August - September 2002 Edition 

Kitchen Elf In Her Vegetable Garden   By Jeanne Baratta (Fair Lawn's Kitchen Elf)   Did you know that August 8th is “Sneak some Zucchini onto your Neighbors Porch Night”? I swear it wasn’t me, although the idea has crossed my mind. Our zucchini plants started producing in late June and haven’t stopped yet. This is an annual occurrence at the Baratta house, but this year we are appreciating our bounty a bit more.    We started our vegetable garden in late April, when all the talk was of drought restrictions. Instead of watering our seedlings via sprinkler, we hand watered everything with our trusty watering can. Maybe it was the extra “love and care” of all that hand watering, but this years’ crops are producing tremendously!    Our family has been gardening in Fair Lawn for almost 20 years now with fabulous results. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise, Fair Lawn started out as a farming community. In reading Images of America:  Fair Lawn, by Elaine B. Winshell and Jane Lyle Diepeveen , I have learned that my little farm was once part of a large farm inhabited by the Hoppers, who were among the first Fair Lawn settlers. To romanticize it a bit, it’s as if my soil was just waiting to be awakened again to spill forth its bounty! Either that or we are just lucky!    So, what grows well in Fair Lawn? Jersey tomatoes are, of course, a staple in the garden; try some of the new varieties of grape and plum tomatoes they thrive in our soil. Besides being excellent for making sauce, the plums are perfect to sun dry, and if stored in jars covered with olive oil will last throughout the year. Cucumbers, peppers and eggplant are also perfect to grow in our climate, but if you start your garden early, you can enjoy some of the cool weather crops like broccoli, cauliflower and many varieties of lettuce and spinach. These plants are usually spent by late June, but if you replant them between other established plants, to provide some shade, you can get another crop later in the season.  Remember we are living in the “Garden State”; don’t limit your self to the norm. One of our favorite things to grow are pumpkins. We plant many different varieties, from mini pumpkins to goliath, seldom seen, white “ghost pumpkins” to meaty pie makers and everything in between. Gourds, although not edible, are fun to grow, especially if you have children. We plant a variety of these also, just for their decorative use; it extends our gardening efforts into the fall months.  Onto enjoying the harvest! As an obsessed cook and gardener, not wanting to let anything go to waste, I have an abundance of fresh produce recipes. For example, not only do I cook the zucchini, but I also cook the zucchini flowers (this Italian delicacy has to be tried). When I don’t have enough of the zucchini flowers to cook I turn to the pumpkin flowers, they were delectable as well!    However, allow me to share a more mainstream recipe with you. This recipe just screams freshness, Gardener’s Salsa. I use all fresh veggies and herbs, this salsa is not cooked, so if you are used to the jar salsa from the supermarket, expect something different here. Give it a try, you may never go back to the jar variety.  Gardener’s Salsa  Ingredients: 4 plum tomatoes, cored and seeded 1 medium onion 1 fresh jalapeno pepper (omit for a milder salsa, add more for a fiery taste) 1 large green bell pepper 1 large red bell pepper The juice from one lime 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped finely 2 teaspoons Kosher salt or to taste ½ teaspoon black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste  Preparation: Dice the tomatoes, onions and peppers into a medium sized bowl. Season with cilantro, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add the lime juice and toss. Adjust seasoning if necessary and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, so the flavors can blend. Serve with tortilla chips. This can also be used as a compliment to grilled chicken or fish.     Check out the Kitchen Elf's Other Wonderful Articles What To Do With Kids on Summer Vacation  (June 2002) Family Time and Dinner Time  (April 2002) What To Give (And Not Give) Your Wife (February 2002)  Kitchen Elf on Staying Fit  (December 2001) New Market and Gourmet Apples  (October 2001)