News from Terra Firma Farm

This is the best time of year to subscribe to a CSA in general, and especially, to Terra Firma's. For a few short weeks, you will get to experience the crossover of summer and fall, and the best produce that both have to offer. What other month of the year do you get the opportunity to combine sweet corn and Delicata squash, Red Russian Kale and tomatoes, bell peppers and spinach? In a few short weeks, shortening days, cold weather and rain will end the harvest of tomatoes, green beans, table grapes and other summer crops in your boxes. By then, we will have a full lineup of late fall crops to take their place. But in the meantime, you have a chance to experiment with combinations of flavors and textures that will not be available in your box again for a whole year.
It's can be difficult for us during this time to decide what to put in the boxes without exceeding the amount of time available to us in the day to harvest and pack everything. We have many different items from which to select. But we also have large amounts of some of those items, like tomatoes and peppers, whose season is soon coming to an end. Do we choose more diversity of smaller portions, or up the quantities and keep the list shorter?
The hot weather this week complicates matters further. It accelerates both the ripening of tomatoes and the growth of leafy greens: more to harvest. But it also shortens the number of hours available to us in which to complete that harvest. It's bad enough that the sun doesn't rise until almost 7 this time of year, but the kale was already beginning to wilt in the sun today by 10 am. Tomatoes don't like being harvested when it's 100 degrees, either. Not many vegetables do, even the ones that like the heat of summer.
After a "summer" of record low temperatures across Northern California following one of the colder and wetter springs on record, it would somehow seem perfectly apt -- and yet completely infuriating -- that fall of 2010 would be setting records on the other end of the temperature spectrum. It's been 50 weeks since a freak storm dropped 6 inches of rain on our farm: the opening act of a full year of challenging and unusual weather. I for one hope the current "July in October" event is the grand finale, and not the last scene of Act one, just before intermission.
Thanks,
Paul

What IS this stuff and what do I DO with it?!?

It's Red Russian Kale, the fastest growing of our winter greens, and thus, the first one to show in your boxes this fall. RR Kale -- like most kales -- is usually considered a cooking green, especially when it is fully mature. Sauteed quickly or added to soups, it absorbs other flavors while maintaining a slight chewiness.
Vegetarians and vegans probably consume a disproportionate percentage of the kale grown in the U.S. But historically and traditionally it is more often combined with meat such as sausage or bacon in the places where it was traditionally grown and eaten such as Ireland, Spain, and Russia. Beans and potatoes are other common culinary companions for kale.
In the last few years, raw kale is growing in popularity as an ingredient in salads. Red Russian kale is a perfect variety for this use, as it is much less tough than other varieties. Kale salad is almost always "marinated" in the dressing of choice, which allows the flavors to penetrate the leaves. With a texture somewhere between cole slaw and a dinner salad, it can sit for hours (or days, in the fridge) without becoming unpleasantly mushy. If you're interested, try the bonus recipe below.

In your boxes:

Delicata Squash are one of the smallest varieties of Winter Squash, and one of the easiest to prepare. They have moist tan to white flesh, and unlike most hard squashes, their skin is entirely edible when cooked -- no peeling necessary. Lately I have been preparing the Delicata by slicing it in half rounds (after removing the seeds), tossing it with olive oil and salt, and roasting in the oven. Cooked this way, the slices caramelize beautifully.

Baby Spinach is back in your boxes today, and will be a regular feature off and on for many months. Medium and Large boxes also get a bag of baby Lettuce leaves.

Stuffed Delicata -Delicata squash are perfect for stuffing. They are easy to cut in half, and once you scoop out the seeds, there is a good sized cavity for whatever mixture you want to fill it with.
Slice 2 Delicata in half and scoop out the seeds (discard). Place them face down on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees until they are tender but not browned on the bottom.
Meanwhile, dice 1 onion and saute in 2 T. olive oil until tender. Add 1 diced bell pepper and continue to cook. Shuck 2 ears of corn and cut the kernels off. When the pepper is soft, add the corn and raise the heat to high. Cook until the corn begins to brown. Taste and season with salt and pepper (black or cayenne).
Remove the squash from the oven and flip them over. Fill each cavity with the corn stuffing. Slice 2-3 tomatoes and top the squash with the slices. Grate or slice Jack or Cheddar cheese and place on top of the tomatoes.
Broil the squash on high until the cheese is bubbly and brown.

Kale Tomato Salad

Dice 2 tomatoes, salt generously, and stir. Let sit for 10 minutes, then add 2 T. olive oil.
Pit and dice 6 brined olives. Add to the tomatoes with 2 T. of the olive brine.
Wash 1 bunch Kale and remove the stems. Finely slice leaves and then chop. You want about 4 C.
Toss the kale with the tomatoes well. Let sit 5 minutes and toss again. Taste and add red wine vinegar or lemon juice to taste.
Serving suggestion: Toast crusty bread, spread with fresh chevre (goat cheese) and then top with the salad.

Farm Day Ticket info

For lowdown on what's happening at this year's Farm Day, October 16th, read last week's newsletter at the newsletter archive.

Due to the popularity of Farm Day, we are once again selling tickets as a way to correctly estimate attendance and prepare adequately. Adult tickets ($5) are redeemable at the event for pumpkins, produce, or other items; Children's tickets for a pumpkin.

Tickets are available at our Web Store, which you can access by logging into your account. You will receive an email confirmation prior to the event; this will be your "ticket".

Ticket availability is not infinite, and the event may sell out, so get your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Tickets will be available until Monday, October 11th. We will refund tickets if cancellations are made by that date.

Subscribers are welcome to purchase tickets for friends or family who are not subscribers. Carpooling with friends is always a popular choice, and helps with the limited parking we have available. We ask that subscribers please not show up for the event without a ticket.

We appreciate that many of our subscribers plan this event into their fall weekend schedules. Nonetheless, it is 100% weather dependent. In the past, we have cancelled or postponed Farm Day due to both rain and extreme (dry) winds, either of which can make it entirely unfeasible. If practical, we will schedule a raindate on a Saturday or Sunday as soon as possible after the scheduled date. If the event is cancelled entirely, all ticket purchases will be refunded. We will email all ticket holders at least 12 hours prior to postponing the event; if you can't make the raindate, let us know and we will refund your ticket.