Shows, fairs, and general excitement!!!

OMG – can’t believe “show season” is here -we are off and running!

This weekend we are headed to what I expect to be grand at The Garden Symposium in the even grander location of The Equinox Resort in Manchester VT.Their will be wonderful nationally known speakers and a related vendor marketplace. Naturally, we fit in the second. We will leave all the words off about how great it will be and what an exciting season we are working on (check and watch the schedule grow on our calender page) In the mean time, we will just say WE ARE EXCITED TO BE “On the road again” –off to meet new friends and spread our motto of “Live Kind, Live Green, Live Creatively

Our hope is that on Sunday we can connect up somehow and have a little magic with The Beekman Brothers. They run a company called Beekman 1802-from their own website words “Two NYC guys who bought a farm and are sharing their experiment in living better lives, season by season, neighbor by neighbor.” The Botanical Beauties & Beasties  love that statement/mission. We want to chat with them!

Right now they are promoting  THE SAUCE THAT COULD CHANGE THINGS  (click on name)  Below is the page for this cool idea and product. Please help if you can. It helps all the small local American Farmers stay alive and that’s truly a wonderful thing. The Power of Tomatoes, people and good ideas!

heirloom tomato pasta sauce“We’ve got some really big news.

We are really excited about our new pasta sauce. ‘Cuz it’s gonna change the world.

No. Seriously. Not hyperbole.

Remember when we won that little show called The Amazing Race?  Let us refresh your memory:

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Wasn’t that awesome?

It was.

Here’s why. It allowed us to pay off the mortgage on our farm so that we could both devote ourselves full-time to growing Beekman 1802 and our community.

So what does The Amazing Race have to do with pasta sauce? A lot, it turns out. And it has even more to do with raising money for other American farmers.

It’s a little round-about-story, but first you need to know a little Race trivia:

Even though you didn’t see the finish till December, the race actually ended in June. Which meant we already knew we would be able to pay off our mortgage with the prize money early last summer. (We’re good secret-keepers, right? Keep that in mind next time you have juicy gossip.)

However, we also had a field full of tomatoes growing on the farm in June. Some of these tomatoes were a variety called “Mortgage Lifter” heirloom tomatoes. They’re giant, delicious tomatoes.

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Why are they called “Mortgage Lifter?”

Well,  in 1929 a man named Marshall Cletis Byles owned an auto repair garage in Logan, West Virginia. When his business began suffering during the Great Depression, Marshall (who went by the nickname “Radiator Charlie,”) decided to earn extra money by selling the best tasting tomato variety he could breed.

It took a few years, but Charlie finally bred his perfect tomato. He advertised that one single plant, with its 1-2lb fruits, could feed a family of six. And he wound up selling enough seedlings in four years to pay off his mortgage. In full.

Hence “Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter Tomato” was born.

Those of you who’ve followed our story know that before we won The Amazing Race, one of our primary goals was to pay off the Beekman Farm mortgage. So when we planted our garden in early 2012, we planted a ton of Mortgage Lifter tomatoes, in hopes of developing a pasta sauce that would help us do just that.

And then we won The Amazing Race. Let’s revisit again. ‘Cuz it was awesome:

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(Did we really make that face on national television? There are “ugly cry” faces and “ugly win” faces, apparently. This was both at once.)

Anyway, last year was a really good year for tomatoes. Here’s one afternoon’s haul:

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So, since we’d paid off our mortgage…what were we going to do with all these tomatoes?!??!

Then it hit us.

We’ll use these tomatoes pay off another small farm’s mortgage! Pay it forward.

So we went ahead and kept developing the pasta sauce. We used the best tomatoes from our farm and other farms, fresh garlic and spices, and other summer vegetables. And we went ahead and stuck with the name: “Mortgage Lifter Heirloom Tomato Pasta Sauce.

Looks amazeballs, right?

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The only difference is that now we’ll use 25% of the profits from this sauce to help aid another farmer.We’re teaming up with an agricultural 501c3 so make that happen.

The other 75% of the profits will go right back into the business to hopefully develop a whole range of “Mortgage Lifter” food products that will not only help support American small farms with profits, but also by growing a sustainable food brand for small farms to supply.

But, like Radiator Charlie…we’re starting with the basics. The most perfect pasta sauce we could make.

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We hope you love it. Please give it a try. The more you buy, the more you’re directly helping American farmers. If you purchase enough, it will also help catch the eye of a few larger grocery chains. (Any grocery moguls out there? Wanna chat? Email us! )

Stay tuned for a recipe contest and progress of sales….

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE BEEKMAN 1802 MORTGAGE LIFTER HEIRLOOM PASTA SAUCE SAVE SIGNIFICANTLY ON PRICE & SHIPPING WITH ORDERS OF MULTIPLE JARS.”

What else to do with tomatoes? Drink them of course!

Why drink them of course! So today is libations for “grown-ups!” 

Info From: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/dietandnutrition/nutrition/695213/two-tomatoes-a-day-can-keep-disease-away  Nutritionist to the stars, Philip Goglia, has his celebrity clients snacking on two full, raw tomatoes a day.
“It’s medically documented that the lycopene in tomatoes promotes fat metabolism and prostate health,” he says. “I tell my clients to snack on them throughout the day; with salt, pepper or mustard, or raw. Buy the reddest tomatoes you can find as they contain the most lycopene.

Why tomatoes are good for you: “Lycopene has been found to reduce the risk of prostate and lung cancer, while the incidence of digestive cancers, such as those of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, colon, intestines and rectum, may also be lowered with correct dosages of lycopene. It’s also known to be a strong anti-oxidant.”, Goglia says. “Red fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruits and apricots, are the greatest source of lycopene.” he adds. “Processed tomato products such as tomato juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste and tomato soup are also great food sources for lycopene.”

Recommendation: Take one to two servings of lycopene-rich tomato or tomato products every day for maximum protection against cancers. Cooked tomato products (especially those cooked in olive oil) are the most beneficial. Lycopene is absorbed better if it has been heated.”

tomatoBotanical Beauties and Beasties says: No one said you couldn’t drink your 2 servings of fresh tomatoes! Bottoms up and 3 cheers for the hearty healthy tomato!

Todays tomato recipes are:
1) Alton Browns Bloody Mary Drink Recipe
2) Carnegie Sunrise Drink Recipe
3) Hot Tomato Drink Recipe
Shot glass

Alton Brown: Supplies this first one–  Bloody Mary (Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009) Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: 12 hr 0 min  Level: Easy   Serves: 4 cocktails

(“proper glass” is the shot or shooter glass)

Ingredients
▪    1 3/4 pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, rinsed and dried
▪    2 teaspoons hot sauce
▪    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
▪    1 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
▪    1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
▪    6 ounces tomato vodka, recipe follows
Directions

  • Remove the stems from the tomatoes. Put the tomatoes, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and salt into a blender, cover and blend on high speed for 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Fill an ice-cube tray with about 2 cups of the juice and freeze overnight. Pour the remaining juice into a lidded container and reserve, on the counter, overnight.
  • Just before serving, put 3 frozen cubes into each of 4 Collins glasses and add 1 1/2 ounces of vodka to each glass. Stir the reserved juice, pour 4 ounces into each glass and serve immediately.

Tomato Vodka:  1 pound ripe tomatoes and 1 (750 ml) bottle 80 proof vodka
Cut each of the tomatoes into 8 pieces and put them into a large glass jar. Add the vodka, stir to combine, and cover. Put in a cool, dark place for at least 5 days and up to 7 days, stirring every day. After 7 days, strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
To store, pour the tomato vodka back into its original bottle, and keep in a cool, dark place.

Yield: 1 (750 ml) bottle   Prep Time: 3 minutes    Inactive Prep Time: 5 to 7 days   Ease of preparation: easy

#2) Carnegie Sunrise Drink Recipe (listing of tomato drinks at this site)

glass for Carnegie SunriseRecipe Ingredients
3 oz Tomato Juice
1 1/2 oz Vodka
1 can Orange Juice
4 Strawberries
1 oz Tequila

Instruction: Everything goes in a blender. Mix in tomato juice, orange juice, and strawberries together. Add vodka  and tequila.

#3) Hot Tomato Drink Recipe

Recipe Ingredients

glass8 oz. Tomato Juice
dash Lemon Juice
1 Chili Pepper, Peeled

Instruction: Blend ingredients at high-speed until mixture is smooth. Pour over ice into an old-fashioned glass.
Enjoy!!!

Can you say summer and NOT think Tomato? I DOUBT IT!

Behold the tomato, juicy and luscious. One of Mother Natures Summer Super Stars! Are you growing your own? Mine are coming along but not ready yet – so off to the Farmers Market I go. Your natural vine ripe tomatoes may not look as perfect as your mass-produced ones BUT there is no ethane gas ripening going on with your fresh picked local grown tomato. That is a BIG part of why the local tomato taste better. Another good reason to shop local and seasonally! Tomatoes are packed with nutrition, antioxidants, lycopene, vitamin A and C. They work and play so well with so many other ingredient and they’re just plain old yummy! Maybe all that is why they are a summer Super Star! There are so many things to do with tomatoes that naturally we can not even begin to cover them all- so we decided to find some delectable tidbits and two recipes for you today! First the Tidbits:

  • Never forget about the basic Heirloom Tomato (a classic tomato) on a BLT – a classic summertime sandwich. Don’t eat meat? There are many Bacon subs!
  • Never put your tomatoes in the fridge! If they drop below 50 degrees a flavor compound called (Z)-3-dexenal is just going to flip itself off like a chemical switch … permanently.
  • When you get them home, don’t keep them in direct sunlight.
  • To pick your tomatoes: Firm fragrant tomatoes, not mushy when pushed lightly with your fingers, heavy for their size, no big open slits or bugs but some of the tastiest tomatoes may be the ugliest!
  •  The average American eats 17 pounds of tomatoes each year. That means that after the potato, these fruits are America’s favorite vegetables. That’s right, fruits!

Recipe #1: Heirloom Tomato SaladCourtesy Anne Burrell (food network)
Prep Time: 10 min   Inactive Prep Time:0   Cook Time: 0   Level: Easy
Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients:
▪    1 cup baby arugula, washed
▪    1/4 cup high-quality extra-virgin olive oil
▪    1/4 cup red wine vinegar
▪    Kosher salt
▪    5 to 6 assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges and various other shapes
▪    1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or Basil) (Note: we learned yesterday that pretty much any mix of Herbs will be yummy-go for it! Experiment, play have some Herb and Tomato adventures!)
▪    4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature (or parm. or skip the cheese)
▪    4 slices grilled baguette ( any kind of toast)

Directions: In a small bowl toss the arugula with 1 tablespoon each of the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt. Divide the arugula between 2 serving plates. … Toss the tomatoes with the remaining olive oil, vinegar, oregano (or whatever herbs), and salt. Arrange the tomatoes on the serving plates….Spread 1 ounce of goat cheese onto each slice of grilled bread. Serve 2 slices of grilled bread with goat cheese (or whatever you like) with each plate.  Holy tomato!!

Recipe #2: Three Herb Fettuccine with Vegetables and Shaved Asiago  (Wednesday, 08 December 2010 14:44 Annaliese Keller )  From that favorite new find of a website edibleparadise.com! (Continuing our Herb Knowledge Base) 

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chopped spinach (divided)
1/2 cup sliced green onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup canned vegetable broth
2 medium green tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cups hot cooked fresh Pensi Pasta fettuccine
3 ounces shaved Asiago cheese

METHOD:

  • Trim ends from peas, and remove strings.
  • Drop peas into a Dutch oven of boiling water; cook 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water.
  • Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add peas, 1-1/4 cups spinach, green onions, and zucchini; sauté 2 minutes.
  • Add broth and tomatoes; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining spinach, basil, chives, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
  • Pour over hot pasta and toss. Sprinkle cheese over pasta and toss.

YIELD: 6 servings
SOURCE: Recipe courtesy of Evette Lecce of Pensi Pasta