VEGGIE COOP FARM NOTES: WEEK 9 : August 17, 2009: Smaller Bag
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Packing Slip: Smaller Bag

Basil – 25g lemon or lime 2.00
Cherry tomatoes – half pint or 400g greenhouse tomatoes 3.10
Dill 2.00 Please dry me!
Garlic – 150g 2.10
Gooseberries (pint) or Raspberries (half pint) 3.75
Salad Mix - 250g 7.00
Sugar Snap Peas - 100g . 2.00
Summer squash 650g 1.95
Total: $23.90

Important message from Mike! “Please be patient and let your tomatoes ripen.” This is how he has learned to sell our tomatoes to the restaurants. This way, they ripen on the counter and there is no spoilage. All baskets contain Juliet and Sungold tomatoes. Some baskets also contain Golden Sweet, Sugary, or Yellow Mini tomatoes. The color of the ripe tomatoes may be yellow, orange, pink, or red. For the best taste ever, try to be patient and let the tomatoes ripen until their color is vivid. Also, note: the dill was picked and packed early this morning before we realized things might dry off during the day; try putting it in a glass of water on the counter, or drying. If you plan to put it in the frig, it may need to be dried with a paper towel before putting it away. Add dill to anything and everything, including broiled or fish made on the grill Or make a dip by adding the entire bunch to a block of cream cheese, with cream or milk to blend to consistency you like and a slug or two of soy sauce to taste.
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For information, questions or comments, we are only an e-mail or phone call away. Contact; Mike Rabinowitz, Co-Owner and Coordinator, Veggie Coop. House Phone: 895-2884. If you are running late for the pick up, call Mike on the Farm Cell at 689-7693.

By now you know, Bags not picked up go back to farm chill room! Don’t forget to mark off your name on the chill room door; if your name is not there, leave an original note somewhere on the door or near-by cork board. IT’S IN THE BAG and Special Orders. Even though we may not have enough of the things you especially enjoy each week to make up the forty member bags, keep in mind that these may be things you will want to special order. E-mail Mike with your order. Mike. He will bring special orders to drop-off or you can pick them up at the Farm Store on the week-end. Families Welcome! This past week-end, it was delightful to see so many Veggie Coop members with children, tromping about the farm, investigating the pond for fish and Toads; a couple of families took their children to pick raspberries. It was a special treat to have Stephen and Emily, of Georgetown Bakery Fame and their three children, Evan, Annie and Felix out this week-end; they used to come often before they got so busy with the bakery, children and renovating a new house, but we haven’t seen them at the farm for a long time. Howeveer, if you want to visit with Mike on Sunday, he is not usually here on Sundays until after 3 o’clock.

Gooseberries and Raspberry 911 continues! Gooseberries for most! Raspberries for a few! If you got gooseberries, try the Gooseberry cake recipe on our website; it requires only one or two cups. Joyce Macpherson, Botanical Gardens Cookbook, suggested that gooseberries, be topped, tailed, washed and dried. I find it best if you work with the berries while they are in a pan of water; this keeps your hands from sticking to the pieces you are trying to remove. When my berries were ready, I slushed them up a few seconds in the food processor and added a bit of sugar instead of spreading them whole. However, “whole” also works. Raspberry Vinegar. .Have you tried to raspberry vinegar recipe on the Website? You won’t be disappointed. I bought bottles for my vinegar this morning at Brewery Lane, but if you make small amounts for home use, use a recydable vinegar bottle or canning jar.

Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here. Zucchini and cousins! I am sure no one needs a recipe for the first squash of the season but mine is a lightly sautéed, pan fried dish with Monterrey Jack Cheese. It is on the Website, under Zucchini. The best place to find Monterrey Jack Cheese consistently at a reasonable price is M&M Pre-Pack Sales, corner of Portugal Cove Rd. and Newfoundland Drive, near the Dairy Queen. Today, in the oven, I have – a meatless lasagna with a thin layer of spinach on the bottom resting on the noodles and under the first layer of cottage cheese, followed by a second layer which is topped with thin slices of zucchini topped with fresh oregano and other species; tomato sauce, then more lasagna pasta, layered with more cheese and sauce. It is resting on the shelf below a chocolate zucchini cake, because Louis found a monstrous size zucchini hiding somewhere in the squash patch. The recipe is not posted but let me know if you are interested.