Monday found the crew busy with the usual chores – harvesting, weeding, watering. The 2nd sweet potato field is almost completely weeded for the final time. The fall fields are being readied for planting. With the tomatoes finally coming on, thoughts of saucing and canning keep popping into view. Again, we will be offering canning tomatoes for sale, and more specific details will be shared in future newsletters as we get closer to actually having them available. In the meantime, enjoy the bounty of the summer. With schools starting so much earlier this year (at least down here), it seems like summer is almost over. Have a good week!
From all of us at Green Edge,
Becky (Kip, Dan, John, Rob, Theo, Penny, Alicia, Bethany, Mark, Liz, Miranda, Chris, Natalie, Glenn, Emily)
Care Instructions for Indoor Parsley: Set your parsley in a sunny spot like a south-facing window or a glassed-in porch. The kitchen windowsill is fine (use a saucer) as long as it gets at least six or more hours of sun a day. Water twice a week. Move the pot to the sink and soak it thoroughly, then let it drain before returning it to its regular spot. Parsley is highly susceptible to crown rot, so do not overwater either. Fertilize the plant every four to six weeks. Use a water soluble 5-10-5 fertilizer, and add it to one of the water applications. Harvest parsley by cutting the leaf stalk at the soil line. Take a few sprigs from each plant, as you need it in the kitchen.
Care for the parsley plant outdoors: Set plants in full sun or partial shade in rich, moist soil with pH between 5.5-6.7. Keep roots cool and moist with mulch, but to avoid rot, keep mulch away from the crown of the plant. In September, promote new foliage by cutting back the plants set out in the spring.
Drying Parsley: To dry fresh parsley, hang the bunch upside down in a warm, dry, well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight for a few weeks, or until the leaves are dry. The dried parsley can be used as is, or crushed and stored in an airtight container.
Drying Parsley in a Paper Sack: If you’re concerned about your parsley getting dusty as it dries, place the bunch of parsley in a paper sack, then gather the opening of the sack around the parsley stems. Secure the opening of the sack and the stems with string or a rubber band, then hang the sack upside down. Use the tip of a paring knife to make several ventilation holes in the sack. The sack will keep the parsley clean and dust-free until you’re ready to use it.
STIR-FRIED CUCUMBERS
from: www.chinesevegetarianrecipes.org
Ingredients:
Cucumber: 2
Garlic: 2 cloves
Seasonings:
Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Vegetable oil: 2 tablespoons
Preparation:
1. Wash the cucumbers and peel them.
2. Cut each cucumber into half. Use a soup spoon to dig the seeds out.
3. Slice the cucumbers.
4. Peel the garlic cloves and mince them.
Directions:
1. Heat the wok and pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into it.
2. When the oil is hot, drop the minced garlic in.
3. When you smell the garlic aroma, pour the sliced cucumber into the wok.
4. Stir for half a minute.
5. Add the salt and soy sauce and stir them fully.
6. Turn off the heat. It is ready to serve.
Tips:
1. Don’t stir fry for a long time. The cucumber is edible even when it is raw, so it is not necessary to cook it out. Liquid will start to accumulate after a long time of stirring, reducing the nutrients of the cucumber.
2. For more spice, add pieces of red chili pepper to enrich the color and the flavor a little bit.
ED.’S NOTE: I’VE BEEN WONDERING IF I COULD FIND A RECIPE FOR COOKED CUCUMBERS. I WILL TRY THIS BECAUSE I’M CURIOUS. I BET IT WILL BE DELICIOUS, OR AT LEAST, VERY INTERESTING….
MARINATED TOMATOES
For a quick side dish or topping for pasta, try cutting ripe tomatoes in chunks. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with vinegar (I like rice wine, umeboshi plum, or balsamic), salt and pepper. Stir together. Cover and let set for an hour or so. A flavorful and simple bonus to any meal.
BABAGANOUSH
from: www.food.com
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant (about 1 pound) or equivalent amount small eggplants
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat- leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Prick eggplant with a fork and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake the eggplant until it is soft inside, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, grill the eggplant over a gas grill, rotating it around until the skin is completely charred, about 10 minutes. Let the eggplant cool. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, drain off the liquid, and scoop the pulp into a food processor. Process the eggplant until smooth and transfer to a medium bowl.
3. On a cutting board, work garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt together with the flat side of a knife, until it forms a paste. Add the garlic-salt mixture to the eggplant. Stir in the parsley, tahini, and lemon juice. Season with more salt, to taste. Garnish with additional parsley.
Article source: http://greenedgegardens.blogspot.com/2012/08/week-7-newsletter-summer-2012.html
