This is one of the first dishes we make on the farm when the Heirloom Tomatoes get started, grab some bread and get your Basil ready! Pair it with Grilled Chicken for a fantastic meal. We first had this salad at Oscar's Restaurant down in College Park many years ago...sigh, we miss Oscar's! (Chef Todd Immel is at Flotaway Cafe and Chef Tracey Bloom was a Top Chef contestant.) The amounts of the different ingredients are really up to you: we plan on one large Tomato for two people and we like lots of Basil!
1. Wash, trim and chop a mix of Tomatoes, the more colors the better.
2. Wash, trim and chop Basil.
3. Chop a handful of Kalamata or other favorite Olives.
4. Prepare 2-3 Garlic cloves either crushing and chopping finely or mashing well.
5. Trim and slice 1/2 Onion.
6. Toast 1 slice of crusty bread per person, allow to cool then chop into chunks.
7. Prepare dressing: 1/4 cup good Olive Oil, 1/4 cup Balsamic or other favorite Vinegar, salt and pepper.
8. Mix together all ingredients just before serving. Makes a great side dish or main for lunch or light supper.
Organically Grown Sweet Corn 101
It's that time of year ag
ain when we need to tell ya'll about the little caterpill
ars you will often find in our grower's Sweet Corn! If you have never grown your own corn or had homegrown corn you may not know about the relationship between the Corn Earworm and the host plant they prefer.
So here it is: if you grow corn you will absolutely have the little guys hanging around, waiting for the first opportunity they get to chew up the ends of the ears. They are part of our ecosystem and if you think about it we are taking their dinner away from them when we harvest the corn for us to eat. The fact is that the little bit of yellow mushy stuff is just "processed" corn. It is not anything dangerous to your health, just Mother Nature at work. It's very simple to peel back the husks to reveal the little guys (you might want to do this outside or over the sink or newspaper). This is not a big deal! Trim the damaged ends off and you're good to go. If you have a compost bin (or use Compost Wheels!) just chuck all the trimmings and husks in there, otherwise they will make a healthy addition to the landfill. Your neighborhood birds would be thrilled to find the caterpillars in their feed dish if you have one in your yard, our chickens just love them.
Here's a tip from Laurie's mom Linda: she feels the corn cob through the husk and chops off the end without peeling back the husks, keeping the trimming task a bit neater in the kitchen!
Conventionally-grown corn is sprayed with several pesticides, usually every 3-4 days during the "silking" period and the chemicals are very effective: they kill the Corn Earworms on contact and from the inside out if they happen to get a bite, either way pretty much instantly. We do not want to eat food that kills bugs instantly!
You may find organically grown corn that does not have any Corn Earworm damage in the grocery store. Be aware that it is sprayed, too. The chemicals used are not as harmful and the USDA has put their Organic stamp of approval on them, but the farmer is still using some type of spray control.
We hope you understand and appreciate the natural and healthful ways our farms grow your food! We have a lot of respect for our environment and these creatures are a part of it.
P.S. Check out this awesome blog on the subject from Member Sarah Wise!
If you have ever thought about being a City Chicken owner we are ready and willing to enable your aspirations! Our Moore Farms City Chicks program set up a dozen Atlanta families with their very own backyard flock "starter kit" last year. Our first little ones moved to their new Decatur digs this week! We provide everything you need to get started, you just supply the coop (you can build your own or there are LOTS of kits you can find online). Advantages of our program include a Rooster Return guarantee and 24/7 Tech Support. Check out the