CSA Harvest # 21

Garlic time at Big Lick Farm! I love this photo! You may recognize my hands in the photo, calloused and dirty just the way a farmer's hands should be... this picture was taken last summer by our good friend and fellow CSA farmer Sandee Mcgee of Oh My Gato Farm in Winston. Roseburg is a pretty special area to have the choice between three different CSA farms (us, Oh My Gato and the Lehne Farm off Garden Valley). Despite the fact that we all run similar business we have become good friends along the way. Secrets, potatoes, and garlic seed are passed back and forth between us and we always love to check in on each other and see how the others CSA is progressing.. also it helps to keep us on our toes so we can do the best job we can.. because if we don't there will be other CSA farms to join. Even though each of our farms run a CSA we all offer something a bit different. It's funny that for years there were no CSA's in our area and now starting at the same time there are 3!

This fall marks our second year farming in Oregon... hard to believe it's only been two! When your farming months can seems like decades and years centuries! It has been challenging to adjust to the long, wet Oregon winters (me coming from Southern California and Asinete coming from the equator) but now we could not imagine a better place to be.

This time of year allows us time to reflect on how the season has gone.. we do feel the CSA has been much better this year. We will be sending out an email survey in the next week through email so please keep an eye out for it. We would really love to hear from each of you on what you liked and what you did not like during the CSA deliveries and how we can make our business even better. Of course we would rather have constructive comments than lose CSA members so we value your comments and your time to fill out the survey. Again please keep your eye out for it hopefully before next Thursday.

We are breathing a sigh of relief as half of the farm has successfully been seeded with the fava bean cover crop. Still 300 pounds of fava bean seed to go!


Harvest This Week Includes:

Concord Grapes

Carrots

Peppers (sweet and spicy)

Tomaotes (green ones will ripen if left at room temp for a week or more)

Tomatillos (hopefully you all know how to make salsa verde now!)

Daikon OR Easter Egg Radishes

Delicata Winter Squash

Rainbow Chard OR Lacinato Kale

Onions


Delicata Winter Squash This oblong festive colored squash is one of my favorites. They are easy to work with and one squash is a perfect meal for two! The delicata will not keep as long as your butternut so use it first. And remember to store at room temp, not in your 'fridge please! Delicata Squash is also called Peanut squash and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed. The thin skin is also edible.

The delicata squash is an heirloom variety. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn't suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months. But this one was brought to you straight outta Myrtle Creek!


Baked Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

1 delicata squash

1-2 Tbsp. butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut off the ends of squash, cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Leaving the skins on, cut the squash into 1/2-inch wide lengths. Place these on a baking sheet, dot with butter, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degree F. oven until soft. This is the basic recipe. You can add herbs, spices or honey to it if you wish.

Delicata Squash Puree

Ingredients:

One 2-lb. Delicata squash

1 lb. potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup heavy cream or half and half

2 tbsp. butter or olive oil

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh chives

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the outer skin and cut the squash into 3-inch pieces. Place squash and potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and cook until both the squash and potatoes are fork-tender (30-40 minutes). Drain liquid (reserving about 1 cup) and add in cream and butter. Using a potato masher , mix well. Add chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooking liquid if you want it a bit thinner consistency.


Roasted Delicata With Fresh Thyme
Halve the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut each piece in half again. Drizzle the squash with olive oil. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and sugar. Top with cracked pepper and fresh thyme sprigs. Bake at 425º for 30 minutes. These will hold well in a warm oven if they finish before you are ready to serve them. If they look dry, you can “refresh” them with a little drizzle of olive oil.