It's that time of Year when.................

The kids are getting ready to go back to school and Labor Day is upon us!  The Heirlooms and HG's Tomatoes are still plentiful for a great Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil salad, drizzled with the world famous 25 yr. aged Claudios's Balsamic Vinegar.  Other great salad options for the weekend are edamame and corn, or succotash.  Doc Martin Limas are now in full swing and are going fast.  And don't forget to pick up Henretty's crab cakes, they are scrumptious.

The fall brings on some of the sweetest corn.  It will be available through mid-October.

Speaking of October!!!!!    Don't forget to make your reservation for our Hay Rides.

Starting the first weekend in October we will be offering hay rides on the farm. They will be held on Saturdays' at 3pm and Sundays' at 2pm. The cost of the ride will be $7.50 for those who are riding and for those who who like to stop at the pumpkin patches and pick pumpkins , these will be charged by the pound. Please call and reserve your spot for they go quickly.

We have reservations for the whole wagon for family and friends for $150.00. 

CSA for the Week of August 27th:

1 Eggplant
2 Heirloom Tomatoes
2 HG's Tomatoes
1/2 lb. Green Beans
1/2 lb. Doc Martin Limas
1 1/2 lbs. Potatoes
1 pint Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
1 Candy Onion
2 lbs. Squash
1 Green Pepper
2 Sunflowers




Thanks Vanessa!


Roasted Tomatoes

The kitchen counter is full of tomatoes from each week's CSA. I've made a dozen variations on a tomato salad- from corn and heirloom cherry tomatoes with balsamic and basil to garlicky green beans and tomatoes. Tonight I had a bunch of really ripe stragglers- each with a bit of a bad spot. My #1 tomatoes turned #2 overnight! Here's a super easy recipe to regain counter space and make quick work of a colander full of tomatoes. These roasted tomatoes keep at least a few days in the fridge and I add them to omelets, soup, quiche, pizza, pasta sauce, etc. They also freeze well to brighten winter meals. Whenever I use the oven, I try to cram it full of veggies to roast to conserve energy and save time during the week. Roasted potatoes with rosemary, tin foil parcels of beets sprinkled with some good sea salt, chopped medleys of eggplant, onion and zucchini.. yum!

Ingredients:

tomatoes (sliced about 1/2 inch thick, seeds removed) 

garlic cloves (peeled and left whole or cut in half)

olive oil

dried oregano

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat several baking trays with olive oil. Arrange tomato slices on the trays, skin side down. 

Tuck garlic cloves into tomato crevices. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Drizzle with a little more olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1/5 hours

depending on how thick and watery your tomatoes are. You want them to shrink down a bit and lose a lot of their moisture without burning. Keep 

them in a covered container in the fridge with a drizzle of olive oil on top. 

CSA for Week of August 20th:
1 Eggplant
2 Heirloom Tomatoes
2 HG's Tomatoes
1 pint of Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
1 Candy Onion
1 Red Onion
1 1/2 lbs of Potatoes
2lbs. of Squash
1 Green Pepper 6 Ears of Corn
2 Sunflowers or 1 bunch of Zinnias


Many thanks once again to Vanessa Lauria

Recipe by Vanessa Lauria

This weekend was delightfully cool. Great sleeping weather and a nice breeze. The moment the weather starts to remind me of fall, I break out this dish (even though it is still August).  Colcannon is basically mashed potatoes and cabbage- but somehow it is so much better than that description :) Colcannon is pretty cheap to make, is warm and totally comforting and goes well with a variety of other dishes. I always try to have some kind of green, depending on the season and what's in my CSA share. Green beans sauteed with garlic, a squeeze of lemon and some slivered almonds would be delicious. A quick saute of zucchini and red onion? Yum. A tomato salad with basil and fresh corn? Now we're talking!

Ingredients:
2.5-3 lbs potatoes (I really don't measure- cut enough potatoes into big chunks (skins on) to cover the bottom of a big pot- maybe 6-8 big potatoes) (part of this week's CSA)
2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 a green cabbage or 1.5 pounds of kale, finely chopped
1 broccoli, super-chopped (I mean baby florets)
lots of garlic, minced to taste (available at SIW)

1 cup chopped leeks (this time of year I'm using up frozen leeks from last fall)
1 cup evaporated milk (or half and half for more decadence) (or plain yogurt available at SIW)
1-2 Tbls chopped parsley (available at SIW)
1/2 tsp pepper

Cover the potatoes and 1 tsp salt with water (by 2 inches) and boil for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Once the potatoes are on, I chop the cabbage and add that so they all cook together.

While the potatoes and cabbage cook, in a small sauce pan, combine the milk, garlic, leeks and parsley. Heat on medium for 10 min or so (I do this until my frozen leeks are defrosted and cooked. This will probably finish before the potatoes are done- so just turn off the heat and let sit.

At the end of the potato cooking time, throw in the broccoli (they only need a minute or so in the boiling water).

Drain the veggies and return to pot. Add the milk mix, 1 tsp (or more to taste) salt, the pepper and some plops of butter. I mash it all together with my immersion blender, but mash however you choose (a potato ricer works okay- but you have to scrape it frequently b/c of all the potato skins and cabbage bits). That's it!

I always mean to add lots of cheese and bake this in a casserole, but forget to. Leftovers are great for breakfast on a skillet (I think this is called bubble and squeak).

Even in the rain..............

Yes ladies and gentlemen, even in the rain we provide some of the freshest, most scrumptious veggies you can get.  This week we saw a taste of the infamous Doc Martin Limas'.  Not in full swing, but they have made an appearance.  We have some wonderful eggplant and many, many Heirloom tomatoes to choose from.  Paired up with some of Philadelphia's finest mozzarella, fresh basil and a drizzle of Claudio's fabulous balsamic vinegar, all you need is a great beverage and you are good to go.  Having friends and family coming over for the weekend?........Stop by try some of Bobbi's Best hummus with some crostini crackers from Di Bruno's.  Whether you are entertaining or staying home for a quiet evening we have some really great treats.......Amy's Pies....Aunt Hildy's homemade Cookies, or Nogeeshik's granola......  or just stop by to say hello!
Hope you all have a beautiful week.........Thanks!

Congratulations 
to
"Dinner for Two Winner"

for July is:

Susan Varone 

has won dinner for two at

503 Orchard Avenue in Kennett Square

CSA for the Week of August 6th is:

1 Eggplant

2 Heirloom Tomatoes

2 HG Tomatoes

1 Red Onion

1 Candy Onion

1/2 pint Blackberries

2 Sunflowers or a bunch of Zinnias

1 pint of Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

2 Green Peppers

2 lbs. of Squash
1lb. Red or White potatoes

Another great recipe from Vanessa Lauria!

Red Potato, Scape and Fresh Corn Pizza

I love grilled pizza- perfect for summer because it cooks quickly and you don't need the oven on in the kitchen!

This week I made pizza inside with all the windows open and a lovely breeze coming through. Your favorite pizza dough

recipe will work (pre-made dough is fine too!). Here are links for 2 recipes I use frequently: when I feel like kneading- 

http://content.markbittman.com/node/176 and when I don't-  http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/03/jim-laheys-no-knead-pizza-dough-recipe.html

The quantities for ingredients are flexible, depending on how many pizzas you are making. In our kitchen, we like to 

make a few small pizzas and experiment with toppings. Thin slices of potato crisp up beautifully and a squeeze of lemon really

brightens things up. Garlic scapes lend a mild garlic flavor and a sprinkling of green. They are sadly no longer in season at SIW,

but you may still have a few bunches in the fridge- I know I do! No worries if you are out- substitute thinly sliced garlic or scallions.

Ingredients:

several small red potatoes, sliced very thinly (CSA)

1 bunch of garlic scapes or scallions or garlic, chopped fine (scallions and garlic available at SIW)

2 corn, kernels cut off (this week's CSA share)

1 lemon, for a squeeze or two of juice

fresh or dried rosemary for sprinkling 

other fresh herbs (available at SIW)

fresh mozzarella cheese (available at SIW)

prepared pizza dough

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, preheat this as well. 

Prepare your potatoes. Saute the thinly slice potatoes over medium heat in a nonstick skillet with a little olive oil. Add chopped scapes 

(if using garlic, add it to the pan at the very end so that it doesn't burn) and continue to cook. Cook for about 10 minutes, flipping and 

babying the potatoes so they get a chance to cook through and maybe brown a bit. 

Prep your pizza dough- shape and stretch it and place on the back of a 

cookie sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal (what I use as a makeshift pizza peel). Top the dough

with thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese. Now comes the fun part! 

Top the pizza. spread potato slices and scapes evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle the corn kernels on top (no need to precook).

Add fresh herbs to your liking. Slide the pizza onto your hot stone and cook about 10 minutes or so- keep an eye on things.

You want a super hot oven so the crust can cook and everything gets all melty together. When the pizza comes out of the 

oven, give it a squeeze of lemon juice, or pass half a lemon around the table. Enjoy!

It was a hot, but beautiful evening!

What a beautiful evening it was!

"First Annual CSA Dinner"

The Rustic barn built back in the 1600's set the ambiance for a spectacular meal prepared by Harry's Savoy chefs, David Leo Banks and Dwayne Kalup.  

The menu included a mouth watering array of veggies from the farm with the famous touch of Harry's Savoy:  

Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes with hand pulled Mozzarella EVOO, Farm Stand pickled Heirloom Tomatoes, Beets and Watermelon Salad-Fresh Horseradish Dressing, Grilled Eggplant Crostini, Soy and Methley Plum, Corn and Edamame Salad, Corn on a Stick, Lemongrass Ginger Aioli, Red and White Potatoes, Roasted Garlic and Herbs, Grilled Organic Chicken, Beet Foam, Candy Onion Marmalade, Foccacia with HG's Sauce, Amish Bouche', Lemon and Cracked Pepper Pound Cake, Blackberries and Chocolate Mint Whipped Cream.      

There were also wonderful beverages from the Farm Stand ingredients of:  Watermelon, lime, Basil Seed Cocktail and Pineapple Agave and Scotch Bonnet Soda.

       

We would like to take this opportunity to thank George Sinkler
for joining us with his soothing music.

c

CSA for the Week of July 30th:

1 Eggplant

2 Heirlooms

1Cand Onion

1 Red Onion

2 Red Tomatoes

1 pint Cherry Tomatoes

1/2 pint of Blackberries

6 ears of Corn

1 lb. Squash

2 Green Peppers

1bunch of Zinnias

2 Sunflowers

1 small Cantaloupe

Once again we would like to thank Vanessa Lauria for her wonderful recipes.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich with Goat Cheese and Herbs

Here's a simple and delicious recipe to utilize some of this week's CSA abundance. A perfect example of the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts. Roasted and grilled veggies melt together and compliment tangy fresh chevre beautifully. More of an assemblage than a recipe, feel free to experiment and go crazy with variations!

Prepare your veggies with a brush of olive oil and a sprinkling of oregano, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. 

Veggie Suggestions to grill:

Zucchini (this week's CSA share)

Yellow squash (this week's CSA share)

Onions, sliced in thick rings (this week's CSA share)

Garlic Scapes (I skewered the scapes to keep them from being completely unruly)

Eggplant (this week's CSA share)

Green and Red bell peppers* (green pepper in this week's CSA share)

Simply grill your veggies and top a crusty piece of bread that's been slathered with fresh chevre (available at SIW). Enjoy with some freshly picked SIW corn!

*A note about the peppers: I prefer to roast the peppers- by leaving them whole,

and blackening the skin over direct heat. When they are sufficiently charred, slip

them in a paper bag and let them steam for about 15 minutes, or until cool enough

to handle. The charred skin slips off and is discarded, leaving behind wonderfully

smoky, roasted pepper.

This can also be done over the flame of a gas range or under the broiler. If you've got the broiler on, you may as well broil some thick slices of tomato too. 

As long as you have the grill out, halve and pit some delicious peaches (available at SIW) and grill those too.. Fruit is my absolute favorite thing to grill. The sugars caramelize and bring plums, peaches, pineapple, etc. to a whole new level.