Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Nemeth Applesauce

As Julie mentioned in her wonderful article in the Ann Arbor paper, mom and dad would be happy to bag up a "custom blend" of apples for your apple sauce! The following is a Nemeth Family recipe courtesy of my 16 year old son Mike, who Papa (otherwise known as Alex) says is pretty darned good! You can adjust the recipe to your taste, and the quantity to your needs.

Mike's Applesauce

1/2 peck of Nemeth apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar (less if you are using sweet apples, or to your taste)
1/3 cup Nemeth's Apple Cider
2 slices of orange, seeds removed
cinnamon to taste

In a sauce pan, infuse the orange slices in the apple cider over very low heat for 15 minutes, do not let it come to a boil. Remove orange slices and discard. Add apples, sugar, and cinnamon to the liquid. Cover and simmer, over low heat until the apples become soft and cook down. Stir frequently. If your sauce is thinner than you like, remove lid and simmer uncovered, watching it very carefully so that it does not burn. If the applesauce is chunkier than you like, use a potato masher, fork, or sieve to make it to the consistency you desire.

We hope you enjoy this family favorite recipe!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Ann Arbor News Article

Mom, Dad and Jeff were featured in a news article at the market on Wednesday! Here is a link!

http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/nemeth-orchards-family-is-now-growing-its-fifth-generation/

Also, we're on FACEBOOK! Become a fan! :)

** I can't forget Laila, one of Jeff's adorable daughters. She was also mentioned in the article. She's a little cutie pie and loves being in the field with her daddy!!**

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Recipes

Here is a unique recipe my sister Donna gave me. I'm not sure where she got it from, so I apologize for not giving proper credit where it is due...

Thai Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, sliced thickly
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers sliced
1 small onion, diced or halved and sliced thinly
2/3 cups hot water
2T white vinegar
2t salt
6T sugar

In an airtight container, combine vegetables. In a large measuring cup, dissolve sugar and salt in water. Add vinegar. Pour liquid over vegetables, cover and chill for at least one hour (best if allowed to chill overnight). Will keep in the refridgerator for up to one week.

Friday, August 7, 2009

What is in season now... Early August

Right now, you can find...

Jersey Mac apples - for a very limited time... only 1 tree, so not many apples. Tart and juicy
Transparent apples - ideal for sauce, extremely tart
Sweet Corn - bi color
Cucumbers
Musk Melons - just a few now... more to come!
Potaotes

My brother Jim

My brother Jim decided to become a farmer just like Dad. Jim was a very good farmer. It was in his blood... He loved the dirt, the smell of it, the way it feels colder just under the surface. He loved a good thunderstorm and how sometimes when it was so hot, the rain never touched the ground, it just evaporated right there in front of you. Jim passed away 10 years ago this July. I miss him every day. I can't eat a pickle without thinking of him, or dig potatoes without seeing him kneeling in the dirt with his truck door open and country music playing from the radio. His wife Joann and son Jeff still farm today. Jeff is a lot like his dad, and is also a good farmer and helps my mom & dad out when they need it. Jeff & Joann sell their produce and bedding plants at the market as well, just a few stalls down from mom & dad, and at a road side stand on Willis Road in Milan.

A Hungarian Immigrant with a dream...

Grandpa Nemeth was an industrious man. He set his mind to do something, and didn't stop until he made it happen! My grandfather was also a brave man... a war veteran, a hard worker. A Hungarian who hoped and prayed for a better life in America. Grandpa worked and saved money to travel by ship from Hungary to the United States. It took him three tries until he was successful. The first two times he arrived at Ellis Island, they turned him away saying they had reached their quota of Hungarians for the week. Grandpa had only bought a one way ticket (if he were staying why would he need a return one right?) and no money to purchase another. He worked his passage fare back on the ship. Once back in the "Old Country" he worked and saved his money to try again... and again. The third time was the charm! He was allowed into the United States!

Here he met my grandmother Rose who was also a Hungarian immigrant. They married and had 3 children; two daughters and a son. Grandma & Grandpa lived in Detroit in an old section called "Del Rey" which was a popular area for Hungarians to live. Grandpa worked many jobs, including for Ford Motor Co. He was saving to raise enough money to buy an apple farm in Ypsilanti. In 1931, the year my dad Alex was born, they bought the apple orchard and began their lives as farmers. As he grew up, my father worked the farm with his parents, and eventually took over the family business after he married my mother Agnes.

My parents both work the farm as their only profession. They are dedicated, hardworking and generous people. Many of their regular customers begin to feel as they know my parents like family. That's who they are. They aren't fancy people, with fancy equipment to harvest the crops. Everything is done by my parents, some of us kids and grand kids, and when we're extra lucky the great-grand kids come to pick melons, corn and apples! Mom & dad hire a few people here and there, but mainly the bulk of the work is still done by them & family. I know they wouldn't have it any other way.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Welcome!

Welcome to the Nemeth Orchards blog. This blog is dedicated to Alex and Agnes Nemeth, and to the memory of James and Rose Nemeth, my grandparents, who founded the farm in 1931. It is also dedicated to the memory of my brother James (Jim) Nemeth, who farmed the land and had his own business as a farmer with the Nemeth name.

In this blog, you can find out what is currently in season to purchase from Nemeth Orchards at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, what is coming on next in the season, and a few recipes here and there.

I hope you enjoy reading about the farm and the produce!

~ Dianne