Lettuce
Parsley or cilantro
Beets
Celeriac or kohlrabi – either a huge brown root or an enormous light green ball as big as your head, choose one to make a root vegetable soup.
Kale or chard
Peppers
Hot peppers
Tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Brussels sprout tops
Cabbage or broccoli
Storage pears
Winter squash
Onions
Leeks
Garlic
James takes the cottage to the studs
The old cottage gets a make over
Old siding gets re=planed and stained
The herd summer 2014
Brussels Sprouts sizing up
Governor Kitzhaber visits La Finquita del Buho
Liberty High School students prepare a meal at La Finquita
What a glorious weekend. Warm days and cool nights are a perfect fall combination. We are in the home stretch for the 2014 season. The harvest festival is just around the corner and then just two more weeks of harvest. Our late fall crops like Napa Cabbage and Radicchio are sizing up as well as the cauliflower and later broccoli.
We are offering a taste of the “giant Kohlrabi” for those who dare. Some of them are as large as 7#. They can be used in soup or slaw or sautéed. Consider it a challenge to get through in one week! We made roasted veggies using most of what is listed for harvest this week and our 15 students from Liberty AP Environmental loved it. We also made the squash soup with curry (a family favorite) and the Meaty Ukrainian borscht which is fabulous.
It has been an exciting week. Not only did Juvencio spray for aphids, mow half the gardens and plant cover crop but he had time to entertain the governor! Kitzhaber paid us a visit at La Finquita to use our farm as backdrop for his campaign commercial. Juvencio toured him around and of course charmed him and they became fast friends. Check out the picture with his share of veggies as a thank you gift for the visit.
We also toured students from Liberty High School. They got a chance to see small scale farming and ask questions. We prepared roasted veggies and poached pears together and then they put in an hour of work. They were a hard working group and separated into 4 work teams. One team transplanted lettuce, bok choi and green onions, the next separated garlic heads into cloves for planting later this month. The third team cleaned up the onions for storage and the last fellow helped Juvencio pull all the posts from the tomatoes and prep the lower garden for garlic planting.
Then they sat down and devoured a whole pink banana squash roasted with shallots, beets, celeriac, potatoes and carrots. I forgot to mention the last group, Tessa and Colton who stayed in the outdoor kitchen and watched all the food cook to make sure it did not burn. It was a fun time and we actually got some of our work accomplished.
Vincent came by later in the week and helped us get some of the weeding done. The nice rain and subsequent warm spell sprouted many generations of weeds. All the fall crops need a lot of work to keep them weed and pest free (well at least to decrease the number). We have three of the four greenhouses planted for fall and winter. We are still harvesting a few tomatoes and peppers from the last greenhouse, but once they give signs they are done we will fill them with winter crops as well. I have spinach, lettuce, radicchio and more kale waiting in the wings, ready to be planted.
It is time to sign up for the Thanksgiving harvest. You need to pre-pay $35 for a mega harvest. It will be available on November 23 and 24th for pick-up. Even if you plan to travel it makes a great gift to the host or will keep until you get back. Don’t miss one last harvest before you go into vegetable withdrawal for the winter. Also please let us know about your plans for continuing next season. You are our top priority but if you don’t let us know you want to continue you by December 1 you may lose your spot.
Have a great week, see you later this week and hope to see you all at the Harvest Festival October 19!
MEATY UKRAINIAN BORSCHT
2 pounds beef flanken or short ribs
3 quarts of water
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 medium carrot, scraped
1 medium celery root, peeled, 1/4 cut out for broth, remaining cut in
1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, unpeeled, stuck with several cloves
8 whole allspice berries
3 medium-large beets, without tops
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 medium parsnip, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium turnips, cut in 1/2-inch cubes, or 2 cups chopped cabbage
1 large carrot, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 well-rounded tablespoon tomato paste
8-10 large garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste MEATY UKRAINIAN BORSCHT
In a 5-6 quart pot, bring meat and water to boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer and skim of foam. When foam stops rising, add salt, carrot, 1/4 celery root, whole onion and allspice; simmer gently, partially covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat falls of the bone. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scub beets, wrap in foil and bake for an hour, or until just tender. Poke through foil with skewer to check for doneness. Peel beets; shred on coarse side of grater. When meat is very tender, remove, strip off bones, and cut into small cubes. Place in bowl; cover with foil. Strain broth. Rinse out pot. Place pot over medium heat, warm butter, and saute onion 2-3 minutes. Add cubed celery root, parsips, turnips and carrot. Saute 5 minutes. Add strained broth, potatoes and shredded beets. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Just before serving, while soup is simmering gently, stir in garlic and lemon juice. Remove from heat immediately. Serve pipping hot in flat bowls with dollop of sour cream and generous sprinkling of parsley and dill.
Cooking in the Litchfield Hills
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
aCrunchy Red Devils recipe by A. Doncsecz, Vegetarian Gourmet
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
3 medium kohlrabi bulbs
Whisk together all ingredients except kohlrabi with ½ cup water. Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi; stir into marinade, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 days, stirring occasionally. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Stir-Fried Kohlrabi from The Goodness of Potatoes and Root Vegetables
3 kohlrabi, peeled
3 medium carrots
4 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 fresh chili peppers, sliced, optional
salt
4 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
3 teaspoons sesame oil & soy sauce, each
Slice kohlrabi and carrots into thin ovals. Heat oil in large heavy skillet; when it begins to smoke, toss in garlic and ginger. Stir once then add kohlrabi and carrots; toss and cook 2 minutes. Add green onions and chilies; stir-fry 1 minute, then pour in ½ cup water. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and toss in a little salt and the sesame and soy, and oyster if using. Serve with rice.
Kohlrabi Pickle Chips from the Victory Garden Cookbook
1-2 pounds smallish kohlrabi, trimmed
3 small onions
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 cups vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi and onions. Mix salt with 1 quart ice water, pour over the vegetables, and soak for 3 hours. Drain, rinse, and place in a bowl. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, and pour over the vegetables. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 3 days
Celery, Tomato, and Basil Salad
4 large tomatoes, sliced crosswise OR 1 clamshell mixed cherry tomatoes cut in half, or a mix
3-4 small purple onions or 1/2 larger onion sliced crosswise
4 stalks celery with leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, leaves torn
Small handful fresh basil, torn
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons champagne or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
S & P to taste
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, celery, celery leaves and basil; set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and cream; to combine.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss to coat; serve immediately.