CSA News for the Week of November 5th

This Week's Vegetable Harvest:

• Acorn Squash
• Scarlet Turnips
• Carrots
• Red Beets
• Swiss Chard
• Spinach
• Garlic
• Baby Fennel Bulbs (on-farm pickup only)

Coming Up Next Week:

the final harvest of the season...

• Red Potatoes
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Cabbage
• Beauty Heart Radishes
• Cranberries
• Onions
• Carrots
• Dill

Notes from the Farmer's Desk

This week I've been squirreled away in my office working on our new website. We'll begin the 2013 registration process next week, and I want to make sure we've got all of our ducks in a row before that happens. I'm not used to spending such long stretches of time indoors, and I'm sure that I spend too much of that time gazing out the window, checking. You know, just checking. To see if the wild turkeys are in the back field. To see if the ram lambs are butting each other again. To see if the neighbor is out working on his tree stand (deer season opens soon, in case you hadn't heard). Just checking.

So many reasons to be drawn out of doors. Sadly, a colorful landscape is no longer one of them. Shortly after we moved to the new farm in September, the vivid green of late summer began to give way to the burnt gold of early autumn. And now, oranges and golds have given way to various shades of gray and brown. Hmmm. I can almost hear our collective sigh of resignation.

But wait. Here's where I take heart, and maybe you will too. Part of creating the new website includes choosing photos to accompany the text. As I search through years of farm photos for the right images, I am reminded of the astounding beauty and, yes, the incredible colors that are right in front of me every day in the kitchen. Even at this time of year. Maybe most especially at this time of year. Purples, oranges, pinks and reds. Is it possible that these humble root vegetables are food for the soul as well as the body? But that sounds like crazy talk, doesn't it? Perhaps I need to go for a walk and clear my head. Get some fresh air.

Like I said, there are so many reasons to be drawn out of doors!

Have a good week.  --Peg
 

beets

 

 

carrots

 

 

 

scarlet turnips

swiss chard

 

In the Farm Kitchen

 

Balsamic Beets and Greens
If you have leftover greens, use them for a quick lunch the next day. Stuff the greens into a warm pita pocket and sprinkle with feta cheese.
 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon dijon-style mustard

2 cups cooked sliced beets

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

10 cups loosely packed beet leaves and/or chard leaves, washed and drained (leave some water clinging to the leaves)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

salt and pepper

 

1. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and mustard together in a bowl.Toss with the beets and marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
2. In a large, skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the garlic in the pan and saute for 1 minute.
3. Add the greens, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well. Cover and cook until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. Divide the hot greens among four salad plates and top with the beets and vinaigrette.

 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa, Cumin and Carrots

3 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 vegetable bouillon cube

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

6 teaspoons shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. While the squash is baking, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook five minutes. Mix in the beans and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
4. Boil two cups water, one cup quinoa, and the bouillon cube together. Once this comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until quinoa is cooked. Season cooked quinoa with cumin, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the veggies and beans.
5. Stuff each squash halve with about a cup of the quinoa veggie mixture, and sprinkle with one teaspoon cheddar cheese. Cook another five minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Potato, Turnip and Spinach Baeckeoffe

Translated from the Alsatian, baeckeoffe means "baker's oven,". It was traditionally a dish that was brought to the local baker to cook in his oven. This vegetarian version, adapted from Cooking Light, is both healthy and hearty.

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound sliced mushroom caps

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup white wine

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon thyme 

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese

Cooking spray

4 cups sliced onion

1 potato, peeled and cut into (1/4-inch-thick) slices

3 cups packed chopped spinach

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 large or 2 medium turnips, peeled and thinly sliced

1 teaspoon tarragon 

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan, and sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add wine; cook 2 minutes. Add parsley, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cook 6 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Remove mushroom mixture from pan. Wipe pan clean with paper towels.
3. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking for 15 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside.
4. Coat a 6-cup baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in dish, and top with spinach. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper evenly over spinach. Spoon the mushroom mixture over black pepper, and arrange turnip slices over mushroom mixture. Top with caramelized onions; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and tarragon. Pour whipping cream over tarragon, and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheese begins to brown.