Week 20: The Official Transition of Summer

Happy farmers, healthy food! (Photo by Claire Burnett)

Good Morning Folks,
 
The autumnal equinox is upon us, the time that not just marks the official transition of summer to fall, but also reminds us that the days are more or less the same length as the nights. The last of the summer fruit ripens, tempting one to enjoy them while they still hold the sweet flavors of the warm sun. They make way for cooler crops both in taste and stamina and so we encourage you to get them while they last. The average first frost date for our region has come and gone and because our farm is located in a depression down in the Poudre River Valley, we are often 7 degrees colder than town. You never know when Native Hill will meta-morph into Ol' Frosty Pocket...perhaps that is what we should call the winter share.   But I digress. Coming back to our late summer soree, here on the farm we are continuing our fall harvest efforts, prepping our high tunnels for deep winter planting, sowing fall cover crops, and trading light button downs for flannels and hoodies. 
 
In tribute to the equinox, we ate the first of the winter squash last night.  It was a simple affair, but worth noting.  What an amazing bundle of flavor and versatility the winter squash is.  Its versatility might only rival that of bacon as one can eat it savory or sweet, soup or salad, pizza or frittata; However, unlike America's favorite breakfast meat, it matures in a ready to store form that allows it to wait patiently until we are ready to consume it.  Nature can be so brilliant.  

From the Market: Bulk heirlooms for your canning pleasure. (Photo by Claire Burnett)

This week at the market we will have a variety of winter squash, namely delecata, acorn, and a little bit of kabocha. Unremarkable at first glance, the shape and texture of the delecata squash is quite deceptive. But like many things in life, looks can be deceiving. The skin on this squash is quite edible, so cut the squash into rings, roast with olive oil and salt at 400 until ewy-goowy, drizzle with balsamic if you like and prepare to fall in love. Combine your winter squash with baby bok choy for lovely Asian soup or serve the choy as a side sautéed with cherry tomatoes or some sort of summer fruit. Leeks are the last allium that we pull out of the field.  Oddly different from an onion, they can be served alone or with friends. Many folks use them with potatoes for soup on a cold night, but I prefer them sautéed with arugula and some delicious vinegar. Served raw in a salad or wrap, they add a zip that is hard to describe but will leave you wanting more.  Stuff your acorn squash with good pork sausage, apples, leeks and herbs, fatten up for winter.

See ya soon!

Katie
 

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This Week's Harvest

VEGGIES:
Kale
Collards
Chard
Arugula
Spinach
Head Lettuce
Hakurei Turnips
Radishes
Broccoli Raab
Baby Bok Choy
Beets
Carrots
Green Beans
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Peppers
Potatoes
Leeks
Yellow Onions
Winter Squash
Garlic
Cabbage (many types!)

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Week 19: The Big Vegetable Crescendo

Greetings Folks!

The weeks are flying by here on the farm and the food is piling up in our coolers as we do the annual summer to autumn shuffle.  It is a delicate dance, one we do with not just our coolers but really any covered space on the farm. Onions must get stored to make room for winter squash, tomatoes must be left to their own devices for the good of the winter greens, office furniture lends way to the garlic and freezers are rearranged for the fall batch of roasted chilies that will be coming out the field soon.  Turns out one of the keys to being a successful farmer is creative and efficient materials handling and although it seems to get a little easier the longer we farm, it seems as if we always find ourselves doing something crazy make the storage work.  At least we can always look back and laugh.

Talk about a lovely time to eat! This is it folks, the big vegetable crescendo that we seem to build up to all year long.  If you are like me and get too overwhelmed with choices in the toothpaste aisle, these next two weeks will prove challenging at the stand.  At your service this week is the ultimate cabbage trifecta.  Red, Green, or Savoy cabbage have been brought out of the proverbial "patch" and make great fodder for fall cooking.  Whether it is a  thai-style savoy cabbage salad,  red cabbage braised with red wine and apples, or Portuguese cabbage soup, you surly won't be board.  Other fun things at the stand this week: broccoli raab and hakurei turnips are back!  The raab is wonderful right now, the perfect blend of spicy and sweet and should be put in any dish with tomatoes.  Just toss it in right at the end and let it lightly steam, but be careful not to over cook it or you loose all that awesome raab flavor.  Turnips are great fresh, roasted, candied on the stove top, or sliced thin for a gratin.  Try them all ways and try to pick a favorite, I double dare you.  Fennel is back from its summer vacation and eager to be braised, grilled, saladed or souped.  It seems to pair really well with cherry tomatoes and many of my favorite fennel recipes include those sweet little morsels.  See farmers recipe for my most recent find.  Happy fall and happy cooking!

Become a member-owner in the Poudre Valley Community Farms land co-op!

FYI:  We had an awesome weekend at the Sustainable Living Fair and want to thank those of you who came out in support of Poudre Valley Community Farms land co-op!  It was amazing to see the energy and enthusiasm that y'all had for the project.  After just one weekend, we have 44% of our funding goal already pledged! This is just the beginning folks  and we are looking forward to our kick-off event in October. Hope to see you all there! To learn more and to make a pledge visit www.poudrevalleycommunityfarms.com.

Warmly,
Katie

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This Week's CSA:

VEGGIES:

Kale
Collards
Chard
Head Lettuce
Spinach
Arugula
Fennel
Green, Red, and Savoy Cabbage
Carrots
Beets
Beans
Hakurei Turnips
Radishes
Broccoli Raab
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant
Peppers
Potatoes
Yellow Onions
Garlic

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Farmer's Tips

Check out this recipe from  A16: Food + Wine  for Summer Vegetable Cianfotta. Although we didn't use squash blossoms because it is not quite that time of year here, it was still quite delicious!
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/summer-vegetable-cianfotta-recipe.html

Week 18: Overlapping Seasons

Farmer Alex - all smiles!

Hi Folks!
And what a beautiful fall morning it was here in our Front Range home.  Cool mornings invigorate the work on the farm while the breezy, sunny afternoons lend themselves more to whistling while we busily bring in food from the fields.  Save for a couple of wet, cold days, September and October provide the best weather  to work on the farm and so far, this year has been no exception.  This week has us topping brussel sprouts to encourage them to size up, harvesting fall cabbage and winter squash, putting up onions, deconstructing caterpillar tunnels only to re-erect them over the fall season crops and of course, bringing in the full monty of late summer/early fall crops fom the field.  

The fall has more to offer than just wonderful weather.  It is the perfect overlapping season when warm season crops blend seamlessly into cool weather crops, when you finally want to turn your oven on again, when the nights creep in earlier and there is seemingly more time to cook.  Instead of the smell of the grill, neighborhoods are permeating with the rich aromas of roasted tomatoes, simmering stews, and wood smoke.  On the menu in our house this week is stove top ratatouille, roasted cherry tomatoes with swiss chard and butter beans, beet risotto, arugula salad with apples, walnuts and maple balsamic dressing, and fish tacos with fresh tomatillo salsa.  Don’t forget dessert of local cantaloupe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream…hello local creamsicle.  Also, we will have 20 lb boxes of field tomatoes at market this Saturday, so if you want to make sauce or stewed tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, or whatever with tomatoes...now is the time! 20lb for $20!

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This Week's Harvest

VEGGIES:

Kale
Chard
Spicy Mix
Arugula
Spinach
Head Lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Tomatoes (all kinds!)
Green Beans
Dragon Tongue Beans
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Bell Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Yellow Onion
Garlic
Radishes
Cabbage

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Easy Stove Top Ratatouille

1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 small-ish zucchini, peeled and diced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, peeled, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, whole smashed
a herb bouquet with thyme, rosemary, and oregano
salt and pepper to taste
a few leaves of basil thinly sliced for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the onion and cook over love heat, stirring to avoid browning, about 10 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Next, add the bell pepper and again cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally add the zucchini, tomato and salt, stir to combine then add the garlic and herb bouquet. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. If the ratatouille is very soupy you can take them lid off for the last 10 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic and herb bouquet before serving. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Dish up and top with fresh basil. Ratatouille is best served with a thick hunk of crusty bread.

Week 17: A Cascade of Late Summer and Early Fall Veggies

Good Morning and Happy September!

September on the farm brings a cascade of late summer and early fall veggies and we are looking forward to a bountiful month!  This week we harvested our blue hubbard squash that we plant as a trap crop on the boarder of our winter squash.  Not only do these squash look like they are left over from prehistoric times, but they also are hardy enough to stand up to the cucumber beetles that would like to invade our squash patch each year; hence they are one of the strategies that we use to keep the delecata, acorn, pie pumpkins, and butternut squash safe from invaders.  Although the size of these squash usually make them overwhelming for the single family home, they are sweet and delicious and many a beer brewer have taken a shining to their flavor for autumn libations. Stay tuned to find out what the brewers will come up with this year!  

This week at the stand we will start to welcome back some spring crops in addition to the summer bounty.  Cherry bell Radishes will be back this week and there is a chance we may have some arugula at the Saturday market too.  This is my favorite time to make pizza as creativity can go wild.  We love to have folks over for a grilled pizza marathon and challenge our friends to do the topping. Think arugula and roasted beets with caramelized onions, eggplant with fennel (coming soon) and pesto, or perhaps just big slices of heirloom tomatoes with basil, garlic, olive oil and good salt.  Pick up some hot peppers and try your hand at homemade pickled jalapenos for those of you who like the heat or dress up in your best labor day whites and grab some bell peppers, chop them up fine with some sweet onions and garlic and make some heirloom tomato salsa for the weekend's event. 

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This Week's Harvest:

 VEGGIES:

Kale
Collards
Chard
Butterhead Lettuce
Carrots
Beets
Radishes
Sweet Onions
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Cabbage
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Salad Cucumbers
Summer Squash/Zucchini
Eggplant 

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Cabbage Salad From 101 cookbooks

Photo credit: 101 Cookbooks (www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-good-shredded-salad-recipe.html)

2 teaspoons sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons runny honey
fine grain sea salt, to taste
one small bunch of cilantro (leaves and stems), chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted
1 bunch of scallions, shredded
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup broccoli or pea sprouts
3 large stalks celery, thinly sliced on diagonal
2 tablespoons shoyu or soy sauce
1 tablespoon (brown) rice vinegar
toasted sesame seeds, black or white

In a medium bowl, stir together the sunflower oil, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of the honey, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Add the cilantro, peanuts, and scallions. Stir well to combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the cabbage, mung bean sprouts, broccoli or pea sprouts, and celery.

In another bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and remaining 2 teaspoons of honey. Stir to combine, pour over the vegetables, and toss to coat. Add half the cilantro-peanut mixture, toss again, and transfer to a serving dish. Top with the remaining cilantro relish and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

Week 16: The Best Time to Cook

Photo by Claire Burnett

Hello Folks,

Hope this late summer newsletter finds you all well and well fed!  We are rolling along in the season here at a very good clip at week 16 of 24...which means there are only 8 more weeks of market.  Yikes! Town has gotten crowded again with the start of school and although schedules are changing, we don't want you to miss out on the bounty that is September/October on the farm!  Its such a magical time of year when almost everything is in season, so be sure to try to work in a stop at the stand!  

This week on the farm we are making a huge weeding push.  All the direct seeded stuff that we will be harvesting come September is in need of some tlc and let me tell you folks, there is a lot of new beds out there!  Fall arugula, radishes, turnips, broccoli raab, spinach and much more will soon be back at the market and when added to the bounties of summer and the coolness of autumn, it makes for the best time to cook.  
 

Heirloom tomato sauce is on the menu this week! (Photo by Claire Burnett)

Speaking of cooking, fresh express cabbage is what is on the menu at our house this week.  Not only is it nutritionally superior to many other vegetables, but it is also a super versatile one too.  Try making a fresh slaw for fish taco night or for that back to school pot luck.  Braise it with heirloom tomatoes, garlic and sweet onions or slice thin and toss in a stir fry with carrots, beans and summer squash.  Sour kraut is also a great kitchen science experiment for the whole family and brings me back to my roots in south central Wisconsin.  No bratwurst could be left kraut-less! Green or cranberry beans in heirloom tomato sauce with fresh grated parm and basil, eggs Benedict with a thick slice of heirloom tomato, basil, and balsamic reduction sauce, and an heirloom tomato tarte that will be sure to be a dinner party hit.  

Other announcements!  For those of you who have been tracking with us in regards to Poudre Valley Community Farms (PVCF) and the land co-op that we are working on, we would like to invite you to come down to the Sustainable Living Fair Saturday September 12th from 1:30-2:30pm for the unveiling of our land project!  In addition to our workshop, PVCF will have a booth at the fair all weekend and would love to chat more about the future of land for food production in Northern Colorado.  This is an extremely important issue for those of us who care about the future of local food in our region and we have been working hard on a solution to the loss of farmland for food production, so come on down and find out what we have come up with! Hope to see many of you there!

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This Week's Harvest:

VEGGIES:
Kale
Chard
Head Lettuce
Cucumbers
Beans
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Basil
Garlic
Sweet Onions
Beets
Carrots
Fresh Green Cabbage
Hot Peppers
Eggplant (just a little!)

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Farmer's Tips:

STORAGE:

Although the storage length of cabbage is dependent on the variety, in general  it is a nice long keeper.  The fresh express variety that we have at the stand this week will keep nicely in your fridge in a plastic bag for at least a month, so be sure to pick some up before we run out, even if you won't eat it right away.  We also grow a long keeper type of cabbage for our Winter CSA (sign up on our website soon!) that will keep in the fridge for 4-6 months!  Amazing vegetable indeed!