- · Lettuce
- · Spinach
- · Leeks
- · Spaghetti squash
- · Tomatoes
- · Cherry tomatoes
- · Sweet peppers
- · Hot peppers
- · Onions
- · Garlic
- · Cucumbers
- · Zucchini
- · Basil
- · Chard or kale
- · Green and purple beans (they are back!)
- · Apples
Fall is just lovely this year. Not too cold nights with warm days and no RAIN. This is the greatest tomato year ever (or at least in a long time). If you are overwhelmed then simply put them in a zip lock and freeze them. They are great to add to soups and sauces in the winter when you are pining for a real tomato and not one of those square flavorless ones you get in the market. I also roast a lot of them and turn them into a sauce, a bit more work but so helpful during the 9 months out of the year that we don’t have tomatoes! We have extra tomatoes for purchase at $1.50/# if you want to make sauce for the winter, just let us know.
We are bringing in the first of the winter squash. We have never grown spaghetti squash so here it is. It is a lot bigger than we were expecting and needs to be prepared in a special fashion to preserve it’s “spaghetti – like” appearance. If you have a great recipe you want to share pass it along. It is also time to roast those peppers! They can be roasted in the oven or over a flame and put in bags and used in the winter. We just eat them raw in strips or add to salads.
We have one more month of the regular season (4 harvests after this week). We hope you don’t loose steam or get burned out on veggies, they are in their prime! The harvest festival will take place on October 14th but we continue to harvest for two more weeks after the party. The last harvest is October 29 and November 1. We will offer the Thanksgiving harvest again The Sunday/Monday before Thanksgiving. It has been a huge harvest in the past, enough to last several weeks. There will be a sign up in the barn as the time nears.
1) October 14: 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. La Finquita del Buho Harvest Festival, get ready to have some fun and show off your farm to family and friends! Pizza making, cider pressing, Pupusas, Baile Folklorico with “Mexico en la Piel”, Marimba and more. Wreathes and bird feeders will be available for purchase in the pump house.
2) October 20: 9:00 a.m. – Wellness Center Opening please join my team! http://walkforwellness.virginiagarcia.org/wellness/participantpage.asp?fundid=1720&uid=3086&fkroledescid=3 you can search for Lyn Jacobs or La Finquita del Buho team. I will be giving a personal tour following the 2 mile family friendly walk.
3) T-shirts are being ordered today! September 30th, if you want a specific size and color you need to sign up and pay today! Sign up in the barn.
Low-Fat Ranch Dressing
adapted from Cook’s Country
makes about 1 cup 8 servings
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo
1 Tablespoons water or buttermilk
1 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated (try a microplane for this job)
1 Tablespoon minced chives
1 Tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper
Whisk all ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
GREEK BASIL DRESSING
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds Catalog
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot or 1 green onion, cut in thirds
6 Greek olives, pitted
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest (yellow part only)
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 sm. tomato, quartered
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
freshly ground pepper
Blend all ingredients except last three (garlic through basil). Add
olive oil gradually, processing until combined. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Toss with salad greens. Makes 2/3 cup.
Spaghetti Squash and Herbs (Martha Stewart)
- · 1 spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds), halved lengthwise, seeds removed
- · 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- · 1 tablespoon packed light-brown sugar
- · Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- · 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
- · 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- · 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- · 1/4 cup blanched hazelnuts (1 ounce), toasted and coarsley chopped
Directions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush cut sides of squash with oil, and sprinkle with sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Place squash, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly on sheet on a wire rack, about 10 minutes.
- 2. Scrape squash with a fork to remove flesh in long strands. Place in a large bowl. Add oil, Parmesan, parsley, cilantro, hazelnuts, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Toss, and serve immediately
Spaghetti Squash and Tarragon From Chef Jonathan Miller
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 c white wine
1/4 c pine nuts
1 T white wine vinegar
zest of half a lemon
juice from half a lemon
leaves from 2 thyme sprigs
crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 c olive oil
leaves from 3 sprigs tarragon, chopped
1/3 c grated ricotta salata
Heat oven to 350. Baste the spaghetti squash flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put cut side down in a baking sheet and pour in the wine and about a third cup of water. Roast for about 50 minutes, until just barely tender, then remove from the oven and flip the squash over to cool. While the squash roasts toast the pine nuts until nicely golden.
Combine the vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, crushed pepper and a little salt in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Scrape the squash out of its skin with a fork, separating it into strands and put in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing, then finish with the tarragon, ricotta salata, and the pine nuts. Serve while still warm or at room temperature. Yummy!
Spaghetti Squash & Shrimp Salad 6-8 servings adapted from a recipe on Chowhound.com
Dressing (Nuoc Mam)
4 cloves garlic
2 small red chilies or 1 ½ Tbsp.Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce
1 C. warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp lime juice (about 1 large lime)
½ C. fish sauce
1 medium Spaghetti squash (4 –– 4.5 lb) yields about 9-10 cups cooked squash.
1 cup loosely packed Thai/Holy Basil OR Mint
1 ½ lb. Medium sized shrimp
To make the dressing, cut chilies into small rings. Place chilies, garlic and sugar into a mortar and pound into a coarse, wet paste. (If you don’t have a mortar, just chop with a knife.) Transfer to a small bowl and add the warm water, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to dissolve. Set the dressing aside.
Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork “comb” out the strands. Let it cool.
While the squash is cooking, boil the shrimp in lightly salted water. Drain and rinse in some cold water. Peel and butterfly them after they cooled. Add to Squash.
Chop the basil coarsely and add to squash. Mix until the shrimp and basil are evenly distributed.
Mix dressing into squash mixture right before serving. There is more dressing here and is needed for a 4 lb. squash. Mix in only as much dressing as needed to your desired taste. The remaining dressing can be used as a condiment for dipping meat, seafood, and vegetables or for drizzling on plain rice. The dressing will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
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Mix cooked spaghetti squash with a little egg and flour. Add fresh minced ginger, white pepper and sliced green onions (but no salt). Fry like a potato pancake and serve with soy sauce. Yum!
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Cook Spaghetti Squash by cutting in half and cooking like a pumpkin or butternut squash in the oven until it can be easily pierced by a fork. Gently scoop out sqush ‘noodles’ and serve hot with red sauce or cooled like a noodle salad with your favorite dressing.
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Saute garlic and butter until the garlic is soft. Cut the squash in half and steam the squash until tender. Then separate from the shell by running a fork along the length of the squash to get spaghetti-like strands. Add to the pan and toss to coat with butter and garlic. Add fresh diced tomatoes and torn fresh basil, cook for a minute or two and add salt and pepper to taste.
TOMATO, BASIL AND COUSCOUS SALAD
2 1/4 cups canned chicken broth
1 10-ounce box couscous
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup (generous) diced seeded plum tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Bring broth to boil in medium saucepan. Add couscous. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Fluff with fork. Cool.
Mix all ingredients except cherry tomatoes into couscous. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill.) Garnish with cherry tomatoes.
Allium Gallete
This recipe may sound a bit complicated but after making it once I think you’ll find it quick, easy and versatile. Alliums – all those wonderful members of the onion family including spring onions, green garlic, leeks, whistles, ramps and shallots – are at the heart of this dish. I saute whatever alliums are in season, add a few other veggies and herbs, the egg and a bit of cheese to bind it together, and surround the whole thing with a giant free form pie crust. YUM!
3 cups alliums including some greens, chopped
8-10 Nicoise or Kalamata olives
butter/olive oil
2/3 cup parmesan
2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1-2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cream or crème fraiche
1/4 cup chopped parsley (or other herbs)
salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 cup soft goat cheese (about 4 oz)
Almost any greens and/or mushrooms are a great addition to this dish. Saute them separately, allow to cool for 10 min, then add in with the olives at the end.
Thinly slice and wash the alliums then saute them in butter or olive oil for 5-10 min. Add thyme and 1/2 cup of water. Stew over medium heat stirring frequently until alliums are tender- about 5-10 min more. Add the wine and continue cooking until it’s reduced, then add the cream and cook until it just coats the leeks and a little liquid remains. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add olives, parmesan, and lemon zest. Let cool 10 minutes, then stir in all but 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg and most of the parsley & herbs.
Preheat the oven to 400. Roll out the dough (see below) for one large or six individual galettes. Spread the leek mixture on top, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge. Crumble the cheese over the top then fold the dough over the filling. Brush with reserved egg and bake until the crust is browned, 25-30 minutes. Remove, scatter the remaining parsley over the top, and serve.
Galette Dough
Based on a recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
2 cups all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/3-1/2 cup ice as water as needed
Mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Cut in the butter by hand or using a mixer with a paddle attachment leaving some pea sized chunks. Sprinkle the ice water over the top by the tablespoon and toss it with the flour mixture until you can bring the dough together into a ball. Press it into a disk and refrigerate for 15 min if the butter feels too soft.
I always roll the dough out onto lightly floured parchment paper because it makes then it doesn’t stick! To form a galette, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 14-inch irregular circle about 1/8th inch thick. Fold it into quarters and transfer it to the back of a sheet pan or a cookie sheet without sides. Unfold it. It will be larger than the pan.
I usually make savory galettes, but this dough is also wonderful wrapped around sweet summer fruit for dessert.