week 18

Lettuce            KALE              Tomatoes

Eggplant         Peppers           Acorn squash

Onions                        Potatoes      Garlic     

Herb bag:          Basil        Parsley    Arugula   Nasturtium  

“To the eyes of the (wo)man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.” ~ William Blake

We lit the wood stove Wednesday morning to knock the chill off.  Lulah was excited to wear footie jammies.  Levon, not so much.  Tomorrow is the Equinox.  We wish you equanimity on the Equinox.

The Acorn Squashes are a real treat.  We ate some of the white ones this week, like this:

Stuffed Acorn Squash

1) Split the squashes in half lengthwise and bake, split side down, in a pan with a little water in a medium oven until soft to poke.  You can do this in the morning. 

2) Saute in olive oil or butter two onions and a couple cloves of garlic with some diced sweet pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.  Throw in some finely chopped parsley and walnuts at the end.  Mix in and heat together with a couple cups of leftover grain – rice, millet, mashed potatoes might even be ok.

3) Gently scoop most of the flesh from each half of the acorn squash and add to the stuffing mix.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Return the mix to the acorn squash shells, grate a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top and return to the oven (cut side up this time) just long enough to melt the cheese and heat through.  Enjoy!

Cheese!  I’ve heard murmers of interest in that good Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese (see www.kennyscheese.com) from time to time this season.  So we’re making an order – if enough of you are interested – we’ll bring it to town October 4 – the last delivery of the main season.  There have been some changes in the pricing.  All of these prices are for half pound blocks:

Asiago – 4.50              Barren Co. Blue – 4.75                       Cheddar (aged or mild) – 4.00

Colby (plain or chipotle) – 3.50         Mild Gouda – 4.00                 Monterey Jack – 3.50

Swiss – 4.50                Awe-Brie – 5.50                      Havarti – 3.50

If you’re interested in larger pieces, prices adjust down some.  A 5 pound block of Mild Cheddar costs 7.50/lb (37.50).  Inquire about other varieties’ bulk prices if you’re interested.  Find friends and split it up.  For cheese with integrity, the prices are actually good. 

Please send me your orders no later than Monday (September 23).  Thanks!

Also – if you’re wondering what to do next weekend (September 28-30), we highly recommend the Harvest Festival at Long Hungry Creek Farm.  Coree helps organize, and it’s a very fun and inspiring event for people interested in good food, alternative health, farming or gardening.  Meals are provided with the cost of registration, and the food is excellent.  Look up www.barefootfarmer.com to see the schedule, details and directions to the farm.  Paul will be leading a seed saving workshop Friday afternoon.  We would be thrilled to see you there.

In other news around the hollow, the chickens have finally left the nest box!  Last week we hatched the last chick!  Only one egg was left un-hatched, and we have a grand total of 11 chicks, plus 1 turkey poult.  The smallest ones are still fluffy (we’ve pulled them inside to the warmth of the house these cold nights), and Stripes (the oldest chick) is getting real bird feathers now.  We sometimes call her/him Falcon these days, for the peculiar bird-of-prey look that comes across from time to time.  The chicks are great fun and we’re so glad that the mother hens are being motherly and cooperative in their shared coop. 

Spanish Tortilla with Sweet Pepper (a’la Martha Stewart)

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving           1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced thick

1 sweet pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thin sliced          1 med onion, halved and thin sliced

Coarse salt and ground pepper                                            8 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish       1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium. Add potatoes, pepper, and onion; season with salt and pepper (skillet will be full). Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crisp-tender, 14 to 16 minutes. Uncover, and cook off excess liquid, 1 to 2 minutes.

2) In a bowl, whisk together eggs, parsley, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet, and stir to distribute evenly. With the back of a spatula, press down on vegetables so they lay flat and are submerged. 

3) Bake until tortilla is set, 12 to 16 minutes. To unmold, run a rubber spatula around edge of skillet to release tortilla; invert onto a serving plate. Drizzle tortilla with oil; garnish with parsley.

Red Pepper Triangles with Relish

Essentially, what we’re doing here is using the sweet pepper as a cracker!  Martha Stewart roasts them slightly.  I think you could use them, especially the very sweet red and yellow ones, RAW.

5 sweet peppers                                             2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper                    2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley                     1/4 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus                       1 tablespoon juice

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes                   

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Cut tops and bottoms from peppers, then half lengthwise. Use a chef's knife to remove ribs and seeds. Cut peppers into rectangular planks, each about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, then cut diagonally into 24 triangles.

2) On prepared sheet, toss bell pepper with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange skin-side down in a single layer and bake until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes; set aside to cool.

3) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine prosciutto, parsley, olives, remaining tablespoon oil, lemon zest and juice, and red-pepper flakes. Top each pepper triangle with relish.

 

Note:  Make sure to take the peppers out of the oven before they get too soft. They should still be firm enough to hold the toppings. To store, refrigerate roasted peppers and relish separately, up to one day.

We’re beginning to grub up the sweet potatoes and clean up the fields now.  Looking forward to sharing those soon Thank you all for being part of our lives, our work.  We appreciate you.

Paul, Coree, Lulah and Levon Entwistle