What’s in the box?

leeks
potatoes
salad mix
cabbage (medium and large shares)
brussels sprouts
turnips
carrots
thyme
black futsu winter squash

Notes on the box.

This week we have potatoes from our friends at Threshing Table Farm. We had hand down the worst potato year here with our first planting rotting in the ground because we planted too early. Second planting didn’t germinate because by the time we got more seed potatoes, it was too hot. Never had such a terrible time with potatoes, but happy to be able to put some in the boxes thanks to the wonderful community of farmers that we share!

Thyme can be added to soups or beans when cooking. I like to tie some of the sprigs in a bundle and put that in the soup and then take it out before serving rather than trying to pull off the little leaves! Thyme is also a nice addition to herbal teas. It can help with coughing.

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.

This week we have some lovely cheese curds and our Lyra. Cheese curds added to chili before serving as a garnish is super good! This Lyra was made in the spring. It’s nice and mild and makes a heck of good grilled cheese.

Recipes.

Charred cabbage and carrots

On the Farm.

A sudden shock of winter temps! We are anxious to see how plants pull through this cold snap! We have lettuce in the field that is triple covered with row cover hoping to protect it. We will see how things look once it warms up again. Farming in such drastic temp swings as we’ve had in the spring and fall is no joke! Here’s hoping that the 20 degree below average tens didn’t ruin the rest of the romanesco and cauliflower and the lettuce in the field.

The crew has been hard at work in the cold cold weather getting garlic planted for next year. Everyone happens to have cute red hats, so we’ve also been pretending to be gnomes. 🥰

Next Week.

What’s in the box?

salad turnips
brussels sprouts
leeks
carrots
butternut squash
green tomatoes
braising/salad mix
dill
spinach
green peppers
romanesco or cauliflower (large shares)

Notes on the box.

this is the absolute last of the peppers and tomatoes,until next year. We imagine some of you are getting tired of the greens mix, so we will lay off in the last 3 weeks and move over to more lettuce mix and head lettuces as long as they size up in time. And we should be pulling in more spinach. Next week looks like a bigger week for the Romanesco so expect more of that. More salad turnips for the remaining 3 weeks. These, in my view, are the star of the box, they are hard for us to grow during the summer because of bug pressure. It’s a two for one, creamy sweet turnip bulbs can be eaten raw or sauteed. The greens are sweetened by frost and very delicate for soups like Ramen or in an egg dish. Which actually, a quiche may be just the right dish for green tomatoes and turnip greens. Also, consider roasting brussel sprouts with leeks.

Cabbage and Kale will make an appearance in the last 3 weeks. As well as brussel sprouts from here on out.

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.

Fresh whole milk ricotta and Moonshadow. Moon shadow is an alpine style cheese, kind of similar to a gruyere. Made when the cows were eating hay last year. Ricotta is best eaten within a week or two as it has a short self life. But you can freeze it and thaw it out later for cooking or baking.

Recipes.

Roasted Turnips with Leeks
Heat oven to 400. Remove tops from the turnips, leaving an inch or so of the greens stem (you don’t have to do this, but I like how it looks and it adds a little to the texture. Remove the taproot. Quarter the turnips from top to bottom. Cut leeks across (watch for dirt that might accumulate between layers near the green leaves at the top). Toss with olive oil and a little bit of soy sauce. Roast till turnips are tender and have some browning. Toss once during roasting. We like this served in ramen soup with your favorite broth and protein (we like bacon ends cooked in japanese bbq sauce!). You can sautee the turnip greens and add that, too. Enjoy!

Green Tomato and Leek Frittata
Olive oil for the pan
3 large leeks, trimmed of the green part, washed, and thinly sliced
3 medium green tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
5 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (or another hard) cheese
1/2 cup fresh dill, oregano, parsley, or basil leaves, torn
Heat your oil in a large, ovenproof sauté pan over a medium flame. Add the leeks and cook until they're soft and golden. Add the tomatoes and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and half of the pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are tender, about 3 minutes more. Set aside for a moment to cool.
At this point, preheat your broiler. Beat the 4 large eggs lightly with a fork in a large bowl, then add the leek and tomato mixture to the eggs. Add the rest of the salt and pepper, the cheese and the herbs. Stir gently to combine the ingredients.
Return the sauté pan to medium heat and add in a bit more oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is warm, pour in the egg mixture, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let cook for about 6 minutes. The frittata should start to thicken, but still be a bit runny in the center.
Uncover the frittata and transfer the pan to the broiler. Depending on the heat of your broiler, broil for anywhere from 2-4 minutes, until the frittata is set but not overly browned. Remove from the broiler, cut into slices and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Baked Butternut Squash with Spinach and Ricotta

On the Farm.

Picture time!

Autumn on the farm

Turnip time! 

Next Week.

What’s in the box?

dill
cilantro
radishes (large and medium shares)
celery (Seward small shares didn’t get celery)
spinach (large and medium)
brussels sprouts
greens mix for braising
onions
garlic
carrots
sweet peppers (large and medium)
cauliflower
black futsu squash (large and medium and Seward small shares)

Notes on the box.

The greens mix is bigger this week and well suited for braising. Or you can chop it up and use it for salad.
Black Futsu squash is one of our very favorites. The skin is tender and edible. It’s excellent cut into half moons and roasted, or it makes a nice stuffed squash. Roast as you would acorn or delicata squash.
Remove tops from carrots and radishes before storing.
Brussels sprouts time! If you think you don’t like brussels sprouts because of memories of mushy over-steamed ones that look kind of washed out and gray, you should give these a try! It’s all about how they are cooked. Can’t go wrong with cutting them in half, tossing with olive oil, roasting them and serving them with bacon!

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.

Deneb, our natural rind gouda style cheese. Lovely and approachable. Great for a cheese board paired with honey or jam, toasted nuts, and cured meat. Or grated on top of stuffed squash.
The garlic dill quark is our market favorite. Quark is a German style cheese, similar to chevre, but made with cows milk instead of goat milk. It’s great on crackers or bagels, but also on just about everything else. You can put it on top of scrambled eggs or baked salmon. Or you can serve it with radieshs as a veggie dip, or with roasted veggies. You can’t go wrong!

Recipes.

Creamy Cauliflower “mac” and cheese

Vegan Cauliflower Cream Sauce

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Cream of Celery Soup

On the Farm.

Enjoying the cooler weather and the leaves changing color. Thanks for all the photos, Magdalen! And thanks to the crew for all the hard work and smiles!

Last delivery is November 3!

Next Week.