The Pod Community Supported Agriculture Newsletter World PEAS CSA is a program of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project Tuesday August 19, 2014 Notes from the field In your share: Our farmers are starting to see big tomato yields in the fields, with more cherry Potatoes • Collard Greens • Sweet Corn tomatoes than we know what to do with! Unfortunately, late blight has hit Eggplant • Tomatillos • Cherry Tomatoes some of their tomatoes so they’ve had to pull plants earlier than expected- a Slicing Tomatoes • Peaches huge shame for farmers who could otherwise market tomatoes at a high value Also in Large Shares: for significant returns on their product. Mice and woodchucks are making their Summer squash mark on Rechatt and Pete & Jen’s root crops, but most farmers are seeding Crop information: their fall crops (and root crops) in preparation for cooler weather. Sweet Corn Meet Your Farmer, Julie Weitekamp Like many young and beginning farmers, Julie Weitekamp took a wandering path into farming. The first seed was planted in her parents’ backyard garden, when Julie was growing up southeast in New Hampshire. She went on to study biology at Wheaton College in Illinois, land an internship at the Memphis Originally a plant of the Americas, Botanic Garden, and get a Master’s degree corn is widely cultivated and has been in Biochemistry at the University of Rhode integrated into many of the worlds’ Island. But as a lab technician, she found cuisines. Sweet corn is best eaten as herself increasingly drawn to her gardening. soon as possible after picking: steamed, After attending a session of New Entry’s boiled, grilled, in salads, as a pizza Explore Farming workshop, Julie started topping, or even raw. Spanish explorers of the early 1500s found Indians growing working on a career shift. She graduated from corn in East Texas, and the Spanish New Entry’s Farm Business Planning Course depended on corn culture at the Rio in 2008 and began growing vegetables on New Entry’s incubator training Grande valley settlements and the Texas farms in Dracut, Mass. missions. They ate the grain as a basic Two years later, Julie rented an acre of land in Littleton, Mass., where she ingredient in tortillas, tamales, posole, officially started Full Basket Farm. Since then, she was able to build a 26 x 84 and atole. The corn plants adaptability ft high tunnel thanks to a grant from the USDA/NRCS Environmental Quality and diversity led to the proliferation of Incentives Program (EQIP), and she and her husband built their own walk-in numerous varieties. The plant may have cooler. The farm has certainly seen its share of challenges, and farming ranged from no more than a couple of full-time is busy enough when you aren’t also raising three kids. But for Julie, feet tall to over 20 feet, with ears an the hard work is all worthwhile. As she says: You have to love it. even wider range of colors and sizes. It was not like the uniformly sized and colored corn plant that most people Grilled Corn know today. For the Aztecs, Mayas, From thekitchn.com Incas and various Pueblo dwellers of Ingredients: the southwestern United States, corn Corn on the cob growing took precedence over all other Olive oil activities. Salt to taste Handling: Shuck corn just before Preparation: cooking it. You can scrape the kernels Roasting on the grill gives the corn a smoky flavor we absolutely love. Peel back the from the cob with a knife. husks, but leave them attached at the stem. Remove all the silk and then brush the Storing: Corn can be refrigerated with corn with olive oil (butter can sometimes burn). Cover the corn back up with the husks husks on, but should be used quickly as and secure them closed with a piece of string or aluminum foil. Roast the ears of corn it will decline in sweetness as it ages. over a medium-hot grill, turning occasionally, until the outer husks are charred and Freezing: Freezing corn, while not to be toasted. This usually takes about 15 minutes. Let the corn cool enough to handle, then compared to fresh corn on the cob, is strip off the husks and eat. a good product for cooking. Cut from the cob, blanch in boiling water for 4-6 minutes, cool the kernels in ice water, place in a freezer bag and store in Roasted Tomatillo Salsa the freezer immediately. From foodnetwork.com Ingredients: 1/2 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled 1/2 small onion, cut into quarters 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and minced 1 lemon, juiced Tomatillos 1 lime, juiced Tomatillos are a member of Place the tomatillos, garlic and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with the the nightshade (Solanaceae) olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the oven until browned family, related to tomatoes, and and softened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oven and place are an important ingredient in the tomatillos and onion in a food processor. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their peels Mexican cuisine. Tomatillos have into the food processor. Add the jalapeno, juice of 1 lemon and lime to the vegetables. been cultivated in Mexico and Pulse until the mixture is fully incorporated but not pureed. Season the salsa with salt Guatemala for several centuries, and pepper, to taste, and set aside. where they were important staples for Mayan and Aztec cultures. Southwest Corn Chowder Tomatillos most closely resemble From Allrecipes.com ground cherries, but are slightly Ingredients: larger and are typically used as 0.5 lb tomatillos, husked a savory ingredient, especially in 1 tablespoon butter salsa and ‘green sauce’ found in 1 onion, diced Latin America. Tomatillos are used 1/2 can (20 ounce) white hominy, drained in salsas, salads, soups, other 1/4 teaspoon thyme raw or cooked dishes and are the secret ingredient of salsa verde. 2 cups milk Similar to husk cherries, tomatillos 2 sprigs parsley have an outer husk that must be 3 ears fresh corn kernels removed before eating. At times, 1 roasted bell pepper, drained and chopped tomatillos have a naturally sticky 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro coating, which can be washed off Preparation: with water before eating. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the tomatillos, and boil for 10 Handling: Remove the husks and minutes; drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the rinse the tomatillo. Tomatillos are onions, and cook until they have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in generally eaten with the seeds in. the hominy and thyme, cook and stir 5 minutes more. Pour in the milk, parsley, and half of Storing: Tomatillos will last up to 2 the corn kernels, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Puree the tomatillos with weeks stored at room temperature. the remaining half of the corn until smooth in a blender, then stir into the soup along with Refrigerate in husks beyond 2 the roasted pepper. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, then remove the parsley sprigs, and weeks. sprinkle with cilantro before serving. Freezing: Remove the husks, clean and place in a freezer-safe Peach Chutney container. When ready to use thaw From recipe.com and slice. Ingredients: 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger 1/4 cup chopped onion 1.5 teaspoons mustard seeds 1.5 teaspoons chili powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 clove garlic, minced 1.5 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped (about 4 cups) Preparation: In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, onion, mustard seeds, chili powder, salt and garlic. Stir in the peaches. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; boil gently, uncovered, about 2 hours or until deep golden brown and thick, stirring more frequently at the end to prevent sticking. There will be some liquid remaining but the mixture will thicken further as it cools. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Loosely cover and chill for several hours or until completely cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Serve with pork or fowl. World PEAS Food Hub | 155 Merrimack St., 3rd Floor, Lowell, Mass. 01852 | (978) 654-6745 | www.nesfp.org.