This Week's Vegetable Harvest:
- Baby Spinach & Lettuce Mix
- Yellow Potatoes (from Igl Farms in Antigo, WI)
- Pie Pumpkins (from Genesis Growers in St. Anne, IL)
- Rutabaga
- Red & Yellow Cipollini Onions
- Broccoli
- Fresh Dill
- Celeriac
- Green Tomatoes
- Red Tomatoes
- Garlic
This Week's Farm Journal: Field Trip Report
Talk about a busman's holiday! Just as things start to slow down here on the farm, what do we decide to do? Visit other farms, of course! On Monday morning we piled into a 15-passenger van with a bunch of other farmers and headed up across the Cheddar Curtain (otherwise known as the Wisconsin border) to visit three very different types of farms. Our first stop was River Valley Mushroom Ranch in Burlington. I've been to River Valley many times but had never gotten the official tour, so it was pretty interesting to hear owner Eric Rose talk about the process of growing mushrooms.
Eric began by grabbing a flashlight (mushrooms do grow best in the dark, after all) and leading us into the mushroom houses (metal quonset-hut-style buildings) where he grows portabellas, criminis, white buttons, oysters and shitakes.
Then we walked over to a large, newly constructed barn where he makes the compost that becomes the growing medium for the mushrooms. One important thing I learned is that being a mushroom farmer is as much about making high-quality compost (lot and lots of compost) as it is about growing mushrooms. As Eric showed us his composting operation, he talked about how it is the part of the job that he enjoys the most. We finished up our visit by checking out the certified kitchen that Eric built in order to turn his mushrooms into salsas, sauces and many other delicious products.
Our next stop was Rushing Waters Fisheries in Palmyra. Rushing Waters is a trout farm tucked back into the Kettle Moraine Forest where Peter Fritsch and his crew raise rainbow trout in ponds fed by artesian springs. For years most of the fish eaten by our family has come from Peter's farm. Peter maintains a relatively low stocking density in order to keep the water clean and the fish healthy. Because he does such a good job of managing the ecosystems on the farm, he doesn't need to use antibiotics, algaecides and the other scary stuff that some fish farms use. In the photo below Peter is explaining to us how they sort and grade the trout when orders come in. It's a pretty low-tech system. They catch a bunch of fish in a big net, put them in the "shake box" and then gently shake the box over the water. The little ones slide through the bars back into the water and the big ones that remain in the box are the fish that fill the orders.
Our final stop was Pinn-Oak Ridge Farms in Delavan. Darlene and Steve Pinnow have been raising lambs and selling meat for many years. A few years ago they constructed a small meat processing plant right on their own farm. Steve and Darlene showed us their USDA-inspected processing facility (see photo below) and explained that by being both farmers and processors they can now control the quality of their product from start to finish. Their story, like the stories of Eric Rose and Peter Fritsch, was both interesting and inspiring. I can't think of a better way to have spent a beautiful fall day!
With their purple tops, rutabagas look a bit like turnips. The difference is that rutabagas are slightly more elongated than turnips and the flesh is a little more yellow. They're also sweeter than turnips and less peppery. They are thought to be a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip. Rutabagas are creamy and starchy and work well for mashing, roasting and braising. To make roasted rutabaga, cut it up into 3/4″ dice, tossed it with olive oil, the herbs of your choice, a bit of salt and pepper, and a spoon full of sugar (to encourage browning). Then spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and cook at 350F until the cubes are tender. Yum! Store rutabagas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a somewhat homely (see photo below) but very tasty relative of celery. It is prized in Europe, especially in France, where it features prominently in the classic Celeriac Remoulade, a dish composed of shredded celeriac, mayonniase and Dijon mustard. Don’t be put off by its knobby exterior. Use a sharp kitchen knife to trim the outside layer from the celeriac bulb before chopping it. Because celeriac has a wonderful mild celery flavor, it can be used in place of celery in many soups and stews. In fact, I prefer the flavor of celeriac over stalk celery in many dishes because of its very smooth flavor (no sharpness or bitterness like stalk celery sometimes has). Celeriac will store for a long time in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Here are some ways to use celeriac:
- Roast with carrots and potatoes and serve with roast chicken or pork.
- Boil celeriac pieces and mash them with an equal amount of boiled potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and butter. (This is heavenly!)
- Combine with grated carrots, shredded cabbage, or other root vegetables to make flavorful autumn slaws.
Dill is one of my favorite fresh herbs because it's relatively easy to grow and it pairs so beautifully with many of fall's flavors, including carrots, beets and broccoli. At the end of the growing season I dry some in my food dehydrator for use throughout the winter. Another technique is to dry it in the microwave. I don't have a microwave myself, but I've read that you can do it in the following way: Spread the dill in a single layer on a paper towel and microwave on high for 3 minutes. After microwaving, remove and discard the hard stems, crumble the leaves, and store in an airtight container protected from light.
Gingered Celeriac and Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Classic French Celeriac Remoulade
Cornish Pasties (Vegetable & Meat Pies)
Fried Green Tomatoes with Dill Mayonnaise
Pickled Green Tomatoes (no canning involved!)
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... sweet potatoes, spinach, lettuce, Swiss Chard, parsley, parsnips, baby salad turnips, broccoli and more!
