Seventeenth Pick Up is Today 10.13.2009

Hello Everyone,

One big, foggy cloud outside this morning. We had just enough rain yesterday to keep us wet throughout the day. It was a nice day though, the kind that reminds me that fall is serious and winter is right around the corner. Once, in the middle of the afternoon, I suddenly thought about Thanksgiving. It's only 6 weeks away. It's suppose to be warm and sunny today and then maybe more rain. No complaining about rain.

We're taking care of the last crops to come in for the CSA. We picked a few more apples but missed the better part of the harvest of the late season apples; can't do it all. We still have sweet potatoes in the ground. We'll dig the first of those this week- maybe some of them today. Then they have to cure for about a week to turn the stored starches into the sugars that make them sweet.

With all the rain the collards have exploded. Kale will be ready soon and the lettuce is big enough to pick. It (the lettuce that is) isn't very sweet yet. The cooler weather will make it sweeter but at the moment it's better described as semi-sweet or almost sweet. We're including some this week.

Alright, I've held off telling you as long as I can stand. We have a surprise for you this week. It was an accident as great surprises tend to be. Earlier this year we finished picking 2 rows of green beans and then mowed them and tilled them into the soil. We never planted anything else in that area and eventually, beans from those plants sprouted and began to grow. We never thought the beans would actually produce fruit before the cold weather got to them. Last week however we discovered that those beans are over achievers! They have indeed produced loads of great green beans. This week everyone gets two pounds of late season green beans and boy are they sweet. They are big and I've found they take a little more time to steam but they are very tasty. Enjoy.

On Saturday, October 24th we'll be inoculating oak logs with Shiitake mushroom spawn. What's that you say? You haven't yet completed your on farm project for the year? What a great opportunity. Everyone is welcome. We'll be cutting logs to length, drilling holes in them, putting in the spawn plugs and then sealing the logs with wax. There's a job for all age groups and skill sets. Please let me know though if you'd like to participate so I can plan accordingly with tools and equipment.

This week:

Green Beans!
Collards
Lettuce
Mixed Greens (go for strong salads or saute)
Green and Red Sweet Peppers
Mild Peppers (the peppers formerly know as hot)
Swiss Chard
Apples (just a few)
Radishes

I need some recipes people!

Enjoy,

Aaron

Recipes:

Roasted Radishes with Soy Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seed

(Makes 3-4 servings, recipe only slightly adapted from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop.)

Ingredients:

5 large radishes, trimmed and cut into thumbnail-sized pieces
1 1/2 T roasted peanut oil
1-2 T soy sauce (I used about 1 1/2 T)
2 green onions (scallions) sliced thin
1 T sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash radishes, trim ends, peel if needed, and cut into same size pieces. Cut green onions into thin slices.

Toss radishes with peanut oil, then roast about 20 minutes, stirring one or two times. When radishes are tender and starting to brown, remove from oven, toss with soy sauce to coat and mix in green onion slices. Put back in oven and roast about 5 minutes more.

During final five minutes roasting time, put the sesame seed in a dry pan and toast over hot stove for about 2 minutes, or until starting to brown. Remove radishes from oven, place in serving bowl and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Aaron's Rather Lazy But Yummy Steamed Collards Recipe

Ingredients:

Collard Greens
1 Tablespoon Butter
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Remove stem and rib from collard leaf. Cut up into 2 inch squares. Steam for about 8 minutes or until very tender. Put in a bowl with butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

Hot Wilted Greens

Ingredients:

1 thick slice smoky bacon
½ T olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 medium sweet red onion
3 T chicken stock
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 quart mixed piquant leafy greens (such as arugula, endive or mustard greens)
¼ cup toasted pecans

Method:

In a large, deep skillet or wok over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Crumble and reserve. Add olive oil to bacon drippings in skillet, heat and add garlic and onions.
Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until onions and garlic are softened. Stir in chicken stock and vinegar.
Add greens and mix. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, until leaves are coated. Cover and cook several minutes more, until leaves are wilted and cooked tender-crisp.
Top with bacon and chopped pecans. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

Sixteenth Pick Up is Today 10.6.2009

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Hello Everyone,

First let me address a misunderstanding. When I floated the idea of picking up at the farm for our last couple of weeks, I did not mean that those last couple of weeks were upon us. We are in our 16th week of 20 weeks. The last pick up will occur on November 3rd. You will continue to pick up at your prearranged location for the duration of the season. See you today between 4:30 and 6:30pm. Please bring your container.

The idea of a potluck dinner is still under consideration. Currently the most suggested evening is Saturday, November 7th. Sunday, Nov. 8th is in second place. Please let me know what you think. We're working on the logistics but this seems doable and would be a great way to end the season, to eat together.

This cool weather has canceled our subscription to okra magazine. The other hot weather vegetables have given up as well. The cherry tomatoes no longer taste like anything. There is no more squash, no more zucchini. The sweet peppers are hanging on for dear life. But...

The cool weather crops are coming into there own. This is one of the things I most like about where I live, a season, with its weather, changes for you at just about the time when you're bored or tired or frustrated with it. I've had people comment that eating locally is about giving up choices like fresh tomatoes on any particular Tuesday in December. I would argue that's not true. Sure December tomatoes from California taste like cardboard but I'm talking about a rhythmic pattern of eating that replaces out-of-season tomatoes with something else just as you've had more tomatoes than you could care to eat. The seasons, with their change, are meant to be enjoyed one at at time and then another enters in. The same is true for their food.

So as we get into cool weather crops some identification might be in order.

These are our radishes.


I am proud of these radishes.

These are our Collard Greens.


Everyone gets some this week. If you have never tried Collards or you can't remember the last time you tried them (they might have been canned!) you are obligated to try them. If you aren't from the South and have never tried Collards you are required to by NC State Law Article 43 of Chapter 125C, sections 239-243. Don't make me turn you in. There are recipes below.

These are turnips.


You can eat both the root and the greens. Recipes for both are below. Don't think of me as your mother, imploring you to try a new vegetable, think of me as your hip foodie friend who's telling you that all the kool kids are eating turnips and that if you don't at least give them a try you're not getting invite to the next dinner party.

This is our Swiss Chard.


I know, it's back. Chard gets really bitter in the summer but as the cool weather returns it gets sweet again. It's one of the few greens you can grow from spring until fall. By the way, the bitter part (if it is still a bit bitter) is right along the rib of the leaf. You can cut that section out.

A note about the "hot" peppers. Typically you have to dry these small, red peppers to get them to get hot. Earlier this season I bit into one while standing in the field. I burned my mouth. It had apparently dried on the plant and gotten hot. On this past Saturday however, I tried one while at the farmers market and it wasn't really hot at all. So I'm going to call these peppers "mild" from now on. My guess is that if you string them up and dry them that they will get hot. Try it.

This week:

Potatoes!
Apples
Green Sweet Peppers
Red Sweet Peppers
Red "Mild" Peppers
Radishes
Mizuna (enough to saute' or stir fry)
Collards
Swiss Chard (for some)
Turnips (for others)


Enjoy the rain.

Aaron

Recipes:



Cool and Crunchy Radish and Turnip Salad

Ingredients:

12 small radishes, thinly sliced
3 small salad/spring turnips, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon chopped chives
coarse kosher or sea salt, to taste

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently but thoroughly to combine and coat all the slices. Taste and season with salt (you'll need salt -- start with a little pinch and gradually add it until the flavors "pop" as much as you like.)

Serves 2.

Mashed Potato and Turnip Gratin

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 5 medium - you got 2 lbs this week)
1 1/4 pounds turnips (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese, divided
Pinch of ground nutmeg

Method:

Butter 11x7x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cook potatoes and turnips in heavy large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 35 minutes. Drain. Cool vegetables slightly and peel. Cut into large chunks; place in food processor. Add butter and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup cheese and pinch of ground nutmeg; blend briefly. Season puree to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. (Gratin can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake gratin uncovered until vegetables are hot and top is golden, about 25 minutes.


Radish Dip

Radishes aren't just for salads. Their peppery bite makes them ideal partner for creamy dips, like this one. Serve this radish dip recipe with crackers, chips or fresh raw vegetables.

Ingredients:

5-6 radishes, washed and trimmed
3 oz. cream cheese
3 cloves garlic2 Tbsp. apple juice
kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Place radishes in the work bowl of a food processor
fitted with a metal blade. Add
remaining ingredients.
Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.


White Turnip Soup

This recipe is adapted from the classic French frenseuse, a turnip and potato soup enriched with egg yolks and heavy cream. Select turnips with firm, unblemished flesh.

Ingredients:

6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 leeks, white part only, chopped
1 lb Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 lb turnips, peeled & diced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 qt Chicken Stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
Croutons, for garnish (optional)

Method:

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and turnips, stirring to combine. Cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stir to cover evenly, and cook for 1 minute. Add stock, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from pot, and place them in a food mill. Puree vegetables, and return them to pot. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together


Sweet Pepper Pesto

Ingredients:

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup tightly packed basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Place the Parmesan cheese and olive oil in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth.
Add the red bell pepper, basil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; blend again until smooth.Turnips and Apples

2 pounds fresh turnips
1 fresh apple
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

First peel the turnips with a vegetable peeler. Peel the apple too if you like, but it isn't necessary, unless the skin is really ugly. Chop or slice the turnips and the apple into the chunks the right size for eating. Fill a big pot half full of water. Add the turnips, apple, the butter, sugar and salt and pepper as you like. Cover the pot and simmer on the back of the stove for about 20 minutes, or until the turnip chunks are tender to your preference. Serve hot.


Crispy Turnip 'Fries'

Ingredients:

3 pounds turnips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder

Methods:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and lightly grease.
Peel the turnips, and cut into French fry-sized sticks, about 1/3 by 4 inches. Place into a large bowl, and toss with the vegetable oil to coat. Place the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, paprika, onion powder in a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Place the oiled turnips into the bag, and shake until evenly coated with the spices. Spread out onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until the outside is crispy, and the inside is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.


Mess o' Greens

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 smoked turkey wing (4 to 6 ounces), cut into 3-inch pieces
3 pounds greens, such as collard, mustard, turnip, and kale, washed thoroughly, trimmed, and torn into pieces
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or casserole over medium-high heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add leeks and garlic; stir to coat. Cook, stirring, until leeks are softened but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, smoked turkey wing, and greens; if necessary add greens in several batches.

Add wine; cover. Steam greens, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, add salt and pepper, and cook, tossing occasionally, 3 minutes more. Discard turkey and garlic, and serve.


Southern-Style Turnip Greens

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 pounds turnip greens
1 pound salt pork, rinsed and diced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
a dash of crushed red pepper, optional

Method:

Cut off and discard tough stems and discolored leaves from greens. Wash greens thoroughly and drain well. Cook salt pork in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and brown. Add the turnip greens, water, onion, sugar, pepper, and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 to 45 minutes or until greens are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with vinegar or pepper sauce and cornbread.


Sauteed Mizuna

Ingredients:

Mizuna

Method:

Over medium-high heat add a tablespoon of quality extra virgin olive oil to wok or skillet
Once heated add minced garlic (2 small cloves) and cooked for about 15 seconds, just long enough to release the flavor.
Then add the greens and cooked until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.

Fifteenth Pick Up is Today 9.29.2009

Hello Everyone,

Let me start by reminding everyone that you should pick up at your regular location today between 4:30 and 6:30. See you then.

A while back someone left a pair of sunglasses in the cherry tomato field. I should describe them as the currently fashionable variety, you know the kind that cover up almost half of a woman's face. My wife has a pair and I remind her that by wearing them she's really just ensuring that future generations will make fun of every photograph of her from roughly 2007 until this trend ends as with other past fashion styles. So if these are in fact your bell bottom sunglasses let me know and I'll put them in your container.

For the past three weeks I have been brewing Kombucha tea. It is a fermented tea that requires a culture or mushroom. That may sound gross to some of you but I really like it and the commercial version is expensive so I'm brewing my own. The result is that once a week the culture replicates itself so each week I have an extra culture to give away to anyone who would like to try and brew your own. Think of it as the sourdough version of brewing tea and let me know if anyone is interested.

So it seems like several of you would really rather not pick up at the farm for the last two weeks. I understand that week nights are busy for those of you with kids. I really do want to make sure everybody gets out to the farm and I'd like to celebrate the end of the season so I was think about all of us having dinner together.

What if we have a pot luck, using as much of our CSA food as possible, sometime the last week of the CSA pick ups? That's the first week in November. Basically you would still pick up your containers on Tuesday and then later that week we would meet back at the farm for dinner. This is still a rough idea and I have to get it approved with the farm and we would still have to decide on what night to eat (Thursday? Friday? Saturday?) But I thought I would toss the idea out for comment. Let me know what you think.

After the first week in November the CSA will be over but we will still have food for sale. We're not sure how we are going to make it available but for those of you interested let us know.

You should also be aware that the sponsor of the farm tour, Know Your Farms will be operating a winter CSA. You can find out more by clicking here:

http://knowyourfarms.com/j/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=55:kyf-csa

Some of that winter food will be coming from Cold Water Creek Farms. Some will be coming from other growers at the Elma C. Lomax incubator farm. By the way the winter CSA starts the third week in October but Know Your Farms is willing to prorate your participation since Cold Water Creek Farms CSA will still have several weeks left at that point. It might all sound complicated but really it's not. Talk to us today or send me an email if you're interested.

This week we planted more cabbage, bok choy, kholorobi. The cooking greens and the salad greens are still one week away but we've ordered our salad spinner and we'll be ready for next week. Then on to sweet potatoes.

This week you will be getting:

okra (enjoy it while it lasts)
sweet peppers (green, red and/or chocolate)
hot peppers
apples
mizuna (full share only)


Aaron


Recipes:


Applesauce Cake (from Jessica)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup cooking oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups hot applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp soda

Mix together sugar, nuts, flour, and spices. While applesauce is heating, mix cooking oil into dry ingredients. Add soda into applesauce. After hot, stir fast, put into rest of mixture. Add raisins last. Bake 35 minutes at 350 in a 9x13 pan.

Icing: (Approximates)
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/8 tsp almond or lemon (my mom's favorite)
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP milk--add by TBSP as needed to make glaze (need approximately 2 TBSP).


Red Wine Carmel Apples

Ingredients:

8 small apples, stemmed, washed well and dried
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
6 Tbsp heavy cream

Equipment:

8 wooden popsicle sticks
candy thermometer

Insert a wooden stick halfway into each apple at the stem end
Line a tray with wax paper and slightly grease the paper
Boil wine in a saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/2 cup - 8 to 10 minutes - then remove from heat
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 2 1/2 to 3 qt saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then wash down and sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber.
Add reduced wine (it will bubble and steam) and swirl pan. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally until incorporated, then continue to simmer until the thermometer registers 238 degrees F.
Remove from heat and cool to 200 degrees F.
Holding apples by the sticks, dip them in the caramel and swirl to coat, letting excess drip off, then hold apples up (stick end down) for about 15 seconds to allow more caramel to set on apples.
Put caramel apples, stick side up, on greased wax paper and let stand until caramel firms up, about 30 minutes. If your caramel gets to thick you can reheat for remaining apples.

To Freeze Peppers: Halve sweet peppers (green, red, yellow or purple), remove the core and seeds, and slice into julienne strips or small 1/4" chunks. Pack them into a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and throw them in the freezer. That's it! Frozen peppers are best used in a dish that gets sauteed, such as a stir-fry, or added to onions and potatoes for a tasty omelet.

To Pickle Peppers: Prepare peppers as above. Fill a clean pint or quart jar to within an inch of the top with the chopped peppers. Pour in white vinegar to cover all peppers. Cover with a plastic lid if possible, as the vinegar will gradually corrode metal lids. Store the jar in the back of your refrigerator for up to 12 months. The peppers will stay crunchy for a few months but will gradually soften. Spoon them out of the jar as you need them. The vinegar is flavorful, too. My favorite pickled peppers are a colorful

Mizuna Cooking Tips

As a salad green mizuna can be steamed, boiled, stir-fried or used to complement other greens mixed together for a salad, especially Red Asian Mustard greens. When cooked it shrinks to about half its size so it takes a large amount to make a cooked vegetable dish containing only mizuna. Mizuna can be found in well-stocked grocery stores or produce markets but is most readily available in early spring to late summer. Select fresh crisp leaves, avoiding those that are slightly discolored. They will keep four to five days when wrapped in plastic and stored in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.

No Volunteering This Saturday

Hello Everyone,

The last few days have seen tremendous progress on the high tunnel project at the Elam C. Lomax Incubator Farm. That coupled with the fact that it is suppose to rain all day means no work is going to be done at the farm on Saturday.

Also we will all be picking up our containers next week at our prescribed locations. We WILL NOT be picking up at the farm except for the 6 families who regularly pick up there each week.

Best Wishes,

Aaron

Collards

Radishes

High Tunnel at Elma C Lomax Incubator Farm