Hi!

My name is Sarah and I am currently an intern here at Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply. I’m hoping this will be the first of many of my posts, and because we don’t know each other very well right now, I would like to make this first post both organically insightful as well as provide a little information about myself!

It appears that all around the world, people have been stricken with soccer (futbol) fever. For those of you who have been living under a rock, the World Cup is currently taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa and it would appear as though even the biggest soccer skeptic can’t resist getting in on the action. After yesterday’s win for the boys from the U.S., I couldn’t help but take two complete opposites, organics and soccer, and turn them into my first blog post.

As an organic farm and garden supply store, we are all about what’s in season and ready for the picking. Being as it is the beginning of summer, it is just about time to harvest your corn and summer squash(depending on where you live in the  country). While researching this piece, I was delighted to discover these two vegetables happen to be staples for the people of South Africa.

South Africa is located on the Southern tip of the African continent and is slightly less than twice the size of Texas. Only 12% of this vast land is devoted to agriculture and above all other crops grown, is corn, or “mealies”. Early South Africans were mostly hunter-gatherers who depended on foods such as tortoises, crayfish, coconuts, and squash to survive. It was early natives who taught South African inhabitants to grow the staple vegetables (corn, squash, and sweet potatoes), and even today the modern Zulu people, who are located close to Johannesburg, often delight in corn porridge and vegetable stews.

Now that you’ve been given a little bit of the background, it is time to get cookin’! Once your corn and squash are ready for harvesting, take these crops straight to your kitchen and incorporate them into these wonderful recipes

From South Africa

You will need:

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups canned whole corn, well drained
• 2 cups creamed corn
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 3 cups chicken broth (about 1 and 1/2 cans)
• pinch of salt and pepper

1. In large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat.
2. Add the onions and saute for five minutes
3. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes
4. Add the corn, milk, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve with crackers of your choice.

*Serves 6 to 8 people

*Add more flavor by using organic products! Some advantages to organic corn are: It has not been genetically modified, and is free from harmful pesticides.

From Our Library

Cheesy Corn Souffle

You will need:

• 2 ears corn, or enough to make 2 cups of kernels
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup shredded Fontina cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 6 large eggs, separated, plus 2 extra egg whites
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped chives
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar.

1. Cut corn kernels off the cobs. Squeeze remaining corn milk out of cobs with the back of a knife. Place corn and liquid in a blender and blend to a grainy consistency, not a fine puree.
2. Preheat the oven to 425. Grease an ovenproof 2-quart souffle dish with the butter.
3. In a mixing bowl, blend together the corn, cheese, 6 egg yolks, chives, salt, and pepper. Place all 8 egg whites in a separate bowl; add the cream of tartar, and beat them to soft peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the corn mixture until they’re well incorporated. Pour  the mixture into the souffle dish, and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 and bake for 30 more minutes.

*Serves 4 people

Summer Squash

Angel Hair Pasta with Summer Squash

You will need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• one 2 ounce can anchovies, drained and chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 tablespoon chopped green or red chilies
• 1 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• freshly shaved or grated Parmesan

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil
2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the squash and cook until it is just al dente, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, anchovies, garlic, capers, and chilies. Set aside.
4. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and toss with the zucchini mixture, basil, and pepper to taste. Put on a large platter or on six individual plates and top with the cheese.

-You can also substitute the pasta for rice or any grain, and cook according to package directions.

*The advantages of using organic squash: there are no toxic agriculture chemicals on the produce.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my first post and I wish you happy harvesting of these delicious crops! I look forward to writing again, but until then, let me know if you have any more recipes to share, or comments about the ideas provided.

Thanks for your time!

Sarah G

GO USA!!!

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