Last week we rolled up irrigation lines, put away row covers, planted all of our garlic and mulched the garlic and next year’s strawberries. The long-anticipated killing frost also arrived and it was cold enough to finish off not only our flowers, eggplant and peppers in the field, but also the tomato and pepper plants in the more protected high tunnels. This week we will be mowing in those plants and pulling up all of the landscape fabric, plastic mulch and drip irrigation that went with them. In the high tunnels we will begin taking down trellising and removing plant debris.

We are also starting to put away equipment into more protected spaces. Because of limited barn space, we end up storing our smaller tractors inside our large greenhouse for the winter. While it’s not always ideal to use our greenhouses as storage space (we have to break down our usual greenhouse set-up to make space for storage in the fall, and then we have to move everything back out in February and March to make space for re-do our greenhouse set-up in March), there are also some advantages. Our older small tractors don’t start in the cold, but on sunny days our greenhouses warm up enough to make starting them easier. They are also much nicer work spaces than our chilly barn!

In the CSA this week:

Popcorn - These are distributed on the ear. Shelling popcorn kernels by hand is fairly straightforward - start at the wider end of the cob and use your thumbs to dislodge the first row. Once you have gotten through the first row or two the kernels usually start to come off pretty easily!
Autumn Frost squash
Potatoes from Atlas Farm
Carrots
Colored peppers or Green tomatoes
Green peppers
Radishes - a mix of watermelon and daikon varieties
Garlic
Onions
Scallions
Hot peppers
Cilantro - Grown in our high tunnel
Kale - from the high tunnels
Salanova Lettuce Mix

CSA Pick-Your-Own:

PYO herbs may include parsley and sage. Please note that although the CSA is open until 6:30 on Wednesdays, the PYO fields are closed when it gets dark.

Mushroom CSA:

It is the 8th week and final week of the 8-week Fall Mushroom CSA. Mushroom pick up is during CSA hours only: Wednesday 11am-6:30pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. Please check in with our crew member at the CSA check-in and they will retrieve your mushrooms from the cooler. Please email Melissa if you need to make other arrangements.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

adapted from Cookie + Kate

Roasted peppers:

4 large red bell peppers, halved from stem to base, seeds and membranes removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, for sprinkling

Filling and topping:

½ cup long-grain brown rice (or 1 ½ cups cooked rice)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
½ teaspoon fine salt, to taste
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (1 ½ cups) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 ounces (about 1 cup) grated part-skim mozzarella or cheddar
Optional garnishes: Sliced ripe avocado or guacamole,red salsa, sour cream or vegan sour cream

Instructions:

To roast the peppers: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the halved peppers in a large 9 by 13-inch baking dish, or on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the peppers and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the oil all over both sides of the peppers, then arrange them with the cut sides facing up. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peppers are a little blistered around the edges and easily pierced through by a fork. Set aside. Leave the oven on for baking the peppers.
In the meantime, cook the rice: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh colander until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the boiling water and continue boiling, uncovered, for 30 minutes (reduce the heat as necessary to prevent overflow). Drain off the remaining cooking water and return the rice to the pot. Set aside.
Prepare the filling: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they’re lightly squishy, another 5 minutes or so.
Add the cilantro, garlic, chili powder and cumin. While stirring, cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the rice, beans, lime juice and about 10 twists of black pepper. Stir to combine, then season with additional salt (I usually add ¼ teaspoon) and black pepper, to taste.
To stuff the peppers, first pour off any excess juice pooled within the peppers. Then stuff each pepper generously with the rice mixture (if the peppers were truly large, you should have just the right amount of filling—if you have extra, save it to serve as a side dish). Top the peppers with the cheese.
Bake at 425 for 12 to 13 minutes, until the cheese is golden in spots. Serve warm with fresh cilantro leaves on top or any other garnishes of your choice. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. I believe they would freeze well for several months, but haven’t tried to be sure.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese, and cover the baking dish during its final stint in the oven. I recommend topping the finished peppers with something creamy or saucy, like guacamole, cilantro-hemp pesto or vegan sour cream.

Prepare in advance: This dish is a bit time consuming, though it’s not difficult. You could make the rice in advance, and/or prep the peppers so they are ready to pop in the oven later. You could even assemble the peppers completely and refrigerate, covered, until you’re ready to bake (they will likely need a few extra minutes in the oven to warm through)