03 Oct Sun 2010
2010 Week 17 Newsletter with Recipes
CSA Newsletter
Winter Share SOLD OUT!
Volume 6
Issue 17- NMC
October 4, 2010
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Week 17
This is the last week for those of you who have half shares with us this week. Thank you so much for participating in our CSA this year! We appreciate your support so much and hope that your families have enjoyed the fresh produce all season. We hope to see you all again next season! (You may reserve your space now with just a $50 deposit.)
This week, new to everyone are parsnips, sweet potatoes, and tomatillos (not much this year...). You also have a return of beets and Yukon Gold potatoes.
Save the Dates
Tuesday, October 5th - Potato and Sweet Potato harvest.
If anyone has time to come this Tuesday, October 5th, we'd love to have you come that afternoon. Sorry for all the changes, but so much in farming depends on the weather. We're going to attempt to use the mechanical potato digger, so the job should go more quickly. We still need folks to help dig the sweet potatoes however and to walk behind the potato digger to pick up all the potatoes. Please let us know if you'll be joining us!
Friday, October 8th - Garlic Planting - 1pm-5pm
This is the best root day this fall to plant our garlic. Lots of hands will make it go quickly. We'd LOVE your help. We'll make our rows, plant the cloves and mulch the whole area with loose hay. Please call or send an email if you would like to help us on this day.
Garden Progress and Farm News
Mud! Mud! Mud! Harvest was interesting this weekend. Our new plantings in the big field are in the wettest area out there. Fortunately, when Eric made those rows, he hilled them. So the crops weren't under water, but boy were the walkways mucky! I harvested lettuce, Swiss chard and yellow squash by standing on two small wooden planks that I moved one after another down each lane (260 feet long). At least I wasn't ankle deep in the mud like I was Wednesday. That was the worst area. The rest was soft but could be walked on. Harvesting parsnips, sweet potatoes and Yukon Golds was a messy job too! I wore rubber gloves and was just coated in mud (as were the fork and shovel) by the time I was done. I didn't get a good look at the crops until I hosed them down.
The sweet potatoes aren't pretty, but they sure taste good. I'm not sure what gets them all pocked and grooved up like they are. I'll look into it for next season. I'm pleased with the yield so far though. I plan to plant at least double next season and pull them up a bit earlier. Eric's mom just found out that sweet potato leaves are edible too! If any of them survive the frost, I'm going to try them out! So everyone just gets a bit of this new crop to try out. I had anticipated not having enough to offer our members, so am particularly pleased to have enough for you all to taste!
After I finished up in the milk room this evening, I headed out to the field to harvest the rest of the winter squash and pie pumpkins for our winter share members. I had the best crew: Madeleine, Calvin, Eric, Sarah (Eric's sister), and Addy (our 2-year-old niece). We filled two 70-gallon stock tanks to overflowing full in an hour! Great team work and a heck of a lot more fun!
Recipes of the Week
Sweet Potato and Beet Chips with Garlic Rosemary Salt Adapted from foodnetwork.com
•2 sweet potatoes
•2 beets
•1 garlic clove, minced
•1 teaspoon very finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
•2 tablespoons salt
•Olive or sunflower oil
Special Equipment: V-slicer or mandoline
Wash the vegetables and dry very well. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the garlic, rosemary and salt. Set aside.
Meanwhile, trim 1-inch off the end of each sweet potato. Using the V-slicer or mandoline, slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick. Trim 1-inch off the root end of the beets. Using the V-slicer or mandoline slice the beets into very thin slices, about 1/8-inch thick. Toss vegetable slices in olive oil or sunflower oil. Arrange on a cookie sheet (or two) bake until golden and edges start to curl. Carefully toss with salt mixture in a large bowl and serve.
*You may also want to do this with your potatoes for a three-colored treat!
Creamy Tomatillo Sauce
1/2 pound fresh tomatillos
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles, drained
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
Remove and discard husks from tomatillos; cut tomatillos into quarters, and place in a small saucepan. Add onion and next 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes or until tomatillos are tender. Pour tomatillo mixture into container of an electric blender or food processor; top with cover, and process until smooth. Press puree through a sieve to remove seeds. Stir in green chiles and sour cream.
Beet Soup from allrecipes.com
"A gorgeous, healthy, and very tasty beet soup that's so simple to make. Beets and sauteed onions and garlic simmer in beef broth before being finished with a swirl of cream."
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 medium beets, peeled and chopped 2 cups beef stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
heavy cream
1. Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic; cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in beets, and cook for 1 minute.
2. Stir in stock, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, and simmer until the beets are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
3. In batches, add soup to a food processor, and pulse until liquefied. Return soup to saucepan, and gently heat through. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a swirl of cream.
1pm-5pm____________________________________________________________