Newsletter #12-09

It was easier to crop the picture of this flowerbed than to have Angela weed it but weed it she did, many times and much of the rest of the farm as well. Angela came to us through the mentorship program because she wanted to learn how to grow her own food. Highly motivated by her vegetarian, mostly raw food diet, she went out every day, rain or shine, using her trusty raincoat to ward off rain, mud, wind and mosquitoes. She rarely returned  without some newfound edible weed to augment her medicine chest.

This is her last week with us. A lover of country life, she has embarked on a new venture on an acreage near Anola. She will put her new skills to work, starting with a large vegetable, herb garden with many medicinal weeds, of course.

Much to our delight, we have had warmer night temperatures in the last few weeks than we had throughout July. This has been a boon to our tomato plants. The heritage tomatoes deliver  peak flavour right now. Tomatoes are one of the most common vegetables consumed in the American diet. . University of California-Davis researchers found that organically grown tomatoes were significantly higher in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant. Flavonoids are a class of bioactive plant compounds that help protect plants from UV-radiation, chemicals and other environmental stressors. In humans, flavonoids help protect cells against environmental insults that may contribute to chronic disease. Flavonoids may help protect against cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and other age-related conditions, such as dementia. The results found, over time, that the organic tomatoes had increasingly
higher amounts of the three flavonoids studied: quercetin, naringenin and kaempferol, whereas the levels of flavonoids did not vary significantly in conventional tomatoes. Mean values for quercetin and kaempferol in organic tomatoes were 79% and 97% higher than those in conventional tomatoes, respectively. Conventional farming uses mineralized nitrogen fertilizers, while organic crops receive nitrogen through animal and green manure application. The researchers suggest that the organic crops contained higher flavonoids due to the type of nitrogen available to the tomato plants. There was no significant difference in the crop yields the two agricultural systems, but the organic plot had less year-to-year variation in crop yield than the conventional plots.

This week you are getting small pattypans, a gourmet delight. Last Sunday we went tropical. Stefan braised leeks in a little water, then added them to coconut milk and red curry paste. He tossed in the little pattypans and simmered the mixture till tender.

At the market people have told us that they prefer pickling cucumbers since they have more flavour. This week you can decide for yourselves since your cucumbers are pickling cukes. If you prefer to pickle them, we have included dill and spring garlic. This garlic too has a stronger flavour than the hardneck The taste of dill leaves resembles that of caraway, while the seeds are pungent and aromatic. Freshly cut, chopped leaves enhance the flavor of dips, herb butter, soups, salads, fish dishes, and salads. The seeds are used in pickling and can also improve the taste of roasts, stews and vegetables. Try grinding the seeds to use as a salt substitute. Both the flowering heads and seeds are used in flavored vinegars and oils but the chief culinary use of dill seeds is in pickling cucumbers:  You can try this easy recipe for pickling cucumbers one jar at a time.

Why do we grow a rainbow of carrots?  Scientists say that there is added nutritional benefit to choosing a colorful vegetable over a more conventional one. Red carrots have extra lycopene, which is also found in tomatoes and is believed to lower blood pressure and help to reduce the risk of some cancers. Yellow carrots promote eye health with beta-carotene-like pigments, and purple carrots have powerful antioxidants.   For an outstanding presentation, eat them raw with dip or or try baking them to retain their colour .