poised for packing
this week's share: potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes at center- ringed by (clockwise from right) radishes, winter squash(delicata-oblong; sweet dumpling-round,cream and green; acorn - ridged), collards, hot peppers (optional), rainbow chard, parsley, arugula, leaf lettuce, spinach, green peppers
Thank you for returning your boxes! If you read this before you come to market, you may want to bring your own container for this last share so that you don't have to take the box. If that doesn't work out, just return the box to us when you can.
Thanks to all who filled out the feedback form. If you would still like to, just go to last week's newsletter and click on the link. We appreciate your kind remarks and will certainly keep your suggestions in mind.
Frog Holler CSA 2011: We will contact you after the first of the year. If you want to join again, we'll ask for a $50.00 deposit to hold your space. If we have additional space, we'll open up to folks on the waiting list some time in February.
Life after CSA: Rena Basch, from Locavorious, a local frozen food CSA, tells us that she has openings for the upcoming season - first distribution in November! Check out the web site and see if this might be a good winter option for you.
Although this is our last share distribution, we are hoping to be at market for a little while longer with some late crops that we planted on a gamble (farmers are inherently risk-takers). The warm fall has supported some late harvests, so stop by!
Frog Holler Farm Recipe Box: This is the title of our new recipe blog. Hopefully this will provide easier access to the recipes. This week, after discovering a blog waxing passionately poetic about radishes, we all enjoyed roasted radishes! They are really good, making nice snacks or even a surprising element of an hors d'oeuvres tray. See this recipe (and lots of others) at the Frog Holler Farm Recipe Box.
More cheers and ideas for radishes in this informative blog.
From Heidi Swanson's beautiful blog 101 cookbooks comes this tasty, simple and very Italian recipe - with arugula, of course!
Brown Butter Tortelli
Heidi says:
I used a dozen big, chubby fresh tortelli here. You can certainly use ravioli. The ones I used were stuffed with ricotta al limone, but a bit later in the year I can imagine substituting winter squash / pumpkin tortelli/tortellini/raviolis - about 1/3 pound / 150g for 2 servings.
one dozen fresh tortelli pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
fine grain sea salt
grated zest of one lemon
2 - 3 big handfuls of torn arugula or other bitter/spicy greens
plenty of grated fresh pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortelli per package instructions, or until the pasta floats, in well-salted water. Then drain, reserving a small cup of the pasta water.Brown Butter Tortelli
In the meantime, place the butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter has browned and is very fragrant and nutty smelling. Remove from heat, and let it cool off for a minute or so. Whisk in the vinegar, a couple pinches of salt, and most of the lemon zest.
Add the cooked pasta to the brown butter pan and toss gently. Add a tiny, tiny splash of the reserved pasta water and toss again. Add the arugula, then turn out immediately into individual bowls or a serving platter topped with a bit of cheese and the remaining lemon zest.
The same blog offers this appealing "clean out your fridge" recipe, featuring greens - in their case, kale, but collards would work just fine.
Ribollita
Heidi says:
I had a number of beans in my freezer and used a few of them here. Yes, you can even see some flageolets in there. But when starting from scratch, I usually opt for cannellini. On the bread front, I used a loaf of two-day-old whole wheat bread, but have at times opted for ciabatta. Canned beans can be used here, the equivalent is roughly two 15-ounce cans. Look for cavolo nero - a craggy evergreen-hued kale that might also be labeled lacinato or Tuscan kale.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots or equiv. winter squash, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 14-ounce / 400 ml can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound / 16 ounces / 450g cavolo nero (lacinato kale, Tuscan kale), stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
4 cups / 22 oz / 620g cooked white beans
1/2 pound / 8 oz / 225g crustless loaf of bread
1 1/2+ teaspoons fine grain sea salt
zest of one lemon
lots of well-chopped oily black olives
In your largest thick-bottomed pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, garlic, carrot, and red onion. Cook for 10 -15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid any browning. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, long enough for the tomatoes to thicken up a bit. Stir in the cavolo nero, 3 cups of the beans, and 8 cups / 2 liters water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.
In the meantime, mash or puree the remaining beans with a generous splash of water - until smooth. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks. Stir both the beans and bread into the soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens, 20 - 30 minutes. Stir in the salt, taste and add more if needed. Stir in the lemon zest.
Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve reheated, or "ribollita" meaning reboiled, the next day ladled into bowls. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped olives.
Makes a large pot of soup - enough for 10 servings.
Notes From the Field: a big thank you to all of you who have stayed with us through the ups and downs of the growing season. We appreciate your willingness to explore, learn and share! We also very much appreciate your support and the sense of relationship we have as we pack the boxes, see you at market, or welcome you to the farm. (Hope to see you at Hollerween!)
We are also very grateful to the team of enthusiastic young adults who worked long days in the fields but always had energy to share a story, cook a meal or crack a joke. They created meaningful relationships with each other and with the earth, and their dedication, integrity and spirit gives us hope for the future! Here's a little photo summary of the summer - these were sent by Julien before he headed back to France:
Kat tidies up the market stall
Kenny heads out to Holler Fest
Angie and Billy rock out at Holler Fest
Dorothy at the Holler Fest volunteer tent
the dreaded Pinocchio Eggplant Syndrome!
organic gardening - eeeeewwwwww!
Julien - sometimes this was the only way to withstand the bugs!
Edwin, Jenny and Kat, transplanting in the greenhouse
Julien, our intern from France, picking zucchini with panache!
A day in the zucchini patch might lead to...
...a well-deserved rest!
Kirstin concentrating
Chrissy with Frog Holler bouquet
Chrissy and Dorothy
Kat tidies up the market stall
Kenny heads out to Holler Fest
Angie and Billy rock out at Holler Fest
Dorothy at the Holler Fest volunteer tent
the dreaded Pinocchio Eggplant Syndrome!
organic gardening - eeeeewwwwww!
Julien - sometimes this was the only way to withstand the bugs!
Edwin, Jenny and Kat, transplanting in the greenhouse
Julien, our intern from France, picking zucchini with panache!
A day in the zucchini patch might lead to...
...a well-deserved rest!
Kirstin concentrating
Chrissy with Frog Holler bouquet
Chrissy and Dorothy
Gus and Lionel - partners in kitty crime!
Thanks everyone - have a great year!
Thanks everyone - have a great year!
