Precious Eaters, Over-Worked Urbanites, and Grumbling Bellies alike -
Before I go on any further, l gotta say - MAN!! I am exhausted!! There is something about late August and the coming of Fall that makes us Farmers slow the heck down and get all sleepy-eyed. It has been a long and laborious season and our bodies are screaming "stop"....."put down that damn hoe"......."get ready for winter hibernation"!! Well, unfortunately that just ain't an option. Summer crops are still producing, Fall crops are coming on, the market season isn't even close to being over, and we gotta buck up and get through this late summer slump somehow. If it wasn't for my "farm to table" diet, I don't think my body could sustain this type of work. However, I don't think all the credit can got to those healthful veggies. Truth be told, the main player in the game of reviving the OVER-WORKED ZOMBIE FARMER would be none other than every body's favorite drug: COFFEE !!!!
That's right! This "locavore" has one terrible vice: a voracious addiction to coffee. OK, OK.....give me break. How else does some city-slicker chick who weighs 105 lbs and reaches a towering 5 foot 2 inches work 13 hour days 7 days a week juggling not one but 2 farms?? It's simple: COFFEE. Lucky for me, I don't have to stray too far from my ethical "food politics" because of one righteous dude - Harry Lee from Puddin' Head Coffee. Harry is a master micro-roaster who uses 100% organic/fair-trade coffee beans. I have been a coffee connoisseur for years and have traveled all over the world sipping this rich black drug, and Harry still has some of the best damn brew I have ever put to my lips. Dan and I grind the beans ourselves and put them through our lovely french press which makes a hell of a cup of coffee. Occasionally I use my Italian "cafeteire" which provides a slightly stronger brew with a different feel. How ever you like your poison, Harry has got you covered. He has a commercial grinder oh-hand and will grind your beans to the desired grit.....be it espresso, french-press, drip coffee, etc. This is truly the best coffee in KC and you can get it directly from Harry every Friday at the BADSEED for an excellent price. It is also available at most Constentino area stores. So - DRINK UP! I know I will.
***Sexy Veggie of the Week***
This week's runner-up is the feisty and flavorful Artichoke Garlic!!!!
These aromatic and ever so bulbous beauties posses a gourmet garlic flavor that seduces your nostrils and taste buds alike while sizzling in a luxurious pool of olive oil in your trusty frying pan. Artichoke garlic is a soft-neck storage garlic that lasts well into late Autumn and early Winter. It has a quirky knobby appearance with layers of creamy garlic cloves varying in size. There is nothing in this world quite like locally grown, organic garlic. Today's American supermarkets stock conventional garlic grown in (brace yourselves) China! Furthermore, this Chinese bulb is doused in a plethora of pesticides and fertilizers that may or may not be legal in this country. Yeah....it is pretty scary to say the least. Good thing BADSEED Farm has anobsession with growing garlic. As we expand we plan to make garlic one of our main crops, growing an array of varieties in all sizes, flavors, and colors! BUT - don't feel the need to rely on us. You can grow garlic in your very own garden. It is extremely easy. Plant garlic cloves in late October/early November and space them 8 inches apart in rows one foot apart. Mulch them lovingly and kiss them goodbye until Spring. "Seed garlic" can be ordered on-line, or you can just use organic garlic grown by us. Choose the largest and most impressive bulbs. Happy growing! (......sorry China)
This week's grand-prize-winner (drum roll please....) is soooo darn sexy it isn't a vegetable at all....it is a fruit: GREEN MYSTERY APPLE!
I cheated, I know, but I had too cuz this crisp, tangy, and tart little apple is too good to pass up. As you know, a local/organic apple is hard to come by. There are only a few "backyard orchards" that produce pesticide-free fruit. My grandpa planted our few trees15 years ago and (frankly) I have no idea what variety they are. This is the first of our trees to ripen. As the season rolls on we will have a few more varieties to bring to the table. Organic apples are ugly, tasty, and ripe with character. These green lil' mamas go wonderfully with Goatsbeard Farm's Moniteau Blue Cheese. I kid you not. Try a salad with thinly sliced Green Mystery Apples, toasted Missouri Pecans, and a generous crumbling of Blue Cheese. Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and a rich balsamic reduction. To die for!!!
Pictures are attached. You know the drill - print them out, blow them up, & plaster them all over the men's room!!
This week's organic offerings:
BADSEED Farm, Brooke Salvaggio & Daniel Heryer (South KC) www.badseedfarm.com
*APPLES!! (the first of the season for BADSEED Farm!!!)
*GARLIC (in German White, Artichoke, and Silver Skin!!)
*Summer Squash (in Costata Romanesca, Raven, Eight Ball, French Patty Pan, White Scallop, and Yellow Crookneck)
*Onions (sexy Italian Cippolinis!!!! and more)
*Assorted Hot and Sweet Peppers (including the totally wild Chinese 5 Spice!!)
*Cool Cucumbers
*Chives & Parsley
*BASIL (in Lemon, Thai, Purple Ruffles, Purple Opal....AND Genovese!!!)
*Two Foot Long CHINESE RED NOODLE BEANS!!
*Sweet Potato Greens!!!!!!! (better than spinach....seriously!!)
*Red Velvet OKRA (long, velvety, burgundy pods that rock your frying pan like no other)
*Heirloom Tomatoes!!! (succulent beauties in all shapes, sizes, & colors......come right at 4 PM if you want the full selection!!!!)
Herb"N"Gardener, Lew Edmister (Westside, KCMO)
*I am sorry to say that Lew won't be with us this week. Perhaps he is preparing for his 70th Birthday Bang this weekend. Be sure to wish him a happy B-Day next time around.
JJ Farms, John Kaiahua (Raytown, MO)
*John and Micki won't be with us either this week. The late August "summer slump" has got all us growers in a tizzy. They will be back when Fall crops come around.
Bigg Blue Farm, Stan & Carmen Biggs (Mosby, MO)
*ORGANIC Cantaloupes!!!!
*Butternut & Acorn Winter Squash!!!!
*Cucumbers
*Red Slicing Tomatoes
*Banana Peppers
*Okra
*Candy Onions
*Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash
*Pink Eye Purple Hull Peas
PJ's Mushroom Farm, Paul & Judy Miller (Warrensburg, MO)
*Shitake Mushrooms!!
*Oyster Mushrooms!!
*Farm-Fresh Brown Eggs
*Hand-made rugs & stained glass items as well as wild and wicked YARD ART!! (from 100% recycled materials)
Parker Farms, Tom and Paula Parker (Richmond, MO) www.parkerfarmsmeats.com
**Free-range Chickens (100% pastured)
*A variety of 100% grass-fed beef and all natural pork including:
*Pork Chops & Pork Brats
*Pre-cooked Chipotle Brats (with cheese and cranberries)
*Pre-cooked Franks (both hot and mild)
*Chili Cheese Links
*Spare Ribs
*T-Bones
*Roasts
*Rib Steaks & Ribeyes
*Ground Beef and patties for the grill!!
**Homemade soy based candles and gourd birdhouses (compliments of their lovely girls who grew the gourds on the farm!!) as well as embroidered Tea Towels and homegrown Teas in orange, chocolate, lemon balm, spearmint, and peppermint!!!! Samples available.
Woodland Organic Orchard, Kendra & Steve Kluck (Olathe, KS)
*Kendra will be back the following week with some righteous organic apples. Until then......
*sandwich breads
*savory breads
*sweet breads
*specialty treats (vegan as well)
**ALL MADE FROM 100% Locally Grown, Organic Wheat!!!!
Puddin' Head Coffee, Harry Lee, (Raytown, MO) www.puddinheadcoffee.com
*Only the BEST fair-trade/organic/micro-roasted coffee in town!!
Get yourself some beans or grab yourself a mug.
COFFEE BY THE MUG IS ONLY $1.00!!!!
....speaking of "liquid elixirs", the lovely Angela Hoffman with her Wheat Grass Shots & Trays will be greenin' it up with her oh so sweet winter wheat!!....not to mention SEASONAL SMOOTHIES with mind-blowing herbs and garden flavors galore. **Angela uses local/organic produce in the most wonderful & refreshing concoctions. Drink up and cool down!!
Other goodies will include:
ARTISAN GOAT CHEESE from Goatsbeard Farm
Aged & Fresh varieties including Prairie Bloom (a bloom-rind crotin style cheese with a rich and creamy center), Taum Sauk (a distinguished and nutty, appropriately aged, raw milk cheese), Osage Orange (a European-style muenster with a beautiful washed rind),Moniteau Blue (only the best damned blue on the planet), Herb Crusted Chevre (a delightful fresh cheese in a flavorful herb crust), Marinated Chevre (fresh cheese relaxing in scrumptious olive oil, red pepper, and herbal goodness) and Greek-style Feta (residing in a salty brine that will make your head spin....sooo good)
Certified Organic Flour from Heartland Mill
Our new order has arrived!! We will have freshly ground & locally grown whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, unbleached all purpose white flour, malted all purpose flour for bread baking, & blue corn meal !!! A bakers dream.....
RAW HONEY!!!....YES!! Les Miller (our wicked honey man) has a delightful new batch ready to go. He will be a buzzin' this Friday with that godly golden nectar and bees wax to boot!
and, of course, Kombucha Mushroom Tea (Brooke's home brew)
Sip while you shop!
Remember:
LIVE NUDE VEGETABLES!! and other organic delights...
EVERY FRIDAY AT BADSEED
Yours Truly,
Brooke
- farmer and mistress of the BADSEED
BADSEED
An Urban-Organic Farm & Market
Celebrating Local Food, Culture, and Community
Celebrating Local Food, Culture, and Community
Fridays, 4-9pm
