Welcome to the 20th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!
Here’s what’s in the share this week:
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Eggplants
- Potatoes – Fingerlings
- Carrots
- Beans – yellow pole beans
- Head Lettuce
- Cooking Greens
- Basil
- Salsa Kits – tomatillos, hot peppers, cilantro, small onions, garlic
- Giant Leek – from Persephone Farm!
In the height of the summer, even a cold summer like we’ve just experienced, we find ourselves beyond busy. We’re planting fall and overwintering crops, we’re harvesting like crazy at the peak of the season, we’re trying our hardest to keep up with the weeds. Now that we’re easing into darker days and the rain has moved in, we find ourselves taking more time to look around and think about projects that are less urgent. Of course we have plenty to keep us busy on the farm, and we didn’t get to all of those dry weather projects before the rain set in, but we’re feeling good about the slower pace that fall has brought to us.
Amidst preparing for putting the farm to bed for the upcoming winter months and thinking about the upcoming season and its unanswered questions, we’ve found a little extra time to enjoy ourselves too. The last couple of weeks we’ve found more time to spend in the kitchen, cooking meals and preserving the end of the summer goodness (roasted red pepper tomato soup anyone?). We even made it to the library this weekend and took out piles of books that we’ve been enjoying the past few evenings in front of the fire.
Last June, when we were a little spooked about the growing season in front of us, and were a little overwhelmed by the ramping up of work and also our first major crop failures, a farming friend told us to hang in there and that by October we’d hardly remember the tough spring. It was encouraging advice at the time and, though I distinctly remember the tough times of the early season, we’ve made it to October and I can say I’m glad to be here. We hope that you’re glad to still be with us too! On that note, I’d like to remind everyone of the on-farm event coming up in a couple of weeks. On Sunday October 16th we’re inviting you out to the farm for our pumpkin patch day. More details to come next week.
Enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler.
Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:
Creamy Leek, Potato, and Sour Cream Chive Soup
3 Tb. butter
2-3 leeks, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 lb. potatoes, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ to 1 cup sour cream
4 Tb. chopped fresh chives, divided
salt and pepper
Melt butter in pot over medium-low flame. Add leeks and dill; cover and cook slowly, 15-20 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; bring to simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Puree mixture. Return puree to pot; stir in sour cream and 2 tablespoons chives. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle each serving with additional chives. Makes 6 servings.
From “From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce,” Madison Area CSA Coalition
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Baba Ganoush (Eggplant Dip)
4 medium eggplant, globe or Italian (to yield 2 cups cooked eggplant)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¼ cup tahini (see Note)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
~ Salt to taste
~ Juice of 2 to 3 lemons
~ Diced parsley for garnish (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Prick the eggplant with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until soft and squishy but not burned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
3. Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the roasted flesh; chop coarsely. Discard the skins.
4. Purée cooked eggplant to a smooth consistency in a blender or food processor. Add garlic, tahini, olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the juice of two lemons; mix until blended. Season to taste with extra salt and lemon juice.
5. Serve as a dip for raw sliced veggies or pita bread, or as a sandwich spread.
Notes
Tahini is a purée of roasted sesame seeds. Look for it in a jar or can at your grocery store; it’s usually housed with Middle Eastern foods or on the same shelf as other nut butters, such as peanut butter.
From Culinate via Carrie Floyd, http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Culinate+Kitchen/Basics/baba_ganoush_eggplant_dip
2 responses to “csa share – week 20 {october 4}”
Georgeous veggies! I love seeing what grows so well this time of year around the country. Amidst our bad drought, we’re managing, although not quite as well as it looks like from your basket!
Gosh, thanks! We’re feeling lucky to have relatively mild weather here. I know most of the country was hit with serious weather events this year and farmers across the country must be feeling it.