Rising River Farm CSA Newsletter
Box 14 ***September 20th, 2006
13208 201st AVE SW -Rochester, WA 98579
(360) 273-5368
www.risingriverfarm.com risingriverfarm@yahoo.com

It is amazing what a difference a cool, rainy week will make. Many of our more summery crops have stopped in their tracks. Only the crookneck squash seem unfazed. (I think we could feed a small country with all the squash we have had this summer!) Cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, and other warm weather lovers are unsure what to do. The abundance of beans and tomatoes was short lived. We are in between corn plantings as well, so no corn this week. You do get a new item in your box-fennel. It is the licorice tasting green frondy bulbous thing. (How’s that for a description?) Both the fronds and bulb are edible. Use it in salad, grilled, juiced, in red sauce…. There are all sorts of options.
Looking around I see endless evidence of fall-leaves turning, birds migrating, old corn stalks dried and rattling in the wind and of course bright orange pumpkins. The winter squash vines are starting to die back and we hauled in the pie pumpkins already. Spaghetti squash, buttercup, delicata, and acorn all await harvest. We like to wait until the first frost to harvest the squash because the frost sweetens it instantly. The problem is that once the vines die back in a frost, there is no longer leaf protection for the squash and damage can occur when it frosts again (usually the next night). I think every year for the past 4 or 5 years, that killing frost seems to occur on a weekend when we have no crew around, no childcare, and one of us has to go to market. Even our usually reliable and helpful neighbors all are suddenly away or busy. That means Jim and I have to drag the kids around the field after market and haul squash back and forth until after dark. This year since some of the vines are dying back on their own we are getting a small jump on the task.
Our big tiller is down. Amazing (and frustrating!) how one tiny bearing can put all of our fall work on hold. We have hours and hours of tilling to do in order to get the cover crop in. Jim got the part yesterday and hopefully that will fix it. I just can’t wait to get on that tractor!!!!!!
I have a great recipe to use up all the misc. veggies in your fridge, esp. left over mashed potatoes. This recipe is endlessly variable. It is called Sheperd’s Pie. I got this one out of the Laurel’s Kitchen cookbook. It is a very hearty, warming meal-perfect for a cold wet day such as this. I’ll summarize it here:

-Saute any or all of the following until crispy-tender-use bay leaves and basil for seasoning as well as salt and pepper.
Onion, garlic, carrots, green beans, summer squash, tomatoes, chard, corn, etc….
-Lay out in dutch oven or deep baking dish.
-Cover with mashed potatoes (about 3 cups worth)
-Sprinkle paprika on top
-bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until potatoes are piping hot.

Enjoy-Jennifer