The MOVE (a Cambridge-based volunteer org) nearly “moved in” to City Growers giving us farm-hands 4 times this summer as well as some dedicated hands throughout the season. Anna, Eli, Ian and the teens from Mattapan Food and Fitness thank you for your dedication.

This was our second year selling at the Local Food Festival.  Our team was there! Here you see lead growers Bobbie and Joe with sales help from Colette:

The Cosmonaut Volkov Tomato plant was developed in the Ukraine. Named after a Russian Astronaut on board the Mir space station in the early 1990′s. The fruit has won worldwide awards for exceptional taste and is best eaten sliced with a bit of salt, peeper and a drizzle of olive oil. Each red fruit usually weighs between 12 and 16 ounces and has a short, flattened appearance. Horticulturists refer to the plant as Lycopersicon esculentum and it is considered to be a superior heirloom variety.

Heirloom tomatoes are enjoying a resurgence as many gardeners and food enthusiasts discover that tomatoes developed in different regions of the world have a wide range of flavors and possess superior taste to the more typical hybrid varieties.

We know that there are restaurants that now seek out small scale farmers that grow this type of specialty produce.

 Our new varietal, we call the Roxbury Sunsplash, is the newest heirloom “off crop” developed in Roxbury since the Roxbury Russet Apple in1640, believed to be the oldest variety of apple bred in the United States.

The Sunsplash has all the same flavor as the Siberian Cosmonaut, but this one evidently got very close to the sun and back!

Read more: Facts on the Cosmonaut Tomato Plant | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6542725_cosmonaut-tomato-plant.html#ixzz1NzAkCaPc

(Click to enlarge)

Source: eLocal.com

• 2 gallons tomatoes (City Growers, frozen whole with skins on)
• 1 lb. carrots (City Growers, stored in a makeshift root cellar)
• 1 sweet red pepper
• 1 lb. white beans, dry
• 4 lbs. linguica
• 1/4 lb. bacon (applewood smoked, from Jonathan Fulford – Partial Farm, Monroe Maine)
• 5 celery stalks (including tops)
• 2 leeks  (Brookwood Farm, Milton)
• 20 cloves garlic
• 6 large onions
• 1 lb. kale
• Handful summer savory
• 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 5 sage leaves
• 5 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. anise seeds
• 2 tsp. salt

1. Soak and cook beans with salt
2. Make stock with fist-full of summer savory, in celery base (8 cups water), leek tops, and simmer for an hour or two. Strain and add to kettle
3. Sautee chopped bacon, diced onions, carrots, celery, pepper, and garlic
4. Sautee finely sliced linguica
5. Add stock to sauteed vegetables
6. Add linguica, frozen tomatoes, 1/2 of the precooked beans, chopped kale, bay leaf, sage, and black pepper
7. Put beans in blender with stock/water, blend into puree or slurry, add to kettle
8. Simmer for at least 5 hours, more is better
9. Stir to the left while listening and moving rhythmically to music from Cape Verde or Portugal

Check it out…

Fried Green Tomatoes with Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

Serves 4

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fine-ground white or yellow cornmeal (such as Quaker)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 medium green tomatoes (about 12 ounces each), cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick (for a total of 12 to 14 slices)
1 1/2-2 cups vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups baby arugula
1 cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Place 1 cup flour in shallow dish. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cornmeal, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne into second shallow dish. Beat eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

2. Working with several slices at a time, drop tomatoes in flour and toss to coat. Shake off excess flour from tomato slices. Using tongs, dip tomatoes into buttermilk mixture, turning to coat and allowing excess to drip off. Dip tomatoes in cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess. Place tomatoes on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Pour enough oil into a 12-inch skillet to measure 1/3 inch depth. Heat oil over high heat until it reaches 350 degrees. Reduce heat Cook 4 to 5 slices of tomatoes.

4. Whisk lemon juice and olive oil together in a large bowl. Toss arugula with dressing and season with salt and pepper. Lay tomatoes slices on plate, top with arugula and sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve immediately.