The weather has certainly taken a turn towards winter in the past week! We still have lots to get done in the field and the unheated barn though, so strategic layering is key to maintaining crew morale. We almost always wear our warmest thermal layers topped off with rain pants (whether it’s raining or not). While our thick fisherman-style rain pants definitely restrict movement, they do provide wind protection and an extra barrier between our knees and the cold, wet ground. We also usually wear thin gloves with disposable nitrile gloves on top to keep our hands dry and warm. It’s a tricky balance between having your gloves thin enough so that we still have manual dexterity, but still thick enough that they don’t go numb in the cold!

The shift in weather also impacts our daily planning. No matter how well dressed and warm you are, you still can’t harvest frozen vegetables! This time of year, we often have to take care of non-harvest tasks first thing in the morning so that the ground and plants can thaw out. Some days it is too frozen to do any harvesting at all. We are now checking the weather daily, and our crew gamely shifts their schedules based on when we can actually get stuff done in the field. This week we did a bunch of harvesting Monday and Tuesday and gave our crew Wednesday off since it is not supposed to get above freezing all day! With this weeks’ harvest all tucked away in the cooler, we are looking forward to using the slightly warmer days Thursday thru Saturday to make some more progress on field clean-up.

Another effect of the cold has been that we needed to shut off the water in the barn last week to avoid freezing pipes. This means there is no longer a public bathroom for customers in the barn. It also means that we are no longer able to rinse off freshly harvested greens. You should always wash vegetables at home, no matter how clean they look, but you may notice that the vegetables, especially salad greens and leeks, look dirtier this week.

This week in the CSA:

Pie pumpkins - These are organic pie pumpkins from Hutchins Farm in Concord. Our own pie pumpkin harvest this year was normal, but we had some problems with storage (likely exacerbated by temperature and humidity control issues in our barn) and lost a lot of our own pumpkins to rot. We’re trying to figure out a better storage solution for next year that will work with our space limitations, but in the meantime, fortunately Hutchins had a great harvest that we can share with you!
Potatoes
Leeks
Lettuce - With our wash station water shut off due to the cold, we are no longer able to rinse any of our fresh greens, so you will see more silt and sand in your lettuce than usual.
Escarole
Kale
Cabbage - Red and storage varieties. Both will keep for a long time in your fridge in the crisper drawer or in a plastic bag.
Brussels sprouts
Rutabaga - This veggie has been described to me as tasting like a cross between a potato and a turnip. It is great roasted or in soups.
Beets
Carrots
Butternut squash
Onions
Garlic
Radishes - Watermelon (white outside, bright pink inside!), white mini mak and K-N bravo (purple!) varieties.
Hakurei salad turnips

CSA Hours:

Thursday 11am-6pm

Saturday 9am-3pm

Potato Pie

Original recipe source unknown, but it has been a favorite in Lise’s family for years!

1 10-inch unbaked pastry shell
1 pound cottage cheese
2 cups mashed potatoes (about 3 large potatoes)
½ cup scallions, sliced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Put the cottage cheese through a food processor to make it smooth. Beat the mashed potatoes into the cottage cheese. Beat in the sour cream, eggs, salt and cayenne. Stir in the scallions. Spoon into pastry shell. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 425 for 50 minutes until golden brown.

Watermelon Radish, Orange & Goat Cheese Salad

from Alexandra’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 shallot or half of a small red onion
2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
2 to 3 watermelon radishes
2 to 3 oranges, clementines, grapefruit, etc. (I love Cara Cara oranges, which are sweet, pretty and delicious)
a handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped (see notes)
goat cheese to taste
chives, minced, optional, but they add some nice color
olive oil to taste

Instructions

Mince shallot. Place in small bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinegar depending on how big of a salad you are making. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Cut off one end of the radish. Leave the other intact so you have a handle when you run the radish down your mandoline. Peel the radishes if you wish, though it is by no means necessary. Thinly slice on a mandoline. Arrange radish slices on a platter. I try to fold some of them so they’re not all squished down in one flat layer, but arrange however you wish. Season all over with salt.
Cut off each end of each orange. Squeeze each end over the radishes, then discard. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin from the orange. Cut in between membranes to remove each slice. Squeeze remaining membrane all over the radishes to extract any juice. Scatter oranges over the radishes.
Scatter walnuts and goat cheese to taste over the radishes and oranges. Pour macerated shallots and vinegar over top. Drizzle olive oil to taste (one to two tablespoons) over top. Scatter chives over top if using.
Let sit a few minutes (or longer — it benefits from a brief rest) before serving.

Salad Turnips Sautéed in Butter

from Circle A Garden CSA

2 Bunches Salad Turnips (10-12 turnips)
2 Cloves Garlic
1 or 2 Tbsp Butter or Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Slice the salad turnips into thin half-moons, and mince or crush the garlic.

2. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a medium sized frying pan.

3. Sauté the salad turnips & garlic until they are a light golden color (cover the pan if you like).

Variations

• Add a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar

• Add the turnip greens, or some other chopped greens such as spinach, chard or kale

• Add minced scallions, and fresh or dried herbs

Pumpkin Cranberry Scones

from Bon Appetit, November 2014

½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
¾ cup (1½ sticks) chilled unsalted butter
½ cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 large egg
½ cup pumpkin puree (roast halved and de-seeded pie pumpkin until fork tender, scoop out flesh and puree)
¼ cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons raw sugar

Whisk granulated sugar, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, cloves, baking soda, and 2 cups flour in a large bowl. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate in butter, tossing to coat in dry ingredients as you go; toss in cranberries. Mix in egg, pumpkin, and ¼ cup buttermilk. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1½”-thick disk. Cut into 8 wedges; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm, 25–30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Brush scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until golden brown, 25–30 minutes.