This week’s share:

acorn squash

blue or yellow potato

corn shocks

daikon radish

Florence long red onion

Yellow of Parma onion

red cabbage

popcorn

pumpkin

sunflower head

watermelon



We need a rating!

Tell everyone how we’ve been doing

at localharvest.org

This week we have been pulling plants out of the field, planting garlic, and spreading compost.
It’s hard to believe this season is winding down. There’s still plenty to do!

Today you have a new item in your bag. Introducing….Daikon Radish. This is the large white root in your bag. According to Wikipedia, it has been known as a Japanese radish, although it originated in Asia. It is typically much milder than a traditional radish. The roots can be stored for some weeks without the leaves if kept in a cool dry place. And good news! Daikon is high in Vitamin C!


Overnight Chinese Daikon Radish Pickles

1 1/2 cups chopped daikon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

In a mixing bowl, toss daikon with salt. Cover, and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse daikon, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel, and return to bowl. Stir in rice vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

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:

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

This week’s share:

acorn squash

green, purple & yellow beans  

broccoli

eggplant

hot pepper

pumpkin

summer squash

tomato

watermelon

This Past Week…      

The watermelons are fashionably late, and they are big and juicy! 

How to Store Watermelon
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, store an uncut watermelon at room temperature.  It should stay fresh for up to a week if the room is warm, over 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's kept in a room that stays around 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, an uncut watermelon should stay fresh for up to 10 to fourteen days.

How to Freeze Watermelon
Leftover watermelon can be frozen so you can use it for a recipe later. Simply dice it up and spread it out in one layer on a cookie sheet or two. Place the watermelon in the freezer for several hours until it freezes. Then, remove it from the sheet and place the watermelon in
zippered freezer bags. It should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the freezer. Be warned that the mushy texture may not be appealing to everyone, and may be best suited for smoothies.  Enjoy!

For the past week I put a row cover over the eggplant and peppers to keep them warm so they would grow. There were many blossoms, and I’m pleased that the row covering helped us squeak out a few more.  The delicious heirloom eggplants are smaller than the recommended 4-6”, but they will taste great.

The teeny tiny hot peppers started off as a beautiful purple Christmas bulb.  As they mature, some of them turn yellow, some turn orange, and some turn red.  Don’t let their size fool you – they have a bite to them.

The pumpkins this week came from jack-o-lantern seeds.  In the past I’ve had no problem using this type of pumpkin for pie or bread.  There will be more in the weeks to come.

                Soon we will be digging up potatoes.   The blue potatoes are very small, and we are worried about them.  But the vines on the sweet potatoes are gigantic, which hopefully means the  sweet potatoes are, too.

Watermelon Fire & Ice Salsa

3 cups chopped watermelon

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, green bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno and garlic salt. Mix well and serve.

Watermelon Muffins

From gourmetkitchen.com

1 1/2 c Flour

2 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Baking powder

1 pinch  Salt

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

6 tbs Butter; room temperature

2/3 c Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 c Milk

1/2 c Watermelon juice

1/2 c Watermelon pulp

1/2 c Raisins

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs. Whip in milk, juice, pulp and raisins. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; blend just to incorporate. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Source: Restaurants & Institutions, June 15, 1993

Watermelon Milkshake

From allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups diced watermelon

2 1/4 cups milk

2 teaspoons white sugar

Process the watermelon and milk together in a blender until smooth. Add the sugar and blend another 10 seconds to incorporate. Serve immediately.

Hope you have a terrific 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

H

ave 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 seems to have gone so fast.
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.  In a few weeks you will receive a survey, which you can fill out anonymously if you would like.   We are new at this, and we know there are things we can do better.  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

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups white sugar
6 eggs (I've used four)
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

Adapted from allrecipes.com Pumpkin Bread IV