Please do be careful with your jalapeno peppers, as they are very spicy. We definitely don’t want anyone’s children to get a hold of them and eat them by accident, yikes! We are growing some sweet bell peppers as well, but they are larger and require more time to ripen.

It was nice to see some of you at the picnic Monday, and we hope to see even more of you here at the farm on the 19th for our own picnic celebration. How about a little RSVP? I’d like to know just how many folks to expect. I imagine all 160 of you CSA members plus families, and that is why I planned to offer two tours, but maybe only half of you are able to attend and that means one tour will be plenty. So, give us a call or an email and tell us if you plan to attend. Let’s have a great time together. Free flower picking is a part of the tour, we have many zinnias and sunflowers that I hope will still be lovely in two weeks time.

Oven-Braised Leeks-Chez Panisse Vegetables
Cut off the roots and tough green tops of the leeks and remove their outer layer of skin. Slice the leeks almost in half with a vertical cut starting and inch or so above the root end, rotate the leek 90 degrees, and make a second cut. Rinse them and soak them in cold water, working free any dirt. Tie the leeks into a bundle and parboil them in well-salted boiling water until tender throughout. Remove the bundle, cut off the string, and drain and cool at room temperature. Arrange the leeks in a buttered baking dish. Cover with a mixture of one part stock to three parts heavy cream. Dot with unsalted butter, and season with salt and black pepper. You can also add a branch of thyme or some fresh chopped thyme leaves. Bake at 375 for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the liquid has reduced enough so that it coats instead of covering the leeks. Serve warm.
Note: A lighter way of cooking leeks with cream is to braise them until tender in a covered saucepan on top of the stove with butter and water. Then add enough cream to barely cover the leeks, and simmer, uncovered, until the cream has reduced and coats the leeks.

Hot Cabbage Slaw
Hot Cabbage Slaw
2 bacon strips, chopped, or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
1/4 cup chopped onion,
6 cups shredded cabbage,
chopped fresh dill to taste,
pinch of sugar,
salt and pepper to taste,
1 tablespoon vinegar.
Fry bacon in skillet, remove, drain on paper towel. Add onion and sauté until soft, add 2 tablespoons water, the cabbage, dill, sugar, salt and pepper; cover and simmer until wilted but still crunchy. Add the rest.
Open House/ Farm picnic potluck
Saturday Sept. 19
1-4 pm.

Let’s have a party! A farm potluck picnic, bring a dish to share and tablewares.
We will be hosting farm tours at 2pm and 3 pm. That involves walking around all three fields with some driving in between them all. Don’t you want to come see where all this great food is coming from? Of course you do, so come on over.

Tomatoes for sale! Chickens for sale!

We planted plenty of tomatoes for sauce and canning and you can buy some. We have this week about fifty pounds each of Orange Banana, and Amish Paste available, for 2.00 per pound. Call the farm if you would like to order some now or later. I expect them to be available for another two months.

Our list of chicken wanters is rapidly filling up, but there are still a few birds available for YOU!! So call soon if you want to get on the list. September 21 is the big day, you pick up between 5-7 pm, and the chickens cost 5.00 per pound. The average chicken weighs five pounds, some lighter, not too many heavier.

Stir-Fried Celery and Carrot Strips
Fast and Healthy Ways to Cook Vegetables
2-3 Tbsp. Oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
5 cups thinly sliced celery ribs, cut at angle
3 carrots cut in julienne, matchstick strips
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the celery, carrots, and onions. Saute until almost tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce or salt and almonds. Cook and stir until celery is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes longer. Makes four to six servings.