Trellising Tomatoes
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There is a lot of care gone into pruning and trellising tomato plants at the farm. With over thirty three hundred plants, twenty nine varieties and fifty five hundred feet of bed space, the farm staff is left with green fingers.First the raised beds are made and irrigation lines are tied in, then transplanting happens. Once the seedlings are big enough we're ready to prune suckers and pound stakes. After that, tomato twine is used to trellis. These recent hot, sunny days are just what the nightshades love and I can hardly wait to pick my first pint of sungold cherry tomatoes. Fruit season is right around the corner, folks. Look for your favorite heirlooms like brandywine, pineapple bi-color and green zebra in the share room. Jessica Gerani
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Zucchini-Pecan-Flaxseed Bread
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Submitted by Nancy RosenthalAdapted from Cooking Light
The bounty of zucchini is already  upon us. One day they are slender and small like your index finger, then before you know it you'll have a zucchini the size of your forearm. Just last night I baked off a triple batch of Zucchini bread. I made some of it into muffins reducing the baking time to 30 minutes. These freeze well too!
Ingredients 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup ground flaxseed 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 cups shredded zucchini 1 cup plain yogurt (or kefir) 2 eggs 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted Cooking spray 3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted Preparation Preheat oven to 350° Combine flours, granulated sugar, and next 7 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Combine yogurt, egg substitute, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in zucchini. Add zucchini mixture and 1/4 cup pecans to flour mixture, stirring until well combined. (I use a hand mixer for this.) Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle batter with 3 tablespoons pecans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack. We omit the pecans so it is nut free.
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Curcurbits
Hello, my fellow Pennypackers! In addition to the standard slicing cucumber, yellow squash and green zucchini, you may have noticed some interesting varieties in our cucurbit- the vegetable family which is comprised of squash, zucchini, cucumber- lineup. We have some funky specialty varieties, so have fun with them and give us your feedback. In the cucumber patch we have, drumroll... Persian Cukes! Thin beauties, referred to as "skinless" because of their very tender casing and are sweet and crunchy. Lemon Cukes! These tikes are petite with the shape and color of a lemon, a mild citrus flavor, and satisfying crunch. Poona Keera Cukes! An Indian variety that is the strangest looking of our cukes with a yellow to brown skin. But fear not, its true goodness is lurking under the surface with sweetness, depth of flavor, and crunch. She is Farmer Katie's favorite cucumber. Suhyo Long! This Japanese variety is, as its namesake hints, long and curvy. It is the most crisp of our cucumbers. Moving on from our succulent cucumber friends we have the summer squash and zucchini patch featuring, drumroll...Eightball Zucchini! This baby is perfectly round with all the flavor texture and goodness of zucchini. It is great for stuffing, dicing, or as farmer Andy suggests, "polishing and displaying on your mantle." Yellow and Mint Green Patty Pan! These UFO like squash are undeniably adorable and are great for dicing. Lebanese Squash! These large ovular light green green summer squash is my personal favorite for its color, girth, and flavor. And last but not least...Costat Romanesca! This green striped Italian zucchini is nutty and delicious, both raw or cooked
Enjoy these beautiful and delicious fruits of summer!
Farmer Jenny
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Notes from the Edible Classroom
What a great week in the EC! For me, it was a combination of cleaning out the EC buildings, learning my way around the gardens and getting to meet lots of CSA member families. I plan to be in the Edible Classroom from 2:30 - 5 on share pick-up days.
Last week a few kids helped to remove some of the invasive water celery from the pond. The water lilies were a bit overwhelmed by all the celery and this week the lilies have spread out and look less cramped. Thanks to the kids who took the time to not only pull out all those plants, but to also make lots of "compost runs" to keep the place tidy.
 Several kids also helped transplant 11 cherry tomato plants into one of the beds. Some of the transplants have small fruits and all seem happy in their new home. Stop by and check 'em out.
We've had several slug sightings and even measured one of the larger ones - it was 3 ½ inches long! Those who touched it reported it to be "soft", "mushy" and, of course "slimey". One determined visitor was able to catch a cabbage moth by hand and several late-afternoon visitors saw our mockingbird parents deliver worms to their babies nesting in one of our elderberry bushes. Pretty cool stuff!
In addition to weeding, checking out the bugs and birds, pictures were drawn, plants (and bodies) were watered and lots of laughs were had in the Edible Classroom. Please stop by next week when you come pick up your share!
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Summer Calendar
 Canning and Pickling with Marisa McClellan
Tuesday July 24, 6pm-9pm, $40
Whether you're a new canner or experienced preserver, this class is for you. Learn or refresh your knowledge of boiling water bath canning with local canning teacher and cookbook author Marisa McClellan. In this class, you'll learn the cold pack method of pickling and best practices for homemade chutney. Featured recipes will be Dilly Beans and Peach Chutney. Register now...
 "Wildman" Steve - Hunt for Wild Elderberriesat Pennypack Ecological Trust
Sunday, August 12, 4pm, $20/adult $10/child
Join "Wildman" Steve Brill as he leads one of his world-famous foraging tours of Pennypack Trust in Huntingdon Valley, PA, a walking tour sponsored by Pennypack Farm.
We'll be looking for familiar wild blackberries, much better-tasting than any commercial varieties, and common elderberries, less known but great in jams, muffins, and pancakes. Black cherries, a native species with a flavor of cherry and grapefruit, may also bear abundant fruit. And we may even find lemony mayapples. Register here  Preserving the Wild Harvest
Thursday, August 16, 7pm-830pm, $20 Learn to use and preserve wild and not so wild edibles with David Siller. Turn your favorites into sauces, preserves, chips, pickles, leather, etc. Participants should bring: notebooks and tastebuds. Register here |
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