September 11
THE BELLS
BENDER
Week 18: Something new!
The Harvest :
- Winter Squash -Our first winter squash, delicious varieties called "Scarlet Kabocha" and "Delicata"
- Watercress - Gormet salad green -- see Brooke's recipe below!
- Potatoes - Yukon Gold, Kennebec White, and Red Pontiac.
- Onions - our last few weeks of storage onions from this spring -- still small, still sweet.
- Tomatoes - Another good flush of these delicious tomatoes!
- Turnip Greens - Yes -- we're also eating a lot of turnip greens. Some love them, others not so much. Either way, they're super-nutritious and they're the only green we've got coming in well right now!
- Peppers - Delicious "bullhorn" sweet peppers and all you can take hot peppers (dry them!)
- Yard Long Beans or Green Beans - (maybe)
- Basil - Still all you can take.
- Garlic
- Zinnias
News from the Farm
I'm starting this week's newsletter with a picture to make up for last week's lack there of!
The start of our fall garden: from left, carrots, arugula, mustards, tatsoi, kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, peas, spinach...and on and on!
The season still seems to be flying by and the cool weather makes working outside all the time a pleasure. The list of fall projects is still sizable, but it is getting shorter and shorter as the days do. We're still planting fall crops most evenings, as the cooler weather gives the plants a chance to set in and become established out in the main fields. Fall field preparation is another large undertaking that requires a lot of planning, time, equipment, dry weather, and lots of compost. Field preparation, like most of these fall projects, is time sensitive and, as the cooling weather forewarns us, time is running out!
First, any seasonal crops or cover crops are either mowed down by hand or by tractor. Compost is then spread on the field using a manure spreader. We add a lot of compost to our fields as it builds good soil by adding lots of organic matter, nutrients, and by helping hold moisture in times of drought. We will typically add about 20-50 tons of compost per acre (most farms add 10-15), with this amount being dependent on available compost and the crop we intend to grow in that field the following year -- carrots don't like a lot of compost, while heavy nitrogen feeders like tomatoes do.
After compost is spread, the compost and old plant debris is incorporated into the soil. In one or two weeks the debris will break down (and faster with compost added). The field is then planted with a cover crop of buckwheat to smother immediate weeds and with clover to fix nitrogen over the winter. This week, the explained field prep will be repeated for about 5 fields, totaling about 3 acres. That's a lot of time, cover crop seed, and compost. It seems soon, but now is the time to plan for next season, and this week's field preparation will create a good home for next year's spring garden, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.
The mention of winter squash reminds me that we will begin seeing them in the baskets this week! Winter squash is one of our favorite fall foods and will provide us with meals throughout the winter, as it has for many people for a long time. Winter squash is actually planted in the early summer and harvested in August or September. Mature fruits cure and dry on the vine and will store for many months, depending on the variety. The short-storing varieties, like Kabocha, Delicata, and sweet Dumplin', will be the first you receive. That said, even the short-storers often last for months.
In other CSA news, I got my first tractor last week! It's a 1976 International 140, a light cultivating tractor that I can not feel bad driving through our fields. I understand it is even possible to convert the engine of these tractors to electric. Either way, this investment should improve the quality of our food and increase our efficiency! I got a pretty good deal on it from an older fellow in Ashland City, which is just about local for us. Here's a goofy picture to show it off.
Here's a pretty ridiculous picture of me, the tractor, and banjo, taken by our good friend Eliza, and former CSA member, who is visiting from California where she now works on another farm. They keep talking about making some calendar...
Your farmers,
Eric,
Brooke, Kevin, and Evan
Recipes
Winter Squash
You will notice a variety of winter squashes
showing up in your baskets in the coming weeks - scarlet kabocha,
delicata, and sweet dumpling, to name a few of the earliest varieties,
are sweet, delicious, and store quite well. The general preparation for
all of these is as follows...
Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, which can be
reserved and later roasted for a tasty snack. Brush with butter or
olive oil and roast until tender. The flesh can be scooped out to add
to a soup, "pumpkin" pie, or sweet bread. You can also peel the squash
and cut them up to be used in a casserole or gratin.
I like to roast my winter squash skin side down, with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and black pepper!
For a simple winter squash soup:
Saute
one large onion in butter until translucent, add 3 large cloves of
garlic, minced, and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Throw in 2 or 3
roasted winter squash, sans skins, and 2 cups of stock, and bring to a
boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and add 2 tablespoons fresh thyme or
sage. Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a food processor)
process the soup until smooth. Finish with heavy cream or more stock,
and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold with parmesan cheese
and toasted bread and butter!
-Brooke
Watercress Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 bunches watercress
3-4 slices bacon
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
Salt and pepper
A pinch of ground mustard
A pinch of paprika (sweet)
Method
1 Rinse thoroughly the watercress, removing old leaves and thick stems. Set aside in a serving bowl.
2 Heat a small stick-free pan on medium heat and cook the
bacon until done, several minutes on each side. Remove the bacon from
the pan and put on a paper towel. Keep the bacon fat in the pan.
3 Add the cider vinegar and sugar to the bacon fat. Stir to
dissolve. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a pinch of ground mustard
and a pinch of paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning. This is a
sweet-sour dressing, so if it is too acidic, add a bit more sugar, if
too sweet, add a bit more vinegar.
4 Bring the dressing to a simmer. Pour over the watercress. Crumble the bacon over the top. Toss and serve. simplyrecipes.com/recipes/
wilted_watercress_salad/
Grilled Potatoes
Potatoes, 1 or 2 per person, depending on the size
butter, melted
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Place
the potatoes in a stockpot, and cover with cool water. On the stove,
salt the water generously, and bring them to a gentle boil. Boil the
taters until fork tender, probably about 15 minutes. Remove from the
heat and drain in a colander. Meanwhile, fire up the grill, and get it
nice and hot. Cut each potato lengthwise and place on a sheet pan or
platter. Brush each piece with butter, and salt generously. Grill the
potatoes cut side down until golden brown. Finish with black pepper,
and serve immediately with sour cream or ketchup. This is a great
alternative to the old stand-by, mashed potatoes, or the classic baked
tater.
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