CSA Week 18: Final Week!
***This is the final week of CSA! Please return all farm bags. Thank you for being a member, I hope to see you back in 2020!***
In your share week 18:
Carrots
Beets
Yacon
Onion
Lettuce
Kale
Green Tomatoes
Full shares only:
Pumpkin
It’s always hard to believe it when the end of the CSA season arrives. It’s definitely time, our harvests are rapidly decreasing and we’ve worked through most of our storage crops. We will continue to be open at the farm most Tuesdays through November (we will be closed November 19). I hope you have enjoyed your share! You all are critical to making the farm happen each season. I hope you ate well this season, tried something new, and enjoyed good health. We hope you will be back for 2020, look for signup in February!
Please consider bringing your own bag to pickup this week and transferring the contents of your share into it so you don’t have to remember to return your final bag. Also, please look around your house and collect any extra CSA bags you still have!
We decided to include green tomatoes in your share today. There are actually still a number of tomatoes on the plants, but they are slow to ripen this time of year. Green tomatoes are surprisingly tasty, though, and a good end of season veggie. They are tasty in salsas, soups, casseroles, or made into fried green tomatoes. I think of them kind of like tomatillos; they aren’t as juicy as a ripe tomato and have a tangier flavor. Some of them will ripen up on the counter or in a paper bag if you want to try that, though sometimes they mold before they ripen. Store them at room temperature.
We have another serving of yacon today, they’ve cured more than they had last week and are getting sweeter by the day. Remember, these are best raw and store well in the fridge. The skin is a bit bitter, but it’s easy to peel if you don’t like the flavor. Store them in a bag in the fridge.
The last bed of beets was slow to size up, but we managed to get a bunch for everyone today. If you don’t plan to use them right away, separate the tops from the roots for better storage. The beets, carrots, and yacon will keep for weeks or even months in the fridge.
I planted heads of romaine in the greenhouse for fall shares, and they have been lovely but reluctant to head up. We ended up deciding to cut it as loose leaf lettuce and bag it for you, since the heads simply weren’t forming. It’s delicious and sweet with just a hint of bitterness, great for salads, sandwiches, and wraps.
This has been an abundant year overall on the farm, with particularly huge harvests of tomatoes, zucchini, and broccoli. We had record crops on our onions and pumpkins, and remember those delicious peas? There’s always a few duds; I think green onions, cauliflower, and lettuce were at the bottom of the harvest list. We’ll try again next year! We are looking forward to a restful winter. One of the things I love about farming is the seasonal rhythm. Our work load swells along with the buds in spring, then dies back with the leaves in winter. We spend a lot of time with the cat in front of the wood stove in winter, and try to sneak in a vacation some time before the work load picks back up.
Our crew are undecided about their winter plans, but they are looking forward to more free time for music, travel, and fun. If you pick up at the hospital you probably know Maria, who worked for us the last 2 summers. She is moving on to a position at the Early Learning Center at the hospital, and we are sad to see her go! But she loves kids and will be a great addition to the staff there, and I’m happy to see her career take shape.
Grilled Green Tomato Tostadas with Black Beans, Avocado + Cilantro
From Food52, by Caroline Wright. I would use lettuce or cabbage in place of the arugula. This would also be good with yacon matchsticks!
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- 3 medium green tomatoes (about 1 pound), sliced ½-inch thick
- 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium, ripe avocado, sliced
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
- 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat grill or grill pan over medium-high. In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon oil with cumin and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Rub tomatoes with flavored oil.
Brush both sides of tortillas with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill one side of tortilla until puffed and golden, about 2 minutes. Flip tortillas and divide cheese among them. Cook until cheese has melted, 2 minutes; transfer to a platter. Add tomatoes to grill and cook until charred and slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
Toss beans with cilantro, lime juice and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Top tostadas with arugula, grilled tomatoes and dressed beans. Serve avocado on the side. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper and serve with lime wedges.
Trinidadian Split Pea Soup
Mike is especially fond of this recipe, which we got from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian. It is a nice variation from the classic split pea soup, and uses yellow split peas instead of green. She recommends garnishing with lime and hot sauce, and it is certainly tasty that way. Don’t add salt until the end, as it can keep the split peas from cooking properly. Serves 4 to 6.
In a heavy stock pot, heat 2 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sautee about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 green chile, chopped finely
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 Tbsp fresh chives
Add and continue to stir and fry a few more minutes:
1 c coarsely grated carrot
Add:
1 c yellow split peas
6 c vegetable or chicken stock
Bring to a boil. Cover partially, turn down the heat, and simmer gently for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours, or until very tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.