- Crimini Mushrooms (from River Valley Ranch, Burlington, WI)
- Rutabaga
- Spinach
- Napa Cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Kale
- Radishes
- Tomato Puree (see 'Notes from the Farm Kitchen')
- Garlic
I was working at my desk Monday afternoon when I heard a loud knock on the screen door. I opened the door to find Phil standing there holding a huge plastic jug of honey. "I'm here to pay the rent," he said, smiling broadly. "Thanks for letting me keep some hives on your place this summer," he said as he thrust the honey in my direction. I grabbed hold of the heavy jar and thanked him for the honey. As far as I was concerned, it wasn't "rent" at all, for he certainly didn't owe us anything. After all, Phil's bees had worked hard pollinating our crops all season long. The only thing we did was to try and stay out of their way while the bees did their work.
Phil gave me a friendly wave and hurried down the driveway. As he climbed into his big old flatbed truck, I caught site of several stacks of bee boxes on the back of the truck. I could tell he'd been busy driving around to the various farms where he keeps his hives, collecting his colonies for the long journey south. The bees spend their winters in Mississippi where they have much better odds of surviving the winter than they would up here.
It occurs to me that this is just one more farm ritual that signals the approach of winter. Matt and I have been busy performing our own fall rituals today--filling the barn with hay for the sheep and spreading compost on the fields to supply fertility for next year's crops. Part of why I love this time of year is that I have time to take note of and to appreciate the rhythms and rituals of the seasons. I don't often have that luxury during the hectic days of summer.
It's been a good season and it's turning out to be a pretty nice fall too. We have six more weeks of vegetable harvesting before we rest, and that seems just about right to me. We're not ready for winter yet, but we've definitely started preparing!
Have a good week. --Peg
Phil gave me a friendly wave and hurried down the driveway. As he climbed into his big old flatbed truck, I caught site of several stacks of bee boxes on the back of the truck. I could tell he'd been busy driving around to the various farms where he keeps his hives, collecting his colonies for the long journey south. The bees spend their winters in Mississippi where they have much better odds of surviving the winter than they would up here.
It occurs to me that this is just one more farm ritual that signals the approach of winter. Matt and I have been busy performing our own fall rituals today--filling the barn with hay for the sheep and spreading compost on the fields to supply fertility for next year's crops. Part of why I love this time of year is that I have time to take note of and to appreciate the rhythms and rituals of the seasons. I don't often have that luxury during the hectic days of summer.
It's been a good season and it's turning out to be a pretty nice fall too. We have six more weeks of vegetable harvesting before we rest, and that seems just about right to me. We're not ready for winter yet, but we've definitely started preparing!
Have a good week. --Peg
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| Phil loads up his bees to take them to their winter home. |
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| Matt pulls up to the barn with a load of winter hay for the sheep. |
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| It's been a tiring day, but he looks happy as stacks the last bale in the hayloft. |
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
Each fall a small food-processing company in East Troy, Wisconsin turns our less-than-perfect tomatoes into tomato puree. In the past the puree was packaged in shelf-stable bags, but this year we went with glass jars. As it says on the jar, our tomato puree makes a great soup by itself or with the addition of a little cream. You can also use it as a base for heartier soups, chili and pasta sauce. I like to use it as a basting liquid when roasting meats, as a replacement for water or broth when I'm making risotto, or in the crockpot when I'm slow-cooking fall vegetables. Let your imagination be your guide! The puree is shelf-stable, but should be refrigerated after opening. If you would like to order a case or two to get you through the winter, please email me at info@sandhillorganics.com. The price for CSA members is $38 for a case of 6 jars.
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.
This Week's Recipes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup pearl barley
4 cups Sandhill Organics tomato puree
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chopped kale or swiss chard
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and pepper to taste
- In a large saucepan, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft and golden. Pour cooked mushrooms and cooked mushroom juice in a bowl and set aside.
- In the same saucepan (no need to clean out first) add the other 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes, until onion is soft and transparent. Add barley and cook, stirring occasionally for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup of puree, stirring frequently, until nearly absorbed. Mix the white wine with the rest of the puree. Continue adding the puree/wine mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, each time the previous addition is almost absorbed until you’ve used it all.
- When you are done with the last addition of puree, add in the kale. Cook, stirring frequently, for an additional 1-2 minutes or until kale has wilted. Stir in the mushrooms with juice and tomatoes. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until vegetables are warmed and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve.
from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman
3 cups grated root vegetables (rutabaga, carrot, potato, etc)
1/2 small onion, grated
1 egg or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup white or whole wheat flour, more or less
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil or butter for greasing the pan
sour cream for garnish
- Heat the oven to 275°F. Grate the vegetables by hand or with the grating disk of a food processor. Mix together the vegetables, onion, egg, and 1/4 cup of the flour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a little more flour if the mixture isn’t holding together.
- Put a little butter or oil in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted or the oil is hot, drop in spoonfuls of the batter, using a fork to spread the vegetables into an even layer, press down a bit. Work in batches to prevent overcrowding. (Transfer finished pancakes to the oven until all are finished.) Cook, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Garnish with sour cream.
