Winding Down
September 9, 2010
Beautiful Radishes!
Week of September 6, 2010
Dear All,
I got so caught up in the weekend that I just about missed getting this newsletter out to you. It is nice to have a three day weekend – especially when there are weddings and birthdays on two of the three days. Today has been devoted to getting the things done that were neglected the first two days of this weekend.
As I write this the wind is blowing and it seems to be getting cooler. With the cooler weather there is a noticeable slow down in the garden produce; fewer tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash. The produce that is growing is getting some of those black bugs – we call them picnic bugs – eating the skin. Soon there will be the fall fare – winter squash, sweet potatoes, lettuce etc. I am looking forward to the sweet potatoes; they are one of my favorite vegetables.
This week’s produce:
Grapes
Raspberries – those who didn’t get them last week
Eggplant – not everyone will receive this week
Green onions
Radishes
Red potatoes
Tomatoes
Green or red or yellow sweet peppers
There are assorted colors of peppers this week. Some of you will be getting green, some red, some chocolate and some banana. They are all sweet peppers. We bring the hot peppers – Serrano and Jalapeno – for you to take if you wish.
The eggplant is maturing in small numbers some of you have received them already, eventually everyone will get eggplant – it may be the classic kind or the long narrow kind or the small purple striped kind.
Storing potatoes – we have been giving you a lot of potatoes lately. I hope that you are able to use them or at least store them. The way the upcoming weather looks, it may be time to think about soup. Here are a couple of storage tips:
- Before storing the potatoes, put them in a paper bag with holes in it. Avoid using plastic bags, as they tend to increases condensation and thus, lead to development of mold.
- Potatoes should always be stored at a place which is cool, dark and has lots of ventilation. One of the best options is to store the potatoes in a root cellar.
- Avoid storing the potatoes in a pantry, as it may lead to their sprouting and dehydration.
- Potatoes should not be in the refrigerator, especially below a temperature of 7 deg C. This is because below this temperature they develop a sweet taste and get darkened when they are cooked.
- The ideal temperature at which potatoes should be stored is somewhere around 7- 10 deg C.
- Never ever store potatoes along with onions. When the two of them are put together, they produce certain gases that spoil both of them.
- Mature potatoes should not be stored for more than 2 months, while the new ones should be consumed within 1 week.
- Sweet potatoes should be stored for a maximum period of one week only, since they are very delicate.
- Never ever keep the potatoes in direct sunlight. In fact, keep them away from prolonged exposure to light. If exposed to light for too long, they become green, develop a bitter taste and might become toxic.
- Keep on checking the stored potatoes every few days. The moment you see a soft, shriveled or sprouted potato, remove it from the storage area.
http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/how-to-store-potatoes-at-home-533.html
| Fresh Tomato Pie |
Submitted By: Britt Terry Photo By: FLOWERBUFF
|
“This savory layered pie is a great luncheon or supper treat. Pile slices of onion and tomato into a pre-baked pie crust. Spread with a mixture of mayonnaise, and Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and then bake in the oven until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and fresh herbs.”
Ingredients:
| 1 (9 inch) pie shell
7 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1 yellow onion 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese |
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
ground black pepper to taste 2 teaspoons fresh basil 2 teaspoons fresh oregano |
Directions:
| 1. | Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). |
| 2. | Bake the pastry shell for 8 to 10 minutes or until browned. |
| 3. | Slice onion and place in the bottom of pastry shell. Slice tomatoes and arrange over onions. Add black pepper to taste. |
| 4. | In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, parmesan and mayonnaise. Spread this mixture evenly over tomatoes. |
| 5. | Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked, garnish with fresh herbs. |
| ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2010 Allrecipes.com | Printed from Allrecipes.com 9/6/2010 |
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=12599&origin=detail&servings=8
Please remember to bring back your bags/baskets and the cardboard or wooden boxes that the raspberries and tomatoes have been coming in.
Hope you all have a great week. A short one at that!
Until next week……..
Denise
