The official start of fall is this Thursday, but we have already been experiencing some signs of the transition in seasons. Shorter and more temperate days have either slowed or completely ended the harvest of many of our summer crops, while also providing more welcoming growing conditions for fall staples like broccoli, cabbage and spinach. With no hoop houses for winter growing, we have now finished seeding and transplanting all our crops for 2016 (cover crops and garlic still remain, but they are for next season).
In terms of our day-to-day activities, that leaves a small amount of weeding and mulching, and a large amount of harvesting and clean-up for the remainder of the fall. It is a nice time of year for us - Sunday chores like greenhouse watering are over and soon our daily start times will creep a little later as the cooler morning temperatures will prevent early morning harvests. We like to stay busy, but we aren't averse to a little more free time on our hands!
Melissa and Wyatt harvest butternut squash - it looks like an excellent harvest this year - we'll see them in the store and CSA soon after they've had a chance to cure in the barn!
In the CSA:
- Broccoli - These are looking beautiful, but keep in mind that when farming organically it is tough to keep out the various types of cabbage worms that like to hide in broccoli florets. We recommend an additional soak in warm lightly salted water for about 20 minutes to separate out the worms before cooking.
- Winter Squash - Acorn and Hubba Hubba (Red Kuri) The skin of Hubba Hubba is edible - no need to peel!
- Leeks
- Peter Wilcox potatoes - This is a purple-skinned, yellow-fleshed variety with outstanding flavor. They fared a little better than our other potato varieties in the drought, but we still only have limited quantities.
- Tendersweet cabbage - this early cabbage variety is aptly named - the texture and flavor are indeed tender and sweet!
- Salanova lettuce mix
- Arugula
- Tat soi
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Peppers
- Beets
- Carrots
- Baby bok choi
- Kale
- Lettuce
CSA PYO:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Tomatillos
- Husk Cherries
- Green Beans
- Dragon Tongue Beans - these beans are getting to a size where they are best consumed as fresh shelled beans.
- Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano, cayenne, ancho, habanero
- Sunflowers
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Dill
In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have chard, red Russian kale, spinach, eggs from Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds, mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm. We should also have sweet corn from Verrill Farm for the last week.
Farm store hours:
- Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am - 6pm*
- Wednesdays and Fridays 2pm - 6pm
- Saturdays 10am - 3pm*
*Hours in bold with an asterix are also CSA pick-up hours.
Quick Sesame Chicken with Broccoli
from Epicurious, February 2016
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking white rice
- 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more
- 8 cups broccoli florets
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, breasts, or a mix, trimmed, patted dry, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 5 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 1 large clove garlic, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, divided
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- Cook rice with a pinch of salt according to package directions.
- Set a steamer basket in a medium pot filled with 1" water, cover pot, and bring water to a boil. Uncover and steam broccoli until crisp-tender, 5–6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk cornstarch, pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat.
- Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over high. Add half of the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and a light brown crust forms, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil; cook remaining chicken and transfer to plate.
- Combine honey, soy sauce, vinegar, Sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Transfer sauce to skillet and cook 1 minute to reduce slightly. Return chicken to skillet, toss in sauce to coat, and cook until sauce is reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in reserved broccoli, toss to coat, and remove from heat.
- Divide chicken and broccoli among 4 plates and top with scallions and remaining 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds. Serve with rice on the side.
Cooks’ Note
Feel free to substitute traditional white or brown rice for quick-cooking rice. Make this meal gluten-free by substituting tamari for the soy sauce.
Leek, Cherry Tomato and Pecorino Pizza
from Food & Wine, October 2009
- All-purpose flour, for dusting
- 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 2 large leeks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound ground lamb
- 32 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 pound truffled pecorino cheese, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 500°. Heat a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 7-inch round. Oil 3 large baking sheets and place the dough rounds on the sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Generously flour a pizza peel. Place a dough round on the peel and brush with olive oil. Top with some of the leeks, lamb, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Slide the dough round onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.