2018 CSA Newsletter: September 12, Week 15
Farm News
Six inches of rain on Tuesday! Hardly any rain all summer and then we get 6 inches in one night?! I could hardly believe the rain gauge and was nervous to walk the farm and see what sort of damage that amount of rain could cause. For the most part the farm faired very well. We are on a bit of a hill so there wasn’t much standing water and we had gotten the important stuff out (onions and most winter squash) before the rain. We plant our fields on contours and with grass lanes to help with erosion and it seemed to work. The only bummer was the 20 seconds of hail that shredded our perfectly ready to harvest spinach bed. I am frustrated that we lost all of that spinach but I feel pretty lucky that was all that was lost.
We had an adventurous day moving the pigs all the way to the other side of the farm. I was sweating it as those giant porkers looked longingly at our lush rows of vegetables. Tenzin assured me that they wouldn’t cross the teeny tiny little thread of hotwire that was barely on but I couldn’t help envisioning the worst. Although they didn’t cross the line, they didn’t exactly want to move either. Tenzin finally had to entice them with an entire block of cheese that he broke off Hansel and Gretel style. Now they are happily munching down the remainder of the sweet corn, stalks and all. Those are going to be some tasty pigs!
September 12th, Week 15
Clockwise from top: Brusselini, Rainbow carrots, salad turnips, cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomato, parsley, sweet peppers, potatoes, red and yellow onions. Enjoy!
Announcements:
~Tenzin and Haley are teaching a class at Grebe’s this Thursday. Get your ticket (from Grebe’s) before they are gone!
-September 29th dinner still has tickets available!
-Winter shares are now available- 8 extra weeks for $200. Same drop sites.
In your box this week…
Brusselini
Sweet Peppers-
Parsley
Salad turnips
Onions
Potatoes
Carrots
Ripe Slicing Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Garlic
Coffee-
Weekly Serving Suggestions:
Brusselini (AKA, Brussel Tops)– These are the tops of the Brussels Sprouts. Brusselini shine in fresh slaws, they have a distinctive “nutty” flavor, much like their sprouts. Simply roll a few of the leaves together tightly and shave off the end of the roll until you have what looks like a pile of shredded cabbage. Then toss with your favorite vinaigrette. But, they can also be treated just like any other hearty green. Steamed, sautéed, or fried until tender. Try them in place of cabbage in the recipe of the week. Stores well in the crisper drawer.
Onions– Onions are cured, but best not to plan to store them all winter yet. Try in a sauce or salsa with fresh tomatoes or roasted tomatillos. Starting to develop a stronger flavor, so feel free to sautee these down or roast them up to balance out the sweet flavor. If they are beginning to pile up on you, try your hand at French onion soup, it’s pretty simple really and a nice fall treat.
Parsley- Oh, sweet Parsley, how you brighten my palate and allow me to feast heartily on fall providence without forgetting the bounty of longer summer days. I praise thee, and offer you with a full heart. (Stores well in a bag in the fridge and goes on almost anything, like an early-fall hash.)
Salad Turnips- We love these, a favorite of our children, they also work nicely for slaws, fresh and chopped salads. You can simply cut them into wedges and serve them as a fresh side. They would likely be spectacular as a quick-pickle. I’ll try it this week and let you know! Store them removed from the greens in a bag in the crisper drawer. Greens are great as a substitute for spinach. Works perfectly for scrambled egg dishes, or as a cooked greens sidedish.
Carrots- Store well in the crisper drawer or a bag in your fridge. Easy to use, just rinse and eat—I never peel mine. Great cooked with a little butter, salt, and dressed with fresh parsley. Also good grilled. Try shredding for salads and slaws or chopping for soups and stews. A veggie peeler can whittle them down to a pile of brightly colored curls to decorate any slaw or salad.
Sweet Bell Peppers- (some are long and pointy, all are sweet) These thick-walled, sweet peppers are great for slicing and snacking, or for roasting. Be careful not to overcook or you will lose the bright crunch that makes them so great. Good for salsa and dips, also great in pasta sauce or the recipe of the week! All peppers store well in the crisper drawer or in a bag/container if more than a few days. The small ones are extra sweet and perfect for fresh snacking or sliced thin for a fresh garnish. Great addition to salsas, eggs, or tomato sauces.
Potatoes- These potatoes are ready to be scrubbed, but leave the beautiful skins on. They’ve been washed once already, so don’t expect them to store all winter. Though they will store in a dry cool, dark place for quite some time. Good for boiling, but even better for roasting or mashing. These starchy spuds will fry up well in a skillet too. Try slicing them thin, just enough to coat the bottom of a heavy skillet about a centimeter deep. Then sautee in lots of pre-heated oil with some chopped onions until translucent. Cover with a half cup of whole milk or half and half, and reduce heat till it leaves a creamy sauce. Top with lots of salt and fresh ground black pepper as well as fresh chopped parsley.
Slicing tomatoes– Also best stored out of the fridge. Use on sandwiches, salads or wraps. These big slicers are good for enjoying a nice thick slice alongside a meal. Serve plain, with salt, brown sugar, or pesto on top. Store on the countertop out of direct light. Many heirloom varieties ripen from bottom to top. Slice them vertically to fully appreciate the flavor profile of these exquisite fruits. A slice on a sandwich, cold or grilled, sure goes a long way too.
Cherry Tomatoes– So easy, just pop the top and eat them. Also great sliced in half to top salads or set off a slaw dish. Keeps best out of the fridge. But they can be frozen whole, in a zibplock bag and used for saucing or for fancy ice cubes in the winter. Our girls think they count as popsicles, please don’t tell them otherwise.
Garlic- Fresh garlic is strong and nearly medicinal—some love it, some don’t. But roasted garlic is sweet and sublime, nearly everyone likes the flavor of roasted garlic. So next time you’re roasting something, think about throwing the whle head in the oven to roast, then squishing the cloves out into a container to store in the fridge and use throughout the week. Will store well on the countertop, out of direct sunlight.
Coffee (optional)
Recipe of the week…
Garden Skillet
Ingredients:
1 small onion (or a head of garlic) chopped
1 Tbsp Canola oil (or other high-temp oil)
2-3 small potatoes scrubbed and chopped small (skins on)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp butter
1-2 salad turnips, chopped
1-2 carrots scrubbed and chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
*Optional toppings are finely chopped peppers, beets, tomato wedges, fried eggs, etc.
**Optional substitute potatoes for rutabagas, turnips or just more beets and carrots
Directions:
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat.
Add onions and potatoes, toss to coat then cover 2 mins until potatoes are warmed through and onions are translucent.
Stir.
Add butter and remaining root veggies. Stir to coat until all butter has melted.
Cover 2 minutes more, then remove lid.
Stir until lightly browned and potatoes and carrots are tender.
Remove from heat. Season liberally with fresh parsley, salt, and pepper.
*add any optional toppings or just rest and serve.
-Enjoy!
*I’ve also added some half and half before the second covering, and allowed it to reduce to a creamy sauce.