Appleton Farms Blog: Week 10: Harvesting Onions

Another hot and humid week has me singing songs of praise of our wonderful and dedicated crew. Weeks like these take a lot out of everyone. Despite the weather, we all put forth the effort and focus to keep things moving right along here. Please be sure to thank the crew for all their hard work and dedication to the farm!

This week we pulled most of our storage onions, which are now curing in the greenhouse. We were very fortunate to have the help of a group of kids from our Farm Camp. These lucky children spend a week at the farm gaining real hands on experience in a variety of farm activities, while also offering their help. We enjoyed working them and are pleased to have our onions out of the field.

This week the share will include:

Head lettuce
Curly kale
Carrots
Beets
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Peppers
Onions
Watermelon
PYO herbs
PYO flowers
PYO cherry tomatoes

Despite our best efforts to keep a good stash of scissors for the pick your own field, every week many go missing. We encourage you to bring your own scissors if you plan on picking.
As a reminder, our hours for pickup have changed to Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 12:30-6:30PM. We are also open for pick your own on Saturdays, 8AM-Noon. Shareholders are free to pick up their share any day that best suits their schedule, and do not need to commit to the same day each week. Additionally, shareholders do not need to tell us which day they will be picking up.

Vegetable of the week!

TOMATOES are the fruit of the plant in the nightshade family. Fresh tomatoes contain 95% water! They are low in carbohydrates (4%), which consists mainly of simple sugars and insoluble fibers. Tomatoes are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K and folate. Studies show that tomatoes and tomato products may reduce the risk of heart disease and several cancers. They are also considered to be beneficial for skin health, and may protect against sunburns.

Pico de Gallo Recipe:

6 small or 4 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 fresh onion, chopped

1-2 seeded and diced hot peppers (optional!)

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup diced fresh cilantro

1/2 lime, juiced (can add more)

1 garlic clove, minced

Optional spices- cumin, corriander, cayenne, paprika, pepper)

Heavy pinch salt

Mix all ingredients together, refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Homemade BBQ Sauce:

3 lbs tomatoes, cored

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cups chopped and seeded green bell peppers

1 jalapenos –chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 - 3 TBSP packed brown sugar or honey

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp each dry mustard and paprika

1/2 tsp kosher salt

pinch red pepper flakes

Core tomatoes & cook until softened and run through a food mill to remove the peels and seeds (or use a food processor and then strain the pulp through a fine mesh strainer). In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine tomatoes, celery, onions, green peppers, and jalapeno peppers. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and boil gently until vegetables soften, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to make the mixture smooth. Return pot and heat to a low boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces by half (about an hour). Stir in vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and spices to the sauce. Increase heat to medium and boil gently, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. Again, blend until smooth, and heat on low to desired thickness. Let cool and refrigerate and/or freeze into desired portion sizes.

Farm Store News

The store has Appleton milk from our own cows. Try whole, low-fat, or cream top. Cream top is whole milk that is not homogenized -- most people shake it hard before serving. Please remember to bring back your glass bottles!

We also have Appleton cheeses -- 2 hard and 2 soft varieties -- as well as an ever-changing selection of cheeses, meat products (from the farm), and gifts. You can also sign up for Farm events, right at the store!

Farm Events & Programs

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Wee Farmers

Tuesday, August 14
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore

Family Fun, Farms & Food

Thursday, August 16, 2018

Wee Farmers

Thursday, August 16
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore

Family Fun, Farms & Food

Friday, August 17, 2018

Appleton's Friday Farm Dinners with A&B Burger

Friday, August 17
Appleton Farms
Hamilton and Ipswich | North Shore