This Week’s Share

• Braising Mix
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Collards
• Parsnips
• Peppers
• Shallots
• Winter Squash

Braising Mix – The braising mix is predominately chois (Joi choi, Mei Qing choi and Tat Soi) with a bit of kale and spicey mustards mixed in.

Cabbage (Charmant) – This week’s cabbage is a smooth green variety. I think cabbage leaves are a great way to inspire leftovers. Just spoon leftovers such as rice salad, pilaf, stuffing, or vegetables onto the center of a cabbage leaf and roll into a neat little package. Bake at 350 until hot and serve warm. Also try the Braised Cabbage recipe below.

Carrots – Carrots originated in Afghanistan, and were later introduced to the English in the 15th century, where they were coveted for their tops, and no well dressed English gentlewoman would be seen without lacy carrot leaves decorating her hair.

Collards – Collards have higher nutritional value when cooked than when raw due to their tough cell structure. They are a good source of protein, calcium, Vitamins A and C, and soluble fiber. 

Parsnips – Parsnips are a root vegetable closely related to the carrot, but paler in color and stronger in flavor. Parsnips are not grown in warm climates, since frost is necessary to develop their sweet flavor. For more info on how frost affects the flavor of cold-hardy plants see the “In the Fields” notes below.

Peppers – We knew the frost was coming so last week we harvested all our peppers and stored some of them in our walk-in. Thus this will be our last distribution of peppers for the season.

Shallots – Shallots are the perhaps the most under utilized and under appreciated member of the allium family. The majority of shallots sold in the U.S. are imported from France. Their flavor is often described as a cross between an onion and garlic. Shallots are reported to be more digestible than the rest of the family and have less impact on the breath. Shallots cook quickly, maintaining a silky texture. They can be used in place of onions especially when raw where their more delicate flavor can be appreciated. Shallots are a common ingredient in sauces and salad dressings. Try them in compound butters or roasted whole for an interesting side dish. See the curried parsnip pie recipe below.

Winter Squash (Acorn) – I like Acorn squash roasted in the oven at 400, cut in half, the flesh rubbed with oil and face down on the pan, and cooked until a fork slides easily through the skin.

Recipes

Curried Parsnip Pie
Adapted from About.com Pastry

Pastry 

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme or oregano
• Cold water, to mix 

Filing

• 4-8shallots, peeled
• 2 large parsnips, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine
• 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp mild curry paste
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• 4 ounces sharp cheese, grated
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 2 tsp water

Make the pastry by rubbing the butter or margarine into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Season and stir in the thyme or oregano, then mix a firm dough with cold water.

Blanch the shallots with the parsnips and carrots in just enough water to cover, for about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1-1/4 cups of the liquid. In a clean pan, melt the butter or margarine, and stir in the whole wheat flour and spice paste to make a roux. Gradually whisk in the reserved stock and milk until smooth. Simmer for a minute or two. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cheese, and then mix into the vegetables with the coriander or parsley. Pour into a pie dish and allow to cool.

Roll out the pastry, large enough to fit the top of the pie dish. Brush the pastry edges with egg yolk wash. Using a rolling pin, lift the rolled out pastry over the pie top and press down well. Cut off the overhanging pastry and crimp the edges. Cut several slits in the top of the crust, brush all over with the remaining egg yolk wash.

Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the pie for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top.

Carrot & Parsnip Latkes

Adapted fromJewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan

•   2 medium carrots, peeled
• 3-5 parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon minced chives or scallion
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Peanut oil for frying (or canola)

Grate the carrots and parsnips coarsely. Toss with the flour. Add the eggs, chives, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until evenly moistened. Heat 1/4 of peanut oil in a sauté pan until it is barely smoking. Drop in the batter by tablespoons and flatten. Fry over medium heat until brown on both sides. Yield: 16 to 18 two-inch pancakes

Sweet and Gooey Parsnips Recipe
Adapted from 500 Treasured Country Recipes by Martha Storey & Friends

•  1 pound parsnips
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Peel the parsnips, then cut them into sticks about the size of your little finger. Dry well with a paper towel. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, melt the butter; then add the parsnips, shaking to coat. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover tightly and sauté on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. The parsnips should be tender and gooey, and slightly caramelized. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Braised Cabbage

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 lg. onion, sliced
• 1 lg. carrot, sliced thin
• 1 c. chicken broth or water
• Minced parsley
• 2 lbs. green cabbage cut in 8 wedges
• 1/2 tsp. crushed cumin seed
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add onion and carrot; sauté until well glazed. Add broth; bring to boil. Add cabbage, overlapping slightly; season with cumin and salt. Reduce heat; cover; simmer 15 to 18 minutes or until cabbage is crisp tender. Serve vegetables with some of pan juices spooned over. Sprinkle with parsley.

In the Fields

Last week we experienced our first hard frosts. While we had some lighter frosts the week before last, last week’s low temps brought an end to our pepper season and long delays to the beginning of our harvest in the field while waiting for many of our crops to defrost. Crops like cabbage, kale, and salad greens will wilt if harvested before they defrost so we must wait for them to thaw. However, these delays are not a hindrance, but rather opportunities to catch up on other projects in the barn that need doing like cleaning onions and popping garlic into individual cloves to be used as seed for next year’s crop. While frost is challenging if not down right fatal to our crops in the field, it does wonders for many other vegetables. One of the ways that cold hardy plants deal with freezing is to increase the amount of sugars and other substances from their cells. This sugar solution acts as antifreeze. It also makes many species taste much sweeter after they’ve been frosted a few times (Solomon, Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades). So in the coming weeks enjoy the effects of the changing season as our kale and carrots get sweeter in an effort to fend off the encroaching winter.

This Week’s Share

Beets
Carrots
Chard
Cilantro
Garlic
Mizuna
Onions
Mixed Peppers
Potatoes
Winter Squash

Beets (Kestral) – These rich red roots are rather ripe in Vitamin C, potassium and folic acid! Beet the system and mash them along with potatoes for pink mashed potatoes. I like to grate them raw for a crunchy salad topping.

Fun Fact for kids – If you eat your beets it makes your pee turn pink!

Carrots – Many of you have noticed the pesky brown lines across your carrots and have asked what that is. It is most likely damage caused by the larva of a carrot rust fly, Psila rosae. This small fly literally smells our carrot fields and lays its eggs at the base of the carrots. Upon hatching they happily make their way down to the roots and tunnel away. The carrots were a bit slow to size up early this spring and have been in the ground longer then usual making them more susceptible to this pest. This week we begin harvesting from our later plantings so you should see less damage. Read more about the carrot rust fly.

For the Kids – What do you do when the carrots go on strike? You Picket.

Chard – Don’t pass up the greens! This is the time of year to LOVE them. Wondering how to get your kids and other skeptics to enjoy these nutritionally wonderful leaves? See the recipe that follows.

For the Kids – Botanists have developed a green vegetable that eliminates the need to brush your teeth. Bristle sprouts.

Cilantro – Along with a bevy of medicinal qualities this worldly herb is integral to flavors in Mexican, Indian, Egyptian, and Chinese cooking. Use your ‘ladies handful’ in your cosmopolitan kitchen to season baked fish, chicken soup, or squash curry. Its flavor is lost when over cooked so add it at the end.

For the Kids – The origin of the name for Cilantro comes from Coriander, Koros in Greek which means bedbug…yum bedbugs!

Garlic – This will be the last of the garlic for the season. Unfortunately a portion of our garlic harvest was diseased and therefore did not store well. To combat this issue we bought new garlic seed for next season. A fresh start will hopefully secure a bountiful garlic harvest next season.

For the Kids – “Egyptian slaves built the pyramids on a diet of garlic, bread and water.”

Mizuna – Mizuna is a mild relative to mustard greens and can be eaten raw or slightly wilted. Also delicious stuffed in a sandwich, tossed with fresh pasta, wilted with sautéed mushrooms or stirred into Miso soup.

For the Kids – What does the letter “A” have in common with a flower? They both have bees coming after them.

Onions (Copra) – Don’t let these storage beauties make you cry. Here is a collection of some reasonable to wacky suggestions I have heard to avoid stinging eyes: place in the freezer for 5 minutes before cutting, hold a piece of bread in you mouth while you cut, don’t cut across the root zone (this releases more sulphuric compounds), soak in milk before cutting, cut onion underwater (you or the onion I am not sure)!

For the Kids – What can you make from baked beans and onions? Tear gas.

Peppers – You should have seen it last Friday. Beautiful blue skies, crisp air and Scott, dedicated to every last pepper in the field, tirelessly bringing in load after load of sweet peppers lest the coming frosts beat us to them. With help from Shari and Michael we should have another week of peppers to let the sweetness of summer linger in your stir fry and salads, At farm lunches we have been enjoying them sautéed in plain ‘ol olive oil and salt and put on anything from pasta, potato soup, cheese sandwiches and beans!

For the Kids – Where did the vegetables go to have a few drinks? The Salad Bar.

Potatoes (Sangre) – Americans eat about 125 pounds of potatoes a year making them the most commonly consumed vegetable. It is also my favorite food, in the form of French fries! High in many vitamins and minerals (pssst…leave the skins on) potatoes get a bad rap by the diet industry. It is not the potato itself but how we like to prepare them, fried, cheesy, buttered, that makes the potato a potential heart throb. Go for simple steaming or baking and top with yogurt instead of sour cream.

For the Kids – Why do potatoes make good detectives? Because they keep their eyes peeled.

Winter Squash (Zeppelin) – The squash will keep coming till CSA ends the first week of December. This week is a Delicata variety, so sweet and delicious. You can eat the skins so no troublesome peeling needed. Simply cut into rings, remove the seeds, toss with olive oil and salt, place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 until tender.

For the Kids – Why did the Squash go out with a prune? Because he couldn’t find a date!

Recipes 

Candy is Dandy but Vegetables make you Sweeter!

I admit it…I am the neighbor who hands out apples on Halloween, boxes of raisins, a penny even. But oh no! not Snickers bars and tootsie rolls….those I save for my dark hours hidden in my sock drawer where no one can see me. Even as I write this now, extolling the virtues of chard and beets I am frantically devouring my Newman’s Mint-O’s quickly before my housemates smell the processed junk food on my breath. In my defense I cry out, “But I had Bok choi in my dinner!”

No one is a purist and so it can be a challenge to get those reticent to try a new vegetable to do what we know is good for them. Like, umm, try a new vegetable. A friend and I, after both working with young people to educate them about local agriculture and nutrition started trying recipes in which to ‘hide’ healthy foods in comfortable foods such as Macn’Cheese, mashed potatoes, pizza and soups…Here are a few recipes that we came up.

Healthier MacN’Cheese

1 box elbow macaroni
2 steamed or roasted winter squash (pumpkin works best, but you can use any of the squash you find in your share), seeded, skinned and pureed
2 cloves garlic, diced
one onion, diced
1 cup Plain Yogurt (either full fat or non-fat depending on your preference)
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 cup grated cheddar cheese plus some to garnish top
1 tsp mustard
1 cup finely chopped chard or other greens
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 º. Cook the macaroni. Lightly cover the bottom of a small pot with oil and sauté diced onion at medium-low until onion is transparent. Add chopped greens and stir till wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Mash in yogurt and squash, add mustard and garlic while mixing the contents at low heat. Stir the noodles with your sauce adding cheese as you do this. Pour into a baking dish and top with extra cheese and bake for 20 minutes or till heated through.

‘Creamy’ Greens

I made this for a recent farm lunch and a co-worker said he liked it so much because it didn’t taste like greens…

1 Bunch greens (one or a mix of chard, collards, kale, mustard…)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tbs olive oil
6 oz silken tofu or 8 oz whole milk yogurt
A mix of sweet peppers, chopped

Bring 5 cups of water to boil and add chopped onion and greens. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, get your blender/food processor out. Begin gently sautéing red peppers in olive oil with a dash of salt. Let slowly cook while you prepare the rest of the dish. Remove greens from heat and let cool a bit. In batches, puree scoops of kale/onion and liquid with tofu (or yogurt) and raw garlic. Return pureed mixture to pot and stir in red peppers. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Members Who Receive Boxed Shares

Its time for another blue and purple bin round-up. Please bring back any bins that have lingered in your homes to your next pick-up.

From the Fields

It was a beautiful week with mostly clear skies, cold wind and a warm sun. Clear skies also mean cold nights and we had our first kiss of frost. New winterized boots, shiny new waterproof gear and long underwear are also back in fashion on the farm as our hands and feet adapt to the shifting season.

The flashy summer crops are still sweet in our memory as the corn stands brown, the tomatoes droop black with blight and the unripe melons compost their way back into the soil. The season dictates our dinner as we divert out palates to earthy roots, savory greens, and rich squash. I find myself excited to cook again after all the raw salads and sliced fruits of summer.

This Week’s Share

Carrots
Choi
Dill
Fennel
Garlic
Kale
Leeks
Peppers
Pumpkins
Tomatoes

Carrots – Seems like they just keep getting sweeter. Full of beta-carotene they should help your early morning commute, but please continue using your headlights, there are non-CSA members on the road too.

Choi – These heads of Mei Qing choi are oh, so juicy. Nice in a quick stir fry, or raw as a celery substitute snack smothered in peanut butter.

Dill – A plant whose name is derived from the Norse word ‘dylla’ meaning ‘to soothe’ can be placed over your closed tired eyes to help you sleep soundly. Dill goes great baked with salmon, crushed garlic, thinly sliced bulb fennel, and lemon juice.

Fennel – Bulb fennel is perfect quickly sautéed with apples and served along side a dish that is just a bit salty like sausage, bacon, or smoked salmon.

Garlic – A timely share item for both keeping colds at bay and heating up dinners on these colder fall nights. If you feel like you are getting a cold or the flu try adding one crushed clove of garlic, a tablespoon each of lemon juice and honey to some hot water and sip away.

Kale – The variety in your share is Lacinato kale. Try sautéed with onions and garlic until tender and then serve with some apple cider vinegar, baked beans, corn bread and mashed pumpkin for a nice vegetarian comfort meal.

Leeks – With a climate very similar to our own, France is the world’s leader in leek production, but they have nothing on these blue leaved beauties grown right here at SIO. I can feel my ankles swelling with pride, an equivalent French expression to our “someone’s getting a big head”.

Peppers – This week’s mix of sweet and hot peppers will work great in any Mexican cuisine. Hot peppers will include cayennes and jalapenos. If you can not use all your jalapenos try dicing and freezing. Peppers will be in your shares until our first frost.

Pumpkins – Pumpkins are named after a Greek word meaning mushroom and short for its original North American name “askutasquash” not to be confused with sasquatch. This variety, Snack Jack, has hull less seeds which make great toasted pepitas full of linoleic and oleic acid, protein, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and selenium.

Tomatoes – A last one or two tomatoes will be in this week’s share, savor them on a tomato, mayo, dill sandwich. We say farewell to tomatoes until next summer.

Note- Although Hakurei turnips are in the photo above they will not be in your share this week. The bed we were to harvest from had much more disease and pest damage then we previously thought; making most of the turnips unusable.

Recipes

Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from Southernfood.about.com

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked pastry shell (9-inch)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add eggs; mix well. Add evaporated milk, water, and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350° and bake about 35 minutes longer, or until center is set.

Pumpkin Kibbeh
Adapted from chowhound.com

2 cups mashed pumpkin or squash
1 cups fine bulgur (soak in boiling water, drain before adding 2 tsp salt)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon allspice
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup flour
Olive oil (for greasing)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the pumpkin, bulgur, salt, pepper, coriander, allspice, cumin, cayenne, onion, garlic, and flour in a food processor until thoroughly blended. (Alternatively, in a large bowl mix all these ingredients by hand.) Taste for seasoning and add more salt or spices as required. If the mixture seems too moist, add a little bit more flour and mix it in.

Grease an 8-inch square pan with olive oil. Pour the mixture into it, smooth the surface and pour a tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the surface looks dry. (The inside will be moist.) Alternatively you can form the mixture into 2-inch patties and fry them in olive oil.

From the Fields

This last week we received close to 2 inches of rain on the farm which really halted tractor work for a bit. So it turned out to be a week of scheduled tractor and farm vehicle maintenance. Even so, the crew dodged raindrops and pulled in a great harvest. Inside the dry barn garlic heads were ‘popped’ into individual cloves to be used as seed. Beds have been ready for the garlic planting, and the forecast looks favorable for them to dry out a bit and get planted this week. The Hay Grove high tunnels were vented during those gusty days and still remain standing. That is great news for all of us, especially for the new salad greens just transplanted under them. A minor accomplishment was bringing a pick-up truck load of used tractor motor oil and filters to the metro waste transfer station. The employees there are really interesting and full of great information and suggestions to make all of our operations even more environmentally friendly. Please visit them often with any of your household hazardous wastes. I was very pleased and a quite proud that we have absolutely no pesticide or herbicide waste, it is very rewarding knowing that the food we grow is indeed grown in a very healthy way. Thank you, shareholders for choosing our farm and for keeping our working conditions safe.

CSA Pick-up Note

There have already been a few questions about the Thanksgiving week pick-up. So mark your calendars because for the week of Thanksgiving all pick-ups take place on Tuesday November 20th- same time and place just a different day for many of you. This allows everyone to get their produce in a timely manner for the holiday and allows our crew to enjoy the holiday with friends and family.

This Week’s Share

• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Winter Squash

Carrots – The carrots in your share this week were seeded in early July. We seed carrots with an Earthway push seeder in three lines across a 3 foot wide bed top. The seeds are watered in and the bed top is kept moist during germination. A week after the carrots have been seeded, we use a propane flamer to burn back any weed seeds that may have germinated. This makes for a cleaner bed for the carrots to grow in. It is essential that we get our timing right on the flaming, so as not to burn any germinating carrots. If all goes well the carrot seeds will germinate and grow a little, we’ll do one hand weed and a weekly watering and cultivation, and then some 3 months later, you’ll have carrots on your table.

Chard – Did you know that chard and beets are one and the same species? Breed for a big round root and Beta vulgaris is called a beet, breed for a more tender leafy green and you get chard.

Celery – This year has been exceptionally good for “Tall Utah”. I don’t know if it’s due to its location – between two Brussels sprout beds or if it’s just liked our cool, wet fall weather.

Garlic – Garlic is considered either “softneck” or “hardneck”. Softneck Garlic produce 6-18 cloves in several layers around a soft central stem. Hardneck garlic typically produce 5-9 cloves per head. They grow in a single circle around a central woody stem. These varieties also produce, or attempt to produce, a flower stalk. Hardneck garlics have a shorter storage life than softnecks. This week’s variety is Silverskin a softneck variety.

Lettuce – This week will be the last for head lettuce this season. Enjoy a crisp, leafy salad this week of Red Cross (butter) and Magenta (summercrisp), and look forward to next May’s harvest of head lettuces. Planning for those lettuce plantings and harvests is just around the corner as we begin our 2008 crop plan. We hope to include some new lettuce varieties in our plan for 2008 from the lettuce variety trials we worked on this year with Seeds of Change.

Onions – If you attended the allium planting party in April of this year, then these onions are the bulbs of your labor.

Peppers – Try broiling, skinning, and freezing for a great treat this winter.

Potatoes – Why didn’t the mother potato want her daughter to marry the famous newscaster? Because he was a commontater.

Tomatoes – Eddie, one of the chefs at Caffe Allora first requested the San Marzano variety of sauce tomato that we’ve been growing this year. They are the tomato he knew best growing up in Rome. This year we grew all the San Marzanos under our Haygrove high tunnels. The added bit of heat and protection from the fall rains has made for a bountiful harvest. We’re doing a BIG pick this week before we get a frost that will put an end to tomato season. So make tomato soup, or pasta sauce, or pizza… Buon appetito!

Winter Squash – Sugarloaf is a Delicata type squash and they are exceptionally sweet. There are many winter squash recipes that I love – winter squash risotto, winter squash ravioli, winter squash enchiladas to name a few. But these are so good that I really encourage you to try them in their simplest form, just cut in half and de-seed, oil the cut side lightly, place cut side down on a baking sheet, and bake at 375 until you can push a fork into the flesh through the skin with ease. For a full description of all the varieties we grow see last week’s blog.

Recipes

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors

1 1/2 lbs San Marzanos
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon chopped oregano, thyme, or marjoram
1 garlic clove

– Preheat the oven to 300.
– Oil a large shallow baking dish.
– Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise
– Set them in the baking dish cut side up and brush with olive oil, using about 1 tablespoon in all.
– Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
– Bake for a couple of hours, uncovered.
– Check after the first hour and drizzle with a little more oil if the tomatoes look dry.

Try using the roasted tomatoes on pasta, pizza, or in soup. Or freeze them for the winter months ahead.

Chard Gratin
Adapted from Alice Water’s Chez Panisse Vegetables

1 big bunch of chard
1 clove of garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour
whole nutmeg
salt and pepper
3/4 cup toasted bread crumbs

-Preheat the oven to 375.
-Cut off the stems.
-Cook the chard in lightly salted, boiling water for a quick 90 seconds.
-Drain the chard and squeeze out the water from the leaves.
-Chop into 3/4 inch pieces.
-Peel and mince the garlic.
-Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet and saute the chard, turning as the chard wilts.
-Add the garlic and cook for 7-8 more minutes uncovered, until the chard leaves have just softened.
-Warm the milk in a small sauce pan.
-Sprinkle the flour over the chard and stir it in.
-Cook for another minute and then add the milk, one quarter cup at a time, as it is absorbed by the chard.
-Season the chard with a light grating of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
-Transfer to a buttered gratin dish (the chard should be about 1 inch thick).
-Cover evenly with bread crumbs.
-Bake for 35 minutes until the crumbs have browned.

From the Fields

I have had a close eye on the thermometer lately. Rumors of an early winter and a field full of winter squash have kept me on edge. But so far, we have hovered in the mid-forties at night and last week we got all the winter squash tucked safely into big bins under the cover of the pole barn roof. That’s all 7,648 of them. We have also been working on an experimental planting of salad greens in the Haygrove high tunnels. In the past the salad greens we harvest in mid-November to early December have been direct seeded. The direct seeded greens don’t compete as well with weeds at this time of year. They also grow close together when they are direct seeded, which makes for less airflow, leading to more disease and rot. This year we are transplanting all 15 of the Haygrove beds. It’s lots of work up front, but hopefully will pay off in less time weeding and healthier plants. We are still trying to find time for onion and garlic planting – our last big field projects for the season. Once our last planting of the season is done, we will focus primarily on harvesting the crops that are still out in the fields. And as for those rumors of an early winter, many of the crops that are still out in the field; the Brussels sprouts, the collards, the parsnips, the kale and carrots, will all be sweeter as the thermometer drops. So if you are mourning for those last tomatoes, know that the fall bounty is still on its way and has its own sweetness to savor.

This Week’s Share

• Beets
• Carrots
• Cilantro
• Fennel
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Garlic
• Onions
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Winter Squash

Beets- Kestrel is a sweet, earthy red beet. Your beets will be topped because the greens this time of year are a bit ragged. We top them in the fields, allowing the greens to compost right back into the soil.

Carrots – Carrots too will come topped. You will see this staple in your share until December.

Cilantro – This is the last cilantro of the season. Enjoy that last batch of salsa.

Fennel – Fennel is coming back around for fall. You will have 2 bulbs in your share with with tops still on.

Kale – We grow three different varieties of kale: Lacinato, Red Ursa and Winterbor. This week you will have Winterbor, a green curly leafed variety.

Lettuce – Lettuce will be in your share for about three more weeks.

Garlic – The garlic you are eating today was planted in October 2006! And we are getting ready to plant the garlic you will be eating in 2008. We select our largest heads from each variety we grow and save them for seed. First we separate all the individual cloves and again choose the largest cloves to plant. Garlic is planted in October for a July harvest and then we cure and store it to distribute all season long.

Onions – This week’s variety is Copra. It is a yellow storage onion. Each week you will receive either onions or leeks in your share. These alliums are a great jumping off place for many delicious dishes.

Peppers – Peppers are always worth the wait. We watch these fruits for months hanging from their plants. When will they begin to turn colors? Then finally when we begin to feel fall in the air the peppers color-up and their sweetness is celebratory.

Tomatoes – The last of the red slicing tomatoes are coming your way.

Winter Squash- The winter squash is in! We grow 5 varieties of winter squash and 2 varieties of pie pumpkin. Winter squash will be in your shares through December. This week’s variety is Mesa Queen an acorn squash.
Winter squash comes in shapes round and elongated, scalloped and pear-shaped with flesh that ranges from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. Most winter squashes are vine-type plants whose fruits are harvested when fully mature. They take longer to mature than summer squash (3 months or more) and are best harvested once the cool weather of fall sets in. Winter squash have hard, thick skins. They can be stored for months in a cool basement-hence the name “winter” squash.

Winter squash can be cut in halves or pieces. Too cook them, first remove fibers and seeds; then bake, steam, or boil the squash. When water is used in cooking, the quantity of water should be kept small to avoid losing flavor and nutrients. Acorn and butternut squash are frequently cut in half, baked, and served in the shell. Squash pulp is also used for pies and may be prepared in casseroles, soufflés, pancakes, and custards.

Below is some information about the varieties you will see in your baskets gleaned from http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm:

Acorn (Mesa Queen) – As its name suggests, this winter squash is shaped like an acorn. This is a great baking squash, it’s easy to slice into halves and fill with butter. A small acorn squash weighs from 1 to 3 pounds, and has sweet, slightly fibrous flesh. Its distinct ribs run the length of its hard, blackish-green or golden-yellow skin.
 

Butternut (Metro PMR) – Beige colored and shaped like a vase. This is a more watery squash and tastes somewhat similar to sweet potatoes. It has a bulbous end and pale, creamy skin, with a choice, fine-textured, deep-orange flesh with a sweet, nutty flavor. It weighs from 2 to 5 pounds. Oh, and the PMR, that stands for powdery mildew resistant plants, just in case you were wondering.

Delicata (Sugar Loaf and Zeppelin) – Also called Sweet Potato, Peanut squash, and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed. The skin is also edible. The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn’t suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months.

Hubbard (Baby Blue) – The extra-hard skins make them one of the best keeping winter squashes. These are very large and irregularly shaped, with a skin that is quite “warted” and irregular. They have a blue/gray skin, and taper at the ends. Like all winter squash, they have an inedible skin, large, fully developed seeds that must be scooped out, and a dense flesh.

Kubocha (Sunshine) – Kabocha is the generic Japanese word for squash, but refers most commonly to a squash of the buttercup type. Kobocha Squash may be cooked whole or split lengthwise (removing seeds). It has a rich sweet flavor, and often dry and flaky when cooked. Use in any dish in which buttercup squash would work.

Pumpkin (Baby Bear and SnackJack) – We’re growing two varieties this season, New England Pie and Snack Jack. The New England Pie is a standard pie pumpkin, a sweet, and moist. Snack Jack also makes great pies and soups but has the added bonus of hulless seeds. These seeds are the “pepitas” you can buy in the store, delicious toasted or raw as a snack or in salads and sauces.

Recipes

Acorn Squash Hush Puppies
Adapted from www.cdkitchen.com

1 Acorn squash (1-3/4 lb size)
2 cups Self-rising cornmeal
1/4 cup All-purpose flour
1 large Egg; lightly beaten
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Onion; finely chopped
Vegetable oil

Cut acorn squash in half crosswise; remove from seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish or pan. Add water to baking dish to depth of 1/2 inch. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Scoop out pulp, discarding shells. Place pulp in container of an electric blender or food processor; process until smooth. Measure 1-1/4 cups squash puree; set aside. Reserve any additional puree for other uses.

Combine cornmeal and flour in a bowl; make a well in center. Set aside. Combine squash puree, egg, milk, and onion. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven; heat to 360F. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Cook 2 minutes or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Makes 2 dozen

Carrots and Fennel
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 carrots, shredded
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/3 cup heavy cream

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrots and fennel, and season with coriander and fennel seeds. Cook until lightly browned. Mix in the heavy cream, and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 5 minutes until the cream has been absorbed into the carrots and fennel. Serve hot.

Josh’s Tomato Salsa

3 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup seeded, chopped green chiles
3 Tbsp chopped onion
2 tsp finely chopped, seeded, jalapeños
1 tsp fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp salt

Combine all ingredients cilantro in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add cilantro and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Again About the Eggs

Unfortunately our eggs shares have come to an end. I am sorry for the short notice but Kookoolan Farm just let us know this weekend that they will no longer be delivering eggs to us. As stated previously, all members will be reimbursed for any eggs they did not receive. Sorry for the inconvenience.

From the Fields

Your shares are beginning to look a lot like fall. Tomatoes and peppers are giving their last wave to summer. In the weeks to come your shares will be filled with many different kinds of root vegetables, cooking greens, winter squash, pumpkins, potatoes, alliums (onions, leeks, shallots and garlic) and Brussels sprouts. As we continue to harvest this season’s bounty our thoughts turn to the 2008 season. In the next few weeks we will be planting spring 2008 sweet onions and the garlic for 2008.

Community News

Yes on Measure 49
Now, this one hits close to home, folks. Dozen of Measure 37 claims have been made on Sauvie Island potentially effecting thousands of prime agricultural acreage. If we want to eat local we have to maintain land in ag production. Once we pave it, we have lost it. We urge you to get out and vote Yes on Measure 49. For more information please visit www.yeson49.com

In your share:

• Carrots
• Celery
• Chard
• Corn
• Eggplant
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes

Carrots- Hope you’re not tired of the carrots, because there’s no end in sight; when we are harvesting the carrots now, we can look out across a little sea of waving green carrot tops that comprise the next 3 months’ worth of carrots in your weekly share.

Celery- This week you will be getting a full celery plant, rather than the bunch of stalks, so make good! The celery seems to be getting tastier by the week as the stalks fill with water and become milder and more succulent. Celery is a key ingredient in so many great soups, and with this bout of rainy weather it seems that the soup season has arrived. Also check out the recipe for eggplant cabonata below.

Chard- Colorful, delicious, and healthful, chard is back in the shares, the variety we tend to grow appropriately being named “Ruby Red.” Sauté the leaves as you would kale, and try treating the red stalks like asparagus, separating them from the leaf and steaming or roasting them.

Corn- Last week of corn! Silver Queen is the variety this week, and it is really, really good. The summer seemed to fly by, it seems like the corn just got here and now it is already gone. If you would like to preserve the taste of summer corn for the cold months ahead, it is very easy. Just cut the kernels off the cob, put into a freezer bag, and toss it in the freezer for later.

Eggplant- If you’ve been unable to keep your eggplant consumption up to pace with the amount you’ve been getting in your share, be sure to check out my recipe for cabonata below, or last week’s newsletter for baba ghanoush.

Leeks- We are distributing the King Richard leeks now, and later on you will start to see the blue-green Tedorna leeks in your share, as they tend to hold better out in the field. Try using leeks as you would onions, but you can add them a little later as their flavor is less pungent and tastes good when cooked less.

Lettuce- All of our lettuce for the rest of the season is now planted out, so what was once a weekly routine of planting lettuce each Friday is now over. You will see lettuce in your share through this month and then it will be replaced with more winter-hardy greens like spinach and kale.

Peppers- It is the sad reality of the Pacific Northwest that by the time peppers arrive the summer heat has gone, but maybe some spicy food will be good to warm us all up. On top of the sweet peppers, this week is the big hot pepper week, so I will break it down by variety a bit:

Jalapenos are my favorite pepper by far. If I have it on hand, I will add it in almost any dish, often tossing it with chopped garlic to sauté in the initial stages. It has a sweet, fresh flavor on top of its characteristic tangy spice.
Cayennes are more familiar to us dried as a powder or in flakes, but they are versatile and delicious fresh. Don’t be afraid! They have long been considered medicinal by many cultures, and indeed they are high in antioxidants, stimulate endorphins and weight loss, and they are a sialagogue, which means they help you to manufacture saliva.
Poblanos are also known as Ancho peppers when they are dried. They have so many uses. Stuffed and baked, fried as rellenos (see recipe from 2 weeks ago), stir-fried, or use them to make a homemade mole sauce! There is a huge variety of recipes at http://poblanorecipes.blogspot.com/.

Potatoes- All of our potatoes have now been harvested! You will start seeing potatoes in your share every other week from now until the end of the season, so you can look forward to trying out all of the varieties we grew this year: Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, and German Butterball are all yellow potatoes; Sangres are red-skinned with white flesh inside; and Canellas are a russet-style potato with brownish skin.

Tomatoes- Hopefully we will have a few more weeks of delicious tomatoes to remind us of summer. If you haven’t had a chance yet, canning tomatoes is so fun and interesting. I just learned how to do it this last month, and it is really a rewarding way to spend an afternoon. A less time intensive option is to cook some tomatoes down and freeze them in jars, just be sure to leave more room at the top than you would canning.

Recipe:

Eggplant Caponata
Adapted from www.kashrut.com and www.newitalianrecipes.com

This is a very tasty Italian dish said to have originated in Sicily, but it is now popular throughout Italy. It uses a variety of veggies found in your share this week, and makes a great appetizer or a side dish served with a meat entree.

2 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 T olive oil
2 leeks, chopped
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large peppers, poblano or sweet, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
2 T capers
1/4 c green olives, pitted and sliced
1 1/2 c diced tomatoes, preferably san marzanos, or tomato sauce
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 T sugar
1 T cocoa powder
1/4 cup fresh chopped or dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a colander, toss the cubed eggplant in about 2 T salt. Shake to coat evenly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and while it is preheating let the eggplant sit and drain in the sink. Wipe off some of the salt and moisture from the cubes of eggplant and bake on a greased pan for 35 minutes.

While eggplant is done baking, begin sautéing chopped leeks and garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat. After about 4 minutes, add the celery, peppers, olives and capers and continue to cook for 3 minutes.

Combine the vinegar and sugar and pour it over the veggies. When the liquid is reduced by half, add the eggplant, basil, and cocoa powder. After a minute or two, add the tomatoes or sauce and continue to cook for ten minutes or so, until it has reached a thick, saucy consistency. Serve with toasted pita or garlic bread.

If You Get Eggs Please Read

Eggs like vegetables are a seasonal product. As day light hours decrease chickens begin to molt. Molting is when the chickens put calcium into new feather production instead of egg production. This process has begun at Kookoolan Farm (our egg suppliers) a bit earlier then they expected. Due to the chickens decreased egg production all CSA members who currently receive 1 dozen eggs a week will now only receive ½ dozen a week. Kookoolan is hoping to have eggs available through November but will keep us appraised of how the chickens are doing. Since you have all pre-paid through the first week of December, Sauvie Island Organics will reimburse each member for any eggs they have paid for but do not receive. Any questions please email the office at siorganics@aol.com 

Transitions

This time of year is a huge transition for us on the farm, as Becky, Vanessa, and Kylie have all completed their apprentices. Becky and Vanessa, our two inspiring and awesome second-year apprentices, are both going to pursue new adventures in agriculture, and Kylie, our great buddy and summer apprentice, will be undertaking some as-yet-undecided course. We had a party out at the farm this last weekend to thank them, see them off, and wish them all well.

For the first year apprentices, Michael, Brian, and me (Blake), this means enormous shoes to fill, as well as a smaller crew to do all of the things around here that need doing, so it will be interesting. It also means that Brian and I have taken over the responsibility of going to the CSA pick ups, so people who pick up at the Friendly House Community Center will be seeing me regularly, and Brian will be at the SE Elliott pick up.

Of course, that is not the only transition happening out at the farm. Things around here are looking downright autumnal. Not only that, we have begun clipping winter squash! The fruits are clipped off the vine and “windrowed”, placed in line to cure and develop the thicker skins they will need to hold through the next months. They will be in your share in the weeks to come.

Community News

CSA member Jennifer Erickson wants to let you all know about the call for new members for the 2008 Portland/Multnomah County Food Policy Council.

The Portland Multnomah Food Policy Council provides policy advice to both local governments on food-related matters that impact land use, health, the environment, jobs and other issues. The Council currently consists of 16 members who are appointed by Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Jeff Cogen from the City and County respectively. The Council is jointly staffed by the City and County and charged with providing input and advice on City and County food-related issues.

Priorities for 2008 are expected to include:
• local land use policies and their impact on the food system;
• methods for building regional demand for locally produced foods and food products;
• City and County food purchasing policies and practices;
• the availability of healthy, affordable food to all residents; and
• the capacity of local communities to engage in healthy food practices.

If you are interested in ensuring government policies support access to local food and have a few hours per month available to commit to the cause, the Portland/Multnomah Food Policy Council needs you! Fill out the “Interest Form for City Boards” form and check the “Food Policy Council” box. Applications are due no later than October 26, 2007.

To learn more about the FPC, contact Steve Cohen, City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development at (503) 823-4225 or check out the FPC web page.

City Dog, Inc (“So Many Smells So Little Time”)

CSA member Amy Aycrigg runs City Dog, Inc. She welcomes dogs into her home for kennel-free boarding where they become part of the family. Your dog will enjoy walking in the neighborhood on leash or going to Forest Park for a romp. Four-legged guests are given plenty of TLC. Email Amy at adaycrigg@hotmail.com if you are interested in finding out more about City Dog, Inc. or view her website.

This Week’s Share

• Carrots
• Celery
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Peppers, hot
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes

Carrots – Do not let summer go by without putting some carrots on the barbeque.

Celery – Because of its strong flavor this celery is best used like an herb.

Corn – This week the variety is Luscious. It is a bi-color variety.

Cucumbers – The plants that have worked so hard to bring you their crisp goodness this season are on their way out, so enjoy the last of the cucumbers.

Eggplant – Nadia and/or Orient Express will make your casseroles, sauces, and stir fries superb this week. Try roasting them in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, yum!

Leeks – They have arrived. The King Richard leeks are making their debut this week. Leeks will be in your shares often throughout the fall. As the weather turns cold a leek’s mild flavor can be perfect for warm soups.

Lettuce – Head lettuce is back, it will be on your table regularly into October.

Peppers – Hot peppers are in your share this week. Tiburon, are poblano peppers, see the recipe section for some delicious chili rellenos! There is also a cayenne and/or jalapeño this week.

Summer Squash – Like the cucumbers, the squash plants are getting tired. Enjoy the last few.

Tomatoes – The tomatoes are in full swing, trying to keep up with these productive plants can prove to be a daunting task. This week you will receive a variety of heirlooms and some slicers. The San Marzannos (great for sauces and roasting) will be coming to some of you this week and others the following week. This allows us to give out more at one time so you can make sauce.

Recipes

CHILIES RELLENOS DE QUESO
Adapted from Cooks.com

2 chilies, roasted and peeled
1 1/3 oz cheese, Monterey jack
oil, for frying
1 eggs, separated
1 cup flour, all purpose

Tomato Sauce

1 1/3 pounds (about 2 or 3) tomatoes, peeled
1 medium onion
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
pinch of cloves, ground

For the preparation of the tomato sauce, combine tomatoes, onion and garlic in blender or food processor and blend to a puree. Heat oil in a medium saucepan, add tomato mixture. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Simmer gently 15 minutes.

Cut a tiny slit in one side of each pepper to remove seeds, leaving stems on and then dry on paper towels. Cut cheese into long thin sticks, one for each pepper and place one stick in each. If the peppers are loose and open, wrap around cheese and fasten with a wooden toothpick.

Pour oil 1/4″ deep into large heavy pan and heat to 365 F.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff. Beat egg yolks lightly in a small bowl and fold into the beaten egg whites, gently but thoroughly.

Roll peppers in flour, and then dip in egg mixture to coat. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown, turning with a spatula. Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately topped with tomato sauce.
 

Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from The Improvisational Cook

2lbs ripe or nearly ripe tomatoes (about 6 regular tomatoes)
Extra virgin olive oil
About ½ teaspoon sugar
About ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325F. Slice Roma tomatoes in two lengthwise through the stem, larger tomatoes should be quartered through the stem. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes until coated in olive oil. Arrange cut side up on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper.

Roast for 2 ½ -3 hours until they have lost most of their liquid and are just beginning to brown. Cool to room temperature.

Serve as an hors d’oeuvre with goat cheese or side dish. They also make a great soup blended with some sautéed leeks.

Store for up to one week in the refrigerator or in the freezer up to 2 months!

Three-Tomato Salad
This recipe was sent to us by CSA member Julie Cox
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/salad1/r/3tomatosalad.htm

This is a simple, colorful summer salad best served at room temperature. Enjoy the classic pairing of these fruits with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

2 medium, vine-ripe red tomatoes 
2 medium orange tomatoes 
2 medium yellow tomatoes 
1 bunch scallions, chopped 
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil 
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Cut each tomato into eight wedges and place in a medium bowl or serving dish. Sprinkle chopped scallions and fresh basil over tomatoes.

Whisk together oil and vinegar, or place in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Drizzle vinaigrette over tomatoes and toss gently.

For best tomato flavor, serve at room temperature.

From the Fields

Last week we pulled all of our storage onions out of the fields and they are now curing in the barn. In order for onions to store well they need to be harvested in a dry window. It looks like we got them out just in time!

As more crops come out of the fields we are starting to plant our winter cover crops. A cover crop is planted not to be harvested but to be tilled in. Tilling in different cover crops adds different elements to the soil. Legumes, like clover or vetch fix nitrogen from the air into the soil. Cover crops also protect nutrients from being leached from the soil, decrease erosion and keep weeds at bay by lessoning their germination. The rye, vetch, bell beans, and clover we plant September through November play a big part in bringing you your bounty each season.

Community Events

Fair Trade Trunk Show
On Tuesday, September 18th CSA hosts Kay Altman and David Browning invite you to their home for a jewelry trunk show. Stop by to be introduced to Lucina, a socially conscious jewelry business using fair trade gemstones, designed and manufactured in Portland. Their doors will be open from 5-7pm at 3411 SE Ankeny.

Sauvie Island Center Fundraiser at Vindalho (2038 SE Clinton St)
On Sunday, October 7th, Cory Schreiber will team up with the crew at Vindalho to create a four course, sit down feast that benefits the Sauvie Island Center. The Center is a non profit that focuses on bringing kids k-5 out to Sauvie Island to teach them about food, farming and the land.

Tickets are $90 per person and include wine and gratuity. A portion of the cost is tax deductible. This will be a small gathering so please purchase your tickets right away. Do so by contacting Shari Raider at 503-621-6921 or siorganics@aol.com. Make a reservation by phone or email. You’ll receive confirmation after sending your check to Sauvie Island Center Vindalho Fundraiser, 20233 NW Sauvie Island Road, Portland, Oregon 97231.
 

And the menu: pickled pumpkin with cumin and cider, spiced black bean puree on fennel seed cracker, roasted beet and sprouted dal chaat salad, cauliflower and onion pakoras with chutney, pan-fried shrimp with Goan green coconut curry and shaved radishes, braised Ford Farm Highland Beef with Ayers Creek Farms red flint polenta and coastal artichokes with red chiles, roasted fall vegetable Korma and baked Sauvie Island Apple with warm spiced rice pudding and walnuts.

This Week’s Share:

• Basil
• Beans
• Carrots 
•  Corn
• Cucumbers
• Dill
• Kale
• Onions
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes

Basil – Our basil is starting to flower so we will do what we call a “big pinch.” What that means for the plant is we will pinch all major stems fairly low on the plant to prevent it from going to seed when it becomes tough and bitter. The re-growth will be just as tasty as the basil you will receive in this week’s share. What this means for you is more lots of basil. Just pinch the flowers and pesto.

Beans – New to your share this week are Romano beans. Also known as Runner beans or Italian flat beans, Romano Beans are a green flat podded bean. They can be quickly blanched and seasoned with salt or fresh herbs, and are also great in salads, or just by themselves. Check out the green bean and tomato recipe below.

Carrots – A share staple, our carrots are still sweet, crisp, and tasty. Follow the carrot quick pickle recipe below for something different.

Corn – This week we are introducing Brocade. This bi-colored corn is one of the best tasting of the modern hybrids. It is super sweet and tasty straight off the cob, but if you like butter then you’ve got to heat it up. Or try making the summer salsa below.

Cucumbers – Both Marketmore and Lemon cucumbers will once again be included in your share this week. As their production declines with the changing season be sure to savor them while they are still around. Try dicing and mixing them with oil, a splash of lemon juice, some fresh dill, and pinch of salt.

Dill – This fresh summer herb is back this week. Put it in your favorite cool summer salad.

Kale – Red Ursa kale is a cross between Red Russian and True Siberian kale. It is similar in appearance to Red Russian but the leaves are more rounded and curved at the end.

Onions – As our summer Walla Walla onion supply is reaching its end, this week we will be giving out Siskiyou sweet onions. This variety was first brought to Walla Walla Washington from Corsica around 1900. These huge sweet Spanish onions have a light brown skin and a mild white flesh.

Summer Squash – Like most of our early summer crops their production is waning so get them while you can. Now that we have paste tomatoes you can try using your summer squash in the corn and squash salsa below.

Tomatoes – We know summer is not over yet because tomatoes are still coming on strong. Last week everyone got a taste of the San Marzano paste tomato. This week we will start giving out larger portions in rotation so people can make sauce. Paste tomatoes are high in sugars and low in water content making them the ideal sauce tomato.

Recipes

Corn and Squash Salsa

Adapted from The Great Salsa Book

• 2 tablespoons diced onion
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 ears of corn
• 1 1/2 cups summer squash diced the same size as the corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram or oregano
• 5 paste tomatoes diced (can also be oven roasted beforehand)
• 1/3 teaspoon salt

In a sauté pan, cook the onion and water over low heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife. Add to the sauté pan together with the squash and butter. Cook 5 minutes longer, until the veggies are cooked and liquid has evaporated. Add tomatoes, marjoram and salt, thoroughly combine. Chill before serving. Serve with eggs or as a side dish. Yields about 2 1/4 cups

Sesame-Pickled Carrots with Ginger Strips

Adapted from Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes with Big Flavor

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
• 3 tablespoons peeled, slivered fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade or orange juice concentrate
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons black and/or white sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 or more dried red chillies to taste
• 1 teaspoon course salt

In a medium sauté pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the carrots and half of the ginger and sauté, stirring frequently, until the carrots are crisp and tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove to a non-reactive bowl.

Add the 2 remaining tablespoons sesame oil and all the remaining ingredients, and toss well to combine. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The flavor of these pickles does not blossom fully for 24 hours. After that, they will keep for a month, covered and refrigerated. Shake or stir them once in a while to redistribute the oil.

Green Bean and Tomato Salsa

Adapted from Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

• 1 lb Romano beans
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges

Wash and trim the beans. Cut them diagonally into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cook the beans in boiling water, or steam, until just tender. Drain the beans and set them aside to cool. Combine the lemon juice, oil, salt, and garlic. In a bowl, combine the cooked beans and tomato wedges. Toss them with the dressing.

On Farm

In addition to writing the farm blog, I also spent my weekend “On-Farm.” Being On-Farm at SIO is when you take your turn as the person who keeps the farm running over the weekend. Duties are mainly comprised of maintaining the irrigation, and keeping an eye on the seedlings in the greenhouse. This weekend I set up and ran some overhead irrigation in our salad mix beds and in a cover-crop of buckwheat in what used to be the broccoli field. I also watered a variety of seedlings as we gear up to plant some fall crops. I am happy to report that by the end of the weekend many vacant trays were sprouting with newly germinated seeds.

Farewell

As September rolls along at the farm we will be saying good-bye to our two second-year interns, Becky and Vanessa. As a first-year intern I will miss their guidance and leadership, and in all aspects of the farm work we will all miss their ever capable helping hands and smiling faces. We wish them luck in their next endeavors, and when they are gone we will certainly have big shoes to fill.

Community Event- Grange Hall Supper

Thursday, October 4 at 7pm Ecotrust (721 NW 9th Avenue) hosts an urban Grange Hall Supper, a family-style meal like Grandma might have served–that is, if she were French. The evening’s chef, Robert Reynolds of The Chef Studio, will showcase local ingredients from that magical moment when seasons overlap. Susan and Kyle Chaney of The Busy Corner Café will pour Owen Roe and O’Reilly’s wines against a background of classical guitar music.
Ecotrust invites you to join them to share food and stories and to live, if only for an evening, in the warmth and community of the Grange Hall.

This five course meal and wine to compliment it is $55. Please feel welcome to bring a bottle of your most special wine to share (no corkage fee). RSVP to lalena@ecotrust.org or by calling 503.467.0764. Payment must be received one week prior to the event. Seating is limited to 80 people.

This Week’s Share 

• Carrots
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Melons
• Onions
• Peppers
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes

*Basil

Carrots- Again this week you will receive your carrots topped and in bulk weight.

Chard- Instead of the usual lettuce this week you will be receiving a beautiful bunch of Ruby Red Swiss chard. The stems and leaves both delicious steamed, braised, sautéed or in any number of recipes. I have included a Russian chard soup recipe below.

Cilantro- A versatile herb cilantro adds something special to many kinds of recipes. I use it frequently in Vietnamese and Mexican cuisine. It also makes a superb alternative to basil pesto.

Corn- You can’t beat fresh corn on the cob with butter, salt, and pepper but there are so many other things it can be added to. Below you will find a traditional breakfast recipe with a small twist, corn pancakes. These were a childhood favorite of mine; in the cool mornings these are the perfect way to start your day.

Cucumbers- Some of you have commented what a large cucumber year this has been, this week you may notice a decline in the amount of these refreshing juicy cucurbits. Enjoy them in an Asian style salad with rice wine vinegar and sugar. I like to top it with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds.

Melons- A cool, damp summer has been hindering our melons but after a good long stretch of hot dry weather this is to be a big melon week. We grow five varieties of melons here at the farm, no matter which kind you receive in your share they are all carefully harvested at their peak of ripeness and sweetness. Below you will find a full description of melons so you can identify which it is you receive.

Onions- Red Bull onions are a storage variety but you are receiving them fresh so they do need to be refrigerated if not used right away.

Peppers- Most of our peppers we allow to change color on the plant, however that is probably still a few weeks away. So this week you will receive in your share 2 green bells. My favorite use for these is sautéed with onions and mushrooms and served in a pita pocket.

Summer Squash- As with cucumbers you can see fall is right around the bend with the slowing of our summer squash plants. Don’t worry soon you will be enjoying the fruits of autumn with the winter squash.

Tomatoes- They are probably my favorite vegetable of all, I can and will eat tomatoes at every meal while they are in season. They go well with just about anything or just sit down with the salt shaker and eat one like an apple. A quick side dish for lunch or dinner is a tomato basil salad. Just toss the basil leaves with olive oil, salt and pepper, add some largely chopped tomatoes and you have a super healthy delicious dish. Fresh mozzarella is a great addition to this salad.

*Basil- We are about to begin our next round of giving out large shares of basil, rotating pick up sites each week. We rotate to give the basil plants a chance to regenerate to keep the harvest controlled and productive. Try using your basil along with your cilantro in a Vietnamese style noodle soup. 

A Bit About Melons

We are growing five different kinds of melons at the farm this year. You can expect to see one of the following in your share this week:

Galia is a hybrid melon with a lime green flesh that is succulent and very sweet. It has light to medium netting on a highly uniform conical fruit.

Sugar Nut is a small early canary type of melon with fruits averaging about two pounds. It has greenish white flesh, is sweet and flavorful with a nice smooth texture and a small seed cavity. A 1/2 or whole melon is just the right size for a snack or dessert. It is harvested at the forced slip stage.

Maverick is an early melon variety, round to slightly oval fruits with a heavily sutured skin. They have an excellent sweet flavor. A kind of American cantaloupe they have orange flesh and a corky “net” on the skin. They are sometimes called muskmelons because of their “musky”, sweet taste.

Sivan is a charantais type melon. They are a hybrid variety forming a nearly round highly uniform fruit with delicate ribbing and deep orange super sweet flesh.

New Queen watermelon brings another color of the rainbow to your fruit plates. New Queen matures early and exhibits stunning bright orange flesh that is very tender, crisp and juicy with very few seeds, a 12% sugar content round out this exciting melon.

Recipes

Shchav- (Russian chard soup)
Adapted from Cooks.com

1 bunch chard
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk or sour cream

First melt the butter in a wide, heavy pan. Add chopped stems of chard and cook covered 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chopped leaves of chard and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. flour and stir until blended. Gradually blend in broth and sour cream or milk. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. If a smooth green soup is preferred, whirl mixture in a blender until it has the consistency desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Carrot and Cilantro Salad
Adapted from the Small Kitchen Gourmet

4 large or 8 smaller carrots
2 Tbsp. cilantro roughly chopped

Dressing

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Slice carrots thinly. Combine carrots with the cilantro in a bowl. Combine all the dressing ingredients thoroughly. Just before serving toss the carrot mixture with the dressing and transfer to a serving dish.

Flannel Cakes with Fresh Sweet Corn
Adapted from the American Woman’s Cook Book circa 1938

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. shortening
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs (separated)
2 cups milk
1 to 2 cups corn kernels

Rub the shortening into the flour. Add the salt and baking powder. Beat the yolks of the eggs light. Add the milk to the egg yolks and beat well. Gradually stir the liquid into the flour mixture and mix until quite smooth. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Add one to two cups of corn kernels to the batter. Bake on a moderately hot greased griddle.

Barn Owl

One of the rotations for the second year apprentices is a position called barn owl. The barn owl starts their day checking the walk-in cooler to spray down and make sure all the produce is at good moisture level. Then harvest begins after a flurry of activity in the barn making sure the bins are washed and loaded, newspaper for keeping sensitive vegetables damp and shielded from the elements, scale are loaded and knives get sharpened. Then everyone heads out to begin the harvest which at this point in the season takes generally from 6:30 am to noon, after which cooling and pack-out begins. The barn owl checks in all produce coming from the fields and records the weights and amounts onto the yield sheets. This past week for example we harvested 1,304 pounds of tomatoes. These then get sorted for ripeness to make sure those getting their share early in the week get the ripest while those getting their share later in the week get ones that will be ripe by then. Then we need to count or weigh again and do the math to fairly divide the bounty among all our members. It is a very attention demanding task to count literally thousands of tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, eggplants and more.

Moving on

It has been a truly amazing experience apprenticing at Sauvie Island Organics. As I enter my final month I want to let you know what a pleasure it has been growing vegetables for you, and how rewarding it has been to get to see first-hand your excitement at pick-up. The next few weeks will become increasingly busy with the harvest in full swing and harvesting my own crops from my 180 ft. by 3 ft. apprentice bed and preparing to relocate. I am leaving the same weekend I graduate the farm for Port Townsend Washington to assist in managing a new 6-acre farm. I look forward to applying all my new found skills and knowledge and thank the farm and you the members for all I have learned in the last 17 months