Week 20

We did our best frost hustle on Friday, but there is only so much one can do at this point.  We double covered a few things in the field and harvested extra of some other things, but I think it is okay to say good bye to some stuff.  It is time.

We had some excitement on the farm this past week.  We dug sweet potatoes and harvested lemon grass. We have grown a very small amount of sweet potatoes for ourselves the past few years.  This is not sweet potato growing country and we planted them in a hoop house.  We have had a little success, enough to keep trying, but also a lot of culls and damaged potatoes.    This year we tried a few heirloom varieties that we have never tried before and planted enough to have some to sell.  At first glance they look really good.  We put them in crates and rigged up a curing chamber for them which has a higher temp and higher humidity than we could provide otherwise.  They will cure until the beginning of November and then hopefully they will still look nice when we wash them and taste sweet.  A freshly dug sweet potato isn't very sweet. The sugars develop in the curing process.  The idea for lemongrass came from reading a CSA blog for a farm in Oregon.  It also had to be grown in a hoop house.  The house at our house has a weird, narrow bed that runs up one side of the house.  It can be difficult to justify growing things for fun in the house because it is prime real estate but organic lemongrass is hard to find.   It did really well and fit in the narrow bed that probably would have just been left empty.  We are putting a little bit of it in the boxes this week.  Below are two of my favorite recipes that use lemongrass.  I have also been making lemongrass tea with the leaves.  Lemongrass freezes great if you wrap it tightly in plastic.

Tom Kha Gai - For most of you this will involve a trip to an Asian market.  Hong Phat on College typically has both galangal and kaffir lime leaves.  Galangal looks a bit like ginger but larger and smells of pine.  Neither is very expensive and both can be frozen and saved for another dish.  They also happen to carry my favorite brand of fish sauce - Red Boat.  It has been a while, but I have also bought lime leaves at the halal market on Martin and at the store on the West side across from Mud Bay.  I make my own stock so I don't bother with the stock reductions she mentions and it always tastes great.

Congee with Pork Meatballs - I make this same dish without the meatballs and sub leftover chicken or turkey as well.  The fried garlic is tasty but fried shallots and shallot oil are great too.  It is my favorite winter comfort food.

If you find yourself in need of fresh vegetables, we will be open on Wednesday for one more week and then on Saturdays from 9am until 3pm until the last Saturday in November.

I thanked you last week but I will say it again.  We really appreciate you supporting our farm.

Spinach - So good!
Butterkin Squash - Cute to look at and good to eat.  If you are really missing a squash that we normally give (we have given acorns, kabochas, pie pumpkins in the past) we should have a few of all of them on hand if you want to trade.
Rutabaga - This old fashioned veggie is actually very easy to use.  Cooked it reminds us a bit of broccoli stems.  It is great just steamed (takes a while to cook) and mashed with butter.  I usually roast everything and roasted rutabagas are good (they taste a little stronger roasted), but I enjoy them steamed and mashed best.  They go great with other root veggies and potatoes in hash browns or a gratin
Pepper
Lettuce 
Rainbow Carrots
Lemongrass
Zucchini - Large Only