Farmer Steve

Produce Stand: Update for August 09 2011:

Good Morning Neighbours:  Its raining, its pouring.....Finally some wet weather for our lawns and farmer's crops.  Hopefully, tomorrow shines bright.  We had a nice stand last week with lots of good products and matching conversations.  Thanks to the Phillips family, Jan, Rob and Kendra, who came to the auction and helped set up and tear down.  Thanks also to Pamela Krug and her daughter Adrianna who helped mann the stand as well as our regulars Daniel Nairn, Katherine Frazer, and Jasmin Heaton(just back from a trip to Disney Land).  As well, we got some unexpected organic produce including kale, cucumbers, and herbs courtesy of Eric and Emily Steiner who kindly delivered them from their garden.  They looked great!  If any of you have some excess produce from your garden you would like to provide to your neighbours feel free to bring it on up!

This week we should once again have a fine selection of produce including:

Blueberries, Cantaloupes, Possibly Watermelons, Herrles Corn,  Broccoli, Carrots, New Potatoes, Tomatoes, Garlic Cloves, Green Beans, Cauliflower, Spinach Lettuce, Kohlrabi(increasingly popular), New 2011 Honey, Eggs, and Lighthouse Lemonade

Dolores and I hope to see you all tomorrow. 

Regards, Farmer Steve

PRODUCE STAND: UPDATE FOR AUGUST 3 2011:

Hi Neighbours:  The stand was buzzing last week and we pretty much sold out of everything which doesn't normally happen.  Thanks alot to Ron Weiler for coming out to the auction with us and to Daniel Nairn and Kathryn Frazer for basically looking after our customers all afternoon.  You guys were great.  We always have interesting, new people dropping by the stand.  In fact, for us, meeting these people is one of the best parts of running the stand.  Last week, it was a young fellow from Beechwood 2, Danny Trask, who had just returned from canoe tripping in Tamagami for 2 months.  Danny grew up in the neighbourhood and saw our signs the night before.  He was so excited to visit our stand and said how this is the way of the future and that we all should be buying locally produced goods when available.  He wondered why the stand wasn't even bigger than it was!  It was great to receive such passionate support.  Obviously, we agree with him which is why we do it.  In fact, today, as I drove to Listowel to buy new honey from our beekeeper near Listowel, I couldn't help but think how lucky we are to live in the centre of such a cornuccopia of local produced agricultural products. 

This week, we should have a nice array of fruits and vegetables including the following:

Raspberries, Blueberries, Herrle's corn, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Pea Pods, New Potatoes, Broccoli, Yellow Zucchini, Kohlrabi(very popular radish like vegetable), Red Peppers, Brown Eggs, Honey(This year's new crop), Lighthouse Lemonade Concentrate.  Carrots and Spanish Onions are coming soon as well!

Finally, one of our regular visitors to the stand brought this recipe to share for a Watermelon Gazpacho soup that serves 4 people.  Enjoy.

Ingredients: 2 1/3 Cups and 1 Tbsp. cubed seeded watermelon, 3/4 English cucumber chopped, 3/4, red bell pepper chopped, 3/8 onion, chopped, 1/4 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped, 1 Tbsp. and 1 3/4 tsp. lemon juice, 2 1/2 tsp.olive oil, 1 Tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh mint, 2 1/2 tsp. minced fresh giner, 1 tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. honey, 3 Tbsp. and 1/2 tsp. pineapple juice, 8 small mint leaves.

Directions: Reserve 20 small pieces of watermelon for garnish.

                Working in batches, place the remaining watermelon, cucumbers, red bell peoppers, onion, jalapeno pepper, lemon jice, olive oil, 3 Tbs. of fresh mint, the ginger, honey, and pineapple jice into a blender, and blend for about 30 seconds per batch.  The mixture should be well blended but retain some texture, ZPour into a large pitcher or bowl, and refrigerate 1 hour,  Serve in bowls, and garnish each bowl with a couple of chunks of the retained watermelon, and 2 small mint leaves. Delicious!

Hope to see you all the stand tomorrow.  Rain or Shine.  Regards, Farmer Steve and Dolores

PRODUCE STAND: UPDATE FOR JULY 26 2011:

Good Afternoon Neighbours:  Welcome to the dog days of summer.  Thanks so much to Dolores Penner, my produce stand partner and her son and niece, Nick and Julie for looking after the stand last week while Myrna and I visited our son Alex in Boston.  It was another great week of produce!  Thanks also to Ron Weiler for helping Dolores pack up at the end of the day.  This week we plan to have the following items at the stand:

Raspberries, Blueberries, Tomatoes, Bagged Spinach, Carrots, Pea Pods, Green Beans, New Potatoes, Broccoli, Yellow Zucchini, Red Peppers, Kohlrabi, Honey and Eggs, and possibly more Lighthouse Lemonade.

We might even have some Herrle's corn if the season has started. 

If you have any good summer recipes using our produce that you would like to share with the community go ahead and send them to us and I will post them with the next update.

Hope to see you all tomorrow.  The weather forecast is perfect.

Regards, Farmer Steve and Dolores

PRODUCE STAND: UPDATE FOR JULY 19 2011:

Hi Neighbours: 

It certainly is hot this week but it will be cool underneath the shade of the crabapple trees at the Produce Stand tomorrow.  We plan to have the following items for you this week all from the local area:

Tomatoes, Raspberries, Blueberries, Red Potatoes, Spinach, Red Peppers, Green Onions, Kolrahbi(see recipe below), Cucumbers, Green Onions, Yellow Zucchini, Honey, Eggs, Lighthouse Lemonade Concentrate, and perhaps some surprises we buy on impulse at the auction.

Thanks as always to Nick Penner and the rest of our young volunteers who help run our stand.  Last week, we also had a special addition with young Ferrin Ruby and her friend selling sunflowers for a charity in Bolivia.  They sold out all of them in about an hour!  Social entrepreneurship at its finest.  If any of your kids would like to sell their crafts, lemonade, or anything else for charity one week just let us know or show up.  We'd love to support them.

For those of us who are confused about what to do with the alien shaped Kohlrabi(its in the turnip, radish family), Manuela Ullrich has kindly sent us a recipe that here family uses in Germany where Kohlrabi is very popular.  As well, we heard from Emily Dixon that recently she cut it into spears and used it raw with Spinach/Asiago dip.  She said her guests adored it.  See you tomorrow between 12:00 and 6:00p.m.

Cut 1 Kohlrabi and 2 medium sized carrots in 1/2" square cubes.

Add 1/2 cup of speck or Nusschinken(cured ham or bacon might work) in small pieces.

Mix 2 tbsp. or more with lemon jice and add 1/2 cup or more of natural yogurt.

Add Salt and Pepper to taste.  Mix altogether and enjoy!

Get yourself a fresh soft pretzel from Grainharvest and enjoy a quite healthy German meal!

Thanks Manuela. 

See everyone tomorrow,

Farmer Steve and Dolores

PRODUCE STAND: March 30 2011

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the produce stand every Wednesday this summer!

The Produce Stand will be starting mid-June!

Watch for specials and produce listings in this website area through out the summer.