In Your Share (Oct 17th edition)

Time to sign up for the winter share if you haven’t done so already! We still have a few shares available to pass the word on if you know folks who might be interested.

This beautiful sunshine we’re having has allowed us to get the tractor back out on the fields to help with harvest and get a bit more cover cropping done. The big projects on the farm this week will be bringing in winter squash at Luscher Farm and planting garlic down on Grand Island. The fall brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, collards, brussel sprouts) are looking great! We’ll harvest gorgeous heads of cabbage for you this week then finish the summer share with a bumper crop of broccoli & cauliflower.

This week your share may include…

  • Cabbage: These nice big heads are really sweet & tender so they’ll make a great salad or slaw. That said, on a cold fall evening there is nothing better than braised cabbage. Try this recipe for cabbage with onion & poached egg inspired by Cathy Whims at Nostrana.
  • Chard: I didn’t grow up eating very many different kinds of greens, but this is one that my mom always had in the garden. I use it in place of cooked spinach in almost any recipe from quiche to lasagna, but one of my all time favorite ways to prepare it will always be my grandmothers chard bisque.
  • Eggplant: These cute little fruits are the last of this seasons crop.
  • Fennel: The mild anise flavored bulb is very versatile – it can be shaved into salads and is also great in gratins. The flavor is very bright when raw and much more mild after cooking. Last week I diced the bulbs, sauteed them with onions and parsley, and put that over pasta. We grated a bit of parmesan on top and it made for a nice  simple supper. More ideas here.
  • Peppers, Green: These are nice thick walled bell peppers.
  • Peppers, Jalapeno: Hot peppers can be hard to grow in our climate but this variety, Early Jalapeno, has been a real workhorse for us this summer. I like to save a few for the winter – just roast them under the broiler, pull off the skins and pop them in the freezer. I do this with all the different peppers, but I freeze hot peppers in smaller containers since I tend to use them in smaller quantities.
  • Tomatillos: These are the classic ingredient for salsa verde and this recipe from Rick Bayless is one of my favorites. This time of year I often roast tomatillos, blend them with hot peppers and freeze them. That way I can pull them out, add fresh cilantro & diced onion, and have summer salsa all winter.
  • Tomatoes, Green: The time has come to embrace green tomatoes! Don’t be afraid or intimidated – there are lots of tasty things to do with these.  This article has recipes for fritatta, gratin, salsa and of course the classic fried green tomatoes – maybe not the best for you but they’re soooo good!

Coming soon… Beautiful Winter Greens!!