Celebrating Halloween in the fields!

This is the last CSA distribution for the season!  We hope that you have enjoyed the variety of fresh produce that we’ve provided throughout the season.  Overall, it averaged out to be a good growing season, with bumper tomato and bean harvests, but compromised lettuce and fall crop production, both due to the summer heat.   All of this is part of growing food in a complex web of factors, many of which are out of our control.  With the CSA model, you, the customer, share in the risks and successes of this fragile business.  So, when we have a bounty of beans, we share that with you.  Likewise, when there’s no lettuce, we find other vegetables to eat.  We depend on flexibility, both in ourselves and our CSA members.    We recognize your unique commitment to this model of support for our farm.  We appreciate your flexibility and the trust you place in us to provide you with healthy, quality produce through the season.  Thank you!

After this week, you can return your empty bin to your drop site anytime in the next couple of weeks.  Please be sure to return them in time so we can clean them up for winter storage.

We would still love to hear back from you through the survey that we handed out last week.  If you haven’t had a chance to fill your survey out, there’s still time.  Please be sure to get it back to us either with your empty bins or through the mail or email.  For an electronic version of survey, here you go: 2012 CSA Half Share Survey, 2012 CSA Full Share Survey.

It’s not too soon to think about what’s ahead!  We start to plan the garden, order seeds, and make budgets in the next couple of months.

We hope that you will join us next year!  We encourage you to sign up now to reserve your spot.  In fact, we are offering a week of credit equal to the weekly value of your CSA share to anyone who reserves their CSA spot with a $50 deposit by December 31.  This credit will be available at the market or through orders (not towards your CSA payment).

This week we are sending you off with mostly storage crops that we’ve already pulled from the field, though the turnips and radishes were freshly harvested outside today, November 1! The new items this week include shallots, a member of the onion family prized for it’s subtle flavors, perfect for dressings and sauces. And buttercup and American Tondo squash.  Buttercups are known for their sweet dense flesh, great in soups or pies.  American Tondo is a new variety to us -  an Italian heirloom that’s both decorative and edible.

Full Share

Stir Fry Mix
Carrots
Sweet Onions
Yellow Onions
Shallots
Garlic
American Tondo Squash
Pumpkin
Buttercup Squash
Fingerling Potatoes
Salad Turnips
Radishes

Half Share

Stir Fry Mix
Carrots
Sweet Onions
Yellow Onions
Shallots
Garlic
Buttercup Squash
Delicata Squash
Fingerling Potatoes
Salad Turnips
Radishes

This time of year I like to make mixed root roasts – potatoes, carrots, onions, turnips — whatever I have.   Chop, coat with olive oil, salt & pepper.  Place in a hot oven (400) for 20-25 minutes and you’re good to go.

It’s soup season.  We’ve been cooking up a variety of soups for lunches around here.  Mixed fall veggie soups with a medley of what’s around are always good.  Variations on winter squash soups are wonderfully warming and satisfying.  Here are a couple to try:

From Farmer John’s Cookbook:

Curried Winter Squash Soup

Serves 6 to 8

3 Tbs unsalted butter
1 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped (about 1 Tbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 14 oz can whole tomatoes, chopped
12 whole fresh curry leaves (optional)
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground mace
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp curry powder
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the scallions;  saute until soft and wilted, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the parsley, jalapeno, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

2. Add the squash and toss to coat it with the scallion mixture.  Add the stock, tomatoes, curry leaves, allspice, mace, and nutmeg.   Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is very tender, about 45 minutes.  Let cool slightly.

3.  Transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor; puree.  (alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree).

4.  Transfer the soup back to the pot.  Stir in the curry powder and add salt and pepper to taste.  Return the soup to a simmer to heat through.  Garnish with parsley just before serving.

More squash  ideas…

Baja Butternut Squash Soup from Eating Well.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons from Epicurious

Here’s one with a hint of orange juice, yum.  Butternut Squash Soup Recipe from Allrecipes

Liz washing carrots in the snow

With snow blanketing the garden beds and nighttime temperatures approaching the teens, the season has fast-tracked towards the end.  It ain’t over yet, but we’re hurriedly clearing the fields of the last of the harvestable crops and wrapping things up outside for the season.  We still have to plant garlic, which is always a fun closing activity full of hope for the season to come.  If anyone wants to help with garlic planting, let me know and we can get you in on the action!  We also are planning on starting on the new hoophouse construction in the next couple of weeks (the one we got an NRCS grant for) , hoping to get the legs cemented in before it gets too cold to manage, allowing us the opportunity to get the structure up and running by early spring!  Any extra hands, especially experienced construction hands, would be most welcome.   Let me know if you want to help with that project as well.

Parsnips

You have a few new items in your bin this week and a couple of impressive returnees.

Parsnips and rutabagas make their one and only fall crop appearance.  Parsnips, earthy sweet relatives to carrots, are wonderful cut and roasted alone or with other root crops, or boiled and pureed alone or with rutabagas or potatoes for a delicious root mash.

Rutabagas, a relative to turnips, store well for the winter and also can be served up roasted or mashed, alone or with root companions.   We’re proud to have saved some lettuce and bok choi through the cold and snow to give out one last time.  Enjoy the last of the greens, since from here on out we’ll be offering storage items from our pantry rather than from the field.

Rutabaga

We have a survey compiled that we would like for you to fill out and return to us, either via email or in print.  If you choose to write it out, you can return the printed copy with your bin next week or mail to Backyard Gardens, PO Box 463, Joseph, OR  97846.   We really appreciate you taking the time to give us feedback on how the CSA worked for you and how we can improve the experience.  Here are the surveys for 2012 CSA Full Share Survey and 2012 CSA Half Share Survey.

We are also offering special incentives for signing up early for the next season.  The prices will be the same for the produce CSAs ($490 for the full share, $325 for the half share).   We are offering a week’s value of credit ($22 for full share, $15 for half share) at the Backyard Gardens’ farm stand or email orders for signing up early for 2013 with a $50 deposit before the end of 2012.  You can mail checks to the address above or submit with your survey.  It’s never too soon to anticipate the tastes of spring!!

Full Share 10-25-12

Full Share

Lettuce (yes, lettuce!)
Cilantro
Carrots
Green Cabbage
Sweet Onions
Parsnips
Sunshine Kaboucha Winter Squash
Bok Choi
Rutabaga

Half Share

Half Share 10-25-12

Lettuce (yes, lettuce!)
Carrots
Green Cabbage
Sweet Onions
Parsnips
Sunshine Kaboucha Winter Squash
Bok Choi
Rutabaga

Here are some recipe ideas for this week.

Mashed Potato, Rutabaga, and Parsnip Casserole with Caramelized Onions

Roasted Parsnips, Turnips, and Rutabagas with Ancho-Spiced Honey Glaze  from Epicurious

Or From Roots by Diane Morgan

Orange-Braised Parsnips with Cumin and Mint

1 1/2 lbs parsnips
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
2 Tbs unsalted butter cubed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 1’2 Tbs finely minced fresh mint (or dried)

1. Trim and peel the parsnips.  Cut them into sticks about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick.

2. In a 10-inch heavy frying pan, heat the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt.  Cook the sugar, lifting and tilting the pan as needed so the sugar melts evenly and turns a golden brown.  Immediately add the butter and stir constantly until the sugar and butter are evenly combined.  Add the parsnips and cook, stirring constantly, until evenly coated, about 2 minutes.

3.  Add the orange juice, stock, vinegar, salt, cumin, and pepper.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the parsnips are fork-tender, 10 to 12  minutes.  Remove the lid and stir occasionally until the liquid is reduced and the parsnips are glazed and caramelized, about  3 minutes longer.  Stir in the mint and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Office View

The winds of change blew through the gardens this week. The gardens and their backdrop are taking on a new look. Fall has settled in. The white remay flapped in the wind as the leaves of another season go from green to gold. As we scurry about the field tucking the plants in for the expected frosts there was a moment when I looked up and saw that the peaks of Mt. Joseph were dusted with snow.

With this change in the season our diets shift from crisp and juicy to savory and sweet. Move over tomatoes, summer squash, peppers, eggplant, and melons. It is now the time of year for roots, winter squash and storage crops. Comfort foods will keep us warm as the days grow shorter and colder. We will miss you dearly summer.

Thank you to all our Saturday customers who joined us for the Fall Cider Crush — it was a sweet way to end this season’s Joseph Saturday farmers market. If you are wanting to attend another great fall farmers market this weekend we will be selling at the Wallowa farmers market from 10am-4pm.

Reminder: If you are looking to bulk up on your produce order we are still accepting individual orders online. Please place orders by Monday and we will have them ready for you to pickup on Wednesday.

Half Share

Half Share

Turnips
Turnip Greens
Sweet Onions
Fingerling Potatoes
Sweet Dumpling: Winter Squash
Pumpkin: Your Choice
Garlic
Leeks

Full Share

Full Share

Deadon Cabbage
Turnips
Turnip Greens
Sweet Onions
Fingerling Potatoes
Sweet Dumpling: Winter Squash
Pumpkin: Your Choice
Garlic
Leeks

Whats Cooking In the Kitchen?

 Turnip Soup with Turnip Greens

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Turnip-Soup-with-Turnip-Greens-368511#ixzz29h0WgSL2

I hope you are all enjoying this glorious picturesque fall.  With the weather changing, things are starting to wind down here on the farm. This Saturday marks the Last farmers market of the season, and the much anticipated Apple Pressing Party!  That’s 10am-2pm Saturday the 13th,  there will be multiple apple presses, fresh produce, crafts, pumpkin painting and some great food.  I’d encourage all of you to come down and celebrate with us, and if you have any apples bring them along.

Fall also brings an end to Joseph Hardware’s Tomatoes Contest.  We attempted to win back BYG’s largest tomato title.  Our Entry weighed a whopping 6.5#, but was ultimately disqualified on the grounds that it was actually a kohlrabi painted bright red.  Maybe next year.

I should also mention that although the market is shutting down, you can still order produce from BYG through the end of October,  We be selling some bulk storage crops as well.

Have a great fall.

What’s in your box?

Full Shares

1 Head Lettuce
2# Beets
1 Bu. Carrots
1 Bu. Radish
2 Red Onions
1# Tomatoes
2 Acorn Squash
1 Bu. Bok Choi
1 Head Garlic

Half Shares

1# Beets
1 Bu. Carrots
1 Bu. Radish
2 Red Onions
1# Tomatoes
1 Acorn Squash
1 Bu. Bok Choi
1 Head Garlic

Enjoy your produce

Recipies:

Apple Pear Stuffed Acorn Squash
2 large apples, peeled cored and diced
1 ripe pear, pealed cored and diced
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
zest of 1 small orange
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup apple cider or orange juice
1 tbsp bourbon or dark rum (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a baking pan. Place the squash cut side down in the pan. Add 1/4 inch hot water.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile in a medium bowl, mix apples, pear, currants or raisins, brown sugar, orange zest cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a large skillet heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the apple mixture and cook until the fruit is golden brown. (about 5 minutes).
Stir in the cider and bourbon. Simmer, stirring often until the fruit is tender. (about 8 minutes). Sprinkle with a tsp of salt.
Remove the squash from the oven; pour off the water from the pan and turn the squash cut side up. Fill the squash with the apple mixture.
Bake until the squash is tender, About 15 minutes.

Hello there! Fall’s wild winds and cool air have moved in. We have been making a mad dash to rescue remaining plants and cover beds that need extra warmth to make it through the nights. We’ve managed to save most everything and are up to the brim with winter squash and green tomatoes. This week’s bin includes two new crops- leeks and delicata. Leeks, similar to onions, can be boiled, fried or eaten raw and are great for stocks. They were once a part of Ancient Egyptians’ diet. Delicata, a colorful squash, also known as a sweet potato or bohemian squash, is a novelty. It is sweet with a smooth texture- great baked or steamed.

Don’t forget about our customer appreciation potluck brunch, farm tour, and potato shindig this Sunday !

As the folks who harvest your food, we would love to share the work with you and get to know the destination a bit better while you learn about the origin…

11 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.
CSA + Customer Appreciation Brunch Potluck

12:30 p.m. — 1 p.m.
Garden Tour with Beth Gibans

1 p.m. — 3 p.m.
Backyard Gardens Potato Dig

*DIRECTIONS TO THE FIELD*

In Joseph, head east on 4th Street (away from the City Park).  After three blocks, it will turn to gravel, continue up the hill staying right on the road.  The road will take you up the hill to a greenhouse.  The garden is further on up the driveway on the left (in the deer fence).  You can park by the greenhouse or up the hill along the upper fence of the garden. If you get lost, you can call Beth’s cell phone at 541-398-0707.

 Check out the recipe below and enjoy those bins!

Stay toasty out there!

Full & Half Share (same goodies, different amounts)

Leeks

Parsley

Peppers

Hot Peppers

Tomatoes

Delicata Squash

Eggplant

Melon

Bokchoi

Recipe

Leek and Delicata Squash Soup with Caramelized Apple Croutons

Croutons

1 tart green apple

.25 cup light brown sugar

Soup

2.5 lbs Delicata Squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

2.5 tbsp unsalted butter

2 large leeks, white and tender green parts, chopped

.5 tsp dried thyme

2.5 cups veggie broth or “no chicken” chicken broth

.75 tsp salt

.5 tsp ground pepper

Sour Cream for garnish

Directions

Make the croutons: Peel and core the apple and halve it lengthwise. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the apple into very thin slices.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread one layer of apple slices on top. Sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Bake slices for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until crisp. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool completely.

Make the soup: Leave the oven at 350 degrees. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and gently scrape or cut the flesh away from the skin (Delicata skin is edible, but not tasty in this dish). Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the leeks and thyme and stir occasionally until soft and brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the stock and the squash and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Using an immersion hand blender, purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternately, purée the soup in batches in a standard blender or food processor.)

Season with the salt and pepper. To serve, ladle hot soup into individual bowls, then top with sour cream and the apple croutons.

From: www.culinate.com

We are delighted to invite you to a CSA appreciation brunch potluck and a potato dig on October 7th!  Your support for the season has given us the ability to grow all the produce that we do — and we’d love to have you join us up at the field to see where it comes from.  And if you’re so inclined, get your hands dirty (just like us!) by joining us for a potato dig.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7

11 a.m. — 12:30 p.m.
CSA + Customer Appreciation Brunch Potluck

12:30 p.m. — 1 p.m.
Garden Tour with Beth Gibans (our farmer-in-chief!)

1 p.m. — 3 p.m.
Backyard Gardens Potato Dig

All events are at the field, see directions below.

In the meantime, your CSA bins are filled to the brim with a mix of summer and fall flavors.  What’s new?  Fennel!  There are also the ingredients for salsa or pico de gallo: tomatoes, more tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro and hot peppers.

A quick reminder to Enterprise shares: now that the Thursday Farmers’ Market is over for the season, you will find your CSA bins at Dana + Troy Nave’s carport at 403 E. North St.
WHAT’S IN YOUR BIN

FULL SHARE

Stir Fry Mix
Cilantro
Carrots
Sweet Onion
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Hot Peppers
Fennel
Garlic
Tomatillos

HALF SHARE

Stir Fry Mix
Cilantro
Sweet Onion
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Hot Peppers
Fennel
Garlic
Watermelon — for Joseph shares only
Melon — for La Grande shares only
(Enterprise shares — you got melon last week!)

Tilling the field for fall cover crops.

RECIPES

SHAVED FENNEL AND APPLE SALAD

The key to this recipe is to cut the fennel and apple extra thin using a mandoline or a sharp knife.

1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/2 large green apple, thinly sliced
1/4 lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs chopped fennel fronds

Mix together all the ingredients and let stand for 20-30 minutes.  Add salt and pepper, if desired.  Serve!

PICO DE GALLO
courtesy of the Homesick Texan

2 cups diced ripe red tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos (stems and seed removed) diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste

1. Mix all ingredients and let set 1/2 hour.
2. Serve immediately

It will last a day in the refrigerator, though it may get extra juicy.  You can drain the juice if you like.

DIRECTIONS TO THE FIELD

In Joseph, head east on 4th Street (away from the City Park).  After three blocks, it will turn to gravel, continue up the hill staying right on the road.  The road will take you up the hill to a greenhouse.  The garden is further on up the driveway on the left (in the deer fence).  You can park by the greenhouse or up the hill along the upper fence of the garden.    If you get lost, you can call Beth’s cell phone at 541-398-0707.

If you are missing the  lettuces, so are we.   We lost hundreds of heads of lettuce in the heat of the summer back in August.  And the grasshoppers, the worst I’ve seen in years, devastated many of our plant starts for new lettuces and fall crops.  Unfortunately, we can’t recover instantly when adversity strikes, so we are left to manage the challenges before us and to rely on the diversity of our crops to ensure that there’s something to eat!  We’re hoping that the warm weather we’re having now will help boost the new lettuces, broccolis, and chois that were effected, giving us a fall harvest of these crops.

We’re loading you up this week with tomatoes (while we can), potatoes, and the usual mix of summer crops.  A note on the sweet peppers.  In order to get sweet peppers to color up, you have to be patient.  Unfortunately, in this wait, many of the fruits get sun-blisters or marks, blemishing them to imperfection, but not to inedibility.  In order to give you more peppers, we are including some of these mildly blemished but otherwise delicious peppers in your bins.  This is part of understanding what it takes to grow your food.  We appreciate your understanding and hope that you enjoy the good eats!

Don’t forget to visit us at today’s Thursday market for the Tomato Tasting!  From 4-6 pm you can sample all the different varieties of tomatoes that we grow plus many from home gardeners.

Have a delicious week!

Beth

Full Share

3 lbs Tomatoes
2 lbs. Potatoes
1 bu Parsley
2 Sweet Onions – Ailsa Craig variety
1 bu Beet Greens
Sweet Peppers
handful hot peppers
2 oz. Basil
1 Cantelope

Half Share
2 lbs Tomatoes
1 lbs. Potatoes
1 bu Parsley
2 Sweet Onions – Ailsa Craig variety
1 bu Beet Greens
Sweet Peppers
handful hot peppers
1 watermelon (Enterprise shares, this week – patience Joseph and La Grande!)

Here are some recipe suggestions.  If you still have any squash floating around, here’s a combo with your tomatoes and potatoes.  Omit the squash, if you don’t have it:   Potato, Zucchini, and Tomato Gratin from Epicurious.

Years ago, in my first days of selling at the farmers’ market in Portland with Sauvie Island Organics, we used to vend next to Delfina’s Bakery.  We would trade bread for veggies and swap recipes.  Here’s a recipe for Panzanella, or Bread Salad, that I got from them that I continue to use from time to time at the height of tomato season and when I have some good crusty, day-old bread around.

Panzanella

4 thickly sliced country bread, toasted, in 1″ cubes
4 roma tomatoes (or your favorite), cut into cubes
2 stalks fennel, chopped (optional)
1/2 finely chopped red onion (may substitute sweet onion here)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 lb. cubed Italian cheese, such as mozzarella, asiago, parmesan
handful fresh basil, chopped

Mix all ingredients together.  let sit 5 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar.  Mix.  Let sit 2 hours.  Buen Apetito!

Hi! I hope everyone got all their swimming and such in because it seems like cooler weather from here on out. With the fall equinox approaching fast we are looking at the last harvest for some delectable veggies due to the low temperatures. Get your green beans, basil, squash, and cucumbers through order or market before it’s too late! On a brighter note, there are some juicy melons headed your way in the CSA bins this week. These include Galia, hybrid of cantaloupe and honeydew, and 3 possible watermelon varieties- red, yellow, or orange . These colorful treats are packed with Vitamin C, A, Potassium, and Lycopene to help you get your antioxidants on! Check out the recipe below and enjoy the crisp air out there…

Full Share

Dill

Beets (Small Bunch)

Cucumbers

Sweet Onions

Tomatoes

Garlic

Hot Peppers

Melon

Half Share

Dill

Beets (Small Bunch)

Cucumbers

Sweet Onions

Tomatoes

Garlic

Hot Peppers

Melon

Small Squash

Recipe

Cucumber Soup with Melon Salad and Smoked Wild Salmon

2 Yukon gold potatoes, boiled whole in salted water till tender
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 cup honeydew melon, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sea salt
2 drops Tabasco
2 Tbsp Nancy’s plain yogurt
1 Tbsp chives, chopped
1/4 cup each: honey dew, cantaloupe, watermelon and cucumber (use small melon ball scoop)
1/4 lb smoked wild salmon

SOUP
In a blender combined 1 Yukon potato, cucumber, honeydew melon, garlic, 2 tsp lemon juice, sea salt, Tabasco, and yogurt. Blend until smooth, strain thru a mesh colander, check seasoning and chill.

GARNISH
Chop 1 Yukon potato and add 1 tsp lemon juice and chives. Check seasoning.

ASSEMBLY
In four bowls place 1/4 of the potato salad in the bottom. Top each salad with 1/4 of the melon/cucumber balls and then top with 1 oz of smoked salmon. Pour chilled soup around the salads and smoked salmon. Serve right away.

Recipe from edibleportland.com

  Hello everyone,

Cole Here, writing the first September blog!  Can you believe fall’s     here already?  I’ve had to start bundling up for my daily bike   commute, it’s a little brisk with the morning air whipping by.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks.  With Beth out of town and two of our interns on vacation we had our work cut out for us.  I’d like to send out a big thank you to the volunteer’s that came in last week to help us pick up the slack.

Things are really happening down in Imnaha.  Tomatoes of every size shape and color are ripening on the vine.  We are still looking for a contender in the Biggest Tomato Contest,  One and a half pounds is our largest so far, but I’ll be quite surprised if we don’t find a bigger one.  The sweet peppers are coloring up nicely and the hot peppers are popping.  We’re sending out some jalapenos out in your shares this week,  if your feeling a fall chill our peppers should warm you right up.  The other new development from Imnaha is Melons.  We harvested the first of our Cantaloupe on Wednesday.  We didn’t get enough for all our shares, but rather than waiting until we have enough to give to everyone we be sending out what we have.  Now
if you don’t get a melon this week don’t worry, they will be coming your way next

Enjoy the sunny weather while it lasts, and enjoy your produce!

What’s In Your Basket:

Full Share:

1 Bunch cilantro
1# Beans
1 Sweet Onions
1# Summer Squash
1# Tomatoes
1 Globe Eggplant
6oz Sweet Pepper
2 Garlic Heads
Jalapenos

Half Share:

1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Bunch Carrots
1 Bunch Radish
1 Sweet Onions
1 Cucumber
1# Tomatoes
2 Garlic Heads
Jalapenos

Recipes:

Quick Cilantro Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
• 2 hot chili peppers, Serrano or Jalapeno, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Put chopped onion and garlic in a strainer; pour 2 cups boiling water over them then let drain thoroughly. Discard water. Cool.

Combine onions and garlic with chopped tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to blend flavors.
Makes about 2 cups of salsa.

Stuffed Jalapenos:

Ingredients:

• 12 jalapeño peppers
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 2 ounces jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons

Preparation:

1 Preheat the oven to 375°.

2 You can either slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise or you can slice off the top one-third (lengthwise) of each jalapeño to make a boat shape out of each pepper. The halved jalapeños will go further (twice as many stuffed peppers), but you can put more filling into the boat-shaped peppers. Your choice. If you choose to make the boats, you can mince the tops and add them to the filling if you want some extra heat, or save them for another recipe. Scrape out all the seeds and ribs from each jalapeño with a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great).

3 Mix together all the filling ingredients.

4 Pack the filling into the peppers.   Arrange the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, and the peppers are cooked.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Liz here.  Beth is off again this week on a catering trip, so the crew is holding down the fort.  Luckily for us, the weather is cooling off and with the shortening days, the vegetables (and weeds) aren’t growing at quite as furious a pace.  But never fear — we’re still pulling lots of produce out of the field!

New this week?  Potatoes.  We’ve harvested some lovely Yukon Golds for your CSA bins, and they’re joining a bevy of other flavors, including eggplant, parsley, chard and cabbage.