Verlys Huntley, Notes from the Garden

When driving through the rural areas, you will now begin to see that the corn and soybeans are starting to show indications that fall is approaching. Some of the husks on the ears of corn are drying up, and many of the soybean fields no longer have that lush green look that they had a few weeks ago. Some fields even have areas where the leaves are yellowing and beginning to drop. With the recent dryer weather, even some lawns are looking a little dormant. Although our daytime temperatures are still high, the humidity has dropped a bit, and we have actually had some very enjoyable weather.

The gardens too are showing signs of fall coming. Tomatoes are ripening quickly now. Melons, pumpkins, squash and gourds are all beginning to be harvested. And the apple harvest is now in full swing. Most mid-season apples are ready, and in another week or two, some of the later varieties should be ready. I didn’t think I would be saying this so soon, but the gardens actually could use a nice rain. If it wasn’t getting rather late in the season, I would probably be dragging out the water hoses, as there are some things that could certainly use a nice drink. I have been watering some of my flowers, but haven’t watered the vegetable garden yet.

Recapping our garden season, I think many things grew well. However, the strawberry crop was smaller than normal, due in part to a late-season frost that nipped the early blossoms. Then some constantly wet weather when the berries were ripening caused the foliage and berries to stay too wet, and many berries rotted or molded. Most local growers had difficulty with their sweet onions this year, as they seemed to mature and dry up before they got as large as they normally do. The fall raspberry crop, which I expected would do well because of all the rain we had this summer, is not up to expectations. The early berries are smaller than normal, and the plants not as vigorous as they should be. I suspect the extreme heat and humidity has caused this also. Everything else seems to be doing quite well, and cucumbers and summer squash really thrived. Our potatoes got larger than normal, probably because of a lot of rain. Asparagus and rhubarb both grew very well, and beets and carrots did great for me. We were fortunate in dodging most of the major storms, although we did get a few small hail storms along with one rain storm. Others were not so fortunate, with some being hit by the worst tornado damage we have had in this county for many years. And others were hit with some severe hail damage. Two of our growers for the market are rebuilding after tornado or storm damage, and hopefully will be back into full production and back at the market next year.

Farmers market notes

The Albert Lea Farmers Market is continuing with many activities and lots of vendors. The Wednesday meal being served by non-profit groups is going well, and we generally have entertainment provided too. The Noon Kiwanis will serve this Wed., Sept. 1. We have the drawing for the free basket of products donated by vendors each Wednesday, so don’t forget to register for that. We are open each Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Sat. a.m.. from 9 to noon, with free coffee and treats on Saturday.

Produce of the week: Tomatoes

Every gardener waits impatiently for that first succulent, juicy ripe tomato. Hard to believe that the tomato, which originated in Peru in the 8th century, was not globally accepted as edible until about 1850. Now the tomato production in the U.S. is second only to the quantity of potatoes produced and consumed here. The commercial tomato utilizes hybrids selected for uniform shape, thick skin (to survive mechanical harvesting and shipping), and slow ripening (to allow for picking green and artificially ripening with ethylene gas to achieve the red color when ready to market). Local growers choose varieties that emphasize flavor, disease resistance, and nutritional content. Enough said!!

Tomatoes are cold sensitive, and love the hot weather. However, if temperatures are too high, the flowers can abort and not form fruit. There are many types and varieties of tomatoes. Hybrids have generally been bred to improve disease resistance and flavor. Yellow tomatoes are generally lower in acid, although some of the newer varieties of red tomatoes may also be lower in acid. Therefore, when canning tomatoes, the recommendation is that you add one tablespoon bottled lemon juice to each pint of tomatoes. If this makes the flavor too tart, you can add some sugar to offset this.

Popular types of tomatoes are the grape and cherry, the roma, and the larger slicing tomato. Romas are great f tomato sauces and salsa because of their meatier texture.

Tomatoes can be preserved very easily by freezing. I recommend scalding them to remove skin, removing core, and then either leave whole or cut as desired and put in freezer bags or containers in quantity desired. These are excellent for hotdishes, soups, chili, or in any cooked product.. Some people even freeze them without scalding and removing the skins, and say that the skins slip off quite easily after the tomatoes are frozen.

Tomato recipes:

Fresh salsa

1 small onion

1/2 green pepper

small bunch cilantro

3 minced garlic cloves

Chile pepper to taste

1 tablespoon honey

salt to taste

1-3/4 pounds peeled fresh tomatoes.

Process all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor. Add peeled tomatoes and pulse briefly to chop tomatoes. Ready to eat, or store in refrigerator up to one week.

Stuffed cherry tomatoes

1 quart cherry tomatoes

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

6 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled

1/4 cup minced green onions

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato. Scoop out and discard pulp. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel 1 drain. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl and spoon into tomatoes. Refrigerate until using.

Zesty fresh tomato sauce

1-1/2 cups finely chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/8 clove garlic, crushed

Mix all and serve with enchiladas, taco or refried beans. Refrigerate until using.

Verlys Huntley is the president of the Albert Lea Farmers Market.