Next Exchange Sunday 12/13 ..... Weather Permitting

Time for our last exchange of 2009.
Just in time for the Holidays !

This Sunday  December 13th
at 12 noon 
at 9572 El Cajon St

and the following will be on January 24th !

Fruit of the gods at the 7th Wonderful Exchange

The Ancient Greeks considered Persimmons "fruit of the gods" and I can see why. The beautiful orange color and luscious creamy interior..... yummmm! We were fortunate enough to have 2 kinds of Persimmons at our exchange on Sunday.. the flat bottomed "ready to eat like an apple" Fuyu variety and the pointed bottomed "needs to be very soft" Hachiya variety which is great in puddings, cakes and cookies.

Our bounty this exchange also included Rosemary, grapefruit, apples, sage, basil, 3 different types of pumpkins, watermelon, pineapple guava, eureka and meyer lemons, preserved lemons, avocados, roses, dried sage, flower and herb seeds, dried chilies, galangal, lemongrass,Killer-hot Habanero sauce, Kaffir lime leaves and thyme.  Oh and those  tail-waggin' dog treats !

Thank you one and all ! Happy Thanksgiving and
we'll see you on December 13th !



Persimmon Cookies compliments of June
2 ripe persimmons - pureed
1 tsp baking soda
2 Cups flour
1/2  tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 C raisins
1 C nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Dissolve baking soda in persimmon puree and set aside.
In medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, cinnamon,cloves and nutmeg.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar till fluffy, then add egg
and persimmon.
Stir in dry ingredients, then nuts and raisins.
Drop by teaspoonful onto greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Next Exchange November 15th

Next exchange will be Sunday 
November 15th
at 12 noon 
at 9572 El Cajon St

and the following will be on
December 13th !

Great time to Plant for the Cooler Season

Ok so we had a tease of Autumn weather, then back to the heat of summer and then back again --- will the weather make up it's mind please ?  The calendar speaks of pumpkins and apples and ghosts and Halloween. OOOOOO, It's a scary time.

Actually it;s a great time to plant your fall and winter veggies. The last of my tomatoes are still hanging on the vine, but there are fewer and fewer to choose from come salad time. I've harvested two very orange pumpkins, a few more zucchini and then their blossoms (really great in a frittata or egg dish) and a few more eggplant.
But now I want to have chard and broccoli and brussel sprouts -- something hearty to braise or simmer in a soup or stew with beans.
Blue Hill Farms and Sprouting Up Organically are my first choices for seedlings this fall. For some reason, seeds and I just don't get along. Oh I've mail ordered from the best of them, but they just seem to wither and die. But give me a six-pack of chard already started and I'll give them the TLC needed to produce.

And there's a new choice in town, with Nopalito Native Plant Nursery located next to Lassens at 4107 E. Main Street, Ventura specializing in native, drought -tolerant plants. A great opportunity to combine native plants with your veggies and flowers for some bio-diversity. Check it out and say hello to Antonio !

Cool-season vegetables - Sunset.com

Cool-season vegetables - Sunset.com

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Thanks for a Great Exchange...Next One Oct 11th

The truck with the surf board was heavy with all the spaghetti squash as it offloaded the cache for the 5th bi-weekly Ventura Produce Exchange this past Sunday. Then the tomatoes and avocados arrived, some lavendar and an eisel with Miss Riley's artwork, more cherry tomatoes, some pomegranites, thai peppers, beef liver dog treats, lemons, corn, green zebra tomatoes, butternut squash, eggplant, rosemary, sage, basil, and did I mention tomatoes? Just as I was ready to take down the tent, more produce arrived and with it smiling, familiar faces and some new ones too! Did I miss anyone ? thank you one and all !

Grilled Eggplant Dip aka Baba Gannoj Makes 2 1/2 cups
2 large Eggplants
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
4 T Cilantro (or Italian Flat Leaf Parsley)
2 T yogurt
2-3 T Olive Oil
1/2 t ground Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste

Wash the eggplants and prick in a few spots to allow the steam to escape. Grill over medium flame, turning frequently, until charred on all sides and the flesh is soft. Let cool ; split lengthwise and scoop out the flesh.

In a food processor add the garlic, scallion, cilantro and lemon juice and pulse until all ingredients are minced. Add the eggplant, yogurt, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper and pulse until pureed. Adjust seasoning and serve drizzled with olive oil and topped with garnish of cilantro. Great with pita, crackers or bread.

Michael Frank rapsodizes about Eggplant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrtQ6c3uUkI