We have some drier weather in the forecast for this week, which should hopefully allow us to get some storage crops out of the field, like potatoes and winter squash. We have finished plowing up a new section for next year....it is about a third of an acre at the bottom of what is now the goat pasture...we're planning on planting our winter squash down there next Spring, which will give us more space in our existing fields for other crops we want to grow more of, like garlic, onions, and broccoli. The Fall crops are looking great out in the field, other than some pest damage to the carrots in a few places....but many of the Summer crops, like the tomatoes, appear to still be going strong in spite of the cool, damp weather. Other things, like corn, cucumbers, and summer squash, are winding down, and we're starting to clean up some of the fields and get them ready for the Winter off.
Here's what's in this week's share:
Cucumbers- As mentioned, the cucumbers are slowing down, although they are continuing to produce more than I would have expected in these cooler, shorter days. Hoping we will have enough to put one or two cukes in the farm shares for a last hurrah. Enjoy one final cucumber salad!
Lettuce- The Fall lettuce is really looking nice, and we should be able to get it into the shares quite a few times before the end of lettuce season...of course, lettuce is pretty sensitive to frost, so if we suddenly get a very cold night a little earlier than usual, the lettuce could be turned to mush in the blink of an eye. Usually it will be alright until late October, and we are putting woven row cover over it, both to protect it from deer (who we have almost completely fenced out, but not quite...) and cold temperatures.
Hakurei turnips- If you're new to the farm share, you may not have tried these yet. They are a Japanese salad turnip that is really delicious and super easy to use...I like them best raw, sliced up on a salad or just eaten whole out of my hand! They are good cooked, too, and here's a recipe that uses the greens as well:
http://www.food.com/recipe/sauteed-hakurei-turnips-and-braised-greens-459220
Beets- Lots of nice beets out in the field right now! I was agonizing all Summer about whether or not we had enough beets planted, and of course now we have plenty. Here's a kind of elaborate recipe that will use your beets, cucumber, and parsley if you feel up to it:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tuna-souvlaki-gyro-with-beet-tahini-and-parsley-salad-238189
or this one, if you're in the mood to do some pickling:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/pickled-beet-and-cucumber-salads-5409
Parsley- Goes great with beets, carrots, cucumbers, peppers....easy to use, just chop it up and add it to a salad dressing, or sprinkle on top of the salad.
Tomato- We are getting so many tomatoes still, it's easy to put a lot in your share! Hope you're enjoying them and not feeling overwhelmed. Maybe a few less this week than last week. If you have extra, it is pretty easy to chop up tomatoes, cook them down for a bit on the stovetop, and then freeze them for the winter, and you'll be glad you did in a few months!
Sweet peppers, chilies- Easy to tell these apart; the sweet peppers are the bigger ones that were in your share last week, the chilies are much smaller, and either green or red. There should be two large sweet peppers, and two small hot peppers in each bag. In my experience, Pacific Northwesterners have mostly been terrified of hot chilies to the point of not wanting to even touch them...I've been surprised by the positive response and excitement about hot peppers this year! Maybe things are changing....
Kale- With cooler darker evenings, it is great to have some warm braising greens with dinner. Can't do a blog post without Martha! Again, click on the arrow to scroll through recipes:
http://www.marthastewart.com/286367/kale-recipes/@center/1009854/winter-produce
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