Tasty and Healthy - October 4, 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.

New! We're trying out a new location on Sunday. Please see the details below.

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.

Pesticide-free Okra is currently 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

Eggplant

Cucumbers
Pickling Cukes
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Red and Green 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
Golden Delicious Apples

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. 

Sunday, GRAND REOPENING! On October 7 8am-3pm we will be at the Grand Reopening of the Airport Farmers and Flea Market. This market is under-roof for your convenience and comfort - rain or shine. Several local growers have been invited to staff booths. Look for our Beasley Farm trailer, as we will be located in Booths 50-51, in the middle of the market. If this location proves beneficial, we will try to make Sunday a regular offering to our customers. The Market is located just off Hwy 41 at 17375 Spring Hill Drive, Brooksville.

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.

Moist Meatloaf with Tomato Relish

Peppers, Onions, and Tomatoes

Chunky Oatmeal Cinnamon-Raisin Walnut Cookies

Quotes for this week:

Life is far too short to be sad. 

To be mad. To hold regret. 

To look back. To be depressed. 

To be unkind. Be nice and do good, 

everyday is new.

unknown

Every morning when I get up, the first thing I decide is:
What do I want?
Misery? Blisfullness?
What am I going to choose today?
And it happens that I always choose blissfulness.
It is my choice, it is my life.

~ Abdullah

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.