Tuesday, September 28, 2010


Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,
Happy fall to you all. And what a wonderfully rainy day.
We are very happy for the rain. As you all know this has been an extremely dry summer. It is such a contrast to the moist summers we have had in the past few years. At B & H we are blessed with access to mountain spring water which flows right through our irrigation lines and deep to the roots of the plants. We have been luckier than others this year. And I suppose that has a lot to do with the abundance of crops we have coming in at this time. Now is harvest time and we are blessed with a large selection of beautiful vegetables. This is what we will be bringing to market this week:
  • potatoes
  • tomatoes- still tons!
  • eggplant
  • garlic
  • winter squash
  • carrots
  • mustard greens
  • beets
  • salad mix
  • arugula
  • baby pac choi
  • lettuce
  • peppers
  • radishes
  • spinach
  • chard
  • kale
This weeks recipes:

Arugula salad:
This is a true favorite in my house.
Fresh arugula- we have it small in bags and in bunches as well. Don't be afraid of the bunches. It is still tender and delicious. This is also a better deal.
Topped with slices of Garden Peach Tomatoes- these are the small yellow delicate beauties we bring to market. Almost no acid. A wonderful contrast to bitey arugula.
Goat Cheese- I love the Fromagina from Amazing Acres goat Dairy. This has a soft texture.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy!

Aji Dulce: These are new peppers we are growing this season and they are in high demand. They are yellow look a likes to the habanero but with no heat. They are used for seasoning only. Get to market early to score these babies. They are perfect for adding to your hot sauces. Here is a base stock recipe given to us by a market customer. This is a Venezuelan recipe to be used for soups, beans, rice and anything you feel creative with.
Puerto Rican Sofrito:
2 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
10 aji dulce peppers
3 medium tomatoes chopped
4 onions cut into large chunks
3 medium heads of garlic peeled
25 cilantro leaves with stems
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

In a food processor, combine peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Add cilantro, salt and pepper. Process it to the consistency of semi-chunky salsa. Place in a freezer bag, and use as needed, or freeze in portions.

Weekly deliveries to West Reading will be delivered on Thursday evening after 4:30 pm. Please have your orders in by Wednesday evening.
  • tomatoes- mixed quarts of red or heirloom $3.50
  • mustard greens $2.00
  • salad mix $4.50
  • Arugula bunches $2.00
  • baby pac choi $2.50
  • lettuce- butterhead or romaine $2
  • swiss chard $2.50
  • kale curly or dino $2.50
  • red beets $3.00
Thank you all so much and have a wonderful week.
Erica

Monday, September 20, 2010

Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,
Welcome fall. What a wonderful time of year. Everything seems so nostalgic in fall. Finally the fieldwork seems manageable. This is the best time of year for working outside. I am relishing this weather because it won't last long. I will try not to make this such a long email. I just always seem to have so much to share.

Thanks so much to all of you whom came out the to Fall Festival at the Elverson Market. I had a wonderful time. It was especially nice to have my husband singing in the background. He is so great. I also loved having the game at the stand. It really opened up conversation. I know you have been waiting anxiously to hear the winner and answers.
  1. There were 164 potatoes in the jar- the winner is Matt Mulhull with a guess of 151.
  2. The pumpkin (or actually it was a red kuri squash) weighed #11.71 - the winner is Mallory Spahr with a guess of #11
  3. And the mystery vegetable was a Turkish Orange Eggplant- we only had one eggplant guess and that was from Jon Fetter.
  4. We had no chicken winners.
Congrats to all of our winners. I will be contacting you individually and you may pickup your coupons at the Elverson Farmer's Market.

Ever wanted to work on a farm? We are in need on volunteers on Friday September 24th, Thursday October 15th and Friday October 16th. If you are interested please contact me. On Thursdays we work from 8 am till 4pm and on Fridays we work from 7 am till 7pm. Any amount of time is a help.

This is what we will have for market this week:
  • kale
  • chard
  • salad mix
  • arugula
  • radishes
  • spicy mix
  • peppers
  • basil
  • baby pac choi
  • lettuce
  • beets
  • carrots
  • tomatoes
  • eggplant
  • potatoes
  • garlic
  • winter squashes.
Recipes for this week:
Carrot Lentil Soup

This is an adaptation creation. A quick soup for even in the summer.

½ cup lentils (dry green or red)
1 medium onion chopped
½ pound carrots chopped
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
¼ cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 cup yogurt (plain goat yogurt is perfect for this)

Sautee onion, and lentils in 2 tablespoon olive oil, for 5 minutes. Add water and vegetable broth and bring to boil. Add carrots and simmer until carrots are soft. In a food processor prepare a cilantro pesto: garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, & cilantro. Blend the broth mixture with the pesto and yogurt in the food processor. Garnish with a dolup of yogurt and a sprig of cilantro. Enjoy. Serves 4.

Arugula Pesto Recipe

In a food processor or blender combine: 1 8oz bag arugula, 1 cup raw almonds, 8 oz goat cheese, 1bunch clove garlic, 1 cup olive oil, 1 tspn salt, 1 tspn cumin, & 6 fresh sage leaves.


And this week we will be doing weekly deliveries to West Reading. Orders are delivered on Thursday evenings after 4:30 pm. Please have your order in by Wednesday evening.
  • Kale- curly or dino $2.50
  • Swiss Chard $2.50
  • Salad Mix $4.50
  • Arugula- bunches $2.50
  • Radishes $2.00
  • Spicy Mix $4.50
  • Basil $1.50
  • Baby Pac Choi $2.50
  • Lettuce- butterhead, romaine or red leaf $2.00
  • Tomatoes- Quarts choose between red or heirloom or a mix $3.50
  • Potatoes- #2 $3.50
Thank you all so much and have a wonderful week,
Erica

Monday, September 13, 2010

These are the new additions on the farm P.J. and Betty. They are the lights of my life (at the farm).
Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,

Hello friends.
Sorry we missed a few of you at market this weekend due to rain and other events. Just a reminder that we will be at market in all weather except lightening and even that has been known to happen. The Elverson Market runs for 5 more weeks (until October 16th), and the West Reading Farmer's Market runs for 11 more weeks (till the Sunday before Thanksgiving). Even though fall is just around the corner we are still ready to go.

Speaking of fall, the Elverson Farmer's Market is having a fall festival during market this Saturday. There will be food, activities for children and live music (my husband). The event will run from 9am till 1pm (market hours).

Did you know that we raise and sell beef and chicken? We bring meats with us to market but they must be stored in the van in a cooler and so I don't believe that most people know we sell them. All of our meat is sold frozen and in parts (we do sell whole chickens). We don't bring all of the cuts of meat to market because it is a lot to haul around. Our store, Hartz Natural Foods, sells the meats year round Monday through Saturday 9 am till 6pm. The meat is hormone and antibiotic free, butchered humanely, grass fed and free range. If you were at the farm anytime this summer you would have seen how serious we are about free range. I considered the chickens "out of control range". They ate too many tomatoes. And our cows love KALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say we give our animals lots of love and primo food. Our price list for the meats are on our website http://www.bhorganicproduce.com/ . However, the availability of the cuts and pricing is subject to change. Please feel free to call our store and find out specific information 610-286-5268. And if you would like me to bring a cut of meat that I do not usually bring you can email me and I will bring it to market for you.
Here is what we typically bring to market: (we only bring whole chickens to the West Reading Farmer's Market and we do not sell chicken at the Elverson Market).

Beef:
  • Chip Steak
  • Patties
  • Beef cubes
  • Ground beef
  • Sirloin steaks
  • Delmonico steaks
  • Tenderloin (Filet) steaks
  • NY Strip Steaks
If you would like more information please let me know.

And now for what we will be bringing to market this week:
  • kale
  • chard
  • salad mix
  • arugula
  • radishes
  • peppers
  • baby pac choi
  • lettuce
  • beets
  • winter squash
  • flowers
  • tomatoes
  • potatoes
  • garlic
  • carrots
  • basil
And for this week's recipes:
Recipes: These come from a former CSA member and good friend.

Curried Greens:

1 pound greens (Chard, Kale or Beet Greens or mix them all)
2 cloves Garlic
2-3 tablespoon Curry Powder
1 cup finely chopped tomates
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup onion, finely diced
3/4 pound potatoes, cubed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  1. Wash and drain greens, removing any coarse stems and midribs. Cut into half inch strips.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, curry powder, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add the spic and tomato mixture, mix well, and cook for a few minutes.
  4. Add the potatoes and 2 cups water.
  5. Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Add greens and cook for 10 minutes more, or until potatoes are done.
Pesto:
4 cups basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts (I also have substituted pumpkin seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds or pistachios)
1/2 cup Italian Parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese (I love the Goat Parmesan from Debbie at the market)
Put the basil, garlic, pine nuts, parsley and salt into a food processor or blendor with Olive oil. Process adding enough oil to make a smooth paste. Add the cheese and process a few second longer.
To Freeze: I put this mixture in ice cube trays. I freeze it and then take it out and store in a plastic baggy in the freezer. This gives me the appropriate proportions. Use a different ice cube tray than you would normally use for your ice (it will scent the tray).

Potato, Swiss Chard and Bread Soup:
3/4 pound potatoes, rinsed and cut into cubes
Salt
1/2 pound Swiss Chard
1/2 cup day old Italian Bread, diced without the crusts
1/4 cup Olive Oil
6 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano Cheese

Pour enough cold water over the potatoes in a deep, heavy 4 quart pot to cover by 3 fingers. Salt the water lightly and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the water is at a gentle boil and cook the potatoes, covered, until they are tender but still hold their shape, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, strip the chard leaves from the stem. Cut chard into 1 1/2 inch strips and stir them into the water after the potatoes have been cooking about 5 minutes.
Stir the bread into the pot after the chard has been cooking for 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt and cook until the potatoes and chard are tender and the bread is falling apart.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add chopped garlic, sprinkle with crushed red pepper and cook until garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add contents of skillet to the pot. Stir well. Serve soup topped with grated Romano.

We will be doing our Thursday pickup this week. If you are interested please have your order in by Wednesday evening for Thursday after 4:30 pm delivery.
As you can see the greens and the garden are coming back alive with these cool nights.

  • kale- curly or dino $2.50
  • chard $2.50
  • salad mix $4.50
  • arugula $4.50
  • radishes- $2.50
  • baby pac choi $2.50
  • lettuce- romaine, butter or red leaf $2
  • beets $3
  • red potatoes $3.50
  • carrots- red $2.50
Thanks so much and have a great week,
Erica

Monday, September 6, 2010


Dear Friends of B & H Organic Produce,

First and foremost please check out our cooking class this Saturday the 11th from 2-4pm (flyer attached). This is an intimate class which focuses on the energetics of food and seasonality. You can't get much closer to your food than learning preparation tips right next to where it is grown. The class is under the shade tree right next to the garden on the farm. Let me know if you are interested.

This was a superb weekend. ( Although, the wind beat me senseless at market on Saturday.) The support and love of our customers was so invigorating.
I hope you are all having a nice Labor Day. The weather could not be better.

On Saturday September 18th we are having a fall festival at the Elverson Farmer's Market. There will be very special live music (my husband), delicious food and fun family activities. This event will be held during market hours, 9am till 1pm Saturday mornings at Livingood Park.

At market this week we will have:
  • kale
  • chard
  • arugula
  • basil
  • baby boc choi
  • salad mix
  • lettuce
  • beets
  • carrots
  • flowers
  • tomatoes
  • potatoes
And for this weeks recipes:
This week we are talking about winter squash. Winter squash includes more than just butternuts or acorn squash. We grow several different varieties including: spaghetti, red kuri, blue hokkaido, buttercup, butternut and delicata. Each have their own unique flavor and texture. They are all high in vitamin A and fairly sweet. They can be eaten savory or sweet. Winter Squash can be stored (when properly cured) for several months. Keep an eye out for the different varieties as we bring them to market. Here is a standard way to prepare all of the squashes.

Cut open the Squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Place open-side down in a baking dish with 1 inch of water. Roast at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until cooked on the inside.


I personally like to just add butter and salt and pepper when I am in a savory mood or if I am in a sweet mood I will add honey and cinnamon.

Here are a few other recipes: all types of squashes may be used interchangeably.


For the Thursday West Reading deliveries we will have:
  • Curly Kale- $2.50
  • Basil- $2
  • Baby Boc Choi- $2.50
  • Romaine lettuce- $2
  • Fresh Cut Flower Bouquets - $5
  • Red Potatoes - #2 - $3.50
Please have your order in by Wednesday evening.
Have a super week and thank you all,
Erica