What is an Heirloom?

Heirlooms are typically open pollinated garden vegetables that can trace their lineage back to the early 1900's or late 1800's, or before.

Tomatoes are a good example.

Market Menu August 15, 2015

Heirloom tomatoes are starting in ernest. They aren't always as pretty as the hybrids but they have that great "Old Time" flavor just perfect for BLTs, your favorite made from scratch pasta sauce, or just fresh eating. Our favorite and one of the most famous heirloom tomatoes is the Brandywine show in the picture below taken at our stand at the Rochester Farmers Market last week.

Heirloom Tomatoes! Photo by Reed Petersen

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes. We are harvesting lots and have gallon bags for $5. Basil at the same price as lettuce, what a deal.

If you didn't get some of our Ambrosia sweet corn last week you missed a treat. See us this week for fresh picked, chemical free, no sprays and no bugs. We have enough corn this week for freezing.

Andrea is picking Okra, it starts slow the first few weeks. If you want some, come early.

Don't miss the squash blossoms, baby zucchini, or patty pan!

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings).

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossum Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, August 15, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Raspberries
Sweet Corn
Tomato
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Squash Blossoms
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Radishes
Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Chives, Sage, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Epasote, Stevia, Oregano, Dill, Cilantro


Bean Plants
Heirloom Red Okra Plants
Cole Crop Plants: Broccoli, Cabbage

Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)
Potting Mix with our compost (ask us)

Soil Testing

I test my soil with plants.

Soil scientists have learned to test soils for various nutrients. This is done by using strong chemicals to strip off the nutrients or react with the nutrients in the soil and establish a quantitative measurement. I'm always a little skeptical that the strong chemical processes can correctly detect nutrients available to the plants in a organic system that uses biological processes to make nutrients available.

I have never done any soil testing on our farm. Instead I observe the plants. For example...

Squash Blossoms - Recipes and Serving Suggestions

Instead of searching Epicurian or Bon Appetit for recipes for squash blossoms all you need is our blog.

Here are 4 novell recipes and 10 serving suggestions...

Dilly Bean - Pickles

We have a good crop of beans and a good crop of dill right now. You put the two together and you have "dilly beans".

This recipe is for pickling the beans so you can use a simple water bath canner.

Here we go...

Petersen's Market Menu for August 8, 2015

Ambrosia super sweet corn is the full season, full flavor, corn you have been waiting for. We don't use any chemical fertilizer or any sprays on our corn so you can rest assured in the purity of our corn. We also move the corn to a different spot each year and to out smart ear worms. Chemical free sweet corn with no worms...nice. We had some for supper last night and it was outstanding.

Sweet Corn for days! ~Reed Petersen

Andrea is picking Okra, it starts slow the first few weeks. If you want some come early.

Heirloom tomatoes are starting. Brandywine is the best.

Don't miss the squash blossoms and the baby zucchini and patty pan.

French Fillet beans are here. Best green bean on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings).

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak...Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.
 

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossum Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, July 25, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Sweet Corn
Tomatoes
Garlic - Giant heads
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan 
Squash Blossoms
Carrots
Leeks
New Crop Walla Walla Sweet Onions
New Crop Garlic
New Crop Radishes
Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 

Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Chives, Sage, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Epasote, Stevia, Oregano, Dill, Cilantro


Bean Plants
Heirloom Red Okra Plants
Cole Crop Plants: Broccoli, Cabbage

Salsa: an array of different kinds

Cipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)
Potting Mix with our compost

Baby Patty Pan Squash - 10 Serving Suggestions

"Oh what are those, they are soooo...cute" is a frequent exclamation we here about our baby patty pan squash.

The next question is "How do you use them."

So here are some serving suggestions.

Maple Patty Pan Baby Squash - Pickled

I made this neat pickling recipe for baby patty pan squash. It would be good with just the pickled patty pan but the maple syrup adds a delightful twist and the jalapeno peppers create a slight spicy undertone.

We have baby patty pan squash in abundance.

When a Student Is Ready the Teacher Will Appear.

I like to eat Chinese food, mostly for the vegetables. Occasionally I get a good fortune cookie with my meal. I have found you can increase your chances of getting a good one by taking two and then keeping the best one!

I have a whole collection of reasonably good ones in my office. I put them in a large cup. When we are having a boring meeting I pass them around and every one takes one. Kinda breaks up the monotony.

The title of this post is one of the best, "cookie proverbs". It says, "When a Student is Ready the Teacher Will Appear."  I have seen the reality of this many times, for example...

Petersen's Market Menu for August 1, 2015

Andrea picked Okra for the first time this week. It starts slow the first few weeks. If you want some come early.

Don't miss the squash blossoms and the baby zucchini and patty pan.

We will have leeks and new crop Walla Walla onions.

French Fillet beans are here. Best green bean on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings).

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak...Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.
 

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossum Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, July 25, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Some of the beautiful Garlic we have at the market

Garlic - Giant heads
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan 
Squash Blossoms
Carrots
Leeks
New Crop Walla Walla Sweet Onions, with green tops
New Crop Garlic
New Crop Radishes
Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 

Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Wild Arugula
Regular Arugula
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Chives, Sage, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Epasote, Stevia, Oregano, Dill, Cilantro

Pepper and Tomato Plants, Heirlooms
Bean Plants
Heirloom Red Okra Plants
Cole Crop Plants: Broccoli, Cabbage

Salsa: an array of different kinds


Parsnips

Cipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)
Potting Mix with our compost