Yoga moves in farming.

Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,
Hello.
Sorry I did not get my emails out last evening. We were busy out shopping for a new market van to replace very loved 438,000 mile white van. We did a bit of sight seeing on the way and visited our new butcher. Smucker's in Mount Joy is a very sweet (for a slaughter house and butcher shop) place. It makes me happy to know that this is where our cows are going.
This week has been busy already. On Monday morning we had a group of 15 beautiful women come from Yoga Inlet in West Reading to do a farm tour and work. It was amazing to see what women get accomplished. I shouldn't say amazing, since we are mostly women at our farm and we do great things. It was a beautiful day with lots of work, smiles and love. Thank you ladies for helping us roll out our straw so we can plant our fall crops this week.
Today we had our Organic Inspection. It is always a tedious process with lots of paperwork. I am so grateful for Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) and their dedication to keeping our food supply safe. We are honored to be apart of what they do.

And now for what we are harvesting this week:

• salad mix - we are planning on a better harvest this week. And the weather seems to be cooperating. Sorry to disappoint so many of you last week.
• fresh cut flower bouquets
• eggplant
• tomatoes!!!!!!!!!!!!
• cucumbers
• summer squash
• beans
• lettuce
• kale
• chard
• potatoes
• basil
• peppers

Recipe for this week is an oldie but a goodie:

• Tomato Curry Salad
  I adopted this recipe from my father in-law. It is a summer favorite.
  3 medium tomatoes, (any type will work the salad types are less juicy than the slicing but the slicing tends to be more sweet)
  1 small onion chopped
  2 tablespoons mayo ( I always use Vegenaise you can’t beat the taste)
  1 curry powder to taste.
  Salt & Pepper to taste.
  Chop tomato into cubes. Mix all ingredients and serve chilled.

And I have mentioned a good way to store certain herbs like- parsley and basil. Here is a recipe.

• Parsley Pesto: I would suggest this on the potatoes. Pestos are a great way to freeze and store herbs. http://www.healthylivingnyc.com/food/recipe/7

Have a super week.
And remember you can always purchase our produce and meats midweek in our store Hartz Natural Foods on Rt 10. Wednesdays are produce days. Come on Wednesdays for our best selection.

Thank you,
Erica

Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,
This time of year is summer squash time. Summer squashes are more than just your average zucchini (as you will know from visiting our stand). Zucchini is great but so are patty pan squash, and crooknecks. I been growing squash for quite a few years and because when you have one you have a thousand, I have learned many ways to prepare them. I have also learned to only select the specific varieties that I personally feel are far superior in taste and texture.
All the squashes may be used interchangeably. I love using them together to vary the presentation. You can grill, sautee, bake, eat raw or roast any of the squashes. Feel free to ask us which fruits are more tender and what sizes are best for which preparation. The crooknecks are often ignored due to their warty flesh but they are far superior for eating raw. I will list some recipes following our list for next weeks market.
What we will have for this weekend:

• salad mix
• eggplant
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumbers
• summer squash
• beans
• lettuce
• kale
• chard
• peppers
• basil
• garlic

Two events to let you all know about:

1. The Taste of West Reading- Aug 15th at the Reading Museum will feature West Reading chefs showcasing the produce of the West Reading Farmer's Market vendors. This is a "Farm to Table" event. http://www.readingpublicmuseum.org/museum/events/index.php
2. Shri Yoga in West Reading is hosting a Raw Food Challenge for the month of August. We will be giving a 5% discount to all those whom are participating in the challenge. Contact www.shriyoga.com for more information.
   

And now for the recipes:
Roasted Summer Squash
slice any of the summer squash varieties into thin slices. Place in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Add chopped garlic, basil and parsley. Top with bread crumbs and the cheese of your choice. Bake covered at 375 for 15 minutes. Take cover off and bake until the squash is soft. Enjoy!

Raw Lasagna
I have had this made in several different ways. It takes a bit of preparation but it is sure to surprise you with how tasty it is.
http://rawgourmet.com/recipes You have to go to about the middle of the page for the recipe. Go slowly through the other recipes and see what amazing things can be made raw. Mouth watering.
Have a great week.
Erica
**************Pictured above are roasted zucchini's and their blossoms submitted by one of our market friends!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cucumbers~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Market Friends,
Yes, it is that time of year when you lock your doors so that your neighbors won't give you cucumbers.
The problem with cucumbers, isn't that they aren't tasty, refreshing and good for you, it is that there is very few ways if any to store them. So what is a farmer's answer to the dilemma of cucumber abundance?
The first answer is Juice!!!!!!! If you have a juicer break it out and throw in your cucumbers. Add a touch of fresh mint in the juicer for a snazzy treat. Refrigerate the cucumbers first to make the juice cool so you can chug it immediately.
The second answer is Cucumber salad, I have learned to be creative with this over the years. One of my favorites includes everything fresh right now:

Cucumber Salad with Peaches and Basil
Slice cucumbers into round slices. - leave the skin on for extra minerals
Slice fresh local peaches into cubes - leave the skin on for extra minerals
Thin slices of red onions- although is is not necessary.
Basil thin slices.
Mix this with a dash of sea salt (to taste). A dash of olive oil and a dash of Balsamic vinegar.
Do not over wet this salad. The cucumbers and peaches have plenty of wetness on their own.

Experiment and have fun. Cucumbers are 3 for a $1 at our store this week.

Here is what we will have at market this week:

• beans
• salad mix
• cucumbers
• summer squash
• lettuce
• basil
• carrots
• kale
• chard
• garlic

Have a super week.
Erica

Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,
Hope you had a fun 4th of July.
Don't forget to stay hydrated this week.
I will also start posting this email on our blog each week. This will be a way for you to look up recipes. Simply go to our blog (which may be linked from our website) http://bhorganics.blogspot.com/ and if you look in the top left hand corner you can type in a vegetable and if I ever posted a recipe it will come up.
This is what we will be bringing to market on Saturday July 10th (plus a few other surprises)

• Salad Mix
• Radicchio - see recipe below
• Beans
• Summer Squash- patty pan, heirloom zucchini and crookneck
• Cucumbers
• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Basil
• Carrots
• Beets
• Garlic
• Kale
• Parsley
• Swiss Chard

Here is a recipe for grilled Radicchio.
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Produce-638/radicchio.aspx

This recipe calls for the "treviso" radicchio which is the taller or longer type. However, you may also use the more rounded type. We will have both types at market this week.
Note that radicchio is very high in Potassium. Why is that important? Potassium helps the body regulate water balance and is an electrolyte. In this weather that is super important. So put away your colored gatorade and eat radicchio.

Have a great week,
Erica
--

Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,

Thank you all for another successful week at the Elverson Farmer's Market. Don't forget to tell your friends and neighbors about us. The more support we have the more vendors we will get.

Here is what we will have for our markets this weekend.

• Salad Mix
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash- perfect sizes for grilling
• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Green Garlic
• Parsley
• Beets- 3 colors
• Basil
  

And I forgot last week to remind you about our grass-fed beef. All our meat is raised on our farm and sold frozen as cuts. Here is what we will have for your grilling pleasure:

• ground beef
• patties
• chip steak
• delmonico steaks
• tenderloin steaks
• sirloin steaks
  
• NY strip steaks.
  

And for this week's recipe:

Arugula Salad topped with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese:

• For easy instructions on how to roast beets http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=29

For a twist on this you can take the beets out early and put them on the grill to finish. Or if it is too hot for your oven simply boil the beets till soft and grill to finish. And don't bother peeling the beets. I never do and they are fine.

• Slice the beets thin and place on a bed of arugula. The beets can be chilled for a cold salad or left hot and placed on the arugula will melt the arugula.
  
• Top with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic and a dolop of goats cheese. Amazing Acres goat farm located in Elverson has a great variety of goat cheese and it is sold at the market.
  
• For a creative way to impress your friends. Prepare all 3 colors of beets separately and then mix them on top of the salad at the end. (if you cook all the colors together the colors will run)

Kale Chips: (this recipe is back by popular demand).
I eat kale at least once a week. Don't be afraid of this recipe and the dehydrator. You can prepare these in the oven at 300 but only for 3-4 minutes or they will burn.
http://renegadehealth.com/blog/raw-food-snack-recipe-for-kale-chips/

Thank you again and have a super week.