2016 - week 11

It is week 11! What! How can it be?!?

Cherry Tomatoes- Sweet and delicious!

Poblano Pepper and Black Hungarian Hot pepper- !!HOT!! These peppers are Hot! Be careful. Pablanos are perfect for stuffing. And the hungarian is very comparable to a jalapeño.

Eggplant- Our family favorite, fried eggplant topped with a slice of tomato!   But this eggplant recipe comes together quickly for a great week night meal.

Canary Melon-  Kinda like a honeydew, kinda like a cantaloupe. Maybe a little tangier, but so good!

Corn is back! And this is the last week for carrots and beets.  Tomato season is finally rolling! We are beginning to harvest all the onions and start the drying process.  

2015 week 20 // Final Pick Up

Wow! It really is hard to believe that 20 weeks have passed.  Thank you so much to our precious CSA members for your support this season.  Your smiles and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated.

New this week:

Spaghetti squash:  I love this stuff! Here is a link to a tutorial for cooking one.  And here is my favorite spaghetti squash recipe: Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole.

KiwiBerries: Kiwi Berries are a small variety of the kiwi fruit with an edible skin. They are best eaten when the skin is wrinkled and they yield to pressure.   Really, the softer the better. As they soften they get more  and more sweet. Leave at room temperature to ripen.

Potatoes: We are so glad to have these beautiful potatoes from Rabbit Hill Farm in Shiloh, NJ.  Many potato growers in the area suffered a poor season due to a disease that came in the seed from Maine. Somehow Abe Baker and his daughter Hillary managed to pull off this beautiful crop.  

Yum, yum corn and potatoes means its time for Sausage Corn Chowder!

2015 week 18

New this week:

Apples! from Schober Farm in Monroeville. They have a retail farm stand, I highly suggest visiting them for all your apple needs this fall!  They have gorgeous apples.

Delicata Squash-  This is a new winter squash for us this year.  Like other winter squash Delicata can be stored for long periods of time, unlike other winter squash you can eat the skin.  Fantastically rich and sweet.
Here is a link to a simple recipe of Roasted Delicata Squash.
Here is a link to a recipe for Stuffed Delicata Squash, I would swap out the spinach for kale!

2015 week 16

2015 week 14 -

New this week:

Cilantro!  Store in refrigerator with cut ends in a jar of water and leaves loosely covered with a plastic bag for several days.  Delicious in salsa!

Summer Crisp Lettuce - Lettuce in August is a new thing for us at Buzby Farm, we hope you enjoy these beautiful heads, much smaller than the spring heads, but so delicious!

Red Long Hots - We gave out long hots a couple weeks ago, these are from the same plant, the peppers just turned red from staying on the plant longer and having more time to ripen.  These would taste great in salsa!

2015 week 12

New this week:

Sicilian Eggplant!  Can be used just as you would a regular eggplant.

Returning from previous weeks:

Peaches
String Beans
Tomatoes
Collard Greens
Grape Tomatoes
Carrots
Sweet Corn
Onion

2015 Week 10 // Half Way

Returning from previous weeks:
Tomatoes!
Onion
Carrots
Grape Tomatoes

New this week!

String Beans -fresh string beans are so good! I like to blanche them for a couple minutes then put them on a sheet pan and drizzle olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, minced garlic and parmesan cheese.  Bake just long enough to melt the cheese! Yum!

Canary Melon- A delicious melon // kinda like a honeydew, kinda like a cantaloupe

Eggplant-  While everyone in this household loves fried eggplant, this mama only has the patience to make it on rare occasions.  But this eggplant recipe comes together quickly for a great week night meal.

Basil-  Ohh! The aroma of summer.  Tomato Pie or Basil Pesto anyone?

Long Hots- !!!HOT!!! Pepper, but so good.  Here is a recipe that looked good,

Eggplant Pasta Recipe

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  Eggplant breaded and fried is a perennial favorite and reliable stand by, but I rarely have the patience and time for that.  Here is a simple, quick, delicious weeknight dinner that will have you appreciating eggplant in an all new way. 
  
  Here we go.
  
  

  

   Slice
  

  

   Then, dice your eggplant.
  

  

   Chop an onion and garlic clove.
  

  

   Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the eggplant, onion, and garlic. You're going to want to cook it until the eggplant gets that ugly squooshy look to it and the other veggies are softened.
  

  

   Dice 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes.
  

  

   Add the tomatoes to the pan and a some fresh chopped basil.
  

  

   Simmer on low while the pasta cooks.
  

  

  
  Add the eggplant sauce to the pasta and fold in until the noodles are coated.
   
  

  

  For added flavor, load this sucka up with parmesan cheese.
  
  Ingredients
  1 box of pasta (I used ziti this time, I have also used spaghetti, anything will work)
  1 medium eggplant, diced into small cubes
  1 small red onion, chopped fine
  1 clove garlic, minced
  2-3 cups diced tomatoes 
  Fresh Basil
  Parmeggiano Reggiano, grated
  Olive oil
  Salt and Pepper, to taste
  
  Sauce:
  1. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the eggplant, onion, and garlic. You're going to want to cook it until the eggplant gets that ugly squooshy look to it and the other veggies are softened.
  2. Add more olive oil and turn the heat up to medium high until the eggplant gets browned, about 5-7 more minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat back down to simmer while the pasta cooks (6-8 minutes)
  Pasta:
  1. Toss the pasta in boiling salted water for until al dente. Drain in a colander and return the pasta to the pot.
  2. Add the eggplant sauce to the pasta and fold in until the noodles are coated.
  3. For added flavor, load this sucka up with parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.

CSA 2012 week 13

This weeks share starting at the top going clockwise: sugar baby watermelon, 12 ears of corn, 4 cubanelle peppers, yellow peaches, eggplant, 3lbs tomatoes. (Not pictured) PYO flowers, herbs, grape tomatoes, and hot peppers.

New this week *Peaches*

The peaches this week are from Larchmont Farms on Rt 77. Elmer, NJ

The peaches need a day or two on the counter to ripen. Or keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5 ways you can tell it is August around the farm

#1 the weeds- Around this time of year the weeds in every field are out of control.  We are doing our best to keep them out of our late field of eggplants, tomatoes, and pumpkins.  But the farm has definitely lost that clean spring look.

#2 The corn planter is put away-  We have been planting corn on a regular basis since April, but now the corn planter is tucked away in the storage building.  It depends on the weather, but we should have corn through the end of September.

#3 The bush hog comes to work. . . to clean up some fields.  We use the bush hog to chop up the fields when we are through with them.  We have already chopped up the first 2 cantaloupe fields. Next on the list the first tomato field. Oh and lots of corn has been chopped up too.

#4 Red and Yellow Peppers-  The colored peppers take a long time to ripen.  A pepper plant first makes a green bell pepper and then as it sits on the plant the pepper continues to ripen and turn those beautiful shades of red or yellow that we all love.

#5 The farm workers are all a little bleary eyed.  Everyone is pushing the limits of exhaustion.  The to-do list is long and never finished.  The jokes in the packing house get sillier. And everyone is starts dreaming of a fall vacation

CSA 2012 week 11

This weeks share includes: corn, green bell peppers, Sicilian eggplant, onions, heirloom tomatoes, PYO grape tomatoes, blueberries, watermelon and cantaloupe.

You can use Sicilian eggplant just as you would use your black globe eggplant.   Sicilian eggplant is great for eggplant Parmesan and is said to have slightly sweeter taste.
 Here is a link to my all time favorite eggplant recipe.

Tomato harvest is in full swing.  I LOVE it.  Here is my BLT I made for myself tonight.  That is one of the Big Beef tomatoes.  I had tomato juice running down to my elbows. YUM-O!

Also enjoying:

-Grilled Cheese with tomato
-Tomato Bruschetta
-Pico de gallo with our tomato, onion, and jalapeno
-Fried Eggplant with a slice of tomato on top
-Eat a tomato like an apple (Gram is famous for this one)

Enjoy!

Grilled Veggies with Herb Vinaigrette!

I'm getting the grilled fired up and ready for the 4th of July. 

What's not to love about fresh veggies cooked with the heat of the grill! And it keeps my kitchen cool on hot days.

Here is what I am grilling today. Zucchini, Yellow Squash, and Eggplant.  

But peppers, onions, and mushrooms  are excellent candidates for grilling.

Let's prep the veggies.

Cut the eggplant in to thick slices. I like to cut the veggies lengthwise.  Then I have less to handle and they don't fall through the grill grates as easy. 

Same with the zucchini and yellow squash.

Aren't they so pretty?

Put about a 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl and brush over both sides of vegetables lightly with the oil.

Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.

These babies are ready for the grill.

Start with a clean grill on medium-high heat.  To prep the grill I like to put some olive oil on the grates.  Fold up a paper towel and dip it in the olive oil.

Rub the paper towel on the grates. This leaves a nice thin coat of oil on the grill and prevents the veggies from sticking.

On go the veggies.  Squash and eggplant usually take 8-10 minutes on the grill. Peppers take a little longer like 10-12 minutes.

But you really have to watch because it all depend on your grill and how thick your veggies are.  

LOVE the pretty grill marks!

 You just might live in Salem County if you turn around from the grill and see this going down the road.  That is one crazy big planter.

Back to the grill.

It took me a couple batches to get all the veggies cooked on the grill, but its okay.  The vegetables can be served warm or at room temperature.  

I really didn't want crunchy vegetables. So be conscious of how stiff the veggies feel when you pick them up.  

The challenge is grilling them to just the right point--gently charred on the outside and tender within, not pale and crunchy or blackened and mushy.

Now to take these veggies to the next level: THE SAUCE

For the dressing: 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

3 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.  What ever you fancy.

Add 2 cloves of garlic minced.

Grab some fresh basil and parsley

Add the chopped herbs.  Whisk together adding salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle dressing over platter of veggies. Serve warm or room temperature.

Since I already had the grill warmed up, I threw a steak on for a perfect supper!

Yum Yum Yum.

Spring is Here! {{Happy Dance}}

On Tuesday spring officially arrived which is marked by the vernal equinox.  From here on out the days are longer than the nights. . . which means "It's time to get to WORK!"  Yay! We have lots of daylight hours to be in the field and get things going.  Farmer E says he is like a snake, he moves a lot faster after he warms up a little bit.  And boy oh boy are we warm!

 

Farm Queen giving the eggplants a good drink.

We have a happy little greenhouse full of happy little eggplants--the standard globe eggplant, Sicilian, and NEW THIS YEAR. . . Spanish striped eggplant.

First corn field

The first corn seed is in the soil, germinating as we speak!  We plant the seed in a ditch then cover the ditch with plastic, creating a tiny little greenhouse.  This helps get the soil warm enough so the seed will germinate well.  The plastic almost seems unnecessary this year.

Romaine

Swiss Chard

The CSA field is off and running.
Sugar snap peas
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Broccoli Rabe
Romaine
Swiss Chard
The ground is dry, I have already been through with the water tank to give them a much needed drink.  Carrots and beets were planted along with the turnips today too!  Enjoy!