Slicing Tomatoes

Salad tomatoes – assorted, including ’Black Cherry’, ‘Sun Gold’, ‘Be My Baby’, and romas

Eggplant

Lemon Grass

Rosemary and Sweet Basil

Cabbage

Garlic

Potatoes ‘Kennebec’

Bell peppers

Cucumber ‘Burpless’

Farm fresh eggs

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is an ingredient in Thai and other Asian cooking.  Lemongrass often flavors fish and chicken dishes and soups.
Lately there have been a few vendors at the farmer’s markets selling Asian ingredients – they are providing much needed diversity in the Texarkana food supply.
Here are some tips for using lemongrass from my online research.  I will be trying this new seasoning along with all of you.
The useful part is the thick white end of the stalk.  The rest of the stalk and leaves can be tied in a bundle and added to soups as seasoning or simply discarded.
The thick stalk can either be crushed and added whole for seasoning or minced and pureed and added as an ingredient to the dish.
To crush, split the stalk lengthwise and press with the flat of a knife or any hard surface, such as the bottom of a heavy glass.  You will smell the fragrance being released.  Add the whole crushed stalk to the dish as it is cooking, and remove it before serving, as you would a bay leaf..
To puree, cut the stalk into thin slices using a sharp knife, then puree in a food processor or pound with a mortar and pestle.  Then add the resulting paste to your dish and allow at least 10 minutes cooking time to soften the lemongrass fibers.
Look at thaifood.about.com for recipes or google “lemongrass” and a lot of recipes come up.
Have fun and enjoy!