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Dear Common Thread Winter CSA Members,
More crazy warm late fall weather! It's made harvesting for these boxes very pleasant so far. The nights have been getting increasingly cold though, so some of the greens are "frost-kissed". It's so interesting to see how the different crops do under different conditions. We've been down to 21 at this point and the brussel sprouts, kale, spinach and leeks are still okay without any kind of covers. Many of the other greens - chard, escarole, lettuce, bok choi, radishes are okay with just a layer of row cover. We have plastic covers over sturdy metal hoops on some portion of all of these things though so that if we get more than an inch or two of snow, the plants won't be flattened. We also have several greens planted in the hoophouse and under the caterpillar tunnels so we can access them even if it's freezing outside come December. We don't heat any of the structures for winter greens but it's amazing how warm it can be in a hoophouse on a sunny cold day. Even on a cloudy day it can make the difference between being able to harvest a crop or now, because the key to harvesting greens in the winter is to pick them when they aren't frozen.
Many thanks to Marsha and Lydia for helping us pack these first two boxes! One of the things they helped us do was assemble the wax boxes and Marsha thought it would be helpful to give you all some tips on how to open the boxes without tearing the flaps. Here is a demonstration in a video that I found on youtube.
We have a lot of food for you this week! The vegetable list is on our website on the what's in page. We still have a few hardy herbs left in the field that are open for pick your own for anyone who wants to come by when it isn't too dark or frosty.
Rutabagas are traditional for Thanksgiving so we decided to hand them out this week. I like them mashed half and half with potatoes or roasted with other root vegetables. Here is a recipe for roasted roots adapted from Dr Andrew Weil's:
Roasted Root Vegetables:
Ingredients:
2 pounds root vegetables (use potatoes, squash, carrots, celeriac, rutabagas, beets), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion or leek peeled and cut into 1/3-inch wedges
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
Chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, sage or parsley
Balsamic vinegar (optional)
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the root vegetables and onion in a roasting pan.
2. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and salt to taste. Do not crowd the vegetables.
3. Roast the mixture for a total of 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes, scatter the garlic cloves in with the vegetables. Continue stirring every 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and evenly browned.
4. Before serving, add a sprinkling of fresh chopped herbs or balsamic vinegar, if you like for additional flavor.
Pumpkin pie is great at Thanksgiving so we are handing out a big baking squash this week, Ultra butternut. It is similar to a butternut but bigger. If you can't use all the squash at once, you can puree the extra and freeze it. In addition to pies, it's great for bread, pancakes and soup.
Chinese, or napa cabbage are great both raw in salads or cooked in stir-fries or soups. It also keeps well in the refridgerator for weeks, even when cut into, so it doesn't need to be eaten all at once. Bok choi can be used in some recipes similar to chinese cabbage but it needs to be used quicker. Here is a tasty looking recipe from wholefoods.com:
Bok Choy with Carrots and Sesame Orange Dressing
Serve this simple vegetable side dish with brown rice or quinoa.
Ingredients:
1 pound baby bok choy
halved 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
stemmed and sliced 4 medium carrots shredded
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon tahini
1 1/2 teaspoon lowsodium shoyu or tamari
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Method: Arrange a steamer basket in a large pot. Add enough water just to reach bottom of basket. Bring to a boil. Add bok choy. Reduce heat to mediumlow, cover and steam about 10 minutes or until bok choy is tender. Prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl with ice cubes and water; set aside. Place steamed bok choy in ice bath, drain well. In a large skillet over mediumhigh heat, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Add mushrooms. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook about 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring once halfway through cooking. In a large bowl, whisk together orange juice, tahini, tamari and ginger. Add bok choy, mushrooms, and carrots and toss to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Yours in the Fields,
Wendy and Asher
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