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| Giuseppe Arcimboldo - Autumn - 1573 |
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
KALE
BEETS
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| Our wonderfully delicious winter squash selection! mmm! |
ONIONS
GARLIC
WINTER SQUASH - new!
GREEN BEANS
CABBAGE - GREEN OR RED
DAIKON RADISH
RED PEPPERS
TOMATOES
STORAGE SUGGESTIONS:
Tomatoes, garlic, winter squash and onions outside the refrigerator. Everything else rinsed, drained, plastic-bagged and fridged! Take the tops off the Daikon Radish to keep it crisp.
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| Our trusty market truck, ready to be loaded for market in it's newly cleaned shed parking spot! |
COOKING SUGGESTIONS:
Sweet Spanish Onions - The Easy Way!
The onions in your share box are a variety of Sweet Spanish onions called "Ailsa Craig", and they come with quite a pedigree! According to seedaholic.com, this variety was introduced by David Murray, Head Gardener for the Marquis of Ailsa, at Culzean Castle, Maybole in 1887 and catalogued by Sutton & Sons in 1895. "Ailsa Craig" is named after the Scottish island, a distinctive dome- shaped island-rock, which rises sharply from the Firth of Clyde.
Ailsa Craig onions have been popular in the UK as an exhibition onion. Its large size and mild flavor make it a reliable favorite, "...much loved by both home gardeners and exhibitors producing weighty onions perfect for the kitchen or show bench.
This is a Heritage variety and great all-rounder."
We didn't really grow this variety for the "show bench" but actually answered a request from a long-time customer who wanted us to offer the seedlings in the spring. We planted a few that we had left over, and never looked back.
These Ailsa Craigs will store moderately well, but aren't known for their keeping qualities. We grow other varieties for storage and those will be available soon. But for now, try this easy and absolutely delicious Roasted Sweet Spanish Onion recipe!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice your onion crosswise, to create 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place on oiled baking sheet and baste with additional olive oil and salt. Roast until the onions are tender and start to brown. Use on sandwiches or mixed into stir-fries. But you'll probably just eat most of the onion right off the tray - a rich and sweet melt-in-your-mouth treat!
Preserve What is Left
We are sad to say that it is likely the last week that we will be able to provide tomatoes to the CSA members :( But lucky for all of us, there are myriad ways to preserve the delicious flavors so that we can enjoy them when our hearts are most longing for some of the delicious flavors that they can provide.
One delicious way to combine summer veggies into a versatile sauce is to combine tomatoes and roasted red peppers. It's a simple and easy recipe that can be used as a pasta sauce, a soup base, on pizza, or in a curry just to name a few. Any combination of tomatoes and peppers will yield a delicious sauce, just use what your garden and CSA farm gives you :)
Start by placing whole red peppers on a baking sheet and placing them under your oven broiler, around 4 inches from the heating element. In just a few short minutes the skin on the peppers will start to bubble up and then turn from brown to charred black depending on how long you leave them in. Rotate the peppers periodically so that they obtain a nice even cooking. If you like, you can wait until all of the skin has bubbled up off the flesh on all sides, and then wait for the peppers to cool before removing the skin, stem and seeds. The skin will slide right off, and the flesh will have a beautiful flavor, even if the skin charred. The other option is to blend the charred skins right into the sauce for a little "fire roasted" flavor.
Second, remove the skins from the tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water for about 30 seconds, and again slide the skins off when cooled. Alternately, roast your whole tomatoes with the peppers,
Once cooled, mix the vegetables with some gently sauteed garlic and/or onions, and any herbs that suit your taste, and cook down for at least 20 minutes, but longer is ok too. You can freeze or can this creation as you would a normal tomato sauce, or eat it right away if you are hungry :)
What the Heck is a Daikon Radish?!
Daikon Radishes are can be a bit intimidating with their hefty size and un-radishlike (to us) shape and color. Daikons are thought to have originated in Asia and you can find many references to their use in Asian cuisine.
I asked Brian Truskowski, a long-time customer who is starting a "Cooking Coaching" business, for some ideas on how to use Daikons. Here is what Brian came up with. And if you would like to learn more about Brian's new business, there will be flyers at the stall this week.
Okay - on to Daikons! Here is what Brian wrote:
Daikon is a Japanese root vegetable that tastes a lot like a radish. Other than being a different color and size, you can use it in the same way you would use a radish. Slice it, shred it, add it to salads, or just eat it by itself plain or with some hummus!
In addition, the greens are very delicious and nutritious as well! You can add them to a salad, eat them straight or even sauté them with some oil or butter and salt. If making a vegetable stir fry or something similar, chop and add the greens to the pan a few minutes before the dish is done cooking to add some color and flavor to the dish.
You can cook with the root as well. Cut it into pieces, or slices, putting on a baking sheet with some oil, salt or other desired spices, in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 mins or until it reaches the tenderness you desire. You can make the equivalent of potato chips or kale chips, fries or even cut it up with other root vegetables and make a root bake out of it!
Lastly, you can shred the daikon in a bowl, add equal parts of toasted sesame seed oil, rice vinegar and soy or tamari sauce ( about a tablespoon depending on quantity or root) and some sesame seeds, all to taste and enjoy a simple yet delicious salad!
These are just a few ideas of what you can do with this wonderful root vegetable. If you like these ideas and would like to learn more about Brian's service, look for his flyers at the stall or contact him at BMT Wellness: Brian@BrianMTruskowski.com.
ONWARD! - AUTUMN IS COMING!
Happy fall everyone! Well, maybe we are a little premature in our well-wishing, but as we approach the Autumnal Equinox, there are sure signs of the new season! The last Supermoon of 2014 peeked through the clouds this past Monday, and also happened to be this year's Harvest Moon! Just in time for us to harvest winter squash :)
After enjoying the big bright moon from the rolling hills of the Holler Fest site our intern Paul wrote this Haiku poem about the lunar wonders that he had witnessed.
High red harvest moon
Clouds caress you, whispering
On high, I see you
Have a great week everyone, and thanks for bringing your boxes back!
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