4) Quotable Food:

We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are. Adelle Davis (1904 – 1974)

The old field of summer squash and cucumbers has run its course. The field has been plowed and the plant residue (all the stems, roots, leaves, and too ripe veggies) are plowed under to decompose, adding lots of organic mater to the field.

5) Recipes:

• Ripe Tomato Preserves, homeparents.about.com

• Braised Fennel, www.selfsufficientish.com

1 Fennel bulb
Half pint of vegetable stock
1 Clove of Garlic
Sunflower or olive oil

Use a metal based saucepan and heat the oil. Meanwhile cut the tops off the fennel bulb so that you are left with only the bulbous part. Now cut it into quarters and fry each side of the pieces in the oil until lightly browned.

Crush and chop the garlic and mix it in with the stock. Now pour the stock into the saucepan and boil until it reduces to become a coating sauce.

Serve with some steamed vegetables and a smile.

• Creamy Fennel Soup, www.recipeland.com

2 cups stack ( chicken, beef vegetable……)
1 bulb fennel, about 1 pound
1 sliver garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. onions
1 Tbsp. lemon juice ( or more to taste)
1 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. dried dillweed ( or 1 ½ tsp. Fresh)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 quart nonfat yogurt

Clean and slice the fennel bulb, reserving any greens for garnish.   Cook the fennel in the stock with the garlic until soft.   Puree in a blender with the lemon juice and zest, and the spices.  Strain the puree if you wish a smoother texture.  Combine well with the yogurt and chill. Serve garnished with chopped fennel greens or chopped cilantro.

• Aguas Frescas: Cucumber,www.cooking.com

Makes 1 quart
This recipe can be used as a prototype for all aguas frescas. Here it is made with cucumber as the main ingredient, but any number of fruit could be substituted for the cucumber, including watermelon, cantaloupe (rockmelon), papaya (paw paw), strawberry or mango. Adjust the sugar and lime according to your taste, and the amount of water you add according to how strong you like the flavor.

1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 cups water
1 cup ice
3 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
Juice of 1/4 lemon or 1/2 lime, or to taste

Place the cucumber in a blender, and puree with all of the remaining ingredients until completely smooth.
Serve immediately, garnished with cucumber and lime.

• Fried Cucumbers

Wash and slice cucumbers. Dip them in a mixture of egg and a little milk. Coat them in flour or corn meal and fry in a skillet like you would fried green tomatoes.

• Cucumber au Gratin

Peel the cucumbers & cut them into 3 inch pieces. Slice each piece in half lengthwise & remove the seeds. Cook the cucumber in boiling salted water for 10 minutes, the drain & dry. Arrange a layer of cucumber in the base of a buttered ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with a third of the cheese, & season with salt & pepper. Repeat these layes, finishing with cheese. Dot the top with butter. Bake the cucumber gratin in the center of a preheated oven at 400 for 30 minutes.

• Cucumber-Dill Salad

1 seedless European cucumber, or 2 American cucumbers

3 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, sliced and broken into rings
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dillWash the cucumber(s) and partially remove the peel in lengthwise strips using a vegetable peeler or fork and leaving a little skin between each strip. Thinly slice the cucumber widthwise. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cucumber, onion, and dill, and toss well. The salad can be served at once, but it will improve in flavor if you let the ingredients marinate for 5 minutes.

• Basil Cucumber Salad

Thin-slice the cucumbers and onions and put them in a container. Rip or chop the basil and toss it in. Pour in vinegar and water. I use less vinegar than water, but you want the vinegar a little strong so it will get into the cukes. Sprinkle in some garlic, maybe 1/2 teaspoon? Let this marinate for at least 2 hours. It keeps well in the fridge for days. Add the tomatoes at the last minute.

• Freezing Tomatoes, lancaster.unl.edu

Tomatoes may be frozen whole, sliced, chopped, or puréed. Additionally, you can freeze them raw or cooked, as juice or sauce, or prepared in the recipe of your choice. Thawed raw tomatoes may be used in any cooked-tomato recipe. Do not try to substituted them for fresh tomatoes, however, since freezing causes their texture to become mushy. Tomatoes should be seasoned just before serving rather than before freezing; freezing may either strengthen or weaken seasonings such as garlic, onion, and herbs.

Preparation: Select firm, ripe tomatoes for freezing. Sort the tomatoes, discarding any that are spoiled. Wash them in clean water as recommended above. Dry them by blotting with a clean cloth or paper towels.

Freezing whole tomatoes with peels: Prepare tomatoes as described above. Cut away the stem scar. Place the tomatoes on cookie sheets and freeze. Tomatoes do not need to be blanched before freezing. Once frozen, transfer the tomatoes from the cookie sheets into freezer bags or other containers. Seal tightly. To use the frozen tomatoes, remove them from the freezer a few at a time or all at once. To peel, just run a frozen tomato under warm water in the kitchen sink. Its skin will slip off easily.

Freezing peeled tomatoes: If you prefer to freeze peeled tomatoes, you can wash the tomatoes and then dip them in boiling water for about 1 minute or until the skins split. Peel and then freeze as noted above.

Storage Time: To extend the time frozen foods maintain good quality, package foods in material intended for freezing and keep the temperature of the freezer at 0 degrees F or below. It is generally recommended frozen vegetables be eaten within about 8 months for best quality.

Will gets dressed up to do some farming.