Week 20

We did it - we grew veggies - you ate them(I hope) - success!  On a whole it has been the most challenging year of farming we have had.  We sincerely hope you didn't notice.  We did our best to stay true to our mission of selling high quality produce, but at times it was a struggle.  Mostly this is tied to some irrigation issues we had - it is a long boring story, particularly if you aren't a farmer, but it was stressful.  With the fall rains, it is mostly behind us.  However, it did contribute to the smaller size of both last week's leeks and this week's parsnips.  Small vegetables still taste great and preceding any vegetable with the word baby is trendy - so there is that.  I am pretty sure I am giving myself a pep talk here.  Let's talk about you.

You all are great.  Many of you stuck with us as we changed our model and some of you joined with out even ever having had our produce.  Thank you for trusting us to grow your food.  I did miss chatting with you about all the delicious things you made with your produce as that is one of my favorite parts of my job.  Even at market pick-up, I was often too busy to chat much.  If you made anything you really liked and it is easy to find the recipe on the Internet you should send me a link or snap a photo and email it to me.  Or you can put it in the comment section and share it with everyone. 

It has been the week of the squash as we try to eat a bunch of the varieties we are selling.  We ate two of the new butternuts we trialed and I made the butternut squash queso from the Thug Kitchen.  It was so flavorful.  They have a unique writing style, I assume to try to set themselves apart from other vegan lifestyle blogs, but be warned it involves a lot of swearing.  Because we are not vegan we actually made the squash sauce for the nachos and topped them with black beans, some grilled peppers and a little cheese.  The sauce softened the chips a bit and for that reason I think I enjoyed it more when I ate it the next day as dip for the chips. Thinned out just a bit I can see it being delicious as a sauce on some enchiladas. 

I still have lots of squash dishes I want to cook this season including spaghetti squash carbonara, a butternut and miso soup and these sweet potato cakes that I am thinking I can make subbing squash for sweet potatoes.

We are finishing the season with a really pretty box.  We trialed the red napa last year and planted it this year specifically for the CSA.  I apparently cut it kind of close on the seeding date but I scoped it out on Friday and feel pretty confident there are enough sized up for everybody.  Phew.  I made the most beautiful slaw of my life with a red napa, some shredded carrot, cilantro and a sesame vinaigrette.  It is mild and eating it raw gives you chance to really take in its beauty. 

Thank you again for supporting local organic agriculture! 

Parsnips
Rainbow Carrots
Butternut Squash
Spaghetti Squash
Shallots
Red Napa Cabbage

Kale - Large Only
Yellow Onion - Large Only

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!

Week 20

Last year we grew a very small bed of fennel as an experiment.  We seeded it so that it would be ready late in the season when we were loosing variety on the stand.  We really liked having it and decided to plant a larger bed this year so that we could give some to the farm share and have some for the stand.  I seeded it as late as I thought I could and then it didn't get the water it needed when it was little.  For a while I wasn't sure if it would plump up to full size before we had a hard frost but fortunately we have had a mild fall.  Some people don't care for the licorice flavor but if you are a little on the fence about it the best thing to do is to mix it with something.  I love to caramelize it with onions.  It softens the flavor and brings out the sweetness.  It is also great in a slaw with cabbage and apples.

You also have one of our favorite winter squash varieties in your box today - orange kabocha.  It isn't the squash we eat the most of (delicata) but it is my go to squash for baking pies, cakes and breads. I also love it for soup.  It has a velvety texture and is super sweet.  It is also a good squash to use for Thai curries or braised squash.  I am including a recipe below that is similar to one I use however I like to leave the peel on the squash.  It helps it hold its shape and I hate peeling them.

Thank you all for your support!  We hope you enjoyed all the produce you received this year.

Carrot
Fennel
Potato
Orange Kabocha Squash
Cipollini Red Onions
Broccoli
Bunched Green
Green Cabbage - Large Only

Braised Kabocha Squash

Week 19

Hard to believe that for some of you it is your last week and for others the end is just a week away.  Fall came so late that it seems too early to end the farm share.  One of our farmer friends who started farming around the same time as us was telling me that she is so sick of her partner telling people that pretty soon things will slow down.  It is true for us as well that things don't slow down quite the way they use to in years past.  We have become a lot better at extending the season both in the fall and in the spring.  In addition, we all put a lot more time into planning by looking over our harvest records, production plans and staring at spread sheets for hours on end than we use to (although I will admit we are not as good at it or as thorough as we should be).  We love the challenge of trying to do better each year and we have a long list of items that need some improvement.  That said it has been a fantastic year.  The carrot shortage was a little tough but stopped short of being a complete disaster.  We had a fine tomato year but in general we need to be better at growing them.  We really need to get better at remembering to grab a change of clothes so we aren't a complete mess when you pick up your boxes!  We did a good job with our peas this year (remember June peas, so long ago). Our garlic looks great, we had fantastic yields on our winter squash and the weather this fall has been awesome for both the vegetables and our morale.

None of this would matter if you all didn't support us.  The farm share has become a big part of our overall farm plan and we hope to continue to slowly expand it as the farm grows.  One thing we spend very little time on is advertising.  You all do it for us and we appreciate you for it.  So many of you joined because your friend or neighbor flaunted their shiny produce.  We are so lucky to have you all.

One thing I hope to always be able to do is personally hand out boxes rather than have a drop off spot.  I don't always get a chance to chat with people but here and there I get to hear about what you all do with the vegetables your receive.  I think it is fun and it gives me lots of ideas.  Even if it doesn't sound like something I want to make it is great to have different suggestions for other customers.

We will be at the stand on Saturdays from 9-4 until the end of November and Wednesday afternoons as well.  Come by, say hi and get some veggies.

Carrots
Shallots
Parsnip
Rutabaga
Watermelon Radishes
Bell Pepper
Winter Squash - choice of butternut, spaghetti or pie pumpkin
Cauliflower - hoping to give you all romanesco or purple cauliflower
Kale - Large Only

Last year, one of the farm share members mentioned she had made root vegetable latkes.  What a great idea, I thought.  They became a popular side dish at our house last year.  The recipe below only uses parsnips but you should feel free add a little rutabaga and/or some potatoes.

Parsnip Pancakes

We made this recipe a couple times last winter and enjoyed it as a change of pace.

Winter Squash Carbonara

Spaghetti Squash

The best way to appreciate spaghetti squash is to go into thinking that it is its own thing.  It isn't spaghetti and it tastes nothing like a traditional sweet winter squash.  However, its mild flavor is pleasant and goes with just about anything.   I think it is great in place of rice with a rich coconut curry on top.

Stuffed Squash

If you have ever asked me what to do with an acorn or a delicata you have probably heard me say they are good stuffed.  For those of you who prefer a recipe one of your fellow farm share members took the time to record how she made the squash and shared it with us.

3 acorn squash (or any other squash)

Bunch of dark leafy greens (kales, chards, collards, etc)

1 onion (yellow, purple, sweet)

1 shallot or 3 garlic cloves

1 leek

4 sausages (Italian, andouille, or vegetarian fieldroast )

3 cups cooked rice or other grain.

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper to taste

Alternate ingredients: panko bread crumbs, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc)

Directions:

Halve squash and cut a thin section off remaining rounded base (so it will sit steady on a plate)

Bake squash open face down on a lightly greased baking sheet at 350o F for about 30 – 45 minutes.

While squash are baking…

In a large skillet or heavy pot, sauté chopped onion, garlic, leek, and sausage.  If you like the ribs from the leafy greens chop and add to onion mixture. When onions are translucent, add salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.  Add in chopped green leaves. Sauté until greens are wilted. Add grain, mix well. Set aside.

Grate parmesan cheese.

When squash is done, remove from oven.  If needed, to make room for greens mixture, scoop out some squash meat and mix with sautéed greens. Then pack each squash with several spoonfuls of the mixture. Sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese (and panko, nuts etc, if you added this to your list) and return to oven. Bake until cheese is melted, roughly 10 minutes

Greens mix is fabulous by itself also!