May 2011
What to do this Weekend: Pick your Own Fruits and Veggies!

A day on the farm is a great way to capture a taste of country or to get the family to try new tastes. U-Pick-It farms create an opportunity to appreciate seasonal harvesting and experience the effort it takes to bring food to our markets. Of course, you bring those brimming quarts of strawberries, tomatoes, and fresh herbs into the kitchen, the challenge is cooking or preserving your miniature harvest. The best way to enjoy freshly picked vegetables and fruits is to prepare them in an uncomplicated way that highlights the taste with a combination of simple ingredients.

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Potato Crisps with Edam and Greens

Makes 6 servings

Combine all the family favorites into one bite. Crisp potato slices topped with warm Edam and tomatoes. A pizza with a twist!

What you need:

Crisps:

3 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Topping:

Salt and pepper
3 ounces Dofino® Edam, grated
6 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
3 tablespoons chopped chives

PAN: 8-inch non-stick skillet

What you do:

1. Brush a non-stick pan with oil and place over medium heat. Make a single layer of potatoes, overlapping them slightly, in the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to heat and cook until it browns on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the “crisp” over and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel and keep warm while continuing to cook the rest.

2. Preheat the broiler. Season crisps with salt and pepper. Cover with grated cheese and tomato slices and place under the broiler until cheese melts.

3. Place crisps on serving plates and sprinkle with basil and chives.

Continue to read "Pick your own this weekend"

For example, cut thin crisp potato slices to make a small disk, top with freshly picked herbs, tomato slices, and grated Dofino® Edam. Warm the potato “pizza” until the cheese melts and serve alongside garden picked greens. Edam is considered to be the perfect cheese for pizzas. It is a soft, mild cheese that develops its more prominent flavor as it ages. Edam has a lower fat content than most other cheeses and is very popular with the health-conscious.

10 reasons to “Pick Your Own”:

Family time! It is a great way to spend time with your family. Kids will love picking the fruits and vegetables, and will proudly eat “their” veggies without a fuss.

Eco-friendly! Bring your own containers from home. Use buckets, plastic containers, and re-usable sacks.

Cost! You can pick pounds of strawberries for generally half the price of buying them in a market.

Fresh taste! Nothing tastes better than fruits and vegetables picked at their peak.

A Teaching Moment! Share with your friends and family the benefits of “Farm to Table.” It is good for everyone to realize how much work goes into supplying us with so many selections for food. This is a real teaching moment, no matter the age!

Support local farmers! Small farmers work incredibly hard to bring their produce to market. It is in our best interest to be their advocates.

Preserve open space! Without small farms we lose precious land to developers. By supporting our local farm families, we are also supporting our ability to retain open habitat.

Great fun and good exercise! Fresh air and a day outside is a perfect way to stay active.

Share the bounty! Pick enough for your family, older neighbors, and special family friends. This is a gift that everyone appreciates.

Cook with the kids! Bring the kids into the kitchen and make a few meals together. Turn fruits into preserves and vegetables into pickles. Make plenty and give them as gifts during the holidays.