The Return of Family Days, Farm Tours, and more!

I'm very pleased to say that, after a break for the crazily busy summer season, Green String Farm is once again offering community events. We have a really fantastic bunch of interns who run all of these events. If you want to learn more about the farm and maybe get your hands dirty, this is for you!

Farm Tours

This Saturday, and the first Saturday of each month, our own farm interns will lead a 90-minute walking tour of Green String. Each tour will focus on a particular theme, so repeat visitors can see and learn something new each time they come. Examples of tour themes:

• orchards
• water use
• vegetable varieties
• integrating animals
• sustainability

Tours leave from the farm store at noon, so make sure you get there on time. Wear good walking shoes, bring water, and be ready for a bit of a hike! We suggest a donation of $5 per person. RSVP: jenny@greenstringfarm.com

Family Day

The third Saturday of each month, we'll have fun activities set up for children and their parents. Arts & crafts projects and games will focus on basic concepts of natural food and farming, like compost, animals, and water. Come to the farm store at 2 to meet us for an hour of fun, and stay for some farm fresh snacks after. Suggested donation $2 per person. RSVP: jenny@greenstringfarm.com

Community Workday

Every Thursday from 9am to noon, join us for a morning of light labor. Volunteers help us harvest, control weeds, and work closely with interns. There's lots of time for talking, so it's a perfect opportunity for home gardeners who want to ask questions about how we farm. It's also great for people who, like us, find dirt very therapeutic. We'll send you home with a free bag of produce as thanks. There's no need to RSVP, just meet us at the farm store at 9am.

Padrón Peppers

"Padróns are the new jalapeños!" DeeAnn exclaimed to me (after dictating the recipe below). It's a good thing she's so excited about these little peppers, because we have a TON of them.

We have just shy of two acres of padróns in the fields, and the recent heat has made those plants very happy. If you've come into the farm store recently, we probably haven't let you leave without at least a handful of them!

When the peppers are small, they're almost always sweet and mild. Every once in a while, though, you'll get a spicy one. According to Wikipedia, there's a bit of a saying to go along with this: "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non" (Galician for "Padrón peppers, some are hot and some are not") The larger peppers are more likely to be spicy, but like all hot peppers, that capsaicin in the seeds is the culprit for the most part -- so removing the seeds makes them quite a bit milder.

Stuffed Padrón Peppers

Grab your favorite cheese and you'll have a classy summer appetizer in no time. Serves 4-6

Ingredients
• 12 medium to large padrón peppers
• about 1½ cups grated monterey jack cheese or queso fresco
• oil
• salt
• juice of 1 lime or lemon

1. Cut tops off of peppers and scoop out seeds. Discard.
2. Stuff each pepper with about 2 tablespoons of cheese.
3. Brush or rub each pepper with a very small amount of oil.
4. Bake on a baking sheet for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven. Sprinkle with salt and lime juice and allow to cool briefly before serving.

September Newsletter

Well, we're getting back on track with monthly newsletters. The September issue (a.k.a. the tomato issue!) is now available online. Check it out! Here's what we've got:

1. In the Store: an abridged list, because there's SO MUCH!
2. Farm News
3. Heirloom Tomatoes
4. Recipes:
   • Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
   • Pappa al Pomodoro
   • Herbed Fresh Tomatoes

Mad props to Melissa for writing this one. The lady knows her tomatoes!

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