Nineteenth Pick Up Is Today 10.27.2009

Hello Everyone,

I'm sorry for last week's lack of full update. It was a busy one. On Sunday night/Monday morning we got freezing temperatures at the farm. Those temps killed the okra, the green beans, the peppers and the sweet potato vines. We picked all the peppers on Sunday afternoon and evening so we'll have some for the last two weeks. And while the vines died, the sweet potatoes themselves were not damaged. We did have to get them all out of the ground between the freeze on Monday morning and the rain we got this past weekend.

Now that the sweet potatoes are dug we have to cure them. This entails keeping them in a dry space heated to about 80 degrees F for a week or so. During this time their stored starches turns to the sugars that give them their sweet taste. Lucky for you we dug some a few weeks ago and have already cured them. You'll get some of those potatoes this week in your container.

Just so we're clear, we have two more weeks. You will pick up a container of vegetables today, October 27th between 4:30 and 6:30 at your regular pick up location. You will pick up your last container next Tuesday, November 3rd at your regular location. That will be the official end of the Cold Water Creek Farms 2009 CSA season.

You should see a survey to fill out this week which will help us to make improvements for next season. Please be candid with us as it's the only way we can get better at providing high quality produce to you. You can fill it out and return it next week at our pick up or you can mail it(especially if you'd rather fill it out anonymously)to:

Cold Water Creek Farms

P.O. Box 936

Concord, NC 28026

Aaron will do some postponed traveling in November and December. *BUT* Eric and Brad will continue to grow both field crops and greenhouse vegetables throughout the winter. Be sure to talk to them about how to purchase this food for those of you looking to eat local this winter.

Eric Williamson eric.coldwatercreekfarms@gmail.com 704/796.7795
Brad Hinckley organicfarmerbrad@yahoo.com 828/406.0849

Information about our 2010 CSA season will go out in January.

Much thanks to Keaton and Salem for help last week in assembling the containers. A picture is attached. Also thanks to Mark & Ethan, Karen, Eric & Sarah, and also to Beth for help getting Shittake mushroom logs inoculated this past Saturday. We'll do more of this in the future for those of you interested.

This week the full share containers will get baby Pac Choi and Tatsoi. These are relatively new vegetables for us and we didn't grow enough to provide everyone with a taste this week. However we will have enough next week to make sure the half share members get to try them. The Pac Choi is like celery without the celery taste and the Tatsoi is like a cross between spinach and a very mild mustard. Both are excellent in stir fry.

This week:

Collards
Apples
Sweet Potatoes
Radishes
Sweet Peppers
Mild Peppers
Mizuna (Full Shares)
Mizuna/Turnip Green Mix (Half Shares - for cooking)
Lettuce (Full Shares)
Baby Pac Choi & Tatsoi (Full Shares - next week for half shares!)
Turnips

Enjoi,

Aaron


Recipes

From Barbara

Quick White Bean Stew with Swiss Chard and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 lb Swiss Chard (any green will do), large stems discarded and cut crosswise into 2 inch strips
1/4 C EVOO
3 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 C Canned tomatoes, chopped
One 16 oz can drained cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt

Method:

Bring pot of water to boil. Add greens and simmer over moderate heat until tender-approx 8 minutes. Drain and press out excess water

Heat oil. Add garlic and red pepper and cook until garlic is golden, 1 minute.
Add tomatoes and bring to boil. Add beans and simmer over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Add chard and simmer until flavors meld-approx 5 minutes. Season with salt and serve. (Food & Wine, Oct)


Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 sweet potatoes (2 1/4 pounds), peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 large Granny Smith apples (3 pounds)--peeled, halved, cored, and sliced 1/4- inch thick
1 cups pure maple syrup
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease 2 very large, shallow baking dishes. Alternating the sweet potato and apple slices, arrange the slices in the baking dishes in a single layer of concentric circles.

In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, cider, butter, and salt. Simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Pour half of the mixture over the slices in each of the baking dishes and cover the dishes securely with foil.

Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes, or until the apples release their liquid. Remove the dishes from the oven, uncover and baste the apples and sweet potatoes with the pan juices. Increase the oven temperature to 450° and place the dishes in the upper third of the oven. Continue baking for about 35 minutes longer, basting a few more times, until the sweet potatoes are tender and nicely glazed. Serve hot.


Make Ahead:
The recipe can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated. Reheat, covered, in a 400° oven for 25 minutes.

Chilled Wilted Tatsoi Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing (link)
(Makes about 2 servings, recipe adapted from Big Oven, who got it from the New York Times.)

10-12 ounces Tatsoi leaves
sesame seeds, for garnish (I used a mix of black and white sesame seeds, but you can use whichever type you have)

Dressing:
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tsp. grated ginger root
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. hot chile sauce
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and fill another bowl with cold water and a handful of ice cubes. Wash Tatsoi leaves (I used a salad spinner) and cut into thick strips. Dump Tatsoi into boiling water, time for exactly one minutes, then drain immediately into colander and dump into bowl with ice water. (I used used the salad spinner again for the ice water.)

While Tatsoi is cooling in ice water, get a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid that's large enough to hold all the Tatsoi. Mix dressing ingredients in this bowl, then drain Tatsoi well and add to dressing. Chill in the refrigerator an hour or more, turning bowl over a few times so Tatsoi remains coated with the dressing.

To serve, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove Tatsoi from bowl and arrange on serving plates. Toast sesame seeds for 1-2 minutes in a dry pan and sprinkle over salad. (If using a mixture, the black seeds burn more quickly than the white ones.) Serve immediately.