers.
Our members are enjoying a
bit of history with their Bull
Nose Bell Peppers, as this variety was grown at Monticello by
Thomas Jefferson.
Preheat oven 350F. Peel potatoes (if
desired) and place in cold water.
Small bowl: combine flour, baking
powder, cinnamon, pepper to taste.
Set aside. Pat potatoes dry and grate
on large holes of a grater (long shreds
are best). Place potatoes in lg bowl
and combine with onion. Toss. Add
flour mixture and toss, breaking up
clumps. Add eggs and combine well.
In cast iron skillet, heat 1” oil over
high heat. Using a slotted spoon,
place spoonfuls of potato mixture
(draining liquid) into oil. Fry until
golden, about 2 mins, on each side.
Drain on paper towel. Arrange potato
cakes on cookie sheet and bake for
about 10 mins on each side. Salt to
taste. Good served with applesauce or
sour cream.
Caprese Salad
1 lb tomatoes, sliced 1/4” thick
1/2 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4”
thick
2 tbsp. fresh packed basil leaves
pinch dry oregano, crumbled
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to
taste
On platter, arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves, overlapping them like a sandwich. Spring
with oregano, salt and pepper.
From the Farmer
For the last few weeks at pick
up now, you’ve heard me go on
about our different heirloom tomato varieties. Like other heirloom
crop varieties, heirloom tomatoes
are open pollinated varieties that
were introduced before 1940, or
that have been around for at least
50 years. Heirloom tomatoes are
popular for their vivid flavor, low
acidity and unique appearance.
Heirloom tomatoes come in a rainbow of colors, anywhere from yellow, to red, to black or pink. The
black tomatoes, like our black
cherry tomatoes, are actually more
of a purple color, and our Pruden’s
Purple, the large beefsteak we gave
out when tomato production just
started amping up, is actually more
pink than purple. I will say that the
leaves of a young Pruden’s Purple
plant have a purple tinge to them,
so maybe that’s where this delicious beefsteak got its name. You
will also notice that many of the
heirloom varieties tend to have
green, yellow or slightly lighter
colored “shoulders” than the rest of
the fruit. This doesn’t mean the
fruit isn’t ripe, it’s just a characteristic of the heirloom variety that
you’re about to enjoy.
So why heirlooms? What is the
big deal anyway? Heirloom tomatoes, as I mentioned, gained popularity with the decreasing desirability of store-bought tomatoes.
The tomato industry is booming
nearly year-round in places like
Florida, California and Mexico, but
tomatoes are typically a highly
perishable fruit. If you pick at tomato after it has completely ripened on the vine, you will need to
eat that tomato within a couple
days, as well as maintain it in a
safe environment. Tomatoes be-
come mealy if stored in a refrigerator, or can get overripe quickly
if stored in close proximity to
other produce that produces a lot
of ethylene (the hormone responsible for ripening in fruits and
vegetables), like bananas or melons. In fact, they store best in a
60F environment. Also, tomatoes
are bruised extremely easily. I
usually try to bring a couple extra
tomatoes to Decatur pickup for
any bumps or bruises caused on
30 minute drive from the farm.
Can you imagine an heirloom
tomato surviving the trip from
Mexico or California to your local
Kroger?
In order to get ripe tomatoes
to the grocery store shelf across
America year-round, seed companies starting breeding tomatoes
for their ability to be transported
long distances. These tomatoes are
picked while green and then exposed to ethylene before they get
to the grocery store, to cause the
tomatoes to ripen. The tomatoes
you buy at the grocery store don’t
have much flavor because, well,
they weren’t bred for it!
Enter the heirloom tomato.
Their popularity is almost certainly attributed to consumer’s
taste buds crying out for flavor.
Who wants to slice up a storebought tomato to enjoy with dinner? Certainly not me!
This week we are enjoying
many of the same veggies and
options as last week, with one
exception: Basil! We are starting
off with a small amount for each
member, but that will increase as
the weeks go by and plants get
larger. Zucchini is back as an option, and this week you’ll get to
sample our blue potatoes!