This week’s share:

acorn squash

celeriac

daikon radish

kohlrabi

leek

storage onions

popcorn

rutabaga

sunflower head

watermelon

This week we put up four more low tunnels (the special blanket that protects from cold).  The spinach, lettuce, and radishes are covered.  They won’t grow much, but they will stay just like they are until it warms up in the spring.  We feel badly that we haven’t had much lettuce to offer.

This past weekend we also put up a type of greenhouse that utilizes the sun’s energy to keep it warm.  It’s called a high tunnel and we hope this helps us offer certain vegetables earlier in the season.  Others who use high tunnels have told us that their tomatoes are phenomenal.  That’s good news, as we know we had a poor offering of tomatoes. 

ABOUT THE SURVEY:  It is still being completed…our apologies for the delay.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it.  We need to know what you liked and didn’t like so we can make improvements.  We appreciate your opinions!

Just a reminder, after today, there is one week left for our full-share CSA members. 

For some of you (the half-share folks) today is your last pickup.  Thank you for entrusting us to grow your food.    It has been a pleasure getting to know you!

Sunflower Seeds

Cover unshelled seeds with salted water, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt per two quarts of water. Soak seeds in the salt solution overnight. Drain off the water the next morning and pat the seeds dry to remove excess moisture. (You can also roast the seeds unsalted, by simply skipping the soaking process).
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the sunflower seeds evenly on a cookie sheet or shallow pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The seeds will often develop a small crack down the center as they roast. Test after each stirring to see if the seeds are completely roasted by tasting. After roasting, remove seeds from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Then store the seeds in an airtight container for future snacking.

Variations call for mixing a teaspoon of melted butter with a cup of seeds while they are still warm from the oven; these are for immediate eating. Some also experiment with different seasonings, such as barbecue, Cajun, and taco.

Have a delicious 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:

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

What to do With Celeriac?

I really wasn't sure of the point of this vegetable.  It tastes just like celery.  It is celery, but just the root, and without the fibers.  That is what sold me on it.  I was never really bothered by the fibers, but I realized how much I like NOT having them in my celery.  I used it in a soup recipe the other night.  I loved it.  The rest of my family did not.  That just makes more for me.  Here is the recipe, from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients

1 head garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large sweet onions, chopped
1 celeriac (celery root), chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups vegetable broth
1 head garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried parsley
Cajun seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Slice the top off the whole head of garlic, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and season with salt. Wrap loosely in foil, and bake 45 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Squeeze the cloves into a small bowl, and mix with the 1/2 cup softened butter.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the pot, and blend with the oil. Stir in the onions and celery root, and saute until the onions are lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium low, and mix in the beef broth, wine, and vegetable broth. Mix in the chopped garlic, and season with paprika, parsley, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven broiler.
Spread the toasted bread slices with the garlic butter. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls, and place the bowls on a baking sheet. Reserving remaining bread, place one slice of toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl, and sprinkle with Swiss cheese.

Broil soup 5 minutes in the preheated oven, until the Swiss cheese is melted. Cool for about 2 minutes before serving warm with remaining garlic bread.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 552
Total Fat: 29.2g
Cholesterol: 67mg