Veggie Times Week 16
On the farm
Storage (extra week) share
Next week we will be offering a storage share. It will be similar to what we have offered in previous years. The cost will be $50.00. It will be about 1 3/4 bushel of whatever veggies we have left on the farm. This may include: carrots, potatoes, beets, onions/shallots, garlic, parsnips, kale, Brussels sprouts, winter squash, and possibly some tomatoes, and/or baby greens. The amounts are larger than what you would get in a typical share, however they are not so huge that it won't fit in your fridge nor freezer.. You do not need a root cellar to store any of these veggies. Most can be stored in a cool garage or basement or fridge. We have about 5 shares left, so if you'd like one please let me know this week! This is a great deal for a bounty of fresh fall veggies! Folks who have already signed up for one, I'll be emailing out information this week!
On the Farm
As always I cannot believe it's week 16 already. This will be the last week of your CSA pickup for this year. We truly appreciate each and every one of you and are so thankful we have a community that will support us and the local food system we are trying to create. We are just finishing up our 6th year and there are many of you who have been with us from the very start. This is amazing! We think the farm has gotten better each year. Every year is a little different depending on what mother nature hands us, but it is always bountiful and beautiful. The last few weeks we will spend harvesting the remaining crops, plowing in spent crops, planting garlic and scallions to winter over, and general farm cleanup before winter. We expect to attend farmers markets for two more weeks. We also plan to relax a bit, spend some more quality time with the kids, and Jenny can't wait to do more cooking and baking!
Finally, since this is the last week of the CSA please make sure you either plan to come to market with your own bags or plan to bring your box back to your pickup location the following week. It is very important we get all of our boxes back. This way we can keep our prices the same for next year. Since we are on the topic of next year, stay tuned for information on how to join the CSA for 2017 (2016 members will get priority until Jan. 1st). We will be sending out information later this fall. We really hope to see all of you back next year! Also watch out for an email survey about your CSA experience soon too. We really appreciate feedback!
Recipes
Quinoa Stuffed Winter Squash
Some of you will actually be getting golden nugget squash which this recipe calls for, but any of the squash you get will work for this! If you are doing this with a larger squash you may want to just halve it and distribute the filling in each half.
4 1# gold nugget squash or equivalent winter squash
cooking spray
2 (4-ounce) links hot turkey Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup water
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp fresh thyme or dried
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded 2% reduced fat Monterrey jack cheese)
Cut the top quarter off each squash; reserve tops. Discard seeds. Arrange squashes cut sides down, in 2 (11x7-inch) baking dishes. Fill each dish with 1-inch of water, microwave 1 dish at HIGH for 15 minutes. Remove dish, repeat with remaining dish. Cool. (alternatively you can simply roast them cut side down.) Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage; saute 5 minutes or until browned; stirring to crumble. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon. Add carrot, onion, and garlic to drippings in pan; saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 8 minutes or until carrot is tender. Combine sausage, carrot mixture, quinoa, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper, stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Stuff about 1 cup quinoa mixture in each squash, and top each serving with 1 Tbsp cheese. Arrange stuffed squashes in a broiler safe baking dish, and place tops in dish. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.. Preheat broiler to high. Broil squashes 4 minutes or until cheese is golden.
Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette
1 small shallot-minced
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 heaping tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil or more to taste
In a container with a tight lid, preferably a glass jar, combine shallot, vinegar, and mustard. Close tightly and shake well to mix. Add salt and pepper, and shake again. Add olive oil 1/3 cup at a time, shaking well after each addition until smooth and emulsified. Taste and add more olive oil 1/4 cup at a time if dressing is to tart. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before using to soften the oil.
Kale Artichoke Dip
This is one of my favorite dips to take to a party (or eat it all for dinner at home :) People are always shocked to hear it has kale it in. Frozen or fresh kale works great!
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped coarsely
1 package cream cheese-can be low fat
about 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese or to taste
1 clove garlic minced
1 small onion/leek/or a couple scallions finely chopped
a few leaves of kale, De-stemmed and thinly sliced-add more if you are a kale lover
1-2 Tbsp butter/olive oil. I do a combination
Heat butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant 1-2 minutes. Add kale and cook until bright green and wilted. Add artichoke hearts. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream cheese. Once it is melted, stir in Parmesan cheese and yogurt to taste. It should be fairly thick. Add salt to taste. You can either eat this right away or put into a baking dish and top with a little more Parmesan cheese and bake. Serve with veggies, tortilla chips, pita chips, or crusty bread.
Oven Roasted German Butterball Potatoes with Rosemary
Everyone will be getting a bag of mostly German Butterball potatoes-I don't need to do anymore describing here...the name says it all! They are great roasted and in soups, or in a rustic mash with skins still on. We saved the best potatoes for last-seriously!
3 lbs German Butterball potatoes, washed and quartered
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic (depending on garlic preference)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 400F. Toss the potatoes with remaining ingredients until well coated. Layer in a 9x13 " baking pan. Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned, stirring once. Serve hot.
Thanks everyone for a great season! Have a wonderful winter!
-Brendan, Jenny, Emmett, Callum, and the crew at EverGood
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