CSA Week 23

From the Farmer’s Wife

Week 23

   Greetings Shareholders! Fall has come to the farm with gusto…we’ve had temperatures in the 30’s, cool winds, falling leaves, and the most beautiful sunsets….time is swiftly passing by!

   First off I’d like to thank everyone for the kind words of encouragement in our time of shock and sorrow…My mother went to be with the Lord suddenly on September 25, 2010. This was a shock as my Momma was in great health, and was even swimming laps (a favorite pastime) at a YMCA pool to keep in shape when she had a brain aneurism. It took us all by surprise to say the least! We made a grueling 26 hour car trip in the tropical storm rains to reach my parent’s home on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. One thing I KNOW now by experience (always the best way I learn) is that life IS unpredictable…we do not know the Lord’s timetable for our lives, or the lives of our loved ones…time IS precious! I am sooo blessed to be able to know with confidence my mother had a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and went directly to be with Him. One day we will all be together.

   I will make this letter short, as I have a long way to go until I can think half way straight….so please be forgiving.

   It’s hard to picture the end of the 2010 produce season, but it’s only 3 weeks away! The main part of the field is still full of many kinds of vegetables, greens, onions, leeks, and even the unfortunate, late tomatoes. We’ve learned a lot this year, and made many great new friends in you our shareholders. I can’t wait for our shareholders day here on November 13^th. Please try to keep that day free. You’ll even be able to pick produce from the fields while you are here as we will be cleaning the field out and getting it ready for a cover crop!

      We’ve begun to pick the tomatoes…green though they may be. We can’t wait to plant in GOOD QUALITY STARTING MEDIA next spring and get it right from the start. This particular recipe came from a sweet lady from our church and is Isaac’s is one of Isaac’s (can any 16 year-old boy narrow it down to one) favorite recipe.  It’s spicy “yumminess” tastes like fall…

Green Tomato Cake

2 sticks softened butter or margarine (1 cup)

2 ½ cups sugar

Beat together until creamy

Add:

3 Eggs (1 at a time)

Beat

Blend:

3 cups self rising flour

½ T. cinnamon

½ T. nutmeg

Add to butter, sugar & egg mixture slowly; it will be stiff

Add:

2 ½ cups diced green tomatoes

1 cup raisins

1 cup nuts

Put in a well greased or sprayed Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degres for 1 ½ hours. Let cool or 10 minutes and put on a cake plate. Top with Carmel Glaze.

Carmel Glaze

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

2/3 cup butter

½ cup chopped nuts

2 T. milk

   Combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook until temperature reaches 234 degrees on candy thermometer (or about 4 minutes). Stir constantly. Put on cooled cake. Put the glaze on the top and let it drizzle down over the sides.

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 medium green tomatoes

1 egg

1/8 c. milk (2 T.)

½ c. corn meal, bread crumbs, flour, or mixture of corn meal and flour

¼ t.salt

¼ t. oregano

¼ t. garlic powder

pinch of pepper

1 T. butter

½ T. oil

Slice tomatoes into ¼ to 1/2- inch slices. Beat together eggs and milk. Combine corn meal, salt, oregano and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a skillet. Dip tomato slices in egg mixture then in corn meal mixture. Fry tomato slices, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels or on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Taste the first one and adjust the seasonings if needed. Keep warm in a 150 degree oven until serving.

   Enjoy the bounty of fall…I’ve tried six times to write a witty ending to this letter but I can’t think straight this late at night…so goodbye.

Abundant Blessings,

Your Farmers’ Wife,

Val Colvin

P.S. Adam helped me write the ending paragraph…I think we make a great team!

(editors note: the reason I helped was she had literally written it six times and wasn’t making any sense with it—I was waiting for the computer and so I helped!)

 
”Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

Psalm 146:5

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”

Psalm 147: 3