- Napa cabbage
- Winter squash
- Daikon radish or giant “Cherriete or Baccus”
- Fennel or celery
- Leeks
- Celeriac
- Broccoli or cauliflower
- Spinach or chard
- Lettuce or radicchio
- Basil
- Parsley
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Hot peppers
We accept the rain now that she is back. There are good aspects to rain, like a boost to fall crops, germination of the cover crop we raced to get in, clearing the hazy air, but it puts an end or near end to some of our summer favorites. We will have tomatoes this week, a few cherry tomatoes which will not have a long shelf life; they need to be eaten quickly and enjoyed for their memory of what summer can offer. We hurried to get in the cover crop trial seeded after the harvest on Sunday. I ran out yesterday after work before harvesting flowers and spread more Crimson Clover in what used to be my flower garden. We are attempting to fill every space possible between fall and winter crops and summer planted crops adding clover and vetch
to bring life back to our soil and add nitrogen.
Juvencio managed to get greenhouse #4 Although without a plastic cover ,ready to plant. I hope to get a break in the rain after the harvest to put in a last bit of spinach, more escarole and a few flowers in for the winter. We will harvest some of the first spinach in a long time this week and hope to have it until the end of the season. We hope the lettuce will takeoff and be available for the last 2 to 3 weeks of the regular season. With as many vermin as we have attacking established cabbages and our kale covered in a combination of aphids and white fly we are cautiously optimistic that we can battle them and beat them back. I know you are accustomed to hearing me wax about farming and the trials and tribulations but man, is it a bummer to have a crop beautifully ready and to watch it be destroyed by ground squirrels, gophers or moles.
We have a lot of people stepping up to the 2021 season, there is still room for Thanksgiving additions and we are hopeful that crops will continue to produce. We will open to new subscribers soon and after January 1, 2021 we can not hold your spot. My farmer friends report over 100 people on their wait list (go figure, not our experience, but just goes to show there is a lot of desire to have fresh local veggies delivered to the front door.).
Sign up early and leave us your deposit as we prep for next season.
Ana, Chris and Nick have offered to press some cider today. I put out an email late last week asking for mason jars. I got about 6, I have about 20 to donate. If you want cider, bring your jar and they will try and fill it for you. If it does not get done today and you leave it labeled we can store it in the cooler until later in the week or next weekend.
Sausage and Radicchio Soup
Serves 4-6
We love Italian Wedding Soup, but who has the time? This riff on it originally comes from Martha Stewart, but we’ve made it chock full of chicory. It comes together quickly for a satisfying first course, or even makes a great busy weeknight meal.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 stalks celery (could use the fennel instead), sliced
1 onion, diced
½ cup dried lentils
2 quarts chicken broth
1 head radicchio such as Castelfranco or Variegata di Lusia (we grow both varieties) torn into pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
In a large pot,m heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often to break apart, until golden brown on the edges. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft. Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
Add the radicchio and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep simmering until the radicchio wilts, about 5-10 minutes.
Black Radish Chips
Spicy Black Radishes Chips are baked up into a crispy, delicious chip. If you can’t find black radishes, you could use daikon or any other large radish. Cooking times may vary with other types of radishes.
Ingredients
2 pounds black radishes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.
Using a mandolin, slice the radishes 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Place in a large mixing bowl and toss with the oil, salt and pepper.
Arrange the radishes on a single layer on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 10 to 15 minutes, turn once, until lightly browned and slightly crisp. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with your favorite dip.