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.