CSA Harvest # 19

Hooray that Fall is really here!
Early this week during our vigilant weather watch we heard that we would encounter our first frost. We immediately started out into the garage to find every box, container, crate and bag that we could to store the crops in to get them out of the field. We labored over the tomato vines picking everything.. red ones in one box, green ones in another. The most rotten ones of course we had to throw at each other while we worked. Soon we looked like we were extras in a bad horror movie, tomato pulp dripping off our backs like fake blood. Tomato vines we didn't pick were covered with reemay. Reemay (also called agribon) is a fabric very similar to cheescloth. For farming purposes it comes in long rolls, wide enough to fit over the garden beds.
The two main functions of reemay are to protect a crop from frost and also to allow water and sun through to the plant but not pests. It is remarkable at how much better plants do when grown under it (except during really hot weather than you can actually cook your plants!) There are a few drawbacks to it though. The biggest is that it is expensive, the other is that for the high cost it is very delicate and tears easily. The worst is when we carefully cover a bed with the reemay and the next morning we wake up to find that deer have come through and poked holes all through it when passing through. Yes.. we are probably the only farmers in Oregon without deer fencing! For those of you who don't know the farm sits at only about 25 feet above the South Umpqua river. This makes for wonderful loamy soil but also there is always the chance that the river will flood and would take our deer fence with it! We have had much better luck this year than last with the deer and for that we are thankful. Of course now that hunting season is upon us that may change as the deer come down out of the hills to set up camp in the safe zone.
By the way we ended up not having a frost as warned although last night we had a small one. Last night's frost was cold enough to kill the uncovered basil, cucumbers (you're breathing a sigh of relief I bet!) and the winter squash.
Yes we do have winter squash (3 varieties) which we are hoarding until next week.

This week you will find tomatillos or husk tomato.. a very favorite treat of mine used in the Mexican specialty called "salsa verde" (or green salsa) sounds better in Spanish! So please read below on how to prepare and store them!

Enjoy!


Harvest This Week Includes:

Eggplant

Tomatillos

French Fingerling potatoes

Gypsy Peppers (sweet)

Jalapeno Peppers (spicy)

Red Zeppelin Onion

Heirloom Tomatoes

Sweet Cluster Tomatoes

Sungold Tomatoes OR Grapes

Carrots

Rainbow Chard


Recipe Ideas and Storage Tips:

Tomatillos:The tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is a plant of the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, related to tomatoes, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. I took a photo of them above. Tomatillos, referred to as green tomato (Spanish: tomate verde) in Mexico, are a staple in Mexican cuisine.

Storage: Fresh ripe tomatillos will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks. They will keep even longer if the husks are removed and the fruits are placed in sealed plastic bags stored in the refrigerator.[2] They may also be frozen whole or sliced.


Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa

* 1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks removed
* 1 head garlic cloves, separated and peeled
* 3 fresh jalapeno peppers
* 1 bunch fresh cilantro
* 1/2 cup water, or as needed
* salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven's broiler. Arrange the whole cloves of garlic, tomatillos, and jalapenos on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler, and cook for a few minutes. Remove garlic cloves first, as soon as they are toasted, to avoid developing a bitter flavor. Continue to roast jalapenos and tomatillos until evenly charred, turning occasionally. Set aside to cool. Don't remove the charred parts of the tomatillos or the peppers. They add a really nice flavor.
2. Place peppers and tomatillos in a blender with the garlic and cilantro. Add a little water to the mixture if necessary to facilitate blending. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until serving. Grab your favorite bag of tortilla chips or spoon over quesadillas..yummmmmmm

Chicken soup with tomatillos adapted from Splendid Soups.

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces
1 lb tomatillos coarsely chopped
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 jalapenos seeded and chopped
3 c chicken broth
2 T chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Brown the chicken in a pan 8-10 minutes a side. Adjust the fat and lightly saute the onions and garlic. Add broth, tomatillos, jalapenos and chicken to pan. When chicken is done (~15 minutes) remove to cool. Skim any fat (I use a stick blender) and puree what is in the pan. The recipe calls for straining it, but if you like it a bit more chunky leave it. Shred the chicken meat and return to the pan with the cilantro. Adjust salt/pepper (add cayenne if you need it) to taste and you have a great soup (I'll sometimes add a little lime juice to taste as well). Serve with sour cream and/or shredded cheese.

There are plenty more recipes on how to use tomatillos on the internet if these don't interest you.. try myrecipes.com


Jalapeno Chicken easy and elegant!

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced into rings
*
1 chicken breast, thawed and sliced lengthwise, thin
*
1 cup spinach
*
1 tomato, sliced
*
1 slice provolone cheese
*
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
*
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
*
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
*
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, or with any other seasonings you may prefer.
2.
In a skillet, sear the chicken breasts, about 2 minutes each side, then reduce heat to low and cook until chicken is done throughout. Use a bit of cooking spray to avoid sticking.
3.
In a separate pan, cook the spinach until soft.
4.
Once spinach is done, transfer to a mixing bowl and toss with Worcestershire and minced garlic.
5.
Place spinach mixture atop the chicken breasts.
6.
Cover spinach with tomato slices and jalapeno pepper slices.
7.
Top with provolone cheese.
8.
Cover the pan until cheese is melted.