Text 25195, 139 rader
Skriven 2012-05-23 07:10:00 av DAVE DRUM (1:261/1381)
     Kommentar till en text av DALE SHIPP
Ärende: Farmer's Markets
========================
-=> Dale Shipp wrote to Dave Sacerdote <=-

 DS>  DSac> year - but there's a certain satisfaction Maryanne and I get
 DS> from
 DS>  DSac> teasing food from the soil.

 DS> Besides, where else can you get a decent tomato?  Other than the
 DS> campari tomatoes that we buy at BJs, we've never had any luck buying a
 DS> tomato that tastes like a tomato should, even at the few farmer's
 DS> stands around.

Got to watch the farmer's markets. I was down to our local farmer's market
t'other day and some dude was offering some nice looking tomatoes. As it's
*really* early in this area for tomatoes to even be setting fruit, let alone
producing mature tomatoes I looked around. Sure enough, in a nearby bin I found
several 25# boxes with the label of a Florida tomato grower.

OTOH, there are several nearby produce (truck) farms. One of my favourites is
Parsons Family Produce which is about as far from me (in a different direction)
as the stupormarkups across town. They do a lot of heirloom tomatoes (and do
well with them) including one I turned them on to - the Black from Tula (a
Czech (I think)) tomato. It's a black beefsteak tomato with a sweet flavor
which produces large fruit. Larry tells me that customers buy it first for the
novelty value then come back for the flavour. Same with the Beauty Queen and
Tigerella striped heirlooms.

One of the things I like about Larry's operation is that if you ask about what
it is you are looking for and don't see - you get a straight answer. And if it
is nearly ready for market someone will go get it fresh off the plant for you.
And when the season is run - it's done. No extending with trucked in truck.
 
 DS>  DSac> soil that it was rich an fertile. We're starting from scratch
 DS>  DSac> here, and even now, four years in (we didn't have a garden
 DS>  DSac> right away) the ground here is still clay and sand and
 DS>  DSac> requires a lot of effort. We keep bringing in compost and
 DS>  DSac> manure, but it will take years before we see 10-foot tomato
 DS>  DSac> vines and 8-foot sunflowers again.

 DS> We've had a similar problem with our back yard.  Our lot was originally
 DS> Maryland clay fill dirt.  Eventually we go a decent dirt established in
 DS> the rear.  BUT, when we had the remodel job done, they dug a foundation
 DS> for the addition and piled all that red clay in a pile in the back.
 DS> When they were done, they spread it back in around the foundation and
 DS> leveled it out -- but it was still just red clay.  I think that it is
 DS> finally beginning to show some signs of getting a decent lawn
 DS> established.  I was very tempted at one point to go to a farm store and
 DS> get either clover seed or alfalpha in an attempt to condition the soil.

Do you compost your grass clipping and table scraps? That, combined with a nice
red clover or alfalfa cover tilled into the clay with the compost will go a
long way toward alleviating that problem. I'm pretty sure that your local
covenants won't allow chickens - but, that would be a help, too.

The Parsons family - who I mention above is in the process of adding an egg and
fryer/broiler operation to their produce. They will use the chooks to nail
insects - like tomato worms - and scratch at and fertilise the soil. Thinking
about domestic geese also.   Bv)=
 
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Tomato Salsa w/Roasted Eggplant & Basil
 Categories: Appetizers, Salsa, Vegetables, Chilies
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1 sm Roasted eggplant
      4 lg Ripe tomatoes; diced
      1 sm Red onion; minced
      6 cl Garlic; minced
      3 tb Red wine vinegar
      3 tb Olive oil
           Chopped fresh basil
           Salt & cayenne pepper *

  * When I made this recipe I subbed fresh ground black
  pepper for the cayenne and added a seeded, minced
  green serrano for a more subtle heat and flavour - UDD
 
  Roasting the eggplant: Turn on a gas burner and lay whole
  eggplant directly on the burner. Yes, directly on the
  flame. Turn frequently as the skin blackens, until the
  outside skin of the whole eggplant is thoroughly charred.

  Remove from heat and allow eggplant to cool. Scrape burnt
  skin off the meat of the eggplant. It can be quite soft
  and a little messy, so this is best done in a clean sink.
  
  Dice roasted eggplant and put in a medium-sized bowl. Add
  tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Toss well. Add salt
  and pepper to taste.
  
  Notes: There was considerable discussion of the many
  varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Pardon me for preaching to
  the choir as I digress for a moment. After WW II, due to
  improved transportation, there became a need to develop
  tomatoes that would stand mechanical harvesting, green
  harvesting, long shipment, etc., and still have a good
  appearance as well as a long shelf life. These goals were
  met but flavor was not a major consideration and was
  largely lost. The result has been a tough skinned fruit
  that tends to taste much like the cardboard boxes in which
  it is shipped. We all know that home-grown hybrid tomatoes
  taste much better than the supermarket cardboard
  charlatans. 

  A sample of the names of heirloom varieties: Abe Lincoln -
  Don Podollia's Strain, Akers West Virginia, Amish Paste,
  Anna Russian, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Black Plum, Blue
  Ridge Mountain, Box Car Willie... Taps, The 1884, Tropic,
  Urbanite and Yellow Plum.
  
  This fresh tomato salsa was delightful. The predominant
  flavor is a hint of the red wine vinegar but there is
  enough cayenne to produce a subtle lingering of heat. In
  addition to a red tomato, Tanya used yellow pear tomatoes
  in the salsa and the salad.
  
  Roasted eggplant takes on a smoky flavor. The charred skin
  is easy to remove. One could also use a balsamic vinegar
  in this recipe. The balance of flavors will depend on the
  vinegar used and the acidity/sweetness of the tomato
  varieties. Add whatever seasoning you like. Could add a
  jalapeno and perhaps some sugar if the tomatoes are high
  in acidity.
  
  The salsa was served with blue and yellow chips.
  
  This was the last in the series of summer cooking classes
  at Tanya's Soup Kitchen in Old Town. The theme was "From
  the Garden".

  From: John Geckles - 10 August 1999

  Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen
 
MMMMM

... It's OK to be fat. So you're fat. Just be fat and shut up about it!
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