Week 20

Well, there is no mistaking what time of year it is now, is there?  Our typical wet and cold fall is in full swing.  We experienced a beautiful, mild fall and we are ready for a little rain.

We have three major tasks left on the farm along with a lot of little clean up chores.  Still on the docket are garlic, carrots and dahlias.  Yesterday we sorted through the remaining garlic.  We tossed what was rotten and then divided the rest into garlic to sell and garlic to keep for seed.  In the next week we will divide all the heads up into individual cloves and hopefully plant them the first few days of November.  They will grow very slowly at first, focusing their energy on developing roots and then will begin to grow more noticeably in February.  It will be many months before they shift from growing foliage to developing a head of garlic.

Early November is also when we start digging carrots for storage.  Up until then all the carrots are harvested with in a couple days of selling them.  We grow several successions of carrots but our fall carrot planting is our largest.  We sell 25 pound bags at the stand for our hard core carrot fans and store some for whole sale as well.  Carrots store incredibly well out of the ground.  My birthday is in early April and usually we still have carrots for carrot cake.  We have experimented with leaving them in the ground but have not had much luck.

Dahlias are the last chore.  The tubers are dug, cleaned, divided and stored for the winter.  Planting them and enjoying the flowers are the funnest part of the process.  But, dividing and thinking about how many you might have next year makes the end of year process seem a bit better.

It is hard to believe looking around in the dead of winter that this land produces so much food and is so vibrant with life and color for the better part of the year.  The land needs a bit of rest as do the people who tend it.  Hope you all find a way to enjoy the quiet dark of winter.

Alright, this is it, your last box!

Leeks
Carrots
Butternut Squash - This is not the sweetest squash we grow and that is one of the things I love about it.  It is also easy to peel and cube.  It has a small seed cavity and you get a lot of good squash meat from one squash.  I like to put the roasted squash cubes in lasagna with a cream sauce.  Like many of the things we eat in winter it is really rich.  The roasted cubes are also excellent in risotto.
Bok Choy
Choice of Root Veggie...Turnip, Parsnip or Rutabaga
Butterhead Lettuce
Romenesco - For the couple of you who skipped last week - it is too tasty and too beautiful to miss out on.
Broccoli - For those of you who had Romenesco last week
Coriander - We harvested this coriander from cilantro plants we let go to seed.  You had cilantro in your boxes out of this bed on July 2nd.  Kelly kept threatening to mow it down to prevent any weeds from going to seed but fortunately there is just not enough time in the day to do everything we want to do and the cilantro had a chance to mature and make seed.
Cilantro 
Watermelon Radish - This was our first year growing these and apparently we planted them a bit late. They should be bigger.  When you slice one you will see where they get their name.
Shallots - Large Share Only


Carrot and Corriander Soup

This soup is popular in the UK and is quick and easy to make.

Olive oil or butter
1 medium chopped onion
1 chopped garlic clove
1 pound of sliced carrots
1 tsp coriander seed- toasted then ground
1 quart veggie or chicken stock
S & P
chopped cilantro for garnish

In a dry skillet toast the coriander seed until fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool then grind.

Heat oil or butter in a pan and then add the garlic, onions, and carrots.  While the veggies are cooking grind your coriander in a pestle or grinder.  Once the veggies have softened add the coriander and salt and pepper.  Stir for a minute and then add the stock.  Cook covered until veggies are soft.  This should take 20 minutes or so depending on how thick your carrot slices are.

Puree with a blender, food processor or immersion blender until smooth.  Garnish with a generous amount of cilantro.


Bok Choy Recipe

This is our favorite way to eat Bok Choy.   I have never included the recipe because it is a little long and calls for ingredients you might not have in your pantry.  But, once you make it a time or two it is very quick and easy.  I buy fermented bean paste at the Halal/South East Asian market on Martin Way but I believe the market on College Street also sells it.  Your best bet is to look for it at a market that specializes in South East Asian goods instead of Korean or Japanese products.  Fresh noodles are great but I almost always use dried because I have them on hand.  I think using stock creates a much tastier dish than water and we often substitute chicken for pork or make it without meat.  It is amazing how everything can be found on the internet.  This recipe is from one of my most treasured cookbooks but I googled the recipe and it popped up on a couple blogs.  Here is a link to the recipe.

Noodles with Greens and Gravy

If you have done any traveling in South East Asia or just enjoy that kind of food you should check out the cookbook the above recipe comes from.  Hot Sour Salty Sweet:  A Culinary Journey through South East Asia is a beautiful book that really captures everything I love about the area.

Have a warm and cozy winter and come see us at the stand.  

Week 19

I am trying to resist commenting on how fast the season went by because I know I refer to time flying by all the time. But it still surprises me every year.

As far as crops go we had many successes and a couple failures this year.  Hopefully you were happy with what was in your boxes each week.  We are incredibly fortunate to have pick-up at the farm and to have so much community support.  You may not think that buying one farm share makes that much of an impact but we are a small farm and your support means a lot both as individuals and as a community.  There are so many books and movies out there about local agriculture that it starts to seem a bit redundant and even trendy at times to talk about supporting local farmers.  We don't want to be a trend or hip or be treated like rock stars,  but we do want to grow good food and we need people like you to do so.  Thank you for your support!

If you find yourself missing your weekly box of vegetables the stand will be open on Saturdays from 9am until 4pm and on Wednesdays from 3pm until 6pm from now until the end of November.  Come by, say hi and get some veggies.  We will have bags of storage vegetables as Thanksgiving gets closer.

Today's Box

Hakuri/Tokyo Turnip - The juicy bunched turnips you had in your boxes in the spring.
Purple Top Turnip - The classic fall root vegetable that has a peppery bite.
Parsnips
Yellow Onions
Garlic
Red Kabocha Squash - A squash popular in both Japanese and Korean culinary traditions but also excellent in a pumpkin pie.  It is my favorite squash to use in a pureed soup that also has stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, red chiles and a squeeze of lime.  If that sounds up your alley there are many similar recipes on line that will give you amounts and measurements.  I just throw everything in the pot and hope for the best.
Carrots
Napa - Really good in a salad - sweet and crunchy
Romanesco - Looks crazy, tastes like cauliflower.

A farm share member (you know who you are) accused me of bad mouthing fall turnips while singing the praises of the rutabaga.  I will confess, I try but I find it hard to like fall turnips.  There is one way that I love them though and that is as a Middle Eastern pickle.  This recipe is adapted from The Joy of Pickling and it is a fermented pickle.  The beet makes them pink.

1 pound peeled turnips cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wedges
2 garlic cloves
1 small beet
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
11/2 tbs pickling salt

Add beets, garlic and turnip to a sterilized quart jar.  Mix the remaining ingredients until the salt has dissolved and pour over the vegetables.  Lightly cap and let stand at room temperature for 10 days and then keep in the refrigerator.  Only putting the cap on lightly allows gases to escape as the pickle ferments.

Week 18  

We have had some patchy frost the past four nights.  The cold, sunny mornings remind me of New England.  Hope you all are cooking up some fabulous fall food.


Delicata Squash - Delicata is one of the squashes we cook the most often.  It tastes great, it is a nice size and is easy to prep and cook. You can eat the skin.  One of our customers told us that the delicata squash changed her life.  It is hard not to love this squash!
Carrots
Beets
Rutabagas - Not to be confused with a turnip, the rutabaga looks similar but is sweet and yummy.
Cauliflower
Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Radishes - Large Share Only
Italian Frying Peppers - Large Share Only

You will get the best caramelization if you use a metal cookie sheet and only put a single layer of squash or rutas on it.  All the ideas below assume you are setting your oven around 375 or 400.

Yikes, what do I do with a rutabaga?

Five Easy Ways to Use a Rutabaga

The first thing you need to do with a rutabaga is cut off the top and peel it.
1.  Raw - Try a little raw and see if you like it.  You can shred it and use it in salads for a bit of crunch.
2.  Mashed - Cube and boil until tender.  Mash and season the way you would with potatoes.  You can also do half potatoes and half rutabagas for a milder flavor.
3. In Sweets - Use instead of carrots in muffins or carrot cake.
4.  With other hearty fall dishes that call for root veggies - Add to beef stew, pot roast, chicken and dumplings, chowder or shepherd's pie.
5.  Roast - Cube and roast by themselves or with other root veggies.

Five Easy Ways to Use Delicata Squash

1.   Roasted Rings - Cut the end of the squash and scoop/scrape out the seeds.  Cut squash into 1/2 inch rings.  Toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast in a single layer on a cookie sheet until lightly browned and soft.  Turning once during the cooking process will result in a more even caramelization but isn't necessary.
2.  In Salads - Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds (save them).  Cube the squash and toss with oil, salt and pepper and roast.   While the squash is cooking spread out the seeds on a small oiled cookie sheet.  Pop those in the oven as well.  They will be done well before the squash.  Remove both seeds and squash when cooked.  Let cool a bit and then put them in a salad and dress with a balsamic vinaigrette.
3.  In a Quesadilla - Roast cubes of squash but add a bit of cumin to the oil, salt and pepper mixture.  When finished squeeze a half of lime over them and use them with some sautéed onions and cheese in a quesadilla.
4.  "Fries" Make Delicata fries by cutting in half to make to long boat shaped pieces.  Clean out the seeds and cut into long wedges.   If your squash is large you may want to cut your boat in half before you do this step.  Toss with oil, salt, pepper, garlic and a a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Roast until golden brown and cooked through.
5.  Stuffed Boats - Cut the delicate in half and scrape out the seeds.  Brush with oil or butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  If you roast these face down the flesh will stay a little moister but check on them to make sure they aren't getting too dark on the spot that touches the cookie sheet.  A glass or ceramic dish might be the best choice.  Cook until soft.  The squash can then be stuffed.  I like sautéed onions, garlic, carrots, kale and  a little dried fruit mixed with some sort of rice, orzo or grain.  Kelly prefers to skip the dried fruit, add some browned sausage and use rice.  Add a little Parmesan to the top and brown briefly under the broiler.

Have a great week.

Week 17

It was a big week for the farm and for us personally.  Last Wednesday we happily became the owners of 9.5 acres, a house and a random assortment of outbuildings in the South Bay area.  The land and the house need some love and we have an almost overwhelming amount of short and long term goals.  We will continue to lease land in the three spots we do now but will also start the process of of planning what to do with the new land.  It means early dinners and sleeping in on Sundays will have to wait a little longer but it will be worth it.  We are very excited.

The 10 day weather is predicting more sunshine but the tomatoes don't care.  They are throwing in the towel. The cherry tomatoes still look decent and we have those for you today one last time.  We were determined to have lots of cauliflower this fall and I really hope next week is the week it starts picking hard and we can include it in your boxes.  It is in the same family as broccoli and cabbage but it always proves to be more of a challenge.

Let the squash games began - delicata next week.

We hope you have a fun week of cooking.

Acorn Squash
Carrots
Red Chipollini Onions
Head Lettuce
Garlic
Broccoli
Tuscan Kale -   We grow a different kale for spring and summer because it grows well for us and I like the flavor.   The Tuscan is a bit fussier but is beautiful and really delicious.  It is a trendy kale but most of the praise it receives is warranted.  When it is at its best no other kale compares.  Plus, it is a fantastic color.  Like all kale it is high in vitamins K, A and C and full of cancer fighting goodness.
Sungold Tomatos
Eggplant - Large Only
Rosemary

Cipollini Onion Recipe

This recipe is adapted from one that appeared in Cooking Light.  I will include a link to the original.  The original takes more time but it makes beautiful side dish.  My adaptation keeps the flavors but is much quicker and has a lot more sauce.  We usually have them with mashed potatoes or root vegetables and grilled steak.  They have an addictive savory flavor.

1 pound chipollini onions - peeled and halved or quartered depending on size
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine
1/4 Cup Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 Small Sprig of Rosemary
1 Tbs Honey

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and stir occasionally until they soften and brown a little.  Add everything else and simmer, stirring occasionally until the onions soften completely.  Remove lid and let the liquid evaporate a little.  Remove rosemary and serve warm.   Original Recipe