Week 21, Oct 21-27, 2012

Available for you:

• Jack-o-Lantern 
• Green Acorn Squash - 1 
• White Sweet Potatoes - 4 
• Diakon Radish - 1 
• Red/Red Potatoes - 1 quart 
• Carrots - 1 bunch 
• Beet Greens w/some baby beets - 1 bunch 
• Celery - 1 bunch 
• Peppers - 2 
• Garlic - 1 bulb 
• Tomatoes - green - 3 

deliveries are subject to change

Recipe of the week:

Sweet Potato with peach-cilantro salsa

A true yam is a starchy edible tuber that is generally imported from the Caribbean. It differs greatly from the sweet potato in taste, texture, appearance and family. Depending on the variety, sweet potato flesh can vary from white to orange and even purple. The orange-fleshed variety was introduced to the United States several decades ago. In order to distinguish it from the white variety everyone was accustomed to, producers and shippers chose the English form of the African word “nyami” and labeled them “yams.” Even though the USDA requires that orange-colored sweet potatoes always be labeled “sweet potato,” most people still think of sweet potatoes as yams regardless of their true identity. http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com

Hello members!

If you missed it last week, remember All members and all their Children receive a jack-o-lantern pumpkin from our bedding plant greenhouse. Stop by at your convenience to help your children pick out a pumpkin. One for your family and one for every child. Due to the weight please come to the farm at your convenience.

Check out our new items this week. Red/Red potatoes make nice pink smashed potatoes skins and all. Sweet Potatoes, are delicious and taste as good as the classic orange sweet potatoes. They are delicious roasted/baked, skins on, cut into cubes with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of garlic salt and rosemary too, took just over an hour. They tasted like sweet potato fries, also one of my favorites. Did you know that sweet potatoes are recommended for diabetics. It is hard to believe that such a sweet tasting vegetable is so good for you. This weekend I used them roasted and even though the bottoms were blackended it was not a burnt flavor but more like a carmelized crunch that I just couldn't stop eating them... this is not good for the diet we are on.

We are having a little family competition. Ashley decided we are all a little or maybe more than a little overweight. The whole family and a few extended members are involved. You have to weigh-in every Monday. It has been going on for about 6 weeks. Currently, Joe is winning as he is down just over 20lbs. I know I've lost ten pounds but my weigh-in today is going to be bad, I had way too much bread and potatoes this weekend, as both are my favorites. I hate that our weigh-ins are on Mondays, bad timing for me, after a weekend in the kitchen cooking and nibbling. The winner has no liquor tab when we go on our winter Florida vacation. Florida is so warm compared to our northern chilly winters. We cannot vacation in the summer as we are way too busy. Jay bought a time share just outside of Disney and forces us to take a week off annually now. I often wonder how we didn't make time for this in the past as we look forward to our family gathering in the south.

I should have cut up some diakon radish, another new item this week. They are very juicy and sweet. A great snacker. They do not have the bitter burn of a typical red radish. The flavor is closer to the salad turnips we had this summer only the texture is more like a radish. They are very very juicy and have a nice little warm after finish with a radishy residual flavor. I have to say quite nice and a new treat to put out with your veggie platters right along side the carrots, celery, peppers, and cukes. They are quite big and store well in the refrigerator, so I just peel them up and then make 1/4 inch sticks. They were sampled last week by the guests on our local farm tour, people really enjoyed them and I think you will too.

Enjoy your vegetables!

Anne