50 Ways to Prepare and Eat Sweet Corn! By Melinda

We're getting bountiful corn this week.  Brendan notes, correctly, that it's so tender and sweet that you can eat it raw from the cob!  Delicious.  But if you want to cook it, from the simplest boiling to more complex preparations, this is your key!  This comes to us courtesy of the Food Channel: click here!

Okra, a World-Divider, by Melinda

The world is divided into people who love or who strongly dislike okra.  It's among our U-Pick choices, though, so it's probably worth giving it a try!--here are a few ideas for different methods of preparation.

(source of photo & recipe)

Peppery Grilled Okra with Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce--serves 8

• Cheesecloth or coffee filter
• 1 qt plain, low fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, divided
• 2 lbs fresh okra, trimmed (click here for how to trim & prepare okra)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Line a wire mesh strainer w/ 3 layers of cheesecloth or a largish coffee filter. Place strainer over bowl, dump yogurt into it, & cover & chill 24 hrs. Remove thick yogurt [save the liquid whey as a nice addition to soups & stews]. Preheat grill 400 to 450 [this could also be done on the grill pan in your oven or on a George-Foreman-type grill]. Combine yogurt, basil, lemon juice, garlic, & sugar with 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper. Cover & chill till ready to serve.

Toss together okra, olive oil, & remaining 1 tsp salt & 1 tsp pepper in a large bowl. Grill okra, covered w/ grill lid, at 400-450 for 2-3 min. on each side or until tender. (You can thread them on skewers that have been soaked in water, as in photo above, to make it easier to handle them.) Cool okra 5 min. Transfer to serving dish & serve w/ dipping sauce.  (source)

Shrimp and Okra Hush Puppies--Okra is really a southern dish, and like so many dishes, it's often batter-dipped & fried.

(Source)

• 1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup medium-size raw shrimp, shelled & chopped
• 1 tsp Creole seasoning
• 1/2 cup diced onion, or combo of chopped onion & chopped sweet peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped okra
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup beer
• canola oil

Mix cornmeal & flour in bowl till combined. Sprinkle shrimp w/ Creole seasoning. Add shrimp, onion, & okra to cornmeal mix. Stir in egg and beer just until moistened. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes. Pour oil to depth of 4 inches in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot; heat to 350. Drop batter by level tbsps into hot oil & fry, in batches, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels; serve immediately (you can keep warm in 225 oven for up to 15 min, but no longer or they'll get mushy).  (source)

Okra and Sweet Corn Maque Choux--makes 8 servings

• 1/4 lb spicy smoked sausage, diced (VEGANS--substitute Tofurky Italian Sausage)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup diced sweet pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1 cup trimmed & sliced fresh okra
• 1 cup diced tomato
• salt & pepper to taste

Saute sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes, until browned. Add onion, sweet pepper, & garlic, & saute 5 min, or till tender. Add corn, okra, & tomato; cook, stirring often, 10 min. Season to taste.

(Photo & recipe source)

Week #8 on Red Hill Farm! By Angela

This is a full share and bi-weekly Friday pickup week.

You can see how onions enjoy the sun!

The blazing sun has done us well & our storage onion harvests have begun. We did pull shallots last Friday & will be distributing them over this week and next week. Please use these sooner than later. Because of the quantities of rain they endured, I do not anticipate them to store well--so, eat them while the eating is good!

The sweet corn is bountiful this week, so invite your friends over & enjoy this all-American taste of summer!

Brendan will be the farmer in the shareroom this week.  Joanne will be available on the farm this Tuesday from 1 pm to 3 pm.

Notable Novice Days on the Farm, by Angela

Cooling off at the faucet

Last week hit 90 degrees for the first time since last September.  Blazing hot and blessed be, on those two days five novice Sisters and one of their director Sisters joined us in the field.

The whole crew weeding beets

We planted sweet corn, okra, eggplant, and peppers, along with hours of weeding crops that were swimming (rather, nearly drowning) in weeds.

Weeding peas

Thank you, Sisters, for all your hard work.

Having fun with hand tools