There are Huge harvests again for the farmstand! It surely doesn’t seem like we’re rolling into the last weekend of September. The tomatoes are ripening quickly, and peppers are giving more red ones than green right now. The big, blocky bell peppers are maturing and they’re beautiful. All of the colored gourds have been picked and many of those adorable white mini pumpkins are ready, too. There are some fall squash picked and ready, with many more coming next week.
I’ve bagged some 5# bags and plenty of 1# baskets of Roma tomatoes. I know. I know – you’re out of ideas for them. How about this? You can buy packets of Mrs. Wages seasoning mix for salsa (mild, medium or hot), pasta sauce, or chili base and freeze it! You can refrigerate and use it within a week, water bath can it, or freeze it. You need 6# of tomatoes and a packet which you can find at the Moline Menards for $3 and one other ingredient (like vinegar or sugar). Click here to see the varieties, read the instructions, and see the ingredients of each mix. There are lots of heirloom tomatoes, salad tomatoes, and TEN pounds of cherry tomatoes in addition to lots of small slicers and all those Romas!
I’m still picking a few things and the pear breads just went into the oven, but all in all, making good progress. Speaking of pears, there are freshly picked pears in 1# baskets and here’s a great (and easy) recipe for pear upside down cake that uses a boxed cake mix. Personally, I’d add a few shakes of cinnamon and nutmeg or cloves into the cake batter.
It’s going to be a beautiful morning tomorrow, and we’ll set up with 3 tables and probably a cart to make access easier than last week – when we were watching for rain. Please grab a friend and come over!
If you have jam jars and rings to return, this would be a great time to bring them over. There are still a few jams that I’d like to make, and jars are running a little low. Thank you for always recycling them back to me!
Menu:
5 1/2 Beans $4 per pound, $2 per half pound
3 Broccoli $2 per half pound
1 Carrots $4 per bag
Cucumbers .50 each or 6/$2.50
1 1/2 Kale $4 per full and $2 per half bag
10 Pears $1.50 per 1# basket
Peppers: Bell .75 ea, Carmen .75 ea, Jalapeno or Serrano .25 ea
Mixed sweet pepper bag $5 (perfect to prep for the freezer)
1 Roasting kit $5 (beets, carrots, yellow squash, fresh herbs and recipe)
Squash: Acorn, Butternut, Spaghetti $2 each
2 Swiss chard $4 per bag
Yellow squash .75 each
Zucchini .75 each
Tomatoes:
Slicing (red and heirloom) .50 each
12 Romas $1.50 per 1# basket
10 Cherry $3 per 1# basket
4 Salad $4 per 1# basket
2 Small heirlooms $2 per basket
1 Small red slicers $2 per basket
3 Romas $7.50 per 5# bag
2 San Marzano $2 per 1# basket
8 Pear breads $4 per mini loaf
Jams/Canned items $5 (new this week: Peach jalapeno, Cranberry mustard)
Chai latte mix $5 per refill bag
Instant potato soup mix $5 per jar (six servings)
Seasoned salts $4 per jar (regular or spicy)
I think that’s everything. Whew! Who thought we’d have this kind of harvest to finish out the month of September? Not me. Come get it while the gardens are still giving!