CSA Week 13

Welcome to week 12! Thanks for being with us today as we move into the Fall season!

Full shares
Broccoli
Carrots
Potatoes

Both
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Green onions
Kale
Sweet pepper
Jalapeño
Fennel
Cilantro
Cherry tomatoes

This week we have fennel, a unique vegetable that most are not familiar with in the kitchen, including me! The above ground bulb is the part that is most used; the stalks can also be eaten although many find them too fibrous. The white part of the bulb is considered the most desirable. Fennel has sweet flavor that is similar to anise. Some people would describe it as having a similar taste to licorice. It can be used as you would celery, and be eaten raw or cooked, such as shaved onto a salad, cooked into soup, added to sauces, roasted, sautéed, or made into fennel gratin. If you need an idea, I found a lot of recipes pairing potatoes with fennel. The two seem to work really well together. Carolina suggested baking it with other vegetables, so I found a recipe I added at the end if you’re in the mood for a baked meal!

The tomato plants in the greenhouse are slowly dying back as the temperature drops, so enjoy the tomatoes while you can as the end of their growth cycle approaches. The last couple weeks we have been working on potatoes and onions for storage, while we still wait for the winter squash to mature. I’m starting to crave soups as we receive cooler temperatures and, in honor of the Fall equinox, I had some soup with the farm potatoes, onion, and tomatoes over a small fire with my campmate. Soup welcomes you kindly into the Autumn, and potatoes really make a good basic comfort food.

Don’t forget the single jalapeño in your bags. It might get lost in all the larger produce items, but it has many delicious uses in the kitchen. The small dark green pepper in your bag is a spicy hot jalapeño pepper. (The red and yellow peppers are sweet bells like last week!) Use the jalapeno to turn up the heat in salsa, pico-de-gallo, or tacos. Another use for it that I discovered this year was adding the seeds to a mocktail-tonic drink for a spicy kick. The seeds can also be removed and dehydrated to be used as a spice for future dishes; sprinkled on pizza or nachos for example. I’ve read that jalapeños are anti-inflammatory and can help promote healthy blood flow while also offering vitamins C and A. As a reminder, jalapeños are a hot pepper, please avoid touching your eyes, face, or skin after handling hot peppers as it can cause irritation.

Hope you enjoy the recipes we have for you this week. Stay warm and may the food you eat today benefit you for many years to come! Have a great week!

-Fidé and the team at Corvus Landing

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Some recipes include bell peppers or olives. So adjust the recipe to your needs and taste preferences. This recipe suggested serving with some tzatziki.

Oven Roasted Fennel and Potatoes Recipe

from TheSimpleSprinkle.com

INGREDIENTS

3 Medium Potatoes
1 Whole Fennel
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Medium Yellow Onion
2 Shallots
3 Sprigs Thyme
2 teaspoon Sumac
1 ½ teaspoon Truffle Salt Can be substituted with Sea Salt
½ teaspoon Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C
Quarter your potatoes.
Roughly chop your fennel, then finely chop the fennel prons.
Roughly chop your onion and finely chop your shallot.
Place your chopped veggies in a large bowl.
Add your olive oil and stir to coat everything.
Now add all your spices, be sure to remove the stem on your thyme.
Roast for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

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With the cilantro, jalapeño, and cherry tomatoes you can make a flavorful pico-de-gallo! You can also add cucumber and sweet peppers. The more the merrier! Some people also like to add mango. It’s great with breakfast burritos, tacos, or your favorite chips.

Pico de Gallo

INGREDIENTS

1 lb tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, (1 cup chopped)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 TBSP lime juice, from 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, diced tomatoes, onion, jalapeno pepper and chopped cilantro.
Stir in 2 TBSP lime juice and lightly season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper, or season to taste. Enjoy right away or cover and refrigerate overnight.
Enjoy!