CSA Week 15
In your share week 15:
Gill’s Golden Pippin acorn squash
Onion
Pepper
Purple Viking potatoes
Salad mix
Cilantro
Half shares only:
Radish
Cucumber or zucchini
Full shares only:
Kale
Fennel
Broccoli
Cauliflower
October is here and it’s time for squash. Squash are not the easiest crop for us, they require a lot of hours above 70 degrees to ripen, and that’s just not something we can give them. This summer, though mild, lacked those hotter days, and I was worried the squash wouldn’t ripen at all. Up until 2 weeks ago they were still looking pretty green, but then we had several hot days and cold nights and they seem to have turned a corner!
We can only grow a few of the earliest varieties, but we’ve been really happy with this old Oregon bred variety called Gill’s Golden Pippin. We find it is more like a delicata in flavor than a typical acorn, and its small size makes it easy to portion. The skins are tender and tasty, so I wouldn’t bother peeling them. Typically I slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. I either roast the halves face down in a pan with a bit of water (375 until a fork goes through easily, about 30 minutes), or slice them into half moons, toss with oil, and roast them on a sheet pan until they are soft and caramelized. Store them at room temperature or use them as a decoration until you’re ready to eat them.
We’ve taken a few weeks off potatoes, but now that it’s soup season here are some more. These are the last of the purple vikings, and believe me that these were the best of what we have. They’re pretty scabby but still tasty, they’d be great in a pureed soup or peeled and then roasted. We usually alternate between carrots and potatoes, but unfortunately we’re light on both going into this fall. We’re giving the fall carrots a couple of extra weeks to size up, but we will have more for you hopefully next week. We’ll have another serving or two of potatoes as well, these should be the worst of what we have left so hopefully the last couple of weeks will be a bit better!
Most folks got the last of our cipollini onions today (a couple of you got yellow onions). These are a bit sweeter than the yellow onions and are great roasted or grilled, but they can be used in any dish calling for an onion.
These are really the last of the fennel (full shares only). I usually wouldn’t do 2 weeks in a row like this, but honestly these are so perfect and I wanted to get them out of the field before gophers got them or they started to flower. If you still have last week’s, you can use them together in soup or a roast.
Herb-Roasted Parmesan Acorn Squash
From The Real Food Dietitians. Many folks know to cook acorn squash with brown sugar and raisins, but I prefer a more savory preparation like this. They call for ghee, but I usually use olive oil.
1 large acorn squash (or 2 small)
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 Tbsp. fresh herbs or 1 tsp. dried (suggest: thyme, sage, rosemary, or oregano)
1 Tbsp. ghee, melted, or olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt + more to taste
1/8 tsp. black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into ½ inch half moon slices. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Transfer to a large sheet pan and bake 25 minutes or until squash is cooked through and parmesan cheese is crispy and slightly brown.
Portuguese Potato and Cilantro Soup Recipe
These potatoes are better used in a pureed soup, since their flavor is good but the scabby skin isn’t the best. Here’s a recipe that also uses this week’s fabulous cilantro, one of my favorite greens! From Genius Kitchen.
4 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups vegetables or 6 cups chicken stock
salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
3⁄4 cup chopped cilantro