Week 18
Hi everyone,
Two more weeks to go! We're getting into the middle of October, but we continue to be graced with beautiful warm weather. The little rain we had was just right, and the temperate evenings have allowed a number of warm-weather crops to continue producing. So this week we have a little flashback to summer veggies. Eggplant, beans, tomatoes and peppers. And the salad is back! The greens are growing much slower this time of year, but they're finally getting there, so you can expect greens for the rest of the CSA.
We're seeing large Vs of geese on the move, monarchs migrating, and some of the winter sparrows are starting to arrive. The seasons are turning, even if the weather is deceptively warm. The colors in the trees are finally starting to emerge, too. I don't think it's going to last very long this year, so make sure you enjoy the bright color show before it's gone.
(This is a picture of Cisco last year, when we had some lovely color. Fingers crossed for this year!)
Alright, on to the veggies...
In Your Bag:
Salad Mix
Kale
Beans or Cauliflower
Sweet Pepper
Red-Skin Potatoes
Yellow Onions
Eggplant
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Salad is back! It was a longer stretch there than we would have liked. But it's back, and we hope you enjoy some tasty fresh salads. If you got beans last week, you should have Cauliflower this week and visa versa. Some nice potatoes and some large sweet yellow onions, and one sweet pepper. So let's see what recipes come to mind:
1) Sweet Potatoes, Apples & Braising Greens (aka Kale)
This is a nice fall recipe- it has the earthy and the sweet blended together for a seasonal dish.
2) Baked Eggs with Potato & Chorizo
This is a hearty fall or winter one-skillet meal. One of my husband's favorites! Any kind of potato will do, really, and I often mix varieties. If you're looking for some good chorizo, I'm a big fan of the one they make at SideHIll Butcher shop in Manlius. They make excellent sausage, from locally sourced meats.
Another one of my Moosewood favorites! This is a wonderfully spiced stew that uses a nice variety of vegetables. And I like it because the vegetables are flexible. If you don't have summer squash, you can use more carrots. Or just skip a few ingredients. It makes the dish slightly different each time, but the flavors are always delectable. I like in over couscous, but it would be great over rice or quinoa, too.
4) Daniel Boulud's Chicken Tagine
I was in NYC for the weekend for some gigs, and I had the opportunity to stay with some friends who recently moved there. They made a delicious dinner one night, and I enjoyed it so much I thought I'd share it. It uses tomatoes, cauliflower, onions and garlic, among other things. Again, this is a recipe you can modify a bit. Terri, my host, says that she never does Step 3, which is blanching the cauliflower and tomatoes. Everything cooks long enough in the other steps that it is really unnecessary, in her opinion. And I can vouch for the results! It was delicious. She served it over quinoa. Thanks Terri! I liked it so much I took a photo of it:
Alright, that's it for me. Have a great week!
Sarah VanNorstrand
for Lucky Moon Farm
