New veggies for you this week so I thought I'd share a few tidbits of information to help you use and appreciate your Sweet Dumplings, Green Tomatoes and Carrots.
Sweet Dumpling are a beautiful winter squash, very similar in size and flavor of the acorn squash. They will keep for a long time so you don't need to worry about them. They have very sweet and tender flesh and are most popularly cut in half and filled with many combinations of sweet or savory fillings. Here is the perfect How To Make Stuffed Roast Squash Tutorial that will guide you to the perfect meal.
Cooler weather is on its way so the red tomatoes are going to slow down their production. That means it is time to try Green Tomatoes, which I very much enjoy.
General Info
Green tomatoes are tomatoes in that they are picked before they are at their peak when there is not enough warm weather left for these tomatoes to have time to ripen on the vine. But that doesn't mean they are a total loss! They are tasty and nutritious just as they are, picked when green.
Serving Suggestions
Some cooks suggest allowing green tomatoes to ripen in a paper bag on the kitchen counter at room temperature for 7-10 days. But there are ways to enjoy the green tomatoes when they are still green. Some enjoy fried green tomatoes. Others make green tomato jam or relish. Here is a twist on the classic Fried Green Tomato: make a Green Tomato Fritter.
Storage
Green tomatoes should be left at room temperature until used.
Carrots are Gold! You wouldn't believe how much work it is to succeed at growing carrots for you. These carrots were planted in July, hand-weeded, hoed, picked, washed and bunched. Just the weeding itself takes so much time that we hired the task out to a few great people who were looking for a way to get out of the house and get their hands in the dirt. They did a great job!
Carrots are a root vegetable that grow under the ground. They have green feathery tops (like in the picture above) that capture the sunlight and send it down for the root to grow. Don't discard your carrot tops until you try Carrot Top Pesto or save them to add to your soup stock or veggie broth. Enjoy your carrots raw, or roast them with balsamic vinegar or try a fermented carrot recipe.
Enjoy your vegetables this week.
We'll keep farming for you!
Reuben and Tessa DeMaster
