CSA Week 13

In your share week 13:

Carrots
Eggplant
Shallots
Broccoli
Tuscan Kale
Italian Parsley

Full shares only:

Cauliflower
Kohlrabi

Fall is officially here and growth is rapidly slowing down.  I had planned to have cauliflower for everyone today, but it’s taking its time sizing up out there so we did broccoli instead.  Several crops have dropped off our list or are nearly done in the last 2 weeks: zucchini, cucumbers and green beans are all gone from the shares until next season.  The tomato picks have dropped off drastically, so this is the first week in a while that we don’t have tomatoes for you.  We will continue picking them, so hopefully we’ll have a few for you here and there, but it’s definitely time for fall crops now.

On the flip side, the brassicas are doing great.  Everyone today has beautiful broccoli, and full shares have the nicest cauliflower of the year (more coming for half shares next week).  Full shares also have a kohlrabi, probably the last of that for the shares, and we’ll have some lovely cabbages coming up in October.  The kale and parsley love this rain, and they are more tender and sweet than they were over the summer.  Eggplant is also continuing to produce well in the greenhouse, so hopefully we’ll have a little more of that for you in the weeks to come.

There’s just one new item today: those aren’t red onions in your bag, they’re shallots! They are a particular favorite of mine. Our shallots are much bigger than what you usually see in stores, but they are shallots nonetheless.  Most shallots are grown from overwintered bulbs (like garlic), but these are grown from seed with our onions.  Seed grown shallots get much larger, but still have tons of flavor and store extremely well.  If you’re not familiar with shallots, they are similar to onions but more savory and flavorful, and less sweet.  You can use them in place of onions in many recipes and can usually use less than the recipe calls for.  Some people describe their flavor as a cross between onions and garlic, but I just think they have a wonderful flavor all their own.

Note that this is the final week for the Neskowin Farmers Market.  It’s been a great market season and we’ll be sad to leave, but it’s time.  The following Saturday, October 5, we will be at the Neskowin Valley School Harvest Festival from 10 – 5.  Come visit us and support our neighborhood school: there will be live music (including me on stage at 10:45), fresh pressed cider, silent auction, vendors, kids’ activities, hot food, and more.

Harira (North African Vegetable Soup)

From Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant by The Moosewood Collective, this is a dish typically served to break the fast during Ramadan. It is considered the national soup of Morocco.

In a soup pot, heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Add:

1 c onion, finely chopped

            2 celery stalks, diced

Cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add:

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander seed

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cayenne (or to taste)

1 small potato, chopped

1 small carrot, diced

Cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Mix in:

4 small tomatoes, chopped

            1 c tomato juice

            4 c vegetable stock

Simmer until all the vegetables are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add:

            1 small zucchini, finely chopped

            ½ c curly vermicelli noodles, crumbled

Simmer another 5 minutes. Mix in:

1 c canned or cooked chick peas

            ¼ c fresh lemon juice

            salt and pepper

Garnish with chopped parsley, mint leaves, and strips of red bell pepper or pimiento to serve.

Bulgur and Red Lentil Pilaf with Kale and Olives

From The Complete Vegan Cookbook by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler and Mindy Toomay. Serves 4.

Pick over, rinse, and drain:

            ½ c dried red lentils (masoor dal)

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add:

            1 medium onion, finely diced

and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add:

2 cloves garlic, minced

            1 tsp whole cumin seeds

            1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

            1 tsp ground coriander

Saute for another minute. Add the lentils and:

            1 c uncooked bulgur wheat

Stir and sauté for another 3 minutes, then add:

3 c chopped fresh kale, lightly packed

            2 c vegetable stock

            Salt

Bring to a simmer. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to very low, and cook for 25 minutes. Without removing the lid, turn off the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Transfer the pilaf to a serving dish, toss gently with two forks, and scatter ¼ c pitted and chopped green or black olives over the top. Serve hot.