CSA Harvest #17

Happy Fall! Woohoo my favorite time of year has arrived! Fall on the farm is a time for harvesting and preparing animals, structures and tools for the upcoming winter. Fall is one of my favorite times on the farm because I don't feel the pressure of weeding and planting. For now we have done most of our planting for the remainder of the season.. at this point we sort of kick our feet up and reap the bounty of our frantic spring and early summer days. We don't sweat the weeds as much because by the end of November everything will be tilled under (including all those pesky weeds!)
Our fava bean cover crop seeds arrived (500 pounds!) and are stacked neatly in the packing shed aka: garage. I look forward to the upcoming spring when I can look out and see fields of beautiful, lush flowering fava beans.. oh yeah I forgot about the whole spring allergy problem but every sneeze, sniffle and gasp will be worth it!
In other farm news today Asinete and I planted spinach, Easter egg radishes, bok choi, scarlet turnips, kohlrabi, and baby salad mix. The broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages for fall are looking robust and they will be something to look forward to when the first frost tells us that fall is really here. Also there will be spinach, lettuces, and more greens than you can shake a stick at.. for now please enjoy these lingering tastes of summer.

Your farmers,
Suzie, Asinete, M.A, Violet, Robin and Wayne


Todays' Harvest Will Include:

Italian Plums (thank you Scott and Cindy!)

Golden Delicious Apples

French fingerling potatoes

Rainbow Chard

Heirloom tomatoes

Green/Purple Beans

Cucumbers

Summer Squash

Red/Yellow Onions

Kohlrabi (the comet shaped veggie in your basket)

Dill

Rosemary

Jalapeno's/Bulgarian Carrot spicy peppers


Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is the strange looking vegetable in your share this week. It is actually a cross between a turnip and cabbage but is listed as a Brassica (related to fellow brassicas broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) Like its cousins kohlrabi thrives in cool weather. It is commonly seen in purple and green colors.

After washing your kohlrabi trim away any woody or tough portions of skin. Kohlrabi can be cooked or eaten raw. The leaves and bulb portion are the edible parts of the kohlrabi. My favorite way to eat it is to simply peel off the skin on the bulb and eat it right like that~ raw. It can be seasoned with a dash of salt as well. For those of you who would like to add a bit more effort into it here are a few ideas: grate the peeled kohlrabi bulb into your favorite salad, add sliced or cubed kohlrabi to soups, stews and stir-fry. The kohlrabi can also be cooked, mashed, mixed with cooked potato formed into patties and fry in butter or oil of your choosing.


French Fingerling Potato Recipe Ideas:

Fingerling potatoes, because of their versatility and size are great time savers and compliment roasted chicken, grilled meats, and add a gourmet touch to salads and vegetable medley's. You can bake, roast, grill, steam, fry, saute, boil or mash these tasty nuggets and discover their superior flavor.



Bleu Cheese Stuffed Fingerling Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 9 French Fingerling Potatoes
* 1 tsp. Olive Oil
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
* 4 sliced of bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
* 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
* 1/4 cup Fresh Chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Wash fingerlings in cool water, pat dry, and brush with olive oil.
3. Place potatoes in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in center of oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
4. Remove from oven, and with a knife cut an X on the top of each fingerling. Gently squeeze sides of fingerlings until centers spread out to form a small well. Stuff a small amount of bleu cheese, bacon and green onion into the well of each potato.
5. Serve immediately.


Curry Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes
* 1 lb Fingerling Potatoes, cut in 1 inch slices
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, salt and peppered
* 1 1/3 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tsp yellow curry
* 3 stalks chopped celery
* 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
* 1 cup golden raisins
* 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
* 1 TBSP olive oil
* salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 3 quarts of water to boil. Boil potatoes 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 500° degrees. In a baking dish, add oil and chicken. Broil 10-12 minutes turning after 5-6 minutes. Cook until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, curry, parsley, potatoes, raisins. Dice chicken and add to mixture and blend all ingredients. Salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate until cold.
4. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve with ripe cantaloupe or over a bed of salad greens. Can be prepared one day in advance.


Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

* 1 bag of Fingerling Potatoes
* 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Wash fingerlings in cool water, pat dry, and slice into 1/2 inch slices.
3. In a mixing bowl add all other ingredients and mix well. Add fingerlings and coat thoroughly.
4. Place potatoes in a single layer onto baking sheet and bake in center of oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
5. Remove from oven, garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and serve immediately.


Bleu Cheese Jalapeno Poppers (in a bleu cheese mood tonight I guess!)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 cup panko bread crumbs
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
* 12 jalapeno chile peppers
* 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Mix together the egg and milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the panko crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Stuff each jalapeno half with equal portions of the blue cheese. Place the halves back together and secure with toothpicks. Dip each stuffed jalapeno in the egg mixture and then coat with the panko mixture. Arrange the breaded peppers on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.



Enjoy!!