GROWER & MARKET NOTES

Welcome Alabama Homestead! Alabama Homestead is a very small inner city farm run by a Master Gardner who utilizes organic practices to produce high quality culinary & medicinal herbs. Some may know Christine Springis from her lectures on diy vermiculture composting which she incorporates into her gardening. She will be offering a variety of herbs, medicinals and hopefully a few vegetables on down the road.

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New & Relisted Products

11 products from Alabama Homestead Blueberries – Avalon Farms Elephant Garlic- Avalon Farms Baby Kinston Sweets – Avalon Farms Blanched & Frozen English Peas – Grows In Rows Duck & Quail Eggs from TranQuil Pastures Farm _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please Read – We are Skipping a Week! Market will not open June 25 There will be no pickup Friday, July 1 Our newsletter and normal ordering will resume July 2

At this time we anticipate being open every week following through the end of July. While we hope it’s not necessary, because of the multiple storms being predicted this season (as storms affect product availability) we may switch to bi-weekly ordering late summer.

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RICHTER FARMS:  Thank you everyone for your prayers, notes and concern for me after my car accident. As some of you know my right wrist was severely broken and I have not been able to participate in the market. Good news is I am now in Physical Therapy and getting stronger each week. I have included a picture of my x-ray so you can see how extensive the break was and now with a titanium plate I’m officially a “bionic farmer” ! I look forward to  seeing everyone soon.  Viki Richter 

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AVALON FARMS: This is heating up to be a really hot summer. Our little weather station has been recording temperatures over 95 most days, with a heat index of 108. Always thankful for some clouds and a breeze. These temperatures are way too much for snap peas and lettuce. I’m still hoping the sprouting broccoli might manage to make, but don’t hold your breath.

The earliest spaghetti squash are looking nice. (They like heat. Ha ha)

Elephant Garlic is drying under the pole barn. Yeah! The other garlic is not looking great, too hot and wet. I think there is some rot going on. We’ll harvest them in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of Elephant Garlic I’m trying this recipe. 

Elephant Toes (Baked Elephant Garlic)

Baked cloves of the giant elephant garlic, lightly salted and spread on sandwiches or crackers. Also great in vegetables, potatoes or pasta and on meats. Recipe from The Lazy Gastronome.

Ingredients
1 full head elephant garlic
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° -

Elephant garlic has much larger cloves than regular. Separate those cloves and lay them, unpeeled, in a small baking dish.

Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cloves are fork tender. Remember the small ones will get done first, so watch them and remove them when they are done.

Once they are soft, remove them from the oven and add some salt to the top. Let them cool before you try to handle them. Carefully remove the skins and the hard ends.

Slice or mash the cloves and serve with crackers. Or store in the refrigerator to use in potatoes, on meats, with vegetables or as a sandwich spread.

We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!