This week you will be able to feel Autumn approaching in air, as well as your share. A morning low of 48 degrees greeted us on Tuesday as we harvested. A welcome relief from the hot days of July and August. And the delicious crops of Fall also greets us now, with radish, arugula, greens, and sweet potatoes finding their way to the dinner table.
A recent article in the LA Times talks about the resurgence of sweet potatoes as a “go to” food for many Americans. In the past decade sweet potato consumption in the US has doubled. On the menu at many a restaurant, this delectable tuber is seeing a popularity it has not known for some time.
Here at the farm we have doubled our sweet potato production of just a few years ago. We have found that we have more consistent results growing them than crops like winter squash, and we like them just as much. We have settled in on growing two separate varieties; the old standard orange “Beauregard”, and the white skinned and fleshed “O’Henry.” The former is in your share this week, the latter in two weeks. We hope that you enjoy them and that they serve as a good substitute for winter squash.
Sage
Sage, aka salvia officinalis, is an herb known through the ages. This aromatic herb is traditionally used in sausage making and turkey stuffing. It is also a wonderfully matched accompaniment to sweet potatoes. Simply clean and cut your sweet potatoes, add some olive oil, salt and chopped sage, and roast at 400 degrees until tender and browned.
Broccoli Raab
Among the greens choices this week is broccoli raab, aka rapini. With the taste of both broccoli and mustard greens it is quite hearty. We suggest checking out our Week 3 blog from 2009 for more info and a link to a great article by NY Times food writer Mark Bittman.
Roasted Green Beans
One thing we enjoy about the CSA work days at the farm is the chance to talk with the members and hear how they prepare the vegetables in their share. On Saturday in the bean patch Janice Marsh talked about her incredible simple recipe for green beans…roasting them.
That was all we needed to try it out. Her simple instructions (see below) produced a delicious dish. Thanks Janice.
Ingredients
Green beans
Olive oil
Salt
Method
Snap the stem end off the beans and pull the strings off the sides. (While the beans are tender, it will help to get rid of the string).
Toss beans with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and salt to taste.
Roast at 400 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes, until desired tenderness.
Herb Tins
We buy herb tins at the start of the season to have a convenient container for providing you with the choice of a dried herb. We like this tins not only because they are attractive and work well, but because they are reusable.
So, if you have accumulated some tins and are not using them around the house, you can bring them to distribution and they will find their way back to us, and then back to you.
