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Hope you are having a lovely day. If it's been challenging, pause for a moment and think of at least five solid things in life to be grateful for... A loving family to belong to, good health, true friends, a best friend who is also my husband, and the acute awareness that we are not alone in this world... these might be my top five.
Speaking of things to be grateful for, 80 people turned out for our first Farm-to-Table & Barn-Raiser at Tapawingo last Saturday night. It was a resounding success and fabulous food. The large windows with views of the Fall colors and serene lake were amazing too! Ryan and I were able to visit with almost every one who came and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Ginny from A Matter of Taste knocked our socks off as usual, from the appetizers to the flourless chocolate cake with beet infused whipped cream. Thanks to all who came out!
This Saturday's (October 24th, 6:00 PM) menu reads like a storybook:
SOUP - Roasted Rainbow Carrots & Butternut Squash topped w/Creme Fraiche & Pumpkin Seeds
SALAD - Red Cabbage Salad w/Dried Cherries, Pecans, Feta & Warm Mustard Dressing w/Fresh Baked Bread & Herb Compound Butter
DOUBLE ENTREE FOR EACH PLATE - White Fish Parmesan & Panko Encrusted w/Lemon Caper Sauce + Shepherd's Pie (Grass Fed Lamb, Parsnips & Rutabaga Topped with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
SWEET ENDING - Pumpkin Cheese Cake w/Gingersnap Crust w/Spiced Fresh Whipped Cream
There is also a full cash bar featuring local wines and Short's brewery beer.
RSVP is required and you can do so by responding to this email. Payment of $38.00 per plate is made at the end of your meal. Half of the proceeds go into our new barn project!
If you can't make it to this one, but would love a cozy night out, there is another on Saturday, Dec. 5th. Same place and time!
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This Thursday's Hands-On Fermentation Class at our farm has room for two more people if you're interested. We meet at 6:00 in the house. We're providing all the fresh veggies and materials for each person to bring two quarts of fermented goodness home, sauerkraut and carrots. If you are coming and have extra peelers and graters, bring those. Ends by 8:00. Thanks! RSVP by responding to this email. Cost is $35.00
Next Wednesday's Hands-On Medicinal Root Class has room for 5 participants. We start with an optional potluck at 4:30 in our home, then class starts at 5:00 PM. Our instructor, Sierra Bigham is an accomplished certified herbalist and owner of Bear Earth Herbals. We are going to identify and dig medicinal and nutritive roots, and then go back to our home and make tinctures and vinaigrettes. Sierra is providing all of the take-home materials. Ends by 8:00. RSVP by responding to this email. Cost is $25.00.
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Here's the Fab Garden Share List (Week 19 of 24!) *four new items!
*Broccoli Raab - (The foodie's broccoli - tender leaves and florets - perfect for a light steam or saute. Powerful cancer fighting antioxidants here too. I love to pair broccoli raab with fresh squeezed lemon juice and garlic. I found this recipe for us to try:
Ingredients
• 1 large bunch of fresh broccoli rabe
• 3 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
• 1 whole bulb of fresh peeled garlic, coarsely chopped (use a mini food processor to make this easy)
• Himalayan salt, to taste
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Trim the thick tough stems from the broccoli rabe just below where the stems branch or the leaves start. Rinse the broccoli rabe and pat dry.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat; add the chopped garlic and sauté briefly, 30-45 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe, toss to coat in the oil and garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli wilts. As it is cooking, season several times with salt and crushed red pepper. Cook broccoli for about 15 to 20 minutes or until it is very, very wilted.
*Butternut Squash - (The strange markings on the butternut are on the surface only. It is still highly nutritious and delicious!) I peeled and seeded mine, then cut into cubes and sauteed in olive oil in a skillet on the stove, turning occasionally. I seasoned with sea salt and drizzled a tiny amount of maple syrup on it. It looked pretty and tasted wonderful with our traditional turkey dinner with mashed potatoes and fresh salad. You can vary this recipe by adding onions and garlic, or pecans, cinnamon or ginger and brown sugar. Don't refrigerate. If using w/in a week, keep in kitchen. Longer than that? Put in a cool place that doesn't freeze.
Russet or German Butterball Potatoes - (Both kinds of potatoes are very good, so you win either way. The russets make great oven chips. I put slice them thin and coat with a bit of olive oil and seasonings and place on parchment paper. They go in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes, at which point I stir them, and then back in for at least 15 more minutes. They never make it to dinner as we stand around the hot pan eating them right out of the oven!) I keep potatoes in either our fridge crisper or in a brown paper bag or box in our insulated garage. Refrigeration not needed, it's just closer to me.
Red Onion - So beautiful! Red onions are the sweetest of the storage onions. I enjoy them sliced thin in our fresh salads. I also love how sauteeing them for any dish brings out a sweetness. Do not put in fridge. Insulated garage, porch of pantry is fine. Long storage needs darkness.
Orange Carrots - (Keep in plastic in the fridge and they last for months) New trick. I have a handy-dandy food processor with a shredder on it. In seconds, I have a cup of shredded raw carrots to place on our fresh salad for dinner. I've been serving our braising mix, which is a bit spicy and the sweetness of the carrots counter balances that.
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*Brussels Sprouts - (they look like mini-cabbages and have the same powerful anti-cancer components. The first time I had Brussels they were sliced in half and sauteed with a few slices of bacon. Of course, I loved it, as everything does taste good with bacon, but I've since learned that they are fabulous (and better for me too) simply steamed until tender or braised in vegetable broth and seasoned to taste. Here's a recipe for roasted Brussels Sprouts:
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.
Tip: Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.
Leeks - Much milder than onions, but having a similar taste. I slice the bottom off and then slice the leek into pieces, placing into a colander to rinse the soil off.
*Celery - Our celery is meant for cooking (the ribs) rather than for fresh-eating, although the leaves can be eaten raw or thrown into a soup near the end. It has a fabulous rich flavor that is great in roasts, stews, soups, vegetable dishes...anything that calls for celery. It has been and still is a CSA favorite, in part because the flavor is so radically flavorful than store-bought celery.
Rainbow Swiss Chard - Ginny prepared this as part of our last Tapawingo Farm-to-Table meal. It was lightly braised in seasoned vegetable broth and had a deep green and glossy look. She placed the lasagna rolls on top for a beautiful presentation. It obviously pairs well with pasta dishes.
Sweet Peppers - This may be the last of the sweet peppers as we had more than frost on Friday and Saturday in the form of hail, ice chunks and snow that stuck around. If you can't use it all, simply seed, slice and freeze. You can always use it later!
Parsley - I think parsley is way under-appreciated, but the impact on our health is tremendous! I try to throw it in any stew, soup, sauce, roast, etc...taking care to putting in towards the end. I also make green smoothies, making sure to add parsley and lemon for the health benefits. (Ryan and I juice carrots, apples, and/or beets and throw the juice in our blender with greens like kale or spinach and add lemon juice and parsley to that.) I personally love middle-eastern food and can't get enough tabouli. I like mine to be heavy on the parsley and tomatoes, instead of grain.
Have a great day and week! We're celebrating Ryan's birthday tomorrow.
Andrea Romeyn
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