• Tomatillos (while they last)
• Winter squash (Kabocha, Delicata, Butternut, Carnival)
• Onions
• Garlic
• Broccoli
• Cabbage (red or Napa)
• Peppers (sweet)
• Peppers (Hot)
• Tomatoes
• Cherry tomatoes
• Basil
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Leeks
• Eggplant
• Beets or corn (2 ears)

As we enter fall we marvel at how much produce we still have. New this week and through the rest of the season we will feature different winter squash. Each have their own virtues and ccan be cooked in similar fashion. See the recipes below and check the website for more. They are so healthy and delicious and will keep for months. The best way to store squash is to keep it at 60-70 degrees for 2 weeks and then keep it cool 35-45 degrees.

The rest of the curcubits (summer squash and cucumbers are hating the cool damp weather and are definitely on the way out. The tomatoes are also waning, but amazingly keep trying even getting wet. The brassicas are making a come back with broccoli and cabbage and soon to follow kohlrabi and brussel sprouts. Lettuce is hard at this time but is doing well in the hoop houses so hopefully in one to two weeks.

We are in the last month of harvest for the regular season. There is the opportunity to get one last huge basket before Thanksgiving (it will keep for at least a week in your fridge if not two if you are heading out of town). Pick-up is Monday (or Sunday) November 21 and the sign up is in the barn. Pre-payment is required and the cost is $30.

The order for shirts is going in tomorrow. We will have a few samples available for you to salivate at the harvest festival and we may make a second order if interest is there.

The 12^th Annual

Harvest Festival

Sunday October 16, 2011 from 2- 6 p.m.

At the farm; 7960 NW Dick Road, Hillsboro 97124

Contact Lyn Jacobs (503-568-5760) or Juvencio Argueta (503-830-0342) for more information

Lots of fun for the whole family:

Swiss alp horns, Traditional Mexican dancing, Marimba, cider pressing, wood fired pizza oven, potluck, farm tours and festive fall wreaths and bird feeders for sale and much more

Please bring: your favorite pizza topping, a dish to pass, a mason jar for cider, plates, cups and silverware for your family, a check book or cash to purchase items and contribute to the performers

Contributions to Save Helvetia were much appreciated and totaled over $750. Here is what Cherry Amabisca wrote:

 

“Thank you so much for your generous contributions to Save Helvetia’s efforts on so many different levels:  Donating your time at the pie slicing station at our recent Helvetia Culture Fest donating your produce to the “Helvetia Harvest” table, donating funds to our legal fund as well as your campaign to collect contributions from your wonderful community of subscribers.  

Your family’s efforts and donations and the donations of your subscribers were instrumental in helping us achieve almost $9,000 from the Helvetia Culture Fest towards our legal bill of $15,000 !

La Finquita del Buho is an amazing asset to our community.  A big thanks to you and your members for your generousity.

Muchas gracias por todo,

Cherry Amabisca”

Recipes for the week:

Curried Winter Squash Soup

Farmer John’s Cookbook, John Peterson

Serves 6-8

3 T unsalted butter

1 cup chopped scallions (about 6)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds butternut squash, about ½ a large squash, peeled, seeded, cubed

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 14 ounce can whole tomatoes or 2 cups peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes

12 whole curry leaves (optional)

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground mace (I skipped this)

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons curry powder

salt

freshly ground pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the scallions; sauté until soft and wilted, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the parsley, jalapeno, and garlic,; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
2. Add the squash and toss to coat it with the scallion mixture.  Add the stock, tomatoes, curry leaves, all spice, mace and nutmeg.  Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered until the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly.
3. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor; puree.
4. Transfer the soup back to the pot.  Stir in the curry powder and add salt, pepper to taste.  Return the soup to a simmer to heat through.  Garnish with the parsley just before serving.

 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH STAR ANISE AND GINGER SHRIMP
24 large shrimp in shell (about 1 lb), peeled, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact, and deveined
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2/3 cup chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 whole star anise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 3/4 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (5 cups)
4 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs
Toss shrimp with ginger in a bowl and marinate, chilled, 30 minutes (do not marinate any longer or enzymes from ginger will begin to cook shrimp).

Make soup while shrimp marinate:
Cook shallot, garlic, and anise in butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot is softened, about 5 minutes. Add squash, stock, and water and simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove star anise.

Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch, then transfer to cleaned pan and keep warm, covered.

Sprinkle marinated shrimp with salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp in 2 batches, stirring, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per batch, transferring to paper towels.

Bring soup to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Divide among 8 shallow soup bowls and mound 3 shrimp in each bowl.

Cooks’ note:
. Soup (without shrimp) can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. If making soup ahead, begin marinating shrimp about 40 minutes before serving.

Gourmet
December 2002

DELICATA SQUASH WITH ROSEMARY, SAGE, AND CIDER GLAZE

This is my favorite way to cook winter squash. You peel, and slice it, then cook it in a skillet with cider and
winter herbs. When most of the liquid boils away, the cider forms a tart-sweet glaze around the now-tender squash.

Delicata is a wonderfully firm-textured squash that’s not too sweet and almost like a potato. Other varieties like
acorn, turban, or kabocha will make good substitutes, but they may not hold their shape quite as well through the
braising.

2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm
winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef’s knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.

2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook,
stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.

3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender,
20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.

Makes 6 servings.

Roasted Winter Roots with Whole Garlic Heads
From The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook

All vegetables may be cooked in the oven at the same time. The heads
of garlic, roasted alongside the vegetables, become a self-contained
spread that is delicious on country-style bread. Be sure to allow one
garlic head for each person.

4 carrots, about ½ pound total
2 parsnips, about ½ pound total
2 turnips, about 1 pound total
1 rutabaga, about 1 pound
2 yellow onions, about ¾ pound total
3 russet potatoes, about 1 ¾ pounds total
4 heads of garlic, about ½ pound total
1/3 C olive oil
1 ½ tsps salt
1Tbles freshly ground pepper
4 fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried
4 fresh rosemary sprigs, or 1 tsp dried
4 fresh sage sprigs, or 1 tsp dried

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel the carrots, parsnips, turnips and rutabaga. Cut the
carrots into 2 inch lengths. Halve the parsnips crosswise, separating
the tapering root end from the thick upper portion. Cut the upper
portion lengthwise into 2 pieces. Quarter the turnips and rutabaga.
Peel the onions but do not cut off the root ends. Quarter the onions
lengthwise.
Scrub the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into quarters, then
in half. Cut off the upper quarter of the garlic heads, leaving the
heads intact, skin and all.
Combine half of the olive oil, the salt, pepper, thyme,
rosemary and sage in a large bowl. Add all of the vegetables,
including the garlic. Stir them until they are well coated with the
seasoned oil.
Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets.
Roast for 30 minutes. Stir the vegetables and baste with some of the
remaining olive oil. Continue roasting, stirring once or twice and
basting with olive oil, for 30 to 45 minutes longer, or until all the
vegetables are tender and are easily pierced with a fork. Remove from
the oven and transfer to a platter.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 4