- Radishes
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Eggplant
- Potatoes
- Leeks
- Tomatillos or pineapple tomatillos or green beans
- Basil (make that pesto!)
- Grapes and other fruit
- Hot peppers
- Cucumbers (they are fading fast enjoy them while you can)
- Summer squash (also nearing the end)
- Spaghetti squash
- Onions
The weather really shifted this week. Last Saturday we were full of smoke. It was predicted to get up to 94° .Today the skies are cloudy but the air is clear and the weather will reach a max of 71. This truly feels like fall. Crops on the farm are feeling the same shift, we see the powdery mildew that shows up with dewy mornings. All of the winter squash is harvested and it is a very poor showing. The new appearance of the squash bug has really affected production and it looks like we will struggle with this bug from now on.
On a good note we have decided that at this stage in the pandemic we can hold an outdoor event. We will hold our annual harvest festival for the first time since 2019. We hope people will come and enjoy connecting with our community. We will fire up the pizza oven and ask that you bring your favorite pizza topping and a dish to share. Bring your own plates, utensils and cups. We will have cider pressing in the orchard. And it will be good to gather again at the farm and reconnect.
Mark your calendars for October 9th from 2-6 p.m. La Finquita Harvest Festival is on!
Juvencio is excited and is sending another steer to the butcher. If you want beef in the form of a quarter to a half a steer which will include your choice of steaks, stew meat and roast please contact Juvencio. The butcher date is set for December so you have a little bit of time but don’t linger, you will miss the opportunity.
We appreciate when people show up to help harvest. We struggle to bring in these large harvests alone. As I look ahead we have 5 more weeks and only one person has signed up.
We also have space for our winter share and encourage you to sign up now so that we can anticipate and plan. Please feel free to encourage friends and neighbors to reach out to us by email to join the abundance of winter veggies.
Recipes for this week:
Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Basil serves 6 as main, 8 as side
1 spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs)
1 Tb EVOO
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large eggs
1/2 c. Milk
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 c grated gruyere cheese
2 Tbs fresh grated parmesan
Preheat oven to 375. Pierce the squash in several places with a sharp knife. Cover a baking sheet w/foil and place squash on top—bake for 1 hour, turning every 20 minutes until soft and easy to cut into. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cut in half, remove seeds then scoop out flesh and place in a bowl. Run a fork through the flesh to separate into spaghetti like strands, then chop coarsely. Measure out 4 cups. (set aside any that remains for another dish or freeze for later use)
Oil a 2 quart gratin or baking dish. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet and add the onion and sauté, stirring, until tender. Add garlic and generous pinch of salt, cook a few minutes more. Add the squash. Cook, stirring often until the strands are a bit more tender. Season to taste w/salt and pepper and remove from heat.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste and basil. Stir in the squash mixture and the gruyere and combine well. Scrape into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle parmesan on top and press down gently.
Bake 40-45 minutes at 375; allow to cool 10-15 minutes before serving. Can be made up to a day ahead and reheated.
Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash
Adapted from Gourmet
Serves 4
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) spaghetti squash
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, if you’re cilantro-averse
To cook the squash in a microwave: Pierce squash (about an inch deep) all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting. Cook in an 800-watt microwave oven on high power (100 percent) for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn squash over and microwave until squash feels slightly soft when pressed, 8 to 10 minutes more. Cool squash for 5 minutes.
To roast the squash, two methods: If you’d like to roast the squash whole, pierce it all over with a small sharp knife to prevent bursting and bake it in a 375°F oven for one hour. If you are good with a big, sharp knife, you can save some time by cutting the squash in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and roasting the halves face-down in an oiled baking pan for about 40 minutes in a 375°F oven.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until it is barely golden. Stir in spices and salt and remove from heat.
If you have microwaved or roasted your squash whole, carefully halve it lengthwise (it will give off a lot of steam) and remove the seeds.
Carefully halve squash lengthwise (it will give off steam) and remove and discard seeds. Working over a bowl, scrape squash flesh with a fork, loosening and separating strands as you remove it from skin. Toss with the spiced butter and cilantro.
Farro with Blistered Tomatoes, Pesto and Spinach (or chard/kale/beet greens)
1 c farro, rinsed
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion, peeled, quartered and cut into 1” edges
2 Tbs EVOO
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c homemade or store bought pesto
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 c packed baby spinach
1 4oz ball fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks (optional)
1/4 c chopped fresh basil or parsley
Heat oven to 40. Bring a large pot of salt water to boil. Add the farro and adjust the heat to maintain medium boil, cook, uncovered until tender and not too chewy, about 30 minutes
Meanwhile, on a sheet pan, combine tomatoes with onion wedges and oil, then season w/salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Roast until tomatoes blister and start to deflate, 25-30 minutes.
When the farro is done, drain and then pour into a large serving bowl. Toss with some EVOO, then mix in the pesto. Add the lemon juice and the zest, then stir in the spinach. Set aside to cool slightly.
Scrape the tomato mixture and juices into the farro, season with salt and pepper as needed. Add cheese, if using, then garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Peperonata (serves 4-6)
1/4 c olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
5-6 sweet bell peppers, diced or sliced
5 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and neatly diced
Heat olive oil in a wide skillet. Add onions, garlic, bay and thyme and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are lightly colored, about 10 minutes. Add peppers, season with 1/2 tsp salt and raise the heat. Cook briskly until the pepper softens, then add the tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Use for bruschetta or with pasta or eggs.
Rajas
2 poblanos chiles
2 large sweet peppers
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs vegetable oil
Salt
Fresh limes juice
Roast and peel the poblanos and bell peppers by halving and seeding them, placing skin side up on a baking sheet and cooking at 400 until softened and skins are wrinkled—allow to cool and then peel away skins. Cut the chiles and peppers into strips 1/2 inch wide, place in a bowl and pour any juices from the pan over them. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until just starting to brown. Combine with the peppers and season with salt. When ready to serve, add a little lime juice
These will keep covered for several days in the refrigerator. Use in quesadillas, enchiladas, omelets, etc.
Red Peppers Stuffed with Corn and Fresh Mozzarella
2 red peppers, halved lengthwise
2 Tbs butter
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2-3 cups corn kernels
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4-5 oz finely diced fresh mozzarella or 1 c grated cheddar or Monterey Jack
3 Tbs finely sliced fresh basil leaves
2/3 c bread crumbs
salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the peppers. Steam the peppers for 5 minutes and set aside
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the scallions, corn and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese, basil, and 1/2 the bread crumbs. Pack into the pepper shells and top with remaining bread crumbs. Set them in the prepared dish, add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of the dish, cover tightly with foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Uncover and broil to brown tops.
Cherry Tomato and Olive Relish
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
24 nicoise or kalamata loves, pitted and halved
1 Tbs capers, rinsed
1 Tbs chopped parsley
2 tsp chopped marjoram
10 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 Tbs EVOO
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Combine ingredients and serve with polenta, bruschetta, or mashed potatoes
Ottolenghi Chunky Minestrone with Basil Paste
1 large eggplant, cut into 3-4 cm chunks
120 ml EVOO
2 red peppers, halved, de-seeded and cut into long strips 2cm wide
2 zucchini, cut into 3-4 cm chunks
2 onions, peeled and halved, then each half cut into 4 wedges
2 beef tomatoes, halved and each half cut into 3-4 wedges
300 grams cherry tomatoes
2 liters vegetable stock
80 g vermicelli egg noodles, angel hair pasta or thn rice noodles
100 g green peas, fresh or frozen
70 grams pecorino cheese, coarsely grated
salt and pepper
Herb oil: 25 g parsley, 30 g basil, 60 mL EVOO
To make the herb oil, place the ingredients in a blender or food processors with a pinch of salt and blitz to form a thick paste. Set aside
Preheat the oven to 450. Toss the eggplant chunks with 3 Tbs olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt and grind of black pepper. Transfer to a baking tray and roast for about 35 minutes. Set aside
Meanwhile, toss the peppers, zucchini and onions in 3 Tbs evoo and roast on a baking tray for about 30 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking.
Place all the tomatoes in a bowl with the remaining 2 Tbs of oil, salt and pepper. Toss, transfer to a baking sheet and roast about 20 minutes
Bring the stock to a rapid boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente.
To serve, spoon all the roasted veggies into the base of a large flat bottomed bowl and ladle over the stock and the pasta. Top with peas and pecorino and finish with the herb paste—serve immediately.
5 great eggplant dishes:
https://heated.medium.com/5-dishes-that-reinforce-the-greatness-of-eggplant-642e59bf875f