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Rising River Farm
13208 201st Ave SW
Rochester, WA 98579 360-273-5368
contact@risingriverfarm.com
www.risingriverfarm.com
October 3 ***** Box 16
Hello,
After getting the crew set up this morning, Jim walked in
the kitchen and said “I think you should write something
about the death of summer in the newsletter today.”
That might give you an indication of what it was like harvesting
yesterday in the pouring rain and in today’s chilly
morning air. (You can almost hear violins playing in the background,
can’t you?) As farmers we take the good with the bad.
Like all things in life we need a little of both to appreciate
the good things.
The weather sure has turned. No subtle transitions this year.
Thankfully, Jim got all of the cover crop in last Friday.
He was on the tractor until 9:00 at night with the headlights
on. When the rain first started we heaved a sigh of relief
that it was all getting nicely watered in. Hopefully it will
sprout before the crows eat it all.
It is interesting how this change in weather changes the food
I crave. Salsa doesn’t sound so good, but potato leek
soup would hit the spot. I look for excuses to bake something-potatoes,
squash, muffins-anything to warm the kitchen Yes I am sad
to see the basil, tomatoes, squash, cukes, and beans looking
so bedraggled in the mud, but if I keep walking I’ll
come upon the lush patch of brassicas full of cabbage, kohlrabi,
kale, and radishes (they’ll be ready soon). Leeks love
this time of year. Chard could care less until it dips down
in the 20’s. The CSA boxes get heavier, but the variety
gets smaller. We’ve considered expanding our winter
fare to include turnips, rutabagas, celeriac, and the like,
but fear most would end up in the barter boxes. Those veggies
are not highly sought after, but are easy enough to find locally
at the farmers market, so we know you won’t starve!
Many of you have asked when the last box will be. October
17th will be the last delivery. Over the next three weeks
you will get a variety of winter squash, potatoes, shallots,
leeks, chard, kale, onions, parsley, carrots, radishes, cabbage
(and possible something else I am forgetting.)
Today’s box has some new and interesting things:
-Leeks: Use these in lieu of onions in soups and stir-fries.
They are related to onions, but have a fresher, more lively
flavor. Dirt sometimes gets trapped in the layers as they
grow, so to clean them cut them in half lengthwise and fan
under running water.
-Shallots: They are like the high-fashion city cousin in the
onion family. They look like very small onion and can be used
in place of an onion. They are considered to be more “gourmet”
due to their distinctive and complex flavor. They make a great
base for a soup or minced fine in a vinaigrette dressing.
-Popcorn: This is last year’s popcorn. We needed to
make room for this year’s crop to hang and dry. You’ll
get one of two kinds-yellow or multi-colored. You can add
it to you fall shrine on the dining table of winter squash,
shallots, and onions until you feel inspired to eat it. We
have found that it pops best in an air popper (easy enough
to find at Goodwill for cheap!), though we have some success
with
the standard oil in a covered pot method. Our favorite toppings
are tamari and nutritional yeast or melted butter and honey.
Pie pumpkin: As we mentioned with the delicata, let this sit
a week or two before you eat it to allow it to sweeten up.
These are great for pie, of course, as well as soups and breads.
Storage onions: The bags are a mix of Copra and Red Wing onions,
both great for storage. Keep them in a cool place like a garage,
mudroom, or cool cupboard in the pantry and they’ll
store well into winter.
Survey
We are including a survey with this week’s box and really
urge you all to fill it out. Even if you think all is perfect,
fine, and dandy we need to hear that too. We really value
your feedback and want to hear any concerns you have. You
can mail it in or return it to the pick-up site within the
next two weeks. Feel free to sign your name or be anonymous.
Thank you.
Recipes:
Look in you cookbook under the fall section for great ideas
for kale and squash.
Potato Leek soup. There is a recipe in the cookbook, but
I found a simpler one I like better. I really prefer to sauté
in butter rather than oil for a richer flavor.
-Saute leeks in butter until translucent
-add chunked up yellow finn potatoes
-add enough water to just cover the veggies
-simmer until potatoes are tender
-puree in food processor and return to pot.
-add enough milk to attain your desired thickness of soup
and gently bring back up to an almost boil.
-add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with warm bread or biscuits.
Roasted winter vegetables. (A good way to use up all the
roots veggies rolling around in your crisper drawer!)
-Turn oven on to 400
-chunk up any or all of the following in whatever proportion
you prefer: potatoes, carrots, beets, red pepper, garlic,
winter squash, (and whatever else)
-coat lightly in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread in
a baking dish
-bake for 45-ish minutes, uncovered, stirring at the half
hour mark. Cook longer if you like your veggies slightly crisp
and browned.
-add more salt if needed.
Enjoy!
Jennifer
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