Pickup Today on the
FRONT PORCH
Be prepared to carry a pumpkin, a watermelon, and your bag of food!

This week’s share:

broccoli

celeriac

cilantro

fennel

green pepper

eggplant

Florence long red onion

Yellow of Parma onion

marjoram

parsley

pumpkin

summer squash

tomato

thyme
sunflower

watermelon

We need a rating!

Can you help us out?

Tell everyone how we’ve been doing

at localharvest.org

Usually around this time of year we are getting the garden tucked in for winter. This year, we are planting new things that will hopefully grow into the winter. We’re using special fabric to cover some of the rows.

People claim you can grow lettuce into December, and I hope they’re right! We have been putting the row covers over the peppers and eggplants. We did this to make it nice and warm in there, so they produce. This week we did get a small amount of both.

New in your bags this week is celeriac. Celeriac will keep in the refrigerator up to one month, or store the root in a cold, moist place for 2 to 3 months. Leaves can be used as an herb in soups and stews.

The whole plant can be eaten. Slice off the stalks at the root, and soak the root in water to loosen dirt in the crevices. Then scrub thoroughly with a vegetable brush. If the exterior is too tough, peel it with a sharp knife.

Peeled celeriac will darken when exposed to air. Just toss it with lemon juice to stop the darkening.

There is a heavy load of herbs in your bag today. Whatever you can’t use now, you can either dry (except cilantro) or freeze for later use.

The watermelons have been spotty – I’ve had three sweet and juicy melons and one that wasn’t sweet at all. I’d like to know how yours were last week. There are more melons this week, too.

We asked another farmer how he manages to get the cilantro ripe when the tomatoes are ripe, and he just said he plants cilantro every two weeks in hopes he gets it right. We will be trying that next year.

Sunflower

You can then dry your sunflowers whereever you want to, as long as it is warm and dry with good ventilation to prevent molding. A small shed might be perfect, or even in your house. You may still want to cover the seed heads with paper bags, especially if drying in an outdoor shed.

The seeds are ready when you hold up the head and rub your hand over the seeds and they fall right out. From there you can eat the seeds, feed them to the birds, or save some to grow next year.

We are struggling to understand how a whole row of radishes, all planted at the same time, are not all ready to be picked at the same time. It is maddening, thinking we’ll have enough radishes for your shares the next week, but then they don’t all ripen. One of the mysteries of nature!

Garlic Parsley Pesto with Pasta

– Madison Herb Society Cookbook

1 cup low fat cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta
 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup boiling water
½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
½ cup fresh basil
2 large cloves of garlic
Salt and coarse pepper to taste
3 cups tender-cooked pasta

Have cheeses at room temperature. Blend with remaining ingredients (except pasta) until smooth in blender or food processor. Toss with pasta. This is also good on baked potatoes, cooked rice, or steamed vegetables.

What to do with Fennel:

- add to soups: pureed or chopped
- substitute for celery in most recipes
- bake it, steam it, or sauté it
- use in place of dill – excellent on fish!

What to do with Cilantro:

- chop into pasta or potato salads
- toss fresh leaves into a green salad
- add to soups, stews, and stir-fries

Tangy Celery Salad

1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbs lemon juice
¼ cup lowfat yogurt
1 large or 2 medium celery root
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 head of radicchio

In a medium bowl, combine mustard, lemon juice, and yogurt. Set aside. With a sharp knife, peel celery root and cut into julienne strips. Add to mustard mixture, mixing well to coat celery root. Cover and marinate overnight. Toss together with cut chives and parsley. Serve on radicchio leaves.

Have a splendid week! ~ Kathy

Pickup Today on the


FRONT PORCH

Be prepared to carry a pumpkin, a watermelon, and your bag of food!

This week’s share:

acorn squash

brussels sprouts

gourds

red, yellow, or bronze onion

popcorn

pumpkin

rutabaga

summer squash

tomato

watermelon

Can you help us out?

Tell everyone how we’ve been doing

at localharvest.org

Have we told you how much we are enjoying growing food for you? We are so thankful that you have entrusted us with the all-important job of feeding you. We hope you have been satisfied, as well! In only five short weeks we will be done for the season. It has gone so fast – we are not ready to be done with 80 degree days.

As we are thinking ahead to next season, we want to know your thoughts and advise on how to make our CSA the best experience you could have. One of the hardest aspects of this profession is knowing that everyone’s tastes and preferences are not all the same. Would you share your thoughts with us? In a few weeks you will receive a survey. You can fill it out anonymously, and please do not worry about hurting our feelings. We are new at this, and we know there are things we can do better. But we need your input in order to improve, so don’t be shy!

In farm-related news, we have picked some of the popcorn for this week’s share. It isn’t ready to pop yet, as it needs more time to dry. Store the ears in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. Once or twice a week, shell a few kernels and try popping them. When the test kernels are popping well and tasting good, shell and store the rest of the kernels. If the popcorn is "chewy" or the popped kernels are jagged, it is too wet and needs to continue drying.

Store the kernels in sealed, airtight containers. If stored properly, popcorn should retain its popping quality for several years. Unshelled corn should be stored at temperatures near 32F and high relative humidity. The storage location should also be rodent proof.

If stored popcorn fails to pop, it may be too dry. Add 1 tablespoon of water to a quart of popcorn. Cover and shake at frequent intervals until the popcorn has absorbed the water. After 3 or 4 days, test pop a few kernels to see if it is ready. Add more water and repeat the process until the popcorn pops well.

Stuffed Acorn Squash Supreme
1 (6 ounce) package broccoli and cheese flavored rice mix
1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
1 med acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 cup chopped apple
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Prepare rice mix according to package directions; cover, and set aside.
Place squash halves cut side down onto a plate. Cook the squash in a microwave oven for 5 minutes on High, until tender but firm.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly browned; drain, and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the prepared rice, sausage, apple, and coriander. Stuff each squash half with the mixture.
Cover stuffed squash halves with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave until squash is cooked through and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove plastic, and top stuffed squash with cheese. Continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Jasmine’s Brussels Sprouts

3 cups water
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces bacon, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. They should still be slightly firm. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Slice the sprouts in half, and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and pancetta; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add the remaining olive oil and Brussels sprouts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring until the sprouts are well coated with the flavor. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 more minutes before serving.

Have a super week! ~ Kathy