CSA Week 18: Final week!

In your share this week:

Winter Luxury Pumpkin
Yacon
Onion
Yellow Finn Potato
Cilantro
Beets

Half Shares Only:

Cucumber

Full shares only:

Radicchio
Green bell peppers

The final week is finally here! I hope you have enjoyed your share. We work hard to grow delicious veggies and get them to you in combinations and quantities that you will enjoy. We can’t please everyone every time; it’s impossible with so many different members and such a diverse mix of crops. But I hope you have been happy overall and feel healthy and well fed after all these veggies.

We are extremely grateful for our CSA members. Your support and commitment to the farm are essential to keeping the farm alive. This was our largest and most ambitious CSA year yet, with 115 members in our various summer veggies shares, 25 flower CSA members, and 25 spring share members (remember that?! so long ago). It’s a challenge to provide everyone with consistency, quality, and variety all season long, but fortunately weather was on our side this year and we had some fantastic harvests. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed it, and maybe even found a couple new vegetables to love.

I like to look back at the compiled harvests at the end of the season. This year we had 60 Classic CSA members spread from Depoe Bay to Tillamook. In total, members received:

• 390 bunches of broccoli
• 775 bunches or pounds of carrots
• 520 pounds of cucumbers
• 300 bags of green beans
• 590 pounds of onions
• 850 pounds of winter squash
• 250 bouquets of flowers

There’s always some crop that produces beyond expectations and members get loaded up. Our most productive crops this year were potatoes and cabbage. Members received 1100 pounds of cabbage and 1300 pounds of potatoes! This was also our best pea year ever, with members getting 500 pints over just 6 weeks (nearly double last year’s banner pea year!).

Next year it will be something different, maybe even something that barely made an appearance this year. The farm is dynamic and so much is out of our control, it keeps it interesting to see what each new year brings. I hope you will consider signing up again in 2022. We will open registration in February, and we will be giving priority registration to our returning CSA members.

If you enjoyed the veggies but wished you had more choice over what you got and when you got it, consider signing up for our market based flex share. Flex members visit either of our market stands and choose a set number of items. We offer part time or full time options, as well as the option to pre-order your share online.

But on to this week’s share…

Just in time for Halloween is an heirloom Winter Luxury pie pumpkin. These pumpkins make the most fantastic pumpkin puree: flavorful, sweet, and velvety.  I’ve used the puree to make pies, soups, risotto, and more.  I cook them the same way I cook winter squash.  Cut it in half, put it in a pan with a bit of water, and roast it at 375 until a fork goes through it easily.  To puree it, I scoop out the seeds, peel off the skin, and use my immersion blender (you can also use a food processor, a regular blender, or a potato masher).

If you have a large pumpkin and don’t want to use it all at once, the puree freezes well.  I’d roast the whole pumpkin, since it won’t keep for long once it’s cut open.  Left whole and uncooked, these pumpkins are sturdy but not terribly long keepers.  It should keep at room temperature at least until Thanksgiving.  They can be left on a counter or table.

We have the second round of yacon for you today. I’ll remind you that it’s best eaten raw and stored in a bag in the fridge, even though it looks more like a sweet potato! I heard from many of you who enjoyed trying this new veggie, either by itself, with a squeeze of lime, or dipped in hummous.

I’ve included a recipe below for a yacon grapefruit salad, which would also use your cilantro. The cilantro is fresh and flavorful, but this late in the season I expect it won’t keep super long in your fridge, so I recommend using it up quickly. This week I made a chicken soup with lime and cilantro, which we’ve been serving with a side of yacon or chicory salad. So delicious…

I know radicchio isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but right now I can’t get enough of it and full shares get a chance to try it out today. When the winter rains come in and days get short, the more tender lettuces and salad greens start to suffer. But not the chicory! It thrives in this weather and sweetens as the days get colder. I’ve been loving chicory salads, roasted radicchio, and am looking forward to making a chicory pasta but haven’t gotten to it yet. If bitter isn’t your flavor, you can try soaking it in cold water before preparing it, or cook it in with other veggies to dilute the bitterness a bit.

Thank you for your support this season and I hope we’ll see you back in 2022! After this week, we will be open2 more times at the farm on Saturdays 10-1 November 13 and 20 (Closed November 7). Keep an eye out for information on holiday wreaths and decorations from the farm: we’ll be taking special orders and doing a couple of pop up stands in early December. Have a great winter!

Yacon Grapefruit Salad

Okay, this recipe from Marthastewart.com originally called for jicama.  But it’s at least as good with yacon. 

• 1 red grapefruit, peel and pith removed
• 1 navel orange, peel and pith removed
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 large or 3 to 4 small yacon, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1. Working over a large bowl, carefully carve out sections of grapefruit and orange from membranes using a paring knife, letting sections fall into bowl and reserving membranes. Transfer juices to a small non-reactive bowl; squeeze membranes into bowl. Discard membranes.
2. Add lime juice, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and salt to the small bowl with the juices; stir to combine. Add jicama, apple, and cucumber to the large bowl with the fruit. Pour juice mixture over fruit mixture. Gently toss to coat. Let salad stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Grandma Ivah’s Pumpkin Pie

This recipe comes from the Seed Savers Exchange blog.  They describe our Winter Luxury pumpkins as “Pumpkin Pie’s Dreams Come True”.  

To make the pumpkin puree:
Roast the pumpkin whole or in half in a 350 oven, with a few holes cut in it as steam vents.  It is ready when it slumps and a fork pokes through easily.  Let it cool enough to handle, then scoop out the seed and guts and peel the skin away from the flesh.  Mash the flash or run it through a food processor to make a smooth puree.

To make the crust (enough for 2 pies):  
Using your fingers or a pastry blender, mix together 12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter and 2 c all purpose flour until mixture is crumbly.  Chunks should be no bigger than a pea.  Gradually add up to 1/2 c ice water and gather dough until it just forms a cohesive ball.  You may not use all the water!  Divide into two balls, flatten slightly into disks, and chill for at least 2 hours.

To make the pie:

• 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 – 1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ – 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cup milk (preferably whole)
• 2/3 cup (about 6 ounces) evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare pie plate with a single pie crust.

Mix pumpkin puree, sugar, salt, and spices.  In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, and evaporated milk.

Blend milk mixture into pumpkin mixture (texture will be very thin).

Pour into pie crust. Bake for 50 minutes or until the center of the pie has begun to set.  The pie will continue to set as it cools to room temperature.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

From Martha Stewart Living October 2009.  This soup is simple, healthy, vegan, and a satisfying fall dish.  You can garnish with toasted pepitas or some sour cream or yogurt.

• 2 3/4 pounds sugar pumpkin or butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered through the stem
• 2 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps wiped clean
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut pumpkin into 2-inch pieces. Combine pumpkin, onion, mushrooms, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Add oil and 2 teaspoons salt; toss to coat, then spread in a single layer. Roast until pumpkin is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30 minutes, rotating pan and tossing vegetables halfway through. Let cool, then remove skins.

Transfer vegetables to a medium saucepan; heat over medium. Pour in 2 cups stock; puree with an immersion blender until smooth. With the blender running, slowly add remaining 3 cups stock, and puree until smooth. Bring soup just to a simmer. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.