Thursday, October 11, 2012

Tasty and Healthy - October 11, 2012

Greetings! We hope this week's post finds you and your family doing well.

Is it really October already? October does not mean changing leaf colors here in Florida, but it does "feel" different somehow. We can "taste" the hint of celebrations soon to come, and anticipate holidays with family members and special friends.

Does your family enjoy chicken? Check out this flavorful, yummy looking sandwich - we hope to try the recipe out soon.

Featured Vegetable - Bell Peppers

Known for adding extra taste and pizzaz to dishes, Bell Peppers may be used raw, steamed, sautéed, or grilled. Brightly colored, crunchy, and flavorful, they are perfect in pasta, rice, salads, soups, chili, stew, casseroles, pizza, sandwiches, wraps, relish trays and more!

Full of vitamins and minerals, bell peppers are nutritious!

Because Tangy Green Bell Peppers and Sweet Red Bell Peppers are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, they help neutralize many free radicals which damage cells. The Antioxidants in bell peppers may minimize atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage often seen in diabetics, cataracts, joint pain and other inflammatory illnesses. For more information, please visit our web page here.

Currently planted on the farm, but not yet ready for harvest:

Zucchini
Eight-ball Zucchini (our speciality)
Yellow Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Turnips
Green Beans
Pole Beans
Yellow Beans
Red and White Swiss Chard (another specialty)
Kale
Broccoli
Mustard Greens
5,000 collard plants! (biggest seller)

It will be 60-90 days before these are ready for harvest.

Last week for Pesticide-free Okra being harvested on the farm. Try it in casseroles, soups, fried, baked, roasted and grilled (Recipes on the right).

If interested in SHELLED black-eye 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 regularly to test our soil and plants. For more information about our farming techniques, and the testing we undergo, please click here.

A big thanks from Gran'ma Angie for recycling your shopping bags with us. Please keep them coming!

From the Farmers Market:

Tomatoes
Grape Tomatoes

Eggplant

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

Carrots

Sweet Potatoes

Baking Potatoes

Red Skin Potatoes
White Skin Potatoes

Yellow Squash
Zucchini Squash
Butternut Squash

Yellow Onions
Scallion Onions
Purple Onions
Red Radish
Beets

Celery
Cabbage
Romaine

Head Lettuce
Florida BiColor corn on the cob!
Lemons

Limes (recipe below)
Bananas
Navel Oranges
Johnny Golds Apples
Red Grapefruit
Florida Avocados

Where we will be this week:

Friday - Rolo will be at our Spring Hill Drive location next to the Chevron location. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

Saturday - Joann and Rolo will be at the Hernando County Farmers Market on Hwy 19 with 40 other vendors! Come and 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. Be sure to phone the farm for any special orders!

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 October, please click here, or click on the Calendar Tab at the top of this page.