week 22

yikes - i've gotten behind!  here's this week's.  I'll try to post some photos and catch up soon...

Red Springs Family Farm                      

November 1, 2012 week 22

Lettuce                Green Peppers               Green Tomatoes

Pink Mustard                  Tat Soi     Big Red Radishes          Kale

Sweet Potatoes           Winter Squash      Garlic

Herb bag:      Parsley   Dill      Sorrel   

“We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. ” - Charles Chaplin

BRRRRRR!

It was 24 degrees just before dawn this morning.  MUCH colder than we had anticipated.  As I write, we're still waiting for the garden to thaw a bit so we can pick.  Hopefully, all the leaves have held up through the night. 

The cold nights lately have really put the gardens to bed.  The nasturtiums and marigolds finally went down.  We picked the last green peppers and green tomatoes.  If they hold up well, we'll send a final round next week. 

The Pink Mustard does not much resemble your standard mustard.  It is not hot or spiny.  If you want spicy and spiny, definitely eat your radish greens. The Tat Soi and Mustard are both suitable for salads, or fast stir fry cooking.  The same goes for the pink daikon radishes.  These veggies are versatile!

Admittedly, we have never tried  Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie, but I'm fascinated by the concept, and intend to give it a shot this year.

Mock Mincemeat Pie

Cut into pieces:

1 ½ cups seeded raisins

Pare, core and slice:

4 medium tart apples or a combination apples and green tomatoes

Combine raisins and apples.  Add:

Grated rind of 2 orange                     juice of one orange

½ cup cider or other fruit juice

Cover these ingredients and simmer until the apples are very soft.  Stir  in until well blended:

¾ cup sugar                            ½ tsp each cinnamon and cloves

2-3 Tbsp crushed soda crackers

This mixture will keep for several days.  Shortly before using, add:

1 or 2 Tbsp brandy

Preheat oven 450.  Line a pie pan with a pie dough.  Fill it with mock mincemeat.  Cover with a pricked upper crust or a lattice.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake about 20 minutes.

In this basket, you have the supplies for a slightly unconventional harvest feast.  For our personal Halloween celebration this year, we made Colcannon and popcorn balls.  Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish, often served at St. Patrick's Day, and also traditional for Halloween.   The broiling part at the end is optional.  We like it whipped light and served straight from the stove top.  Now that the last of the peppers are upon us, it might be nice to stuff into some peppers and bake a few minutes.  If you decrease the liquid, you can make Colcannon patties and fry them like pancakes.  Versatile comfort food...

Colcannon

1 1/2 pounds potatoes

1 savoy cabbage, trimmed, pale-green leaves finely shredded (4 cups) – OR KALE (I use MORE)

1 leek, or 2 onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice                            1 cup milk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter                                               1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Coarse salt

Preheat broiler. Peel and quarter potatoes, and place in a medium saucepan; add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Mash with a potato masher or pass through a ricer; cover pan to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine cabbage (or kale), leek (or onion) , milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and nutmeg; season with salt. Cover, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 15 minutes. Stir into potatoes.

(optional:) Spread mixture in an 8-inch square baking dish. Make a small well in the center, and place under the broiler until lightly browned on top, about 5 minutes.

Remove from broiler. Place remaining 2 tablespoons butter in well. Serve immediately, spooning melted butter from well onto each serving, if desired.

Our thoughts remain with those who are still bailing out of the floods, or covered with snow, in the Northeast.  Amazing.  We'll close with more of that interesting quote from Charlie Chaplin. 

“We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men; cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all.”

~ Charles Chaplin

We hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  Set your clocks back, and kindle your inner light as the length of the night increases.  Eat your greens and keep warm.

Best regards,

The Entwistles