Tasty and Healthy - July 26, 2012

Whew! Are you surviving these hot, humid days? Any type of cold fruit salads or mixtures can cool down parched throats, and provide electrolytes to our bodies, especially for children playing outside, or anyone who finds themselves outdoors during Florida's summers. I just couldn't pass up sharing this beautiful photo - it sparks the imagination for creative ideas in making bite-sized fruit more appealing.

Many roads in our end of town have remained flooded from heavy downpours since Tropical Storm Debby. The clay-rich fields at Beasley Farm are still extremely soggy. This means a few of our summer crops are not maturing in the way we had hoped. Still, we keep our fingers crossed that our pesticide-free harvest will come to fruition soon. In the meantime, welcome to this week's newsletter! We hope your summer has been enjoyable, healthy and safe. 

Pesticide-free Okra is still slowly trickling in. Later in the newsletter, we are sharing a few ideas for using Okra and traditional Southern field peas in meal planning.

If interested in SHELLED black-eye peas, conk peas, or zipper peas, please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

As always, please feel free to phone the farm for special requests or special orders. We'll do everything we can to accommodate you. If you need something from the Farmers Market in Plant City, it is best to phone by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services visits to our farm to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques, and the testing we undergo, please click here. 


By avoiding harmful chemicals, we provide local birds a safe haven where they can help with insect populations.

Gran'ma Angie thanks you for the bags! She hopes you will keep on bringing 'em. Thanks for "recycling" your plastic bags with us! It helps us keep prices down.

From the Farmers Market:

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Pablano Peppers (FANTASTIC!)
Green Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)

Sweet Cubanella Peppers

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes
White Skin Potatoes

Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash

Yellow Onions
Scallion Onions
Red Radish

Celery
Cabbage
Romaine

Head Lettuce
FLORIDA Avocados
Lemons

Limes

Bananas
ASPARAGUS
Shelled Zipper Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)

Shelled Black-eye Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)
Shelled Conk Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)

From the Farm:

• Reservations being taken for our specialty Traditional Southern Field Peas (phone to order please)
• Pesticide-free Okra

Where we will be this week:

please note: due to demands on the farm, the Sunday and Monday locations are temporarily suspended. Produce Barn will be open as usual. Thanks for understanding.

Friday - Rolo will be at the Spring Hill location. 

Saturday - Rolo and Joann will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Come browse, shop, and visit with your neighbors - it's an all 'round enjoyable time. You'll also be supporting local businesses by visiting their booths. 

Saturday and everyday - Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will be at the Produce Barn until 6PM. 

For our Calendar of Locations, and special times and dates for July and August, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

Recipes for the Week:

Black-eye Pea and Cucumber Salad

Conk Peas, Cold Salad sides, and BBQ ribs

Fried Okra by Paula Deen

Quotes for this week:

"Send a smile, 

Give a hug, 

all day long you 

will be loved!"
-Stephanie Geiger

"Never get tired of doing little things 

for others. Sometimes, those little 

things occupy the biggest part 

of their hearts."
-Unknown

As always, thank you for your encouragement and support. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you,

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.

Conk Peas - Traditional side dish

Ingredients:

    * 1 bag Beasley Farm Conk peas, rinsed and sorted

    * 2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

    * 1 small onion, chopped

    * 1 garlic clove, minced (if desired)

    * 1 tablespoon butter or margarine (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

    * Salt to taste

Directions:

Place peas, oil and seasoning, in enough water to cover in a pot; bring to a boil. 


Boil for 2-5 minutes to completely thaw. 

Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 20-30 minutes. Do not drain. 


Slow cook bacon strips in fry pan until crisp. Blot dry.

Saute onion in Olive Oil (or the bacon drippings). Add to pea mixture. Return to heat; simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until peas are soft. 


Top with crumbled bacon if desired. Yield: 4-8 servings, depending on hearty appetites.

Cucumber and Black-Eye Pea Salad

(adapted from eatingwell.com)

For a different approach to traditional southern field peas, try serving them cold. A protein-enriched, cool salad to serve with sandwiches, solo as lunch, or a side dish with dinner on those warm summer evenings, peas may be served mixed in an assortment of salads. Substitute Conks, Pink-Eye Peas, or Zipper Peas for the black-eyed peas if you prefer. Eatingwell.com offers this delicious salad for a tasty change at meal time.

Makes 6 servings, about 1 cup each

Prep and Serve: 20 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

Freshly ground pepper to taste

4 cups peeled and diced cucumbers

2 cups black-eyed peas, cooked and cooled

2/3 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup slivered red onion

2 tablespoons chopped black olives

Whisk oil, lemon juice, oregano and pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add cucumber, black-eyed peas, bell pepper, feta, onion and olives; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Tasty and Healthy - July 19, 2012

Warm Summer Greetings and a Hearty Welcome to this week's newsletter. We hope your summer has been enjoyable, healthy and safe so far. 


Cucumbers make a cool, crisp and hydrating snack which contain electrolytes on hot summer days.

Our pesticide-free Okra is slowly coming in. We're slogging in our fields harvesting as much as possible these days, depending on the rains! Thanks for always brightening our days with your encouragement. Because summer is a time of grilling, parties, and easy-make-ahead sides, we've included some recipes below to take the place of plain old rolls - plus it's a way of sneaking in some veggies!

Special Interest:

Just picked! UNSHELLED Zipper Cream Peas and Black-eye Peas. Same price as previous years - $24.00 per bushel. Please phone the farm today or Friday to reserve, as we cannot leave them in the shell for long, before they require shelling and freezing. NOTE: Shelling will be done on Sunday, so don't delay!

If interested in SHELLED black-eye peas, conk peas, or zipper peas, please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

As always, please feel free to phone the farm for special requests or special orders. We'll do everything we can to accommodate you. If you need something from the Farmers Market in Plant City, it is best to phone by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services visits to our farm to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques, and the testing we undergo, please click here.

Gran'ma Angie thanks you for the bags! She hopes you will keep on bringing 'em. Thanks for "recycling" your plastic bags with us! It helps us keep prices down.

From the Farmers Market:

Tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers
Green Bell Peppers
Green Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)

Sweet Cubanella Peppers

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Florida Red Skin Potatoes

Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash

Yellow Onions
Scallion Onions
BiColor Corn (recipes below)
Red Radish

Celery
Cabbage
Romaine

Head Lettuce
Baby Bok Choy (salads, baked, grilled, sandwiches)
FLORIDA Avocados
Lemons

Limes

Bananas (these are ORGANIC Bananas)
Peaches (last week of South Carolina Peaches)

Shelled Zipper Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)
Shelled Black-eye Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)
Shelled Conk Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)

From the Farm:

• Reservations being taken for our specialty Traditional Southern Field Peas (phone to order please)
• Pesticide-free Okra

Where we will be this week:

please note: due to demands on the farm, the Sunday and Monday locations are temporarily suspended. Produce Barn will be open as usual. Thanks for understanding.

Friday - Rolo will be at the Spring Hill location. 

Saturday - Rolo and Joann will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Come browse, shop, and visit with your neighbors - it's an all 'round enjoyable time. You'll also be supporting local businesses by visiting their booths. 

Saturday and everyday - Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will be at the Produce Barn until 6PM. 

For our Calendar of Locations, and special times and dates for July, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

Recipes for the Week:

These can be made ahead of time for bar-be-que, parties, side dishes at meals:

Sweet Corn Casserole

(try using fresh corn!)

Broccoli-Cheese Corn Muffins

Jalapeno-Bacon Corn Bread

Quotes for this week:

"What are the things that you can’t see that are 

important? I would say justice, truth, humility, 

service, compassion, love ... they’re the 

guiding lights of a life."

-Jimmy Carter; 39th U.S. President

As you look forward to the hours ahead, remember that

you control your actions toward others. If you want to 

be remembered fondly, you must treat each person so.

~ Unknown

As always, thank you for your encouragement and support. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you,

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.

Tasty and Healthy - July 12, 2012

Warm Summer Greetings and a Hearty Welcome to this week's newsletter.


Our pesticide-free Okra is slowly coming in. We're slogging in our fields harvesting as much as possible these days, depending on the rains! Thanks for always brightening our days with your encouragement.

Special Interest:

Just picked today! UNSHELLED Zipper Cream Peas and Black-eye Peas. Same price as previous years - $24.00 per bushel. Please phone the farm today or Friday to reserve, as we cannot leave them in the shell for long, before they require shelling and freezing.

If interested in SHELLED black-eye peas, conk peas, or zipper peas, please phone the farm to place an order. Peas are in our standard two pound bag. $8 per bag.

As always, please feel free to phone the farm for special requests or special orders. We'll do everything we can to accommodate you. If you need something from the Farmers Market in Plant City, it is best to phone by Wednesday afternoon.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services visits to our farm to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques, and the testing we undergo, please click here.

Gran'ma Angie thanks you for the bags! She hopes you will keep on bringing 'em. Thanks for "recycling" your plastic bags with us! It helps us keep prices down.

From the Farmers Market:

Florida tomatoes

Eggplant

Cucumbers
Pickling cucumbers
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Green Jalapenos (be sure to remove the seeds!)

Sweet Cubanella Peppers

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Florida Red Skin Potatoes

Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash

Yellow Onions
Scallion Onions
Red Radish

Celery
Cabbage
Romaine

Head Lettuce
FLORIDA Avocados
Lemons

Limes

Bananas
D'Angelo Pears
Peaches

Shelled Zipper Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)
Shelled Black-eye Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)
Shelled Conk Peas 2lb bags $8 (phone to order)

From the Farm:

• Reservations being taken for our specialty Traditional Southern Field Peas (phone to order please)
• Last Call - beets harvested yesterday $10 per box (phone to order please)

Where we will be this week:

please note: due to demands on the farm, the Sunday and Monday locations are temporarily suspended. Produce Barn will be open as usual. Thanks for understanding.

Friday - Rolo will be at the Spring Hill location. 

Saturday - Rolo and Joann will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Come browse, shop, and visit with your neighbors - it's an all 'round enjoyable time. You'll also be supporting local businesses by visiting their booths. 

Saturday and everyday - Gran'ma Angie, Nana Phyllis, Joann and Rolo will be at the Produce Barn until 6PM. 

For our Calendar of Locations, and special times and dates for July, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.

Quotes for this week:

May I live this day compassionate of heart, 

clear in word, 

gracious in awareness, 

courageous in thought, 

generous in love.
- John O'Donohue -

"Life is short but there is 

always time for courtesy."

-Mignon McLaughlin

As always, thank you for your encouragement and support. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we love most - FARM!

Looking forward to seeing you,

10137 Preston Rd

just off Mondon Hill Road between Hwy 41 and Hwy 50.

Produce Barn is open daily until 6PM

Phone 352-799-6752

When we're busy in the field, our cells keep us available:

352-232-3381 and 352-232-0294

E-mail us Beasley_Farm@tampabay.rr.com

For our Produce Stand locations, dates, and hours please click here.

Please phone the farm to special order Southern Field Peas if you would like them brought to one of our satellite locations.