Acorn and Butternut Squash (from Genesis Growers in St. Anne, IL)
l Welcome to the Fall Vegetable Season! l
We're glad you have joined us for the fall season. Many of you know that this is the time of year when I love to cook the most. The demands of farmwork are beginning to lessen, the kitchen has cooled off, and the creeping feeling that winter is just around the corner results in a renewed determination to enjoy all of these wonderful vegetables before they're gone! Over the course of the next 7 weeks we've got a lot in store for you-- pumpkins, squash, broccoli, lettuce, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and so much more. I hope you enjoy the time you spend in the kitchen this fall. Feel free to send me your favorite fall recipes. I'd love to hear how you are using your produce. Have a great week! --Peg
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
Forecasters predicted a light frost for this past Sunday and Monday. We weren't sure if the frost would be heavy enough to damage the tomatoes and peppers so we went out and pulled off most of what was left on the plants. As it turned out, there was a patchy frost both nights that damaged some, but not all, of the plants. In the case of tomatoes, there will probably be a small amount again next week, but it's doubtful there will be anything after that. Pepper season, on the other hand, definitely ends this week. I went out on Monday and harvested just about everything that was worth harvesting, even the really small ones. There are a number of different varieties of green peppers, some long and skinny, others short and fat. Some look a bit like hot peppers, but they are not. They all taste like regular green peppers.
We love white japanese turnips for their mild, sweet taste and their soft texture. I've been known to brag about how our kids will eat raw white turnips at snacktime and how they will even sometimes pick them right out of the ground. (Don't worry moms, I still can't get them to eat blueberries, potatoes or tomatoes. Go figure.) I grabbed the camera yesterday and now I've finally got proof that I'm not making it up:
This is a great way to enjoy salad turnips. You can also use them, as the name implies, in salads like the one included in this week's recipe collection. Finally, they are delicious sliced, sautéed in a little butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Yum!
Fennel is closely related to carrots, dill and parsley. When eaten raw it is crunchy and slightly sweet, with a distinct anise flavor. When sautéed or braised, it's assertive licorice flavor mellows considerably and almost becomes a different vegetable entirely. Braised fennel is a wonderful accompaniment to seared or grilled fish as well as roast pork, beef or chicken. It is also a key ingredient in many traditional Italian dishes.
The winter squash arrived last week from Vicki Westerhoff's farm, Genesis Growers, in St. Anne Illinois. Vicki is one of the growers we collaborate with in the fall in order to bring you as much variety as possible. Over the course of the coming weeks you will also receive sweet potatoes and parsnips from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, Wisconsin and Yukon Gold Potatoes from Igl Farms in Antigo, Wisconsin.This week's butternut squash was grown by Vicky Westerhoff of Genesis Growers in St. Anne, Illinois. Butternut squash is a very versatile vegetable. It tastes great prepared in both sweet and savory ways. (See black bean chili recipe below.) I like to use butternut squash in place of canned pumpkin when making pies and quickbreads. Store winter squash in the refrigerator.
We most often think of sage as an herb used to flavor the stuffing for our Thanksgiving turkeys, but it is so much more versatile than you might imagine. It goes well with many Italian dishes, particularly those of Northern Italian origin. You might want to make your own variation of a real classic--Tuscan white beans with sage, garlic and fresh chopped tomatoes. You could also use it to make sage butter for pairing with ravioli or gnocchi. There are many versions of these recipes available on the internet.
This Week's Recipes
Braised Fennel with Onion and Green Pepper
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... beets, kale, yellow carrots, thyme, arugula, broccoli, kohlrabi, tomatoes, salad greens and more!
