Meet My “Mater” Friend!

I’m having a hard time trying to find a word to describe my “mater ” friend. He’s just someone you really need to meet in person and then you’ll understand what I mean.  And, from what I have been told, a telephone conversation about “maters” with him is about the same as a face to face meeting.  Believe me if you love tomatoes this is the guy for you!  He can chew your ear off talking about them…but, take my word for it you’ll come away knowing more than you ever thought your brain could hold. HaHa!

Let me introduce you to my friend, Roger Postley of Tomatoes, Etc.  This guy knows his “maters!”  He ain’t too bad on the pepper end either.  I met Roger at the Lexington Farmers’ Market a few years back and since he no longer sells there either I thought I would share his 2008 list on heirloom tomato and pepper seeds.  Grab a cup of coffe and get comfortable, cause this is a long list.  After you read through it you’ll begin to understand why I say he’s hard to describe!  Each and every seed comes with a description that rivals the best of commercial catalogs…he even includes his own ordering codes!  If you haven’t enjoyed yourself enough just reading through the list you can give him a call at (859) 278-4846 or email him at RPostley@aol.com.  Be forewarned…he really loves to talk heirlooms! I’m not joking but it’s well worth your time and energy if you are a true tomato or pepper lover.  He’s got more knowledge when it comes to “maters” than any person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and his passion for them is unbelievable.

Here’s his 2008 list…

AN Ananas Noire-Medium to large smooth tri-color beefsteak fruits. Greenish when ripe, yet have internal streaks of “black” and red. Weigh about 1.5 pounds. Superb flavor that is both sweet and ‘smoky’ with a hint of citrus. Heavy yields. Indeterminate. Regular leaf. 85 days..

AH Australian Heart (Thieneman family)-Brought to Louisville, KY by a returning WW II Navy veteran. Produces a medium to large red heart-shaped, extremely tasty, juicy fruit. Indeterminate. Regular leaf. Mid-season.

AZ Azoychka-This lovely Russian heirloom is a bright lemon yellow 7-8 ounce, 3” slightly flattened tomato. It has a delightful full rich sweetness with just a touch of acidity. Very good production. 6’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 70 days.

BA Bali-Heirloom from the island of Bali in Indonesia. It has small (2-3”) ruffled/ribbed and flattened 2-3″ fruit in bright raspberry pink. It has an unusual sweet fruity yet spicy flavor and sweet fragrance. Greatly worth trying! Perfect for cutting into halves on a salad. 4’ short indeterminate. Regular leaf. Early-season.

BY Barnes Mountain Yellow-productive yellow one pound juicy beefsteak fruits. Good flavor. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. Mid to late season.

BC Black Cherry-A wonderful 1” round cherry with a burgundy-black color. These cherries are irresistibly delicious! A tall, vigorous plant that produces abundant crops of 1″ fruits with sweet and complex full flavors, characteristic of the Russian “blacks”. 9’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 65 days.

BE Black Early-Typical growth and high production of most Russian ‘black’ tomatoes, but 1-2 weeks earlier than most others, with very good production of medium to large fruits. Has the typical great ‘black’ flavor! Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. Early to mid-season.

BM Black Mountain Pink-A KY heirloom Productive medium pink, one pound juicy beefsteak fruits. Good flavor. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. Mid to late season.

BP Black Pear-Good producer. Very beautiful 2-5 oz. (2-3”), mahogany-red, green shouldered, pear shaped-fruits with outstanding spicy and sweet flavor. Likes it hot and sunny. Produces a prolific and steady crop until frost. This one is outstanding eaten fresh, or cut in a salad. Firm enough to hold its shape when cut, but soft enough to be delicious! Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 82 days.

BH Bull’s Heart-Old Russian variety from that yields ½-1 pound, oxheart-shaped, pink fruits with few seeds and great full rich sweet taste. Sometimes grows 2 fruits together to look like a double heart. 5’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 84 days.

BF Burkina-Faso-a slightly rounded somewhat juicy red paste tomato, from Burkina-Faso. Huge production and very good taste. Good for fresh eating or cooking/canning. Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. Mid season.

BU Burracker’s-A wonderful 1-2 pound red/gold bicolor beefsteak tomato that is extremely sweet and juicy. I had poor early season production, but it flourished later on. 6’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 80 days.

BS Butler Skinner- A Clark Co., KY family heirloom. The seeds, plants, and fruits were used as ‘political gifts’ during his local campaigning! 12 ounce, round pink fruits. A full and balanced, rather sweet flavor. 7’ indet. Regular leaf

CC Chadwick Cherry-Heirloom named after the late British master gardener, Alan Chadwick, originator of the biointensive method of gardening. Flavorful, not just sweet, 1-inch, red fruits borne in vigorous clusters. 8’ indeterminate. Super-productive all season. Regular leaf. 70 days.

CG Cherokee Green-This may be a mutation of Cherokee Purple. Huge vigorous plant with 12-18 oz, light green, beefsteak type fruit with slight pinkish blush on blossom end and the skin takes on a yellowish hue when ripe. Inside is light green with bright green gel. Excellent flavor and juicy texture. Great production. 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days.

CY Crnkovic Yugoslavian-A prolific, disease resistant heirloom that produces large 1+ pound red-pink beefsteak fruits that are meaty, juicy, and have a robust, complex tomato flavor. 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 80 days.

CB Csikös Bötermö-This produces beautiful round fruit, which are red with gold veins. Csikös means” horse herders near the Balaton Lake in Hungary” and Bötermö means “early”. . 5’ short indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days

DB Debarao-Heavy production of 3-4 ounce oval deep red, fruit with green shoulders. They have the wonderful sweet complex flavor of ‘black’ tomatoes. Perfect for snacking, salads, and sauces. Very heavy producer. Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. 72 days.

PF Depp’s Pink Firefly-A Glasgow, KY family heirloom. It produces numerous large pink w/light ‘spots’ flattened beefsteak fruits with a fantastic flavor. 6’ indeterminate. Potato leaf. Mid to late season.

DR Druzba-This densely foliaged Bulgarian heirloom bears plenty of 12 ounce bright red fruit throughout the season. Very heavy set of perfect bright red 1⁄2 to 1lb. fruit with a high acid content – giving it that robust “real tomato” flavor. Produces a large percentage of uniform ripening, high quality blemish-free fruit. 6’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days.

EIo El Ifino (orange)-Discovered by me! (The name comes from the old joke: “What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhinoceros?”) This was a mutation of a Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom tomato. The seeds produced plants that yielded large orange or red, lobed, juicy, very flavorful beefsteak fruits. Regular leaf. 6+’ indeterminate. Mid to late season.

EIr El Ifino (red)-Discovered by me! (The name comes from the old joke: “What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhinoceros?”) This was a mutation of a Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom tomato. The seeds produced plants that yielded large orange or red, lobed, juicy, extremely flavorful beefsteak fruits. Regular leaf. 6+’ indeterminate. Mid to late season.

FW Ferris Wheel-a pink/red medium-sized fruit. Very good flavor, appearance and productivity. One pound juicy beefsteak fruits. Good flavor. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. Mid to late season.

FL Frank’s Large Red-A Eastern KY heirloom that produces huge 1½-2 pound red flattened slightly lobed fruits that are very juicy and have a fantastic flavor. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. Late season.

GB Giant Belgium-The 1 ½-3 pound dark pink fruit on this fine tomato plant has a delicious sweet, mild, low acid taste with solid flesh. The variety, which was developed in Ohio, produces a large solid flattened beefsteak with a smooth blossom end. 6’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 80 days.

GS Golden Sunrise-This Australian heirloom produces huge quantities of 1½-2” gorgeous spherical bright red/ orange striped fruits. The leaves look as if they are covered with a light frost! 5’ indeterminate. ‘Fuzzy’ potato leaf. 75 days.

GL Grace Lahman-This variety produces large amounts of medium-sized rose-pink globes with fruits good ‘old time’ flavor. Very mild and sweet. This is a prolific producer with huge fall crops. Indeterminate. Regular leaf. 80 days.

GZ Green Zebra-The 2 to 4 ounce elongated fruits are bright green with light green/gold stripes and emerald green flesh with a delicious ‘spicy/tangy’ real tomato flavor. The vines are very vigorous and extremely productive. A choice tomato for colorful salads. 5’ short indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days.

IS Illini Star-It produces heavy crops of 6-8 oz. deep-red tomatoes. They have an excellent flavor and strong disease and split resistance. Developed by Merlyn & Mary Ann Neidens

BT Japanese Black Trifele-Giant ’black’ fruit, shape is more spacecraft-like than plum, strongly recommended, great taste. Actually, it is from Russia. Huge production! Unusual, but outstanding taste! 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. Mid to late season.

KB Kellogg’s Breakfast-This WV heirloom is a gorgeous orange beefsteak tomato with truly outstanding sweet tangy taste and few seeds! This productive variety bears fruits of 1 pound or more and have few seeds. Juice and inside flesh have the same bright orange color as orange juice. 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days.

KT Krasnodar Titan-This Ukrainian heirloom was ‘smuggled’ here! The large red fruit have rich, full-bodied, old-fashioned flavor and a firm texture, which is perfect for salsas! This is a highly productive full season tomato. 5’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. Mid season.

LG Lennie & Gracie-Yellow with pink interior striping. Extremely large production. Very good taste. 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days.

LM Limmony-A bright yellow beefsteak which is decidedly citrus-tart! It produces 10-16 ounce, 4-5″, light-yellow fruits with lots of luscious, big sweet tangy flavors. It has a bold taste! 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75 days.

LR Lumpy Red-This is a Corbin, KY family heirloom. It is highly productive and yields heavily fluted medium to large red fruits which are very tasty. 6’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 80 days.

MJ Majtato-This Hungarian heirloom produces a firm dense red 3”-4” spherical cooking tomato with a good flavor. It has dark green rugose regular leaves on a very stocky plant. 3’ dwarf indeterminate. Very early with huge full season production. Good in containers.

MP Marianna’s Peace-This is the world’s most over-hyped tomato. Despite that, is well worth raising! It is one of the finest tasting tomatoes with moderate yields of 1-2 pound beautiful, pink-red very meaty beefsteaks with luscious, full tomato flavor that features a good balance of acidity and sweetness. Potato leaf. Vigorous vines are very productive, 7’ indeterminate. 85 days.

MG Max’s Large Green-This is a family heirloom from Hardin Co., KY. It has a delicious tangy full flavor with firm juicy bright green flesh in a 16-20 ounce flattened beefsteak shape. The skin has a predominant amber tinge when ripe. It makes a lovely sandwich slicer. 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. Medium-late season. A (different) BLT – just waiting to happen!

MN Monk-A family heirloom from Nicholasville, KY. It produces slightly irregular, very large, and extremely tasty beefsteak fruits on large strong vines. It is highly productive. Indeterminate. Regular leaf. Mid to late season.

SB Moon’s Superbush-This heirloom produces 3” medium-size solid red round fruits with good full flavor. Super productive. Early season. 3’-4’ dwarf indeterminate. Grows very well in containers.

MLy Mortgage Lifter (yellow)-An impressive cousin of the pink Mortgage Lifter with heavy yields of 1 pound, 4″, yellow beefsteak fruit with red/pink streaks in center and similar great rich taste. Slightly flattened, with mild, fruity flavor. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 80 days.

MR Mr. Slaybaugh’s Oxheart- middle Ohio family heirloom, 1+ pound. Bright red. Delicious and juicy. Tall indet. Regular leaf. Very productive.

MB Mrs. Benson’s Pink- 70 days Indet., potato-leaf, old family variety from Mrs. Benson, (Oswego IL.), large yields, bright pink, not many seeds, averages 1 lb., satisfying old-time flavor, good acid/sugar balance. Well worth trying!

NW Nebraska Wedding- Orange-Medium size round fruits, Short indeterminate. 76 days. Regular leaf

OK Old Kentucky- a Southeastern KY heirloom. Large yellow beefsteak with great flavor. Even better than KY Beefsteak! 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75-90 days.

OG Oleyar’s German Red Oxheart- Large red fruit with great flavor. 7’ indeterminate. Regular leaf. 75-90 days.

OL Omar’s Lebanese-A huge dark pink beefsteak tomato with fruits typically weighing 1 to 1-1/2 pounds. It has a full sweet complex flavor that is delicious on sandwiches. It is very productive. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. 80 days.

OC Outhouse Cherry-From Lakeland, FL, this ½” tiny bright red cherry tomato is terrific for snacking – particularly by kids! Super prolific and delicious. Guess where it grew best? 10’ to 12’ indeterminate huge vine. Regular leaf. Early season.

PL Palestinian-This mid-Eastern variety produces loads of light red/pink 8-32 ounce firm tasty fruits and few seeds. The size is extremely variable! Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. Early to mid-season.

PR Paul Robeson-This Russian heirloom was named in honor of the American operatic star and equal rights advocate. It is an absolutely delicious 6-10 ounce round ‘black’ tomato with an intensely sweet smoky taste with a hint of tanginess and has dark red skin with dark green dusky shoulders. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. 70 days.

PS Persimmon-This is a beautiful dusky persimmon-colored variety that produces 1-2 pound, 5” fruits. Vines are vigorous, well branched and bear heavily. Its rich distinctive sweetness and few seeds make it one of the best tasting orange heirloom tomatoes. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 75 days.

PA Pineapple-This beautiful Mid-West bicolor heirloom grows large beefsteak fruit, some weighing up to 2 pounds! The yellow skin with red streaks are a delight, while the mild sweet, tropical, fruity flavor makes it a favorite. Very productive. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 75-90 days

GF Pink Grapefruit-A very high producer of lovely light yellow 4-6 oz. globes, tinged with a pink blush that continues into the core. They are sweet, juicy, mild and really do have a hint of citrus. Regular leaf. 4’ dwarf indeterminate. 80 days.

PG Polish Giant-This heirloom produces numerous red large 4-6” semi heart-shaped pointed-end fruits. The flavor is full and balanced in the solid meaty fruits. Very prolific. Regular leaf. 5’ indet.. 85 days.

PP PURPLE PASSION - huge, meaty, crimson-red fruits-almost a ‘black’, relatively early for a large tomato, flavor is excellent – rich, mild, and fruity, moderately firm, an old Utah heirloom. indet., 78 days.

RM Ramapo (OP)-This is a discontinued “hybrid commercial heirloom” that is now open-pollinated. It bears large numbers of medium-sized round red fruits that are excellent fresh or canned. Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. Mid-season.

RA Raphael-This outstanding heirloom red plum was found on an abandoned SW Florida farm. Unlike ROMA tomatoes (which it resembles), this actually has great flavor, both fresh and cooked! It is highly productive over an extended season. Regular leaf. 3’ dwarf indeterminate. Early season.

RT Reisentraube-This German heirloom bears huge clusters of 1″ red fruit with a distinctive pointed end. The robust flavor is similar to large red beefsteak varieties. One of its outstanding features is the large number of flowers produced per cluster (up to 350)! An excellent salad tomato that is great for snacks! Regular leaf. 8’ indeterminate. 70-80 days.

RC Roman Candle-This produces beautiful neon yellow banana-shaped fruits that are bursting with intense sweetness and flavor. A wonderful new tomato that originated as a ‘sport’ from Mr. John Swenson’s Striped (Speckled) Roman. Fruits are about 2″ wide by 4″ long and are quite meaty. Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. 85 days

SP St. Pierre-A French heirloom variety that is the epitome of fine taste! It produces a large quantity of medium-sized red round fruits with outstanding flavor. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 74 days.

SD Scoresby Dwarf-My plants do not fit the description of the New Zealand heirloom! There is nothing ‘dwarf’ about them! They produce very large numbers of round 3-4” firm red tomatoes that have a very good flavor that are great for salsa or cut in salads. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. Mid-season.

SF Silvery Fir-This is a extremely early dwarf Russian heirloom that bears many deep orange to red, 3″-4″ flattened fruits that have a good flavor. It has unusual lacy fern-like foliage with a silvery-grey color and grows very well in container or flowerbed. Regular leaf. 2’ determinate. 58 days.

SO Sophie’s Choice-This Canadian family heirloom is a compact plant that bears loads of sweet refreshing 6-8 ounce orange-red tomatoes. Unlike other extra-early varieties, the fruits are flavorful and large, averaging 6 to 8 ounces. It does not handle heat or drought well and needs water and support! Regular leaf. 1 ½-2’ determinate. 50 days. Good in containers.

SR Striped (Speckled) Roman-These long, pointed red fruit have wavy orange stripes that are absolutely gorgeous! It’s a perfect midsize fruit with meaty flesh, excellent sweet flavor and few seeds. Heavy fruit production until frost. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 75 days.

TO Tomesol-This heirloom produces medium to large, slightly flattened round, white to ’khaki’ , thin-skinned and delicious mild and sweet fruits that are perfect cut up in salads. Very good production! Regular leaf. 5’ indeterminate. 75 days.

UM Uncle Mark Bagby- KY heirloom. Very large pink fruits. Huge production. Excellent flavor. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 85 days.

VW Vinson Watts-Large 1-2 pound, flattened, pink fruit with excellent flavor. It is an old heirloom that was grown in the Morehead, Kentucky area, but originated in Lee County, Virginia. Late season. Regular leaf. Indeterminate. Juicy and full of flavor. Great on sandwiches!

WB Watermelon Beefsteak- Very, very, good, From Gleckler’s Seedsman, over 100 years ago, a true classic heirloom, very large indet. red/pink beefsteak with great flavor, slightly scalloped shape. New for me this season – I will know more once I raised and tasted it!

WC Weeping Charlie- This is a ‘very fat’ red with green shoulders roma-type tomato. Quite juicy with good flavor. Regular leaf. 7’ indeterminate. 75 days.

WE Wes-This USA heirloom is best known for its wonderful aroma! It produces large numbers of medium-sized heart-shaped red fruits that have a delightful mildly sweet flavor. Regular leaf. 6’ indeterminate. Mid to late season. (Fruits were small, in 2007…)

YP Yellow Perfection-This heirloom , originally from an old British seed company, produces 1 ½-2” inch, round, brilliant-yellow, thin-skinned and delicious fruits that are perfect cut up in salads. Fantastic production! Potato leaf. 5’ indeterminate. 75 days.

 

PEPPERS:

AF Aji floro (Orchid)- sweet Scotch Bonnet, flower shaped sweet ‘citrusy’ green small pepper – in my opinion, it is better green then at orange-red full ripe! Outstanding flavor and prolific! About 5’ tall!

JN Jimmy Nardello-Heirloom sweet Italian frying pepper logged in at Ellis Island in 1897! Outstanding flavor fresh, fried, or used in Italian foods! Enormous yields of long, flattened, curly, green to dark crimson fruits with pointed ends and some twisting (1″ x 6-8”). Looks like a “cayenne-on-steroids”!

JB Jingle Bell (OP, not hybrid)-Produces a miniature green bell pepper (about 1 1/2”) that is perfect split /stuffed with cheese or meat salads for appetizers or used whole in kabobs. They ripen to bright red. Extremely productive. The OP version is new. Good in containers.

TR Topepo Rosso-This Italian heirloom Italian sweet red pimento pepper produces tasty, blood red, round pimento peppers the size of small apples. The flesh is very thick, crisp, and sweet and is great fresh or cooked. Three-foot compact plants produce huge yields. Although they set fruit early, they are very slow to ripen – but it is worth the wait!

TP Trinidad Perfume- sweet yellow habanero!, found as a ‘sport’ in a field of H O T habaneros!, Use for seasoning or munching – has no fire! A super-prolific bright yellow pepper about 4’ tall.

OKRA:

AR Alabama Red-This very large (both plant and pod) cultivar produced huge amounts of delicious red-and–green very tasty okra. The plants are ‘almost’ scratch-free! The large pods remain tender while large! Expect 6’+ plants

If you haven’t read enough, give him a holler at (859) 278-4846  RPostley@aol.com  You won’t be sorry, I promise.  I know we certainly enjoy the plants we buy from him!  And, no…we don’t bother with the seeds, we let him do the hard part cause we’re usually busy trying to get our herbs out! 

I hope you enjoyed today’s special edition as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.  We’re headed back out to the shop so we can get it ready to open..hopefully…next week!

 

I HATE Computers!

And, I shouldn’t. This thing is my friend. So how come it hasn’t felt like it this past few days? I was about ready to throw my computer out of the window! For some darn reason it decided that I no longer needed to search, get to my favorite sites or even let me play games. EEK! I shouldn’t say it wouldn’t let me it just thought that I had hours to waste while the various pages loaded. So, what the heck did I do to make it mad? The very last thing I did was download a coupon site listed in the Herald Leader and then the “stuff” started…well, that’s the problem…it didn’t start! I uninstalled it but I guess somewhere in that black box there is a brain way bigger than mine cause it apparently kept some of that coupon site for its own use. Hey, now…I am not sharing my coupons with a box!

Normally I would have panicked but I kept myself calm and tried everything that I could think of to fix the thing. Nothing worked so for two days I spent most of my time getting the house dusted, vacuumed, doing laundry, etc. while I waited for a page to load. Not my idea of fun but at least our home is semi dust free.

You’d think that a person who has a degree in computer science could figure out the problem. I have to tell you, I went to college way back in the 60’s and my idea of a computer was a giant big thing stuck in the middle of a very cool room. We had these big keyboards that punched little holes into rectangular shape pieces of a cardstock type of paper. You then took them to yet another room where there was another big machine called a collator and it tried to make some sense out of the hole punched paper. Then you threw them into the really big machine and if you were lucky enough to put the wires in the correct places, you actually got something that made sense. I think! My how times have changed! HaHa! I remember my first day with the new “box” computer. It was terrible sitting here looking at this tiny thing knowing that somehow it would give me more information than the monster machine could do. The first thing was to figure out how to turn it on. Of course the new box came with no detailed instructions so I had to search to figure out where the heck the “on” button was. I found it and all of a sudden a whole new world opened up to me. I was now part of a gazillion other folks lives! It was like having a really big extended family. I could check to make sure everyone was eating properly, exercising and even see where the “family” was doing its shopping. WOW, and I didn’t even have to invite everyone over for the traditional holiday celebrations! Whatta family!

Now you can understand why I was so depressed when I didn’t get to see all of those smiling faces on Sunday morning. After phone calls to Manila, New Delhi, Canada, the Phillipines and back to Manila, I still couldn’t visit my family. I was all set to unplug the box and take it to a person who really knew how to work these things when I managed to find something called a “restore” button! Lo and behold, my family was almost back! AOL and I had to find them because apparently they were hiding somewhere out in cyberspace. We finally succeeded and I am happy to report that I am smiling at various “family” members again.

If you’ve given up reading this long and detailed tale about my weekend computer experience, let me put it into a few words. The DAMN COMPUTER CRASHED! And, while I managed to find my email addresses I no longer have a “favorites” list. That ten years of searching and saving great websites is now floating somewhere out there. Guess what I’ll be doing in my off hours this winter? You betcha, I’m gonna be surfing and saving all over again!

Today is not a day to worry about the box. We’ve got more important stuff to be concerned with, like getting the shop ready for customers. We’re just about there and hopefully we’ll be open for business next week. Drew is trying to section off part of the garage so that we can heat it and I’ve got to get the rest of my packaging stuff out of what will be the showroom. We are making progress and that’s a good thing. I’ll continue to keep you informed so go enjoy the warm January weather and stay tuned for more highlights in our life.

Oh My Gosh, It’s Thursday…Already!

I still can’t believe that it’s 2008! I’m not sure I have finished up 2007! Well, if I didn’t so be it. The new year is here and the plans for Herb’n Renewal are starting. We have decided to open our farm shop again. This time it will be a bit different. Last time we opened it up to the public we had crafts, seasoning, gourds, etc. This time it will be mostly seasoning, some local items such as honey and my wonderful (even if I do say so myself!) soaps. This spring we’ll concentrate on the herb beds so that we’ll have plenty of fresh cut herbs available. And, I’ve already been perusing the seed catalogs trying to decide what new veggies we can bring to the area. We might even get back into herb plants. This is so exciting and scary for us. I keep telling Drew I’m to darn old for a change but it just feels so right.

We’ve had many phone calls and emails asking us “is it true, you’re not coming back to the market?” Yes, it is true we are no longer members of the Lexington Farmers’ Market. Many of our customer friends have asked how to get in touch with us. You can certainly keep up with us on this blog or else you can give us a holler at rubnseason@aol.com or if you feel like talking to a real person you can reach us at (859) 548-3516. I’ve decided to try and set up a newsletter by email. Heck, I should be able to do that, I did it for 5 years at the market! Anyway, if you would like to be included, please send us an email and let me know if you would like to be added to the list I’ll sure do my best to get it started. It’s times like this when I wish I had not fallen asleep during college. I majored in computer programming! You’d think I would be smart enough to do this simple task, but no…not me. Of course, you have to remember that I graduated in 1970 and we were still in the keypunch card error and actual wired boards, not just buttons and clicks! HaHa!

Okay, on to the daily stuff. Not sure about the rest of you but we had the traditional pork, sauerkraut and black eyed peas for New Year’s dinner. That means we have leftovers! Yup, the pork sandwich with sauerkraut on it was great for one meal but we still have pork! And, you can forget those darn black eyed peas…I had my one teaspoon full for good luck and now Drew can have the rest!

Here’s the original recipe that was one of the ones Drew used as a sampling at the market. Make sure you read on so you can use it with leftovers. Most of all enjoy the new year!

Herb’n Dutch Stir Fry

1 lb. boneless pork loin, cut into thin strips

1 heaping tbsp, Rub’n Season Pork

4 strips bacon

8 cups cabbage, cut into thin strips

½ cup onion, diced

1 cup carrots, shredded

2 tbsp. white vinegar

1/8 cup brown sugar, packed

Toss pork with Rub’n Season Pork and let sit in fridge for at least one hour. In a large skillet, brown bacon and set aside leaving the drippin’s in the pan. On medium high heat, brown the pork in the drippin’s for 4-5 minutes. Add cabbage and onion, cook stirring at all times for about 4-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Add carrots, then vinegar and brown sugar. Stir fry for two more minutes. Crumble reserved bacon and stir into mixture. Traditionally served with buttered noodles and applesauce as side dishes.

Okay, here’s the leftover pork version…

Forget the rub the pork thing, just use your leftover pork and cut it into strips and set it aside. Cook the bacon and set it aside. Then add the cabbage and onion to the bacon drippin’s. Cook it for the same 4-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Add the carrots, then the vinegar, brown sugar, about 2 teaspoons of Rub’n Season Pork and the leftover pork. Stir fry that for an additional 2-3 minutes or until the pork is heated through. Give it a taste test and salt if necessary. Crumble the reserved bacon into mixture and stir. Serve with the same noodles and applesauce!

New Day, New Year!

I think we’re supposed to reflect on the previous year and make plans for the new year on this, the first day of 2008. Somehow I just want to forget last year and concentrate on beginning anew. It’s a beautiful morning even thought it’s windy and cold. The sun is shining in through my window and all I can do is give thanks for the life that I have with Drew, my friends and family. It’s gonna be a great new year, I can feel it!

We’re starting it off with a gut wadd’in breakfast. It’s a darn good thing we don’t make resolutions or we’d be breaking the diet one right off the bat! That fried taters, country ham, biscuits and gravy on my plate would surely ruin any diet. But, I don’t care it’s the start of a new year and I’m going to start out with a full belly!

Drew picked up a pork loin for dinner tonight and of course, we’ll have the traditional black eyed peas to go along with it. I’ll probably mash some taters to go with the “I gotta have” sauerkraut with pork thing. To be honest with you the only way I can get those “good luck” peas down is to smash them together with the taters and sauerkraut. But, if they’ll bring me luck, I’ll choke them down. I just don’t think it’s fair, I eat Drew’s traditional black eyed peas…so how come he won’t eat my families traditional pickled herring? The only time my family of Swedes ate it was New Year’s eve…maybe Drew knew something we didn’t know. HaHa!

Time for breakfast and watching the Rose Parade…now, that’s a New Year’s day must! Hope you all have a great day and a wonderful start of 2008.

We made it to Sunday!

I just have to share this with all of you. Women will understand and the typical male will say that they never do this! I hope you all enjoy the laugh as much as I did and eventually so did Drew.

We prepared the food for a party, at a friend’s home, that we were catering without a hitch. Everything was loaded in the truck and we headed out to Georgetown…it’s only about a 35 mile drive and we had plenty of time to get there. Drew decides to take some back roads to avoid the holiday traffic that is still jamming up our local roads. Not a problem, I love being able to sit back and enjoy the countryside. I do have to admit that I help drive even though I am in the passenger seat…you know, the invisible “brake” thingie. Some of those curves were a bit too sharp for my taste but we were enjoying the beautiful clear day. Somewhere along the way Drew must have made a wrong turn, not sure where but we just kept driving even though I was starting to frantically look at my watch. We passed a sign on a fence that read “Russell Springs!” Yikes, I knew we really had gone out of our way!! Not to worry, I was told, it’s only a farm name sign…whew. We passed a really great place called Boyd Orchards. It’s a great place to take your family for apple pick’in! Over an hour later we finally pulled into the destination driveway and our friends were there anxiously awaiting our arrival.

We immediately commenced to getting the rest of the food prepared and setting up the tables. I have to say that fun was had by all, even the birthday gal who was turning the dreaded 50! We saw some old friends and met some new ones. We were very pleased with how everything turned out. We were invited to sit down and have a relaxing bit of conversation and a beverage before we started our trek home. Okay, now it’s beginning to get dark. I tell Drew that it’s time to start home because my “brakes” don’t do to well in the darkness of night. We all hug and say thank you and head out for the ride home.

Geez, I thought the ride to the party was fun! You wouldn’t believe the ride home. Drew decides that he figured out where he made the wrong turn before. Okay, I’m game even though there is no scenery to enjoy in the night darkness. Heck, I can’t even see the street and route signs! I get myself situated and have my “brakes” ready to use. The first few miles of the trip are great. Oops, here’s the first major decision…right or left? Right is the correct way to go according to Drew. Hey, there’s Boyd Orchards off to the left, so we must be on the right road, correct? Wow, those “brakes” are getting a workout on these curvy, narrow roads! EEK! Calm down, Karin…Drew is in charge and he knows where he is going, so make some light conversation and talk about the folks we got to see tonight. The food was good, their dog is a darling, I don’t think the triplets look anything like each other, etc.,etc.,etc.

Hey…there’s Boyd Orchards AGAIN! Only this time it is on the right side of the road. Didn’t we pass that awhile back? I commented and Drew assured me that he was in control. Must be a man thing! I’m sitting there smirking to myself thinking “yeah right big guy!” Uh Oh, that seems to be the Bluegrass Parkway ahead…how the heck did we end up here? I sigh and Drew lowers his head in semi shame…he missed the turn again! We backtrack and finally end up on major roads that I am familiar with and I can finally relax and let my “brake” ease up. I do manage to give him instructions…right, right, right, left and finally a left into our parking space at the farm!

We’re home, safe and sound..finally! And, by the way, Boyd Orchards really is a very nice place, you just don’t want to be driving past it three times in one day! Go visit them for some big smiles. http://www.boydorchards.com/

I just read this to Drew and he informed me, in his defense, that he really saved us actual miles even though he made a wrong turn. That’s okay, big guy…you believe whatever you want to. HaHa!

I’m off to the kitchen to start some fried taters to have with our, leftover from the party, ham and eggs.  They’re real easy and quite tasty when you’re in a rush to eat.  Simply wash and cube taters and boil them until semi done.  Drain and dump into a hot skillet with bacon drippin’s.  Give them a good shake of Good’n Garlicky and a really good pinch of Paprika.  Toss them so that they all get coated well.  Contiue to “fry” in a medium heat skillet until the ham and eggs are done.  They’ll brown nicely in just a few minutes and they’re already cooked so all you are doing is basically heating them up.

It’s Saturday and we’re home!!!

Holy mackerel! It’s Saturday morning and we’re still home at 7AM! That hasn’t happened in almost 10 years. We both laughed as we kissed each other goodnight and said “sleep with angels” before going to bed last night…we didn’t have to set the alarm for 2AM and yet we both knew that we would probably wake up anyway. Well, I did but Drew managed to snore right through our usual wake up call. I have to admit that it felt kinda funny not rushing around, printing last minute recipes and trying to decide which Herb’n Renewal “uniform” to wear to the market. Instead I get to sit here in my jammies and put my thoughts into this box they call a computer!

One of Drew’s friends is throwing a 50^th birthday party for his gal today and he asked us to prepare the food for the party. We spent yesterday chopping, dicing and blending. Drew managed to get two turkey breasts smoked and carved…I managed to steal a sample and boy was it good! The only thing left to do today is to make the fondue and cube the bread. We were busy folks yesterday. One of the spreads that Drew made happens to be one of my favorites and it’s so easy to make. Here’s the recipe…

Cajun Seafood Spread

8 oz. Cream cheese

2 tbsp. Dried chives

4 oz. Salad shrimp*

½ cup mayonnaise

4 oz. Can crab meat

2 tsp. Cajun Wing’n Season

Blend mayonnaise, softened cream cheese and Cajun Wing’n Season until smooth. Fold in chives, crab meat and shrimp. Refrigerate overnight. Serve with crackers or veggies!

*We like it really “shrimpy”and we’re lucky enough to have some fresh frozen Wild Caught Georgia Shrimp in our freezer so we used about a half of a pound, chopped up after we gave it a good old fashioned shrimp boil with our Rub’n Season Fish!

This recipe has always been a crowd pleaser so give it a try for your New Years party. If we have any leftovers I’m going to try something new… spread it on a slice of French bread, top with a bit of Muenster cheese and broil till bubbly. I love when I come up with brainstorms! Lol

Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday.

After Christmas Thoughts!

Happy Birthday Pappy…I know you are watching over me.

Speaking of what would have been my dad’s birthday, my mom would have had one on the 19^th of this month too. And, they would have celebrated their anniversary on the 21^st. Stick Christmas in the middle of all of those celebrations and they usually ended up with one big gift under the tree with a tag that said “Happy Everything!” Mom told me to make sure that I didn’t get married in my birth month cause you get shorted in the gift department! I miss her weird sense of humor.

Okay, it’s the day after Christmas and I hope Santa was good to everyone. We haven’t done the “Christmas light thing” since Drew had his first blood clot a few years back and we both commented that we missed our usual 11,000 light show! But, neither of us miss the taking them down, tagging them and then packing them for another year. We have a garage full of lights and decorations just gathering dust! We don’t buy each other gifts and we didn’t even bother to put up a tree. It looked kinda boring around here on Christmas Morning. We did the usual Merry Christmas calls to family and friends and then sat here trying to decide what we could do for some excitement. Brainstorm!!! My dearest friend had a stroke last year and I don’t get to visit her nearly enough because of the price of gas. Well, Bernie bit the dust and we have borrowed a truck that gets much better mileage so we decided to head off to Ft. Knox to visit with Linde and Joe.

We didn’t bother to call until we got to their road and what a surprise. I was talking to Joe on the cell phone as we pulled up into their driveway…asking him what they were doing and as it happens they were eating dinner. I continued the banter between us as I just walked in the front door hollering Merry Christmas! I wish you all could have seen the look on their faces. It was like the commercial on TV…priceless! Joe has become the “houseman” since Linde can longer do the cooking and cleaning. He’s one of those folks that couldn’t boil water before and now he reads cookbooks! We took him a large basket full of our blends along with a recipe file so he can play in the kitchen…he was thrilled and so was Linde. I think she’s bored with his bland cooking. HaHa! Anyway, we had a great visit and it was one of the best presents I could have received.

Christmas eve was another priceless day. We had some gift baskets left after the market and although we could have taken them apart, I decided to give a little something to unsuspecting folks in town. We drove around the various parking lots and when I saw someone who looked like they needed a bit of cheer I jumped out and handed them a gift basket! I think some of them thought I was nuts but I sure hope they all enjoy their special Christmas present from Herb’n Renewal. I know we got a great one just watching the smiles.

Drew has headed towards town to see if he can figure out what the heck is wrong with Bernie and I am going to tackle “the room!” EEK!!! Our spare room has become a catchall room with Lord knows what in it! Who knows I might find some treasures worth selling on eBay. We could use the money seen as how we are now both officially unemployed without the market. YIKES! Maybe I’ll work on getting the shop finished so we can open up and start to gain some much needed $$$. I don’t know but we’re hoping that we can open next week and I need to clear some cobwebs from my brain before we start.

I’m off to start…somewhere. Have a great day all.

Ahhh, Sweet Sunday!

Sunday is normally a day of emptying Bernie so that we can sort through and decide what we need to replenish for the next Saturday market. This Sunday is very different cause we don’t have to worry about the market next week. It’s a bittersweet feeling. Drew and I both felt very odd unloading the tables for the last time. Putting the tubs that we use to cart our goodies to the market away was another sad time. I guess when you’ve been used to a certain routine for 10 years it leaves you with an empty pit in your stomach when you don’t have to follow it. But, we’ve made our decision and we’re sticking to it! No more Lexington Farmers’ Market for us.

We had many of our customers stop by and wish us well yesterday…even had a few tears and a bunch of “oh no’s!” Everyone understood why we did what we did and we were pleased to find out that they all asked how to continue to buy our seasoning. We explained that we had a party to cater next week and then we’ll figure out something…we just want to take a break and gather our thoughts. But, you can guarantee that we won’t let them down…Herb’n Renewal will go on.

Enough looking back…we’re moving forward and today is a start of a new life for us. We’ve both been thinking of all sorts of things that we want to do around the farm, things that have been neglected in the past few years. So, I’m going to start by tackling my soap shop! I’ll bet that I find scents that I didn’t even know I had!!! Drew has to head into Lexington cause we’re borrowing a truck from a friend. We think our dear Bernie was trying to tell us that we made the right decision to quit the market cause he coughed and sputtered all the way into town yesterday. I guess he’s tired too. He’s going to get a week of rest and a bit of an overhaul.

Oh, I’ve got to share the drive to the market with you..it was so funny and so typical male! We had no sooner pulled out of our little country road when I noticed a burning smell. I commented to Drew and he of course told me I worry too much. Well, I guess I do because I hear (and comment on) every little knock, thud or whatever that Bernie makes. A few minutes go by and of course I am panicking. Then I smell smoke and comment on that. Once again, the typical male in Drew takes over and he let’s me know that nothing is wrong and to quit worrying. Than all of a sudden, in the early morning darkness, I notice him reaching under his seat. He hands me a flashlight and tells me to look for a fire…EEK! I knew I was right…something was burning! But I couldn’t find it and the smoke was filling up the front of Bernie. We pulled over in the first lit area that we could find and checked him out. Thank heavens there was no fire…so where was the smoke coming from? Drew finally decided that it had something to do with the manifold…whatever that is. And sure enough when we restarted him the noise was really loud. We are now the proud owners of what folks around here would call a redneck van! HaHa! We roared our way into town and both laughed at what folks attending the U.K. Basketball game would think when we started him up for the drive home! And you thought they roared when the Cats scored a point…they hadn’t heard anything yet!

Well, I guess I better get started with my new life..I’m off to the soap shop! Hope you all have a wonderful day and if you’ve procrastinated on buying those holiday gifts, may you end up in a short line at the checkout counter!

 

 

Final Market Saturday!

Here it is the day that we really wished didn’t have to come…our last day at the Lexington Farmers’ Market. It’s going to feel so funny not having to wake up at 2am on Saturday’s anymore. We’ve been doing that for 10 years. We were talking about how much we are going to miss some of the farmers, our customers and the general “happening” feeling that the market brings to each of our Saturday’s. But then we remembered that the reason we are no longer going to be members is because the “happening” feeling seems to be gone. We have felt like we were going to a resellers market for the last few years and that just isn’t our idea of a real farmers market. Times sure have changed at the market. Folks used to make a day out it and now it seems like most are stopping by, getting what they need and heading home without enjoying what used to be a great atmosphere. I can’t say that I can blame them. The market just ain’t what it used to be.

Drew and I have agonized over our decision to leave…it’s been our livelihood and lifestyle for the past 10 years! It will be life altering to say the least. But, we just didn’t feel like it is heading in the direction that we want to go. We’ve never enjoyed the flea market atmosphere and that’s what it feels like to us now. The resellers are in abundance.

And, don’t get me started on the “rules!” Rules are great and every organization needs to have them but they should be the same for all members…not just a chosen few. We’ve watched vendors/farmers break rules left and right and then two booths down it’s perfectly okay for that person to do exactly what the other person was told not to do!!! It’s become more a matter of who you know, not just the fact that you have paid your dues and expect to be treated equally. Speaking of dues…they doubled this year!  It seems like they don’t want us little guys anymore. Oh well, it’s time for us to move onward and upward.

We’re scared stiff at the thought of losing our weekly income but we have high hopes that we can make it on our new plans for the future. Herb’n Renewal will go on and hopefully we’ll be better than ever. I know Drew and I will feel better once we get over the shock of changing our lifestyle.

Enough talk about the past, let’s move into the future, with one exception…the recipe from today’s market sampling! This is a great and no hassle recipe for some wonderful party fare.

WING’N WIENERS

2 12 oz. bottles chili sauce

2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup grape jelly

1 heaping tbsp. Cajun Wing’n Season

4 tbsp. Bourbon

3 lb. hot dogs, sliced 1/2″

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a 4 qt. pot, stirring constantly. When well blended, add hot dogs and return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer one or more hours…stirring occasionally. These are great kept warm in a crock pot at parties!

As a final thought for the day we want our customers and fellow farmers to know how much we will miss not seeing you each week but we hope you understand how we feel. And, we hope you will continue to follow us into the future!

Hope you all have a great day and stayed tuned for more developments in the Herb’n Renewal life!

Whew Wednesday!

Whew, we are finally done with the holiday basket filling, mailing, etc. thingie! Yippee!!! I was beginning to dream about gift baskets in what little sleep I’ve been getting. We’ve got one more market this Saturday and then we’ll officially take a break from Herb’n Renewal for a few days. Believe me, we both need it.

Today is a get ready for Saturday market day so not much excitement today…just loads of printing labels, packing and loading into to crates for the trip to Lexington. Normally we do this on Thursday and Friday but we’re on a roll so we’re not gonna stop!

Drew fixed a great big “Sunday” breakfast today and now I really need a nap! HaHa! No time for napping today. Just thought I would share his wonderful Cowboy Fried Taters recipe with you before I head out to the shop…they are yummy!

 

Cowboy Fried Taters

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 lb. white potatoes, cubed 1/2”

3 carrots, cubed 1/2”

2 tbsp. Herb’n Cowboy

1 cup onion, diced

¾ cup green peppers, diced

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add potatoes and carrots, give them a stir and then cover. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until fork tender. Give them an occasional stir and flip! Remove cover and stir in the Herb’n Cowboy, onions and peppers. Continue cooking for an addtional 10-15 minutes. Don’t forget to give them an occasional stir and flip!

You can speed up the recipe by par boiling the potatoes and carrots until fork tender. Drain and cool them a bit continuing with the recipe.

Hope you all have a wonderful day and hope to see you all Saturday at the Lexington Farmers’ Market in Victorian Square!

P.S. Happy Birthday mom…I miss you.