CSA Week 18

***One more week to go!  Please bring back any extra bags.  Final share is November 6 or 8***

In your share week 18:

Carrots
Gill’s Golden Pippin Acorn Squash
Leeks
Beets
Red cabbage
Romaine Lettuce
Broccoli (some sites only)

Full shares only:

Kale
Salad Mix

How about that rain?  We got 6.5″ at the farm between Thursday and Sunday, and the river is the highest it’s been since at least April.  Today’s was a muddy harvest; most of the paths were solid enough but in some areas we were really sinking in.  We had to do a lot of extra washing today: the roots were extra muddy, and rain actually makes the lettuces dirtier because it splashes soil onto the leaves.  But in spite of that it was a welcome change: the sky has been an incredible play of light and dark and I think I really relaxed for the first time in 6 months.

We’ve switched things up a bit for today’s share, trying to give you some variety in these last couple of weeks.  We have the first beets in a while, as you’ll see they have grown really well; they have gorgeous greens, thick stems, and very small roots.  I kept waiting for them to size up and gave up in favor of getting you beets before the CSA ends.  They are lovely little baby roots, great for roasting or steaming whole.  Some of you have chioggia beets today, which are ringed pink and white like a bullseye.  They are similar in flavor to the red beets, but are a favorite for many!  The greens on these beets are extra nice, and personally that’s my favorite part.  They can be used like chard or kale.  I’m on a bit of a bean kick so I’d probably saute them up with leeks, beans, and chipotle peppers.

You have a modest head of red cabbage, which we usually grow to add some variety to fall shares.  These are lovely and dense and are a good serving size.  They will store well in a bag in the fridge for several weeks, but are particularly good fresh. These cabbages are good for fresh eating in slaws and salads or for braising or roasting.

One more round of leeks today, you may have to trim the greens up a bit but the stalks are excellent.  One more round of acorn squash, they’ve been a hit at the stand and I’ve been hearing great reviews from many members.  We’ll get you another pumpkin next week.  The carrots are tiny, this is after we gave them an extra month to size up.  I’m going to move the carrots back to the home field next year, where I can keep a better eye on them, particularly the fall rotations that tend to fall out of attention as our harvests explode.

We are close to wrapping up, this will be our last week of regular, weekly farm stands.  We’ll just have one more week of CSA and then a final farm stand at Thanksgiving.  Please look around for any bags you still have at your house and bring them with you when you pick up your share! Consider bringing your own bag next week and transferring the contents when you pick up so you don’t have to return your final bag later.

If you pick up at the Lincoln City Hospital, you will pick up your final share from the hospital’s business office between 11 and 2 next Thursday.  Ask for your share from the cashier, the big window at what used to be the main entrance.

And I apologize for never posting recipes last week, our internet was down for several days and then it just got away from me.  I’ll post the pumpkin chili soup recipe I had written up for last week here, and a couple more for today.

Pumpkin Chili Soup

I make several variations on this theme. You can get whole dried ancho chilies at most local grocery stores. I use whole dried chipotles, but you could also use canned chipotles or chipotle powder (available at Trillium). This is spicy: substitute smoky paprika for the chipotles if you want it a little milder.

3 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

2-3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped (optional)

3-4 dried ancho chilies, seeded and deveined and torn into pieces

2 dried chipotle chilies, seeded, deveined, and torn into pieces, or 1 tsp chipotle powder or 1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 pound potatoes, coarsely chopped

¾ cup toasted hulless pumpkin seeds (optional)

4-6 cups pumpkin puree (see below)

Stock or water

Salt and pepper

To make pumpkin puree:

Heat oven to 375. Cut pumpkin in half and place in a large baking pan with ½ inch of water. Bake until a fork goes through it easily, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Remove skin, seeds, and pulp. Puree the pumpkin meat using an immersion blender, food processor, or potato masher.

For the soup:

In a stock pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sautee, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 8 minutes or so.

Add chilies, tomatoes, and potatoes. Cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add stock or water to cover, raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add pumpkin puree and more salt, and bring back to a simmer. Add pumpkin seeds, if using. Puree soup using an immersion blender or in batches in the food processor. If soup is too thick, add more stock or water. Serve with a garnish of toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro or parsley, and a dash of olive oil.