CSA Week 12

In your share this week:

Green Cabbage
Sweet bell peppers
Cauliflower
Beets
Carrots
Cherry Tomato
Romano Green Bean

Full shares only:

Tomato
Baby Bibb lettuce
Onion

Sorry for the late share notes this week, things have been a little hectic the last couple of weeks. After that wet, late spring I’m enjoying the late dry fall. The nights have been warmer than usual for this time of year, which means that our fruiting plants are continuing to produce abundantly! We’re still getting huge picks of cherry tomatoes, and we’re starting to get the first beautiful ripe peppers. This week we are working on pulling in the storage potatoes, cleaning the cured onions, and getting cover crop on empty beds in preparation for winter. Fall is upon us and soon enough things will start to slow down.

The sweet bell peppers may not look like the ones you see in the store; some of ours are long and skinny rather than the more common bell shape. But believe me that they aren’t spicy! I love these long skinny types, they have thinner walls and I find them more flavorful than your standard bell pepper. They are low in calories and exceptionally rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, making them an excellent addition to a healthy diet. There are many recipes to include peppers in, raw or cooked. Check out this link for 15 dishes to inspire you.

Cauliflower has continued to pump it out, it seems like all the rotations piled up on each other this year so we have just been swimming in it recently. Fortunately, it’s delicious, versatile, and stores well, so I hope you’ve been enjoying it. If you haven’t tried roasting it, that’s a great way to eat it. Cut it into florets, toss with olive oil and salt, and cook at 400 for about 40 minutes or until it’s tender and browned on the outside.

Beets are also a bumper crop, this year’s crop is by far the best I’ve ever grown. So good, in fact, that I have more beets than I know what to do with, which means you might too. Running out of ideas of what to do with them? Try pickling or fermenting them for later use, make a big batch of borscht, or juice them along with your carrots and some fresh September apples. If you like beets but have too many veg right now, they store extremely well. Cut off the tops and keep them in a plastic bag or in the crisper drawer in your fridge.

Full shares have a bag of loose leaf baby bibb lettuce for salads this week. And everyone got one more little baby green cabbage, great for slaws, salads, tacos, or a nice braise with your beets.

A lot of folks have been asking about the end of the season. Your final share will be the week of October 24, which will also be our final week at the LC Hospital stand. The Neskowin Farmers Market ends next week, on October 1.

Braised beets and cabbage

From Epicurious

3/4 pound cabbage (1/2 small head), cut into wedges, cored

4 medium beets (about 2 inches in diameter), peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 onions, chopped

1/2 cup (or more) water

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Step 1

Working in batches, coarsely grate cabbage and beets in food processor fitted with grating blade. Set aside.

Step 2

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 15 minutes. Mix in cabbage and beets. Add 1/2 cup water and vinegar. Cover; simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by tablespoonfuls if mixture is dry, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; top with parsley.

Smoky Sautéed Cauliflower with Green Beans, Tahini & Almonds

Ingredients

Tahini Drizzle

• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 small clove garlic, finely minced or grated with a Microplane
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• ¼ cup water

Sauteed Cauliflower & Green Beans

From The First Mess

• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra
• ½ head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 4 cups florets)
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped (about 8 olives)

Instructions

• Make the garlicky tahini drizzle. In a medium bowl, combine the tahini, grated garlic, salt, pepper, sherry vinegar, and water. Whisk this mixture together until combined. Set aside.
• Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced almonds to the pan. Toast the almonds, stirring around often, until deep brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a small plate and set aside. Return the pan to the heat.
• Pour the olive oil into the pan and swirl it around. Add the cauliflower to the pan and spread it out into a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Let it sit until it browns a bit on one side, about 4 minutes. Then, give the cauliflower a stir, flipping the pieces over. Let the other side of the cauliflower brown for another 3 minutes.
• Make a little space in the middle of the pan. If the pan seems dry, pour some more olive oil into that space. Add the thyme and smoked paprika to the oil (they will sizzle!) and stir to incorporate.
• Add the green beans to the pan and stir. Season again with salt and pepper. Keep sautéing the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the cauliflower are softened and the green beans are bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 more minutes. If you have some excessive browning happening on the bottom of the pan, just add some tiny splashes of water as you go and stir.
• Once the vegetables are cooked, stir in the sherry vinegar. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the sautéed cauliflower and green beans to your serving plate. Drizzle the top with the garlicky tahini. Finish with the toasted sliced almonds and chopped olives.

Notes

• If your pan is drying up towards the end, simply keep adding tiny splashes of water to keep your veg from browning too much.
• To keep this totally nut-free, toast some pumpkin or sunflower seeds instead of sliced almonds.