Hi guys!!
We have a great share for you this week. Sorry the blog is a bit later than usual getting out the door today. Jack and I are currently watching the Seahawks game next door at the Taproom as I write this. Go Hawks. We are wrapping up projects and cleaning up the fields as things begin to slow down and the days get shorter. But is this some nice Indian summer weather or what? I heard on the radio it was over 80 degrees in Seattle today. Most of the summer crops like tomatoes and corn are goners. The melons and cucumbers are on their last legs. But we have some nice peppers for you this week. Most people don't realize that peppers are actually more of a Fall crop, at least here in the Pacific Northwest. They will be killed by the first hard frost, but unlike the tomatoes they don't mind rain or damp too much so hopefully they will be going for a while! Here's the list...
Gypsy peppers- These are my favorite sweet peppers. They are not spicy at all. They turn from pale greenish yellow to coral pink to red. They are good at all stages, but sweetest when they are more reddish. You can leave them out on the kitchen counter and they'll continue to ripen. Their taste is similar to a red sweet pepper, but has a bit of tartness that I really like. I love to eat them raw, in a salad, with a dip, or just by themselves. They are great cooked, too though. In tacos, pizza, stir fry, casserole, etc.
Delicata squash- If you're not familiar with delicata squash, you're in for a treat. Not only are they maybe the most delicious winter squash, they are almost definitely the easiest to prepare. The skin is edible AND DELICIOUS so don't peel them!! Just cut them in half long wise, scoop out the seeds, pour on a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper or any spices you like, and roast in the oven at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Or, Bobbie made them the other day a really great way. She took out the seeds just like described above, then sliced them into half moon shaped pieces about 1/4" thick, and braised them in cast iron skillet covered in stock and apple cider for about 20 minutes. It was good!
Spinach- We have some very nice spinach right now. We haven't given you all spinach in many moons, so we added it to this week's share. Also, because deer are eating our lettuce right now! This spinach should be young and tender enough to use in a salad. Or you can try slightly wilting it for just a few moments with some steam and serving a warm salad, one of my favorite ways to eat spinach. Should be easy to use up.
Beets- I was discussing with a farm share member some methods of peeling beets and thought I'd share it here. You can boil,.steam, or roast in the oven the beets BEFORE you peel them. They are much easier to peel after they are fully cooked; just be careful to allow them to cool enough that you don't get burned. Then, you can use a peeler or a paring knife and the skin should almost fall off on its own. I personally don't mind the skin too much, and often just cut the beets up into small bite sized pieces, roast them at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes on a cookie sheet after putting some oil and salt on them, and then serve them just like that.
Pear- These pears were grown at organically at Xanadu Farm just down the road from us, where Jack lives. You may have seen them in our farm stand for the last few weeks. They are a mysterious variety that is very tasty. Some of you may receive pears that are ripe and ready to eat, others might need to ripen up a bit at room temperature. When they are underripe they are a dark brown with a greenish tint; as they ripen the green disappears and they become a lighter brown color. Enjoy!
Shelling Peas- These "English" or shelling peas are a real treat. You have to remove the peas from the pods, as unlike the snap peas the pods are not good to eat. My favorite way to eat these peas is in a delicious soup. Here is what you do: Shell all the peas and hang on to the shells. Put the empty shells in a pot with 3 cups water and boil for 20 minutes or so to make a pea pod flavored stock. Strain the stock, reserve the liquid and discard the pods. Then boil the peas in the pea pod stock for about 5 minutes with a little bit of minced garlic. Let it cool down a bit before blending it up in a food processor or blender. Add salt, pepper, a bit of cayenne, but the flavor is really simple and delicate so you don't want to overdo it. Serve luke warm.
Kale- From our newer Fall and Winter kale beds, this is "Red Russian" kale. Great to have some hearty greens for the cooler nights. Here is a very simple recipe for sauteed kale similar to my go-to recipe at home: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Kale-108742
Garlic- Another head of nice garlic from Willowood Farm. We are starting to think about planting garlic later this month, so next season we should be giving out more garlic and it will be from our own farm! I hope it will be as good as Georgie's, as she is a real pro at growing great garlic.
Basil- Our basil is mysteriously just loving life all of a sudden in October! It has been pretty good all year, but all of a sudden it is AMAZING when I usually think of basil season winding down. We decided to give you guys a whole basil plant this week because we have so much nice basil.
Hope you are all enjoying a beautiful early Fall. Thank you as always for supporting the farm!
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