A little a this, a little a that

Well, just like the bees pollinating the veggies and flowers out in the fields, the farm has been busy-busy this past week. We're at that point in the season where harvesting is an everyday, and sometimes twice-a-day activity. We sure hope you guys like cucumbers! The grass and weeds are back to growing at full throttle, which means lots of mowing to keep things lookin' fine and under control. Coincidentally, some of the machines decided to throw a fit this past week. The push mower needs a new blade and the big International tractor decided it was time to fry a valve. Hopefully, with a couple of trips to the supply store and with some help from our knowledgeable neighbors, everything will be up and running in no time.
The fall seedlings are growing big and strong in their plug trays and require constant babysitting to keep them hydrated in this hot weather. After soaking for several hours, the beet seeds made their home in the soil today, and the carrots will follow tomorrow. In other news, the deer have been partying up on the hill lately, so we've been spreading soap (Irish Spring to be exact!) to keep them from bringing their shenanigans down to the veggies...those hooligans! The tomatoes were kelpified (a kelp and water solution) earlier this week to provide them with those all important micronutrients. Hey, veggies need their vitamins too!
We're happy to report that the little kitty is happy, healthy and extremely energetic. She's been honing her hunting skills, is an expert bug chaser and has discovered that she owns a tail, which of course, provides endless entertainment.
As you guys may, or may not have noticed, we grow the occasional fruit or vegetale that might make you ask yourself "what do I do with this?". We're pretty sure that the Ground Cherries fall into this category for many, if not all of ye wonderful shareholders. These are the marble-sized fruits in the chinese lanternesque husks (they kind of look like itsy-bitsy tomatillos). If you haven't tried them yet, they have an interesting and hard to explain flavor that is best described as a mix between a pineapple and tomato. Their flavor does change quite a bit according to their ripeness. When fully ripe, the husk is nearly paper bag brown and the fruit is a yellow-peach color. The tasty treat is inside, so don't forget to take off the husk before eating! In the amount that we're giving out, they are best eaten as they are for a snack, or used as a substitute for raisins in salads and sautes. They'll provide that subtle sweetness that will make poeple ask...."what was that?!". Give them a whirl, and let us know what you think.
Finally, we hope that everyone saw our announcement about the first shareholder picnic scheduled for Friday, August 13th at 5 o'clock. It will be potluck style, so this week we'll be asking you to sign up (so we know about how many to expect) and to let us know what type of dish you plan to bring. Don't worry! Nothing is set in stone! We just want to make sure we don't wind up with 20 desserts...not that that would be such a horrible thing...

CROP OF THE WEEK

EGGPLANT

Like some of our favorites- tomatoes, peppers and potatoes- eggplants are part of the nightshade family. Interestingly enough, although most farmers in our area till their eggplant under at the end of the season, it can actually be grown as a perennial in warmer climates. Believed to have originated in India and cooked widely in Asian cultures as well as in Italy, there are a multitude of eggplant varieties. Here at Wooden Hill we cultivate 4 different eggplants , 3 of which may be new to most. Swallow is the very dark, small and slender variety. Ping-tung, an asian variety, is also long and skinny, but is a brighter purple that verges on pink. Rosa Bianca is the round, white and pink variety. And last but not least, Purple Beauty is the dark purple variety that most resembles the classic Italian and eggplant. They are all very similar except in appearance, although some say that the Rosa Bianca has a denser, richer texture. The eggplant on this farm went through a lot earlier this season, surviving pretty serious attacks by both flea and potato beetles- but we're pretty sure they only taste the better for it! They're also good for you! They can lower blood cholesterol and prevent cancer and provide you with folate, B6 and Vitamin C.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Here's a recipe to make use of those long thin varieties

CHEESE STUFFED EGGPLANT ROLLS
2 long thin eggplants, ends trimmed
3 TBSP salt
3 TBSP olive oil
1 and 1/2 cup cheese filling (recipe below)
* preheat oven to 375
*2 baking sheets lightly oiled
1. Slice eggplant length wise (about 1/8 in. thick). Salt and lay in colander to drain for about 1 hour. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Place slices on baking sheets in single layer. Brush lightly with oil. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes (until lightly browned). Remove, flip and bake 3 minutes more. Using tongs, remove and let drain on paper towel. Repeat step two with remaining slices.
3. Place 1 TBSP of cheese filling on one end of slice and roll. Continue with all slices. Serve warm or refrigerate overnight and reheat at 350 for about 10 minutes
* if you like you can place in baking dish, cover with tomato sauce and heat through. Serve wtih rice or couscous for a meal.

now for the...CHEESE FILLING
(makes 1 and 1/2 cups)
1cup yogurt or farmer cheese
4oz. cream cheese
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp Garam Masala spice (or curry powder)- also optional
1 large, lightly beaten egg
2 TBSP chopped cilantro (or other appropriate herb)
combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well!
(Recipes taken from The Vegetarian Cook's Bible)