Fall Favorites
The weather is changing, and Fall is in the air at the farm. The cool but not cold temps and wonderful blue skies create a hankering for the comfort food of Autumn. As we have been handing out more than expected the last couple weeks, no doubt you have a full fridge. Keep in mind over these last few weeks that some veggies keep better than others, so you may want to prioritize what gets cooked first.

The eggplant, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, summer squash, herbs, lettuce and greens should be first on the list to use. The sweet potatoes will hold for months if kept in a warm, dry and dark place. Turnips, beets, kohlrabi, celeriac, cabbage, leeks, green tomatoes and peppers will keep several weeks or longer if kept in a bag in the fridge, though eat them up too if the mood strikes.

Green Tomatoes
As year 6 of the CSA draws to a close “what do I do with green tomatoes?” hopefully isn’t a questions members have in mind. Fried green tomatoes, green tomato and pepper relish, green tomato salsa, and green tomato curry are but a few of the recipes from our archives. Tried and eaten many times by us farmers, we can attest to the wonderful flavor green tomates can impart upon a dish.

Celeriac
No doubt a suspect vegetable for many, celeriac (or celery root) continues to find favor in our household. If you are not sure where to start using it, try the mashed white root recipe from our October 6, 2004 newsletter. We have found that when it makes up about 15 to 25% of a dish, it’s subtle flavor creates a delicious and out of the ordinary taste. The other night we made a potato leek soup that included one medium celeriac in the mix and felt it was as good a soup as we have ever made.

The harvest continues, and our best year of green beans is coming to an end. If you are wondering what to do with some of the ones you may not have eaten yet, or that you get in this week’s share, we recommend the recipe below. Many years ago I went to a small restaurant in Webster, New York that had a chef there who was a master at sauces. He was good with simple veggies too, and I had a dish of green beans with Asian five spice powder. The combination was superb, and I’ve used it often. We had the recipe below the other night.

Sweet Potato Greens
There will be a handful of samples of sweet potato greens at the end of the line this week. Ted Carey of KSU, who we buy our sweet potato starts from, has been working to re-introduce the many benefits of this delicious tuber to the area. Among the benefits is that you can eat the leaves of the plant, not just the root. Cooked, the greens are quite mild, but very healthy and full of antioxidants. Rebecca made a wonderful dish the other night based on this recipe. She modifed it quite a bit, using only a couple tablespoons of oil, subsituting fish sauce for the fish, and adding ginger. Google “sweet potato recipes” and see what you like. There is a simple recipe here. If people like them we will make them a regular share item in the fall.

Green Beans with Asian Five Spice Powder
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh green beans
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2 tsp Asian Five Spice Powder
1 to 2 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
3 tbsp sunflower seeds

Method:
Clean the green beans by snapping off and discarding the stem end, and then snapping the beans in two.
Steam beans for 5 to 10 minutes, or until tender but still crunchy
Transfer to a bowl and mix with remaining ingredients
Serve hot

You can also cook the beans by sauteing them in a skillet for 5 to 10 minutes over medium high heat until they start to carmelize a bit and then tossing with the remaining ingredients.

Bulk Order Week of 9/28/09
Garlic $8.00/lb
Chard $3.00/bunch
Eggplant $3.00/lb
Beets $3.oo/bunch (specify Chiogga (stripped), or red beets)
Jalapenos $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Pepperoncinis $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Tomato seconds (as available heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Basil $2.oo/bunch
Dried herbs $2.00/tin (thyme, marjoram, dried hot peppers, lovage, lavendar flowers, coriander, oregano, rosemary)

Several people have asked us to post some pictures from our weekday vacation last Wed/Thurs. We took a leisurly drive through rural Missouri to Arrow Rock, MO for our first trip off the farm since Spring. It is the site of one of the first major settlements in Missouri. At one time it was at the head of the Sante Fe trail, serving as a major jumping off point for western settlers. Below is a running photo shoot w/some links if you want more info.

Jim the Wonder Dog, Marshall, Missouri. The plaque speaks for itself.

The Down Over bed and breakfast. So named because from Arrow Rock you can go down to New Orleans, or over to Sante Fe.

In the 1830’s the Missouri River took a very different course than where it is today. It swung a mile or so further west to Arrow Rock landing, at the base of the arrow rock where flint could be procured, and just down the bluff from the town of Arrow Rock. The photo on the left is Arrow Rock landing today, dry unless the river is flooding. The photo on the right is the river bank today, much as it might have looked back then.

Spring where travelers filled their water barrels before heading out on the Sante Fe trail. The trail was used more as a commercial trade route than as a path for settlers.

Arrow rock, with flint layer in the bluff.

Tavern in the town of Arrow Rock.

From the Arrow Rock museum. Back then it was possible to feed a 100 member CSA with a lot less plants.

DuPont experimental farm for corn and soybeans. The sign called it the “corn pipeline.” Other signs we say along the road exhorted how a certain brand of seed would yield “More Ethanol Per Acre.” Doesn’t sound like very appetizing crops.

Grain bins in Malta Bend, MO.

Space age water tower near Waverly, MO.

On the veteran’s memorial in Lexington, MO.

Lafayette County Courthouse with cannonball stuck in it’s column from the Civil War battle of September 1861.

There is so much in the share this week that we are referring you to past recipes for your meal suggestions. Also, we are taking a short day trip tomorrow and are skimping on our blog time tonight.

Sweet Potato Ravioli with Lemon Sage Brown-Butter
Mashed Hakurei Turnip and Potatoes
Variations on Fried Peppers and Onions
Sweet Potato Latkes
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sage
Radish and Arugula Salad
Ruggieri Zucchini Fritters

Japanese Sweet Potatoes
While we didn’t have quite the harvest we hoped for (the voles ate a portion of the crops), we are able to give everyone some sweet potatoes. The Japanese variety have a beautiful purple skin with cream white flesh, so don’t be alarmed that these aren’t like your normal sweet potatoes. Be aware though that the flesh will darken after being cut and exposed to air, so use them immediately upon cutting. Cook them like you would any sweet or regular potato. The orange sweet potoatoes will be dug this Saturday and handed out in two weeks.

Bulk Order Week of 9/21/09
Green beans $2.50/lb
Garlic $8.00/lb
Broccoli $3.00/bunch
Sweet Peppers $5/lb
Chard $3.00/bunch
Eggplant $3.00/lb
Jalapenos $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Pepperoncinis $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Tomato seconds (as available heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Basil $2.oo/bunch
Dried herbs $2.00/tin (thyme, marjoram, dried hot peppers, lovage, lavendar flowers, coriander, oregano, rosemary)

Chiogga Beets
An heirloom Italian beet, they are growing as well as they ever have for us right now. After sowing the seeds and letting them come up, we thinned them a little farther apart than normal. That, along with the mild weather of August/September, and the oats/vetch cover crop that preceeded the planting probably all contributed to the success.

The white and red banding of this beet makes it half as red, and much milder than the deep red beets most of you are probably used to. The greens are also quite tender and delicious, both raw and cooked.

Chinese Cabbage
Also know as Napa cabbage, this is the first time in over a year that we have had a good crop. Rather than repeat myself, check out our October 7, 2008 blog for a kim chee recipe and more info on Chinese cabbage.

Beet Hash
A month ago our good friends from Bad Seed, Brooke and Dan, came by for a Sunday brunch. Their contribution was a delicious beet hash that they often make. Here is our stab at it, it turned out great. This works well with any beets. You can also add some chopped beet greens for the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Ingredients
1 bunch of beets
1 onion
2 large cloves of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp dried oregano, marjoram, summer savory or thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

Method
Cut the tops and root end off the beets. Cut them into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Stack the rounds and cut them into matchsticks. Chop the onions and garlic.

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Add the beets, salt, and oregano. Mix. Cook for 5 minutes more.

Stir and turn heat to medium low. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Add butter during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Hash is ready when beets are tender and slightly browned.

Bulk Order Week of 9/14/09
Green beans $2.50/lb
Garlic $8.00/lb
Broccoli $3.00/bunch
Chard $3.00/bunch
Eggplant $3.00/lb
Jalapenos $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Pepperoncinis $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Tomato seconds (as available heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Basil $2.oo/bunch
Dried herbs $2.00/tin (thyme, marjoram, dried hot peppers, lovage, lavendar flowers, coriander, oregano, rosemary)

German Potato Salad
We all have our comfort food. For me, potato salad is high on the list. I grew up in Cincinnati, a city steeped in Germania. The potato salad of choice there is the German variety, served hot, warm or cold and dressed with bacon grease and vinegar.

I also like a good mayonaise based dressing on my potato salad, but have learned that our farmhands are not so inclined. So the last time we fried up some Parker Farms bacon, I saved the bacon grease to make some potato salad the German way. It was more warmly recieved. Sorry that I don’t know of a way to convert this recipe for those vegans and vegetarians in the CSA. If you have any suggestions please add a comment to this blog.

I used the recipe below as a starting point, adding some chopped sweet pepper. Also, I only used the leftover bacon grease we had, sans bacon bits.

Ingredients (from AllRecipes.com)
3 cups diced peeled potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Method
1. Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.
2. Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

Bulk Order Week of 9/7/09
Jalapenos $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Pepperoncinis $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Tomato seconds (as available heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Basil $2.oo/bunch
Dried herbs $2.00/tin (thyme, marjoram, dried hot peppers, lovage, lavendar flowers, coriander, oregano, rosemary)

As I’m sure you are, we are happy when the shares are full. This week we are able to hand out an extra item as a way of saying thanks for your support, and to make up for any short week we might have had. Lots of produce calls for a recipe that uses as many items as possible, and this week’s (see below) includes potatoes, peppers, onions, eggplant, garlic, beans and herbs.

Hot Peppers
On May 17 of this year, as our tiny hot pepper plants were in the ground and waiting for the hot weather to start, the overnight temperature dipped to 39 degrees F. The resulting damage to these heat loving vegetables made us wonder if we would have any hot peppers at all this year. To our suprise many of them not only recovered, but have produced as much as any past season. In particular our jalapenos are going strong, providing the kick to this year’s salsa packs.

At this point we have more than we need for the packs and, based on our member survey comments calling for some spiciness, are putting the jalapenos in the shares as an herb choice. We presume that those who want them know what to do with them. For those not as familiar with how to best use them, we provide the following general comments:

– the spiciest part of a hot pepper is the insides…the seeds and the white pulp. See this video if you are a newbie. As they suggest, don’t touch your eyes after handling them.
– add them to any dish that you want a little spiciness, from fresh corn relish to a pork roast
– in general jalapenos are hot, but the heat doesn’t linger like the really hot ones, so their flavor can come through
– if you own a food mill, like member and Everything Begins With E blogger Emily Akins, you can make your own hot sauce, per the recipe in our August 30, 2006 newsletter. While supplies last, we are including jalapenos on the bulk list.

We also have pepperoncinis for sale on the bulk list. These are the spicy little pickled peppers that some restaurants serve with their pizza. They have a thin, tough skin which makes them good pickling. You do not have to seed them, as they are not as hot as other peppers, and the hotness does not linger too long. Pickling them is simple, and if you make a small batch there is no need to can them, just stick them in the fridge. Try our recipe, or check out the web for other similar ones. There is no salt in our recipe (no particular reason). If you are canning them, give the slashed peppers time to absorb the liquid you add, and then add more. If you don’t the liquid will fill the pepper cavities and drop the level in the jar.

Fried Potatoes with Onions, Peppers, Eggplant, Garlic and Green Beans
Ingredients
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 sweet pepper, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin or pressed
1 eggplant, cut into dice
1 lb potatoes, sliced thin
1/2 lb green beans cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp dried summer savory, marjoram or thyme
1 tsp salt
ground pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil

Method
Saute the onions and pepper in the olive oil over medium high heat for 2 minutes, or until onions are translucent
Add the garlic, eggplant, herbs, pepper and salt and cook for 3 more minutes
Add the potatoes, toss, and cook for 3 minutes. Add water, turn heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add green beans, more water if necessary, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Uncover and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and browned.
Serve hot, lukewarm or cold

Bulk Order Week of 8/24/09
Jalapenos $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Pepperoncinis $2.50/pint, $4.00/quart
Tomato seconds (as available heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Carrot seconds $2.00/lb
Oregano, basil $2.oo/bunch
Dried herbs $2.00/tin (thyme, marjoram, dried hot peppers, lovage, lavendar flowers, coriander, oregano, rosemary)

Melons
While I think everyone knows how to enjoy a good melon, a few notes on what you are getting from us. The watermelons were picked ripe in the field, with ripeness being a difficult thing to figure without cutting them all open. We expect that most all are ripe, however if you get one that is not, let us know and we will try to get you another sometime during the season. With the canteloupe, they are ripe when the stem end is fragrent and the green is gone from the skin.

Paste Tomatoes
Best for cooking, they are the meatiest of them all. Many of what you are getting are hybrid varieties that grow in a bush and produce a large bounty over a short time. The hybrids also hang well, and don’t ripen too quick. So you may get a tomato that still needs a little time to redden and soften up. Just let them set out in a bright part of your kitchen (out of direct sunlight), and they will continue to ripen.

These tomates will be great in last week’s recipe of Pasta Estate. They are also good for canned sauce, peeled and canned or frozen as whole tomatoes, or cut in half and dehydrated .

Pickling Cucumbers

Better late than never, this year’s pickling cucumbers have arrived. The first planting did not do well and ended up in our larder as cornichon, dill, and lime pickles. This ones coming on now should be available for the next 2 to 3 weeks. They are for sale on a first come/first serve basis, based on their size. A pickle pack consists of 4 quarts of cucumbers and whatever aromatics you want for your pickles (thyme & tarragon, dill or garlic; onion, hot pepper)

Bulk Order Week of 8/10/09
Pickling pack* (small cukes) $17.00
Pickling pack* (med. cukes) $13.00
Pickling pack* (large cukes) $11.00
Green beans $2.50/lb
Summer squash/cucumbers-lg $1.25 ea
Summer sq/cucumbers-med $0.75 ea
Summer sq-small $3.25/qt
Paste tomatoes (firsts) – $3.00/lb; $2.50/lb over 10 lbs
Tomato seconds (heirloom and hybrids) – $2.50/lb; $2.00/lb over 10 lbs
Kale – $3.00/bunch
Swiss chard – $3.00 per bunch
Carrots – $3.00 bunch
Carrot seconds $2.00/lb
Onions $3.00/quart
Oregano, basil, mint, dill flowers $2.oo/bunch
Dried herbs $2.00/tin (thyme, marjoram, dried hot peppers, lovage, lavendar flowers, coriander, oregano, rosemary)

* Pickling pack aromatics choices are garlic, dill, or cornichon