week 16

one bag: Lettuce Basil Cilantro Arugula

Sage Cucumber

in another bag: Onions Garlic Okra

Variety Peppers Summer Squash Eggplants

And the first Winter Squash plus a few Tomatoes

We did an experiment with our winter squash this season, and it failed. What we did was try to contain the sprawling squash in the patch of field corn. In years past, we have rather successfully planted squash and corn together. We noticed that the squash set its best fruit when it crawled out from under the shade of the corn, but it still held some ground under the corn and kept down some weeds, so it worked out alright. This year, we put a little more space between each corn plant, and tried to keep the squash IN. If we persist in this experiment, we're going to have to put even more space between each corn plant, because it has grown quite obvious that winter squash wants more light than we've been giving it. We learn a lot from reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. Farmer Boy, in particular, is a sort of an informal farm manual for Upstate New York a couple hundred years ago. Evidently, corn was planted VERY farm apart – so that the horse team could be driven between the rows, going both ways. After a certain amount of cultivation was done, the pumpkins could go in between the corn. It must have been beautiful to see. But it would take A LOT of room to grow enough corn that way.

So – these lovely squash are from Long Hungry Creek Farm. Enjoy.

There's something about sage and squash that really worked together, in my opinion. And the sage gets really big about now, just when the squashes are harvested. I like to gently fry a few leaves in butter as a tasty garnish. It's hard to go wrong with that combination.

We're thinking hard about planting garlic now, and will probably begin digging up sweet potatoes later this week.

The little patty pan squash are like tender buttery morsels out in the garden. It's a thrill to find them each time I harvest, though inevitably a few hide out and manage to sit on the vine until they become more like small alien spacecraft. They make a fine zucchini bread, now that it's gotten cool enough to want to bake again.

One of our favorite treatments for squash is Vegetable Fritters – very satisfying flavor, forgiving recipe, and easily doubled (from Simply In Season):

1/3 cup flour ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper 2 eggs Mix to form a smooth batter. Add...

3 cups shredded summer squash 1/3 cup onion or 2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp fresh herbs – your choice Add to batter and then drop onto a hot greased skillet by the spoonful. Fry until golden on both sides and enjoy.

Have a great week!

dec 13 - almost winter

Broccoli           Kohlrabi          Tat Soi     

Black Spanish Radish                        Butternut       

Sweet Potato              Garlic

Herb bag:      Arugula Chickweed     Thyme               Dill         

Thanks for keeping up the good veggie eating.  This broccoli is your reward for sticking with us through this long late season.  Hope you enjoy it too.  It doesn’t need much cooking.  One of the best things we’ve ever done with our broccoli is to mix it raw in a simple carrot salad. 

Here’s the deal – we will be coming to town next week and will be glad to bring another basket of veggies in for anyone who wants it.  After that, we’re taking a few weeks off for holidays, and it could very well be that the gardens will be dormant.  We’ll just see how the peculiarities of this particular winter play out.

Simple Sauteed Kohlrabi

2 medium kohlrabi bulbs, grated      1 tsp salt                     ¼ cup butter or light oil

1 medium diced onion                       1 clove garlic              2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chives, or sage

1) Mix the kohlrabi and salt in a colander and let stand for 30 minutes to drain.

2) Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.

3) Stir in the kohlrabi.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

4) Increase the heat to medium, uncover the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the fresh herbs.  Let stand for a couple minutes to let the flavors develop.

Intriguing recipe sent from a Lafayette friend:

Southwestern Pumpkin Hummus

6 cloves garlic                         1 ¾ cups mashed or canned pumpkin (butternut)

¼ cup fresh cilantro               ¼ cup fresh lime juice

¼ cup tahini                           2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 tsp cumin                             1 tsp salt, or to taste

½ tsp chili powder                 ½ tsp chipotle pepper

Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Put the garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse to chop fine.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.  Garnish with pumpkin seeds and drizzle with additional oil before serving.  Serve with vegetables, crackers, or tortilla chips.

Thanks for sharing this good stuff.  We appreciate you.

Paul, Coree, Lulah and Levon

the end of november

Fun Jen Chinese Cabbage      Kale     Yokatta Na

White Potatoes           Seminole Pumpkins       Garlic

Herb bag:      Sorrel     Chickweed     Parsley              Dill         

It’s been cold, and the garden is flattening out.  The plants get closer to the ground.  Deep green leaves turn a little purple.  Growth is slow in the short days, but the flavors are more intense.

We’re scaling back now.  There’s more food than we anticipated having in the garden, but it’s best not to pick things when they’re frozen, and some of the basic crops are taking longer to regenerate now.  If you want veggies, watch for an email on Mondays.  We’ll aim for every other week or so, pending the weather, and as supplies last!

The little greens with little tiny leaves in your herb bag are Chickweed.  It grows wild around the garden.  This time of year, it is a succulent bright green.  It is fresh on the palate, nice on sandwiches and in wraps, excellent on salads, even do-able as a pesto or tabbouli green.  By Spring, it will be thick with stems, covered in white flowers and tiny seeds that propel themselves out and around the garden as we walk through, insuring another flush crop next Fall.  Wild greens are really good for you, and few are as palatable as Chickweed.

The shiny oval leaves are Yokatta Na – steam, stir fry, or slice thin in salad.

Fun Jen is light green and lettucey – same as Yokatta Na – try a variation on slaw.

Kale is matte, not shiny, and dark green with round thin ribs – steam, or fry with garlic. Yum.

Some fun with pumpkins or squash:

Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream (from Plenty)

1 1/2 pounds pumpkin (skin on)                              1/2 cup grated Parmesan

3 tablespoons dried white breadcrumbs                   6 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme                    Grated zest of 2 large lemons

2 cloves garlic                                                             Salt and white pepper

1/4 cup olive oil                                                         1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the pumpkin into 3/8-inch-thick slices and lay them flat, cut-side down, on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

2) Mix together in a small bowl the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, half the lemon zest, the garlic, a tiny amount of salt (remember, the Parmesan is salty) and some pepper.

3) Brush the pumpkin generously with olive oil and sprinkle with the crust mix, making sure the slices are covered with a nice, thick coating. Gently pat the mix down a little.

4) Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender: stick a little knife in one wedge to make sure it has softened and is cooked through. If the topping starts to darken too much during cooking, cover loosely with foil.

5) Mix the sour cream with the dill and some salt and pepper. Serve the wedges warm, sprinkled with the remaining lemon zest, with the sour cream on the side.

Be warm, keep well, and enjoy your veggies.                              Best regards from the Entwistles