Market Notes for Oct. 24
It’s that time of year, when we race against Jack Frost, aka the Grim Reaper, to rescue all the beautiful tomatoes, peppers, okra, and even the more sensitive greens before they are felled or at the very least damaged.
So it’s been a crazy week, with Henry starting work hours before daybreak under the florescent lights of the shed to make garlic braids — then harvesting all day straight through without taking a break for lunch in order to get vegetables in safely before the frost last night and the hard freeze tonight — then working under the shed lights again long after dark to wash greens, sort sweet potatoes and get them ready for curing, and to sort and store all the rescued tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables. So, he says, “If can’t form a full sentence at market on Saturday, that’s why.”
He also says he’s looking for a good market this Saturday because he’s bringing up tons of gorgeous produce, and because the end of the market season is almost here, and you need to stock up! He also says the last two markets were bad — probably due to the rain and the demonstrations last week, and to Henry’s farm tour the week before, which for some reason tends to mean a low turn-out at the market. “So come out this Saturday and buy a lot of stuff! I will have more braids than last week, but I imagine they will still sell out quickly, so come early.”
This was about 1/100th of the tomatoes we harvested yesterday. I took the photo as the sun was setting, and the air getting colder by the minute. By morning, all those green leaves were black and any tomatoes still in the field had turned to mush. But I can attest to the fact that the tomatoes still have the sweet, rich tastes of summer, so take advantage of this chance to get special bulk prices one more time this year!
Pre-order now to get the RESCUED TOMATO & PEPPER BULK SPECIALS!
We rescued SO MANY beautiful tomatoes yesterday that Henry is giving you one last chance to get bulk specials, by pre-order only. He thought offering bulk specials was kind of crazy the last time he did it, at the end of September, so it is really loony-tunes that you are getting yet another opportunity for bulk specials here at the end of the October. But that’s climate change for you!
To pre-order, simply text Henry at 309-613-2696 between 4am and 4pm tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 24. Tell him what you want and how much (see choices below), and he’ll have it ready for you when you get to the market on Saturday.
Here are your choices for pre-ordering Tomatoes and/or Peppers:
TOMATOES
You may order:
Peck of HYBRID FIRSTS for $35
Peck of HYBRID SECONDS for $17.50
Peck of HEIRLOOM SECONDS, a mix of varieties, for ONLY $25
The Sweet Pepper SECONDS have some scarring at the top, but the remaining 90% of the pepper is perfect, so if you want to save money, get the Half-Price Seconds!
SWEET PEPPERS
Specify whether you’d like Green Bells or Italian Sweets, or a 50/50 mix of the two, and then whether you’d like a Peck or Half-Peck.
PECK of Sweet Pepper FIRSTS for $12
HALF-PECK of Sweet Pepper FIRSTS for $8
PECK of Sweet Pepper SECONDS for $6
HALF-PECK of Sweet Pepper SECONDS for $4
Or you may choose Colored Bell Pepper SECONDS — $10 for a Peck or $6 for a Half-Peck
HOT PEPPERS
Specify the variety you’d like and the quantity (2 quarts or 4 quarts). Varieties are: Jalapeno, Poblano, Gochungjang Korean Peppers, Aji Rico Peruvian Pepper, or Paper Dragon, a type of Hot Cayenne Pepper
2 quarts for only $10 (save $4)
4 quarts for only $16 (save $12)
(You’ll get a mix of red and green peppers of the variety you choose.)
What to do with a Peck of Peppers?
Dry, Ferment, or Freeze Them!
It’s easy to dry thin-skinned hot peppers like the Korean Gochugaru peppers above. After drying, you can crush them into the red chili powder that’s used to make Gochujang, the famous Korean hot chili paste.
You can also make a big batch of fermented peppers (DIY probiotics!) and then throw them into a blender for a fabulous homemade hotsauce. There are a lot of recipes and videos about fermenting peppers online, but here’s a nice one from Gubba Homestead.
And of course you can also simply put the peppers in ziplocks and freeze them — whole for the hot peppers, and cut into chunks for the sweet peppers.
Highlights at Henry’s Stand This Week
First Week for:
Gorgeous Savoy Cabbage (above) and Red Cabbage
Beautiful Red Napa Cabbage
Romanesco Broccoli (Lime Green) and the creamy white
Pan di Zucchero Radicchio
Fall Spinach
Burdock & Sunchokes - if Henry has time to dig them
Lambs Quarters are back for one week only!
and don’t miss the LAST of the OKRA and EGGPLANT
All Sweet Potatoes, Great and Small
Henry says this week you may see the smallest sweet potatoes you have ever seen, but they are delicious and quick and easy to prepare — simply rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast in the oven or saute in a pan. You can also cut them up and add to stir-fries and soups.
Why have you never seen sweet potatoes this small before? Because the conventional food system throws them away.
Don’t worry, you will also get the biggest sweet potatoes you have ever seen at the Pre-Thanksgiving market—again, ones that the conventional food system throws away.
You get to enjoy this vast range of naturally occurring sweet potato sizes because Henry is not subject to the arbitrary rules of the wholesale markets that dictate the narrow range of acceptable sizes, and lead to unconscionable food waste.
Because you are in a direct farmer-to-eater relationship, you get to enjoy small sweet potatoes this week and larger ones later — secure in the knowledge that you are not a party to the rampant food waste prevalent in our country.
Food Notes: What to do with a Peck of Peppers
Henry picked a peck of peppers . . . and then another and another and another!
And you want to take advantage of his Bulk Pepper Specials, but are not sure what to do with them.
Henry says the easiest thing is to freeze them. Just throw whole hot peppers into ziplocks and take one or two out as needed all winter long. And for the sweet peppers, just halve them or cut into chunks and freeze. For the thin-skinned hot peppers (all of them except Poblanos and Jalapenos), you can also dry them on your counter or in a dehydrator. Or you can ferment them, which is actually quite easy — check out the many videos on YouTube.
And here are a few more ideas about ways to use them now!
1. Grill them.
2. Roast them — use some now and freeze the rest for later. Or put them in a vinegar/oil base to store in your fridge.
3. Make a pepper puree
4. Raw with Dip
5. Stir Fries
6. Fajitas
7. Ratatouille
8. Chili
9. Stuffed Peppers
10. Italian sausage, pepper, and onion sandwiches
