Week 20
The end. Like most ends it is also a beginning. We are constantly talking about next season and what we need to do to be ready for it. At the moment we need to till in a bunch of greenhouse arugula and lettuce before the caterpillars have a chance to get too comfy. We want it to be empty for a little while with no caterpillar food before we plant it again. We were hoping to do over-wintered spinach in it but I am not sure if it will be ready in time. It has been a horrible fall for both caterpillars and aphids. We have also had more weeds in the field than in previous years and my theory is that last year's late freeze allowed a lot of things to go to seed that wouldn't have if we had had a September frost. At some point in the season we stop weeding because there is so much other stuff to do and we assume the weeds won't have time to fully mature. I think we may have done the same thing this year and we are going have to be very proactive next year at depleting the weed seed bank. With a little extra time on our hands on Mondays we will spend the next few of them trying to get the fields cleaned up - rolling up drip tape, mowing, disking and general tidying so that we start next season organized.
The cauliflower we have been waiting on is ready and everywhere we look, including in the final farm share box. We are going to dig our first parsnips this morning, bunch some greens and cut some cabbages for you. The green cabbage is our storage cabbage and it will keep for months in your refrigerator if you want to hold off on eating it. We decided to go with a classic and give butternut squash this week. You might be getting a little stock pile of squash on your counter. They should also all keep for a while.
Come ready to make some decisions - there are a few choices for you this week.
Carrots
Cauliflower - mostly white but some romanesco and purple as well
Butternut Squash
Bunched Green - assorted kale or chard
Shallots
Choice of Parsnips/Celery Root/Turnip
Cabbage - Choice of Green/Red/Napa
Thank You
Monday, October 19, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Week 19
This is one of my favorite times of year on the farm. There is still lots to do but not so much that it is all we do. It is nice to have some balance - time to cook big meals, time to do little things around the house and time for us to spend a little time together doing something other than discussing vegetables.
It is also that time of year for us to say thanks for being a part of our farm share and our success. We are lucky to have both great customers and a great crew this year. For many of you, this week is your last. The rest of you will finish up next week but guess what? The farm stand is open until the end of November and we hope to see you all at some point between now and then. We think of the farm share as a debt we owe to all of you who so kindly paid up front in the spring and helped us get off to a good start. In that sense the end of the CSA leaves us debt free which feels great but I will miss the routine of packing boxes and seeing all of you every week. The farm provides a lot of structure in our lives and while that can turn into chaos in the summer it also makes me sad when it all disappears. We hope you all enjoyed the farm share as much as we appreciated you being a part of it. By choosing to buy from us you have impacted our lives but it also says that you support local farming, that you care about what you eat and that you care about the future of farming in our state. You probably don't think of it that way but your small decision is a part of the bigger picture. Thank you.
Those of you who didn't get cauliflower last week will get it this week. You all will have a choice of either kabocha squash or pie pumpkin this week.
Rainbow Carrots
Pie Pumpkin or Kabocha Squash - I sometimes see kabocha called a Japanese pumpkin. I love to use kabocha for baking so the choice of a pie pumpkin or kabocha seemed logical. Both are also great in savory dishes.
Lettuce
Red Cippolini Onions
Daikon Radish - You will either have a purple daikon or a Korean radish. Both are mild and besides eating them raw you can cook with them.
Rutabaga
Bell Peppers
Fennel - large only
Cauliflower
Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Thoughts
A neighbor and customer once brought us a custard filled pumpkin. She mentioned it was a recipe from the Frugal Gourmet and I found it on line. I also saw a coconut custard filled kabocha squash recipe that looked good. I think both probably work best with a smaller squash. I picked up some coconut milk to try the kabocha one soon.
In Thailand kobocha squash is sometimes stir fried with egg or ground pork. It is also great in fried rice or curry or sliced thin and braised on top of some chopped garlic and onion. Likewise your pumpkin can be used in savory dishes. It isn't just for pie!
This is one of my favorite times of year on the farm. There is still lots to do but not so much that it is all we do. It is nice to have some balance - time to cook big meals, time to do little things around the house and time for us to spend a little time together doing something other than discussing vegetables.
It is also that time of year for us to say thanks for being a part of our farm share and our success. We are lucky to have both great customers and a great crew this year. For many of you, this week is your last. The rest of you will finish up next week but guess what? The farm stand is open until the end of November and we hope to see you all at some point between now and then. We think of the farm share as a debt we owe to all of you who so kindly paid up front in the spring and helped us get off to a good start. In that sense the end of the CSA leaves us debt free which feels great but I will miss the routine of packing boxes and seeing all of you every week. The farm provides a lot of structure in our lives and while that can turn into chaos in the summer it also makes me sad when it all disappears. We hope you all enjoyed the farm share as much as we appreciated you being a part of it. By choosing to buy from us you have impacted our lives but it also says that you support local farming, that you care about what you eat and that you care about the future of farming in our state. You probably don't think of it that way but your small decision is a part of the bigger picture. Thank you.
Those of you who didn't get cauliflower last week will get it this week. You all will have a choice of either kabocha squash or pie pumpkin this week.
Rainbow Carrots
Pie Pumpkin or Kabocha Squash - I sometimes see kabocha called a Japanese pumpkin. I love to use kabocha for baking so the choice of a pie pumpkin or kabocha seemed logical. Both are also great in savory dishes.
Lettuce
Red Cippolini Onions
Daikon Radish - You will either have a purple daikon or a Korean radish. Both are mild and besides eating them raw you can cook with them.
Rutabaga
Bell Peppers
Fennel - large only
Cauliflower
Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Thoughts
A neighbor and customer once brought us a custard filled pumpkin. She mentioned it was a recipe from the Frugal Gourmet and I found it on line. I also saw a coconut custard filled kabocha squash recipe that looked good. I think both probably work best with a smaller squash. I picked up some coconut milk to try the kabocha one soon.
In Thailand kobocha squash is sometimes stir fried with egg or ground pork. It is also great in fried rice or curry or sliced thin and braised on top of some chopped garlic and onion. Likewise your pumpkin can be used in savory dishes. It isn't just for pie!
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Week 18
This week's box is exciting. Spinach!!! Delicata Squash!!! Leeks!!! I don't like to get too enthusiastic about delicata because there are so many delicious squashes out there and sometimes I feel like people only want delicatas. But, to be fair, they are pretty darn good and easy to cut and cook. One of our neighbors, who once told me that delicata squash changed her life, was chomping at the bit for one this year. She had eaten a grilled cheese sandwich with butternut squash and quince compote at a restaurant and wanted to make her own version with delicata. She used roasted rings of delicata, hot pepper jelly and gruyere cheese. Sounds delicious. I think some grilled onions (I love onions and gruyere together) or maybe some arugula or spinach would be good on it too. I look forward to making my own version soon. Last year when we visited Omaha I had an open faced sandwich with roasted squash, gravy and sharp cheddar. Although I haven't tried to replicate it, it was great.
Kelly is in Omaha this weekend tossing the football with his nephews and taking afternoon naps. After enjoying my trip last week, I am so happy he gets a chance to get away and relax as well. Besides, it is fun to have the house and farm to myself for a few days. Hopefully all of you who pick up on Monday show up tomorrow but not at the same time!
I had originally planned to give you some sort of root vegetable (turnip, rutabaga, diakon radish) but I think we will hold off until next week for a root veggie extravaganza! Now that is exciting, right? I know, root veggies don't elicit the same excitement as that first cucumber or first cherry tomato but they have their place in fall soups, mashes and stews.
Carrots
Spinach
Leeks - You could use your leeks with potatoes or cauliflower in a soup, roast with your squash or bake with chicken. They are easy to use and have a mellow onion flavor. I have not tried the recipe below but I like chick pea pancakes and thought they looked interesting. They also call for winter squash.
Delicata Squash- You could roast your squash with the leeks and poblanos for a delicious enchilada or quesadilla filling. They are good baked, roasted or steamed.
Poblano Peppers - These spicy peppers can be roasted and used with steak in tacos, chopped up and used in chili or in the classic Mexican dish chile rellenos.
Potatoes
Broccoli
Lettuce - Large Only
Cauliflower - I know, you were begining to wonder if we grew any this year. We lost a lot of our spring transplants during one of the heat spells earlier in the year but that planting has come and gone. I really don't understand why we aren't knee deep in the stuff at this point. Last year there was more cauliflower than we could fit in our walk-in and we planted a little extra this year. Over the next two or three weeks everyone will get a head. We had been holding off until we had a harvest large enough to get everyone in the same week but at this point it seems best to get the ball rolling.
Chickpea Pancakes with Leeks and Squash
This week's box is exciting. Spinach!!! Delicata Squash!!! Leeks!!! I don't like to get too enthusiastic about delicata because there are so many delicious squashes out there and sometimes I feel like people only want delicatas. But, to be fair, they are pretty darn good and easy to cut and cook. One of our neighbors, who once told me that delicata squash changed her life, was chomping at the bit for one this year. She had eaten a grilled cheese sandwich with butternut squash and quince compote at a restaurant and wanted to make her own version with delicata. She used roasted rings of delicata, hot pepper jelly and gruyere cheese. Sounds delicious. I think some grilled onions (I love onions and gruyere together) or maybe some arugula or spinach would be good on it too. I look forward to making my own version soon. Last year when we visited Omaha I had an open faced sandwich with roasted squash, gravy and sharp cheddar. Although I haven't tried to replicate it, it was great.
Kelly is in Omaha this weekend tossing the football with his nephews and taking afternoon naps. After enjoying my trip last week, I am so happy he gets a chance to get away and relax as well. Besides, it is fun to have the house and farm to myself for a few days. Hopefully all of you who pick up on Monday show up tomorrow but not at the same time!
I had originally planned to give you some sort of root vegetable (turnip, rutabaga, diakon radish) but I think we will hold off until next week for a root veggie extravaganza! Now that is exciting, right? I know, root veggies don't elicit the same excitement as that first cucumber or first cherry tomato but they have their place in fall soups, mashes and stews.
Carrots
Spinach
Leeks - You could use your leeks with potatoes or cauliflower in a soup, roast with your squash or bake with chicken. They are easy to use and have a mellow onion flavor. I have not tried the recipe below but I like chick pea pancakes and thought they looked interesting. They also call for winter squash.
Delicata Squash- You could roast your squash with the leeks and poblanos for a delicious enchilada or quesadilla filling. They are good baked, roasted or steamed.
Poblano Peppers - These spicy peppers can be roasted and used with steak in tacos, chopped up and used in chili or in the classic Mexican dish chile rellenos.
Potatoes
Broccoli
Lettuce - Large Only
Cauliflower - I know, you were begining to wonder if we grew any this year. We lost a lot of our spring transplants during one of the heat spells earlier in the year but that planting has come and gone. I really don't understand why we aren't knee deep in the stuff at this point. Last year there was more cauliflower than we could fit in our walk-in and we planted a little extra this year. Over the next two or three weeks everyone will get a head. We had been holding off until we had a harvest large enough to get everyone in the same week but at this point it seems best to get the ball rolling.
Chickpea Pancakes with Leeks and Squash
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