At the Farm is located on Highway 5 in Carver County, Minnesota - 2.5 m. East of Waconia - 4.5 m. West of Victoria - 10 m. West of Chanhassen
Donna Frantz, Proprietor - 8880 East Highway 5, Waconia MN 55387 - imthefarmer@earthlink.net - 952-442-4816

At the Farm Newsletter

Sent August 11, 2010 Tomatoes are red Berries are blue Come and see What great produce I have for you! Hello, This summer I'm hosting self-guided garden tours of my flower gardens At the Farm and there are still a few dates left. I just love to share my beautiful gardens! I've had great success with this so far this year. Dozens and dozens of guests have enjoyed touring my gardens. You can come to the barn and then stroll up to the flower gardens. Then sit a spell in my corn crib gazebo or on the chairs scattered about, and just enjoy the splendor, while you sip a glass of lemonade or ice water on Friday and Saturday 11 am to 2 pm August Dates: 13-14, 20-21 The Antique Loft will be open on these dates too! Don't miss a chance to purchase these treasures I've gathered.
I'm Picking Fresh Daily . . . Organic Slicing Tomatoes Organic Roma Tomatoes Organic Green Beans Organic Yellow Beans Organic Slicing Cucumbers Organic Cabbage Organic Green Onions Organic Eggplant Organic Beets Organic Shallots Organic Onions - Red, Yellow Organic Carrots Organic Zucchini - Green, Yellow Organic Sweet Peppers - Green, Red, Ivory, Purple Organic Hot Peppers - Jalepenos, Garden Salsa, Hot Portugal Organic Potatoes - Red, White, Yellow Yukon Gold Organic Cilantro Organic Basil Organic Parsley Need Produce to Can or Freeze? You can order . . . Organic Pickling Cucumbers Organic Beets for Pickling Green Beans for Freezing and Canning Yellow Beans for Freezing and Canning Corn to Freeze Call to find out when it will be ready! 952-442-4816	Time to Fill your Willow Basket with . . . Home Grown Sweet Corn Home Grown Baby Red Potatoes Carver County Garlic Leaf Lettuce Indiana Muskmelon Indiana Watermelon Washington Bing Cherries Washington Apricots California Nectarines California Pulots California Plums - Black, Red Michigan Blueberries Organic Bananas Michigan Peaches Garlic from Gilroy, California, the garlic capital of the world! NEW! Breads from MainStreet Bakery of Edina. The breads are fabulous, a lot of grains! New crop of Honey from my farm by Scott's Bees & Honey Local new crop Maple Syrup from East Bay Sugarbush of Waconia NEW! Tea from Tea District - Natural and Organic - It's a Winner!
When you care enough to Eat the Very Best, ask Donna! See you soon! Donna
Canning Tips! Tomatoes To slip skin on tomatoes. Have pan of water boiling on stove. Put 6 to 8 regular size tomatoes or 12 Romas in the water for about a minute. Take one out and dip in ice water. The skin should 'slip' off. If it works, put all the tomatoes in ice water, then slip the skins. I cut the core out of the tomatoes when I'm canning. I don't like that in my food. You can squeeze the seeds out if you like also. I don't can early tomatoes as they are too seedy do not have the flavor that the later tomatoes have. I don't even grow an early tomato variety. Heirloom tomatoes don't have the zip either when canned.
Peaches To slip skin on peaches. Have water in pan boiling on the stove. Put about 6 peaches in the boiling water. Have a pan of ice water ready. Check after about a minute by putting one peach in ice water, then slip the skin. If that works, then put all the peaches in ice water and slip the skins. Place the peaches in a bowl of cold water with 'Fruit Fresh' in it to keep the peaches from turning dark. Have your hot syrup ready. Your peaches need to be cut into quarters or halfs and put in the jars then add the hot syrup. Wipe the rims, put on lids and rings. Have your canner ready with hot water in it. Slowly add the filled jars. Boil for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, keep out of draft. The next morning remove rings and wipe. Store out of light.
Pears The tips above work also for pears but you need to peel pears. Do not try to slip the skin. Cut pears in half, use a 1/4 teaspoon-size spoon to take the seed out. Works kind of like a melon baller as you roll out the seed. I use that also to remove the stem, just pull along stem. Or you can use a knife. Enjoy! When you care enough to Can the Very Best, Ask Donna!