Spoutwood Farm CSA Harvest Guide: Week 14: September 13, 2007
To return to the 2007 Harvest Guide page, click here
Greetings, Spoutwood Farm friends!
Welcome to the fourteenth week of our CSA Harvest season. What
meteorologists call the “autumnal shift” appears to have
happened, with cool air flowing down out of Canada. We will undoubtedly
have hot and humid days yet to come, but with only a little over a week
to go until the Autumnal Equinox, it seems clear that the seasonal
change is indeed upon us, and cooler temps will prevail, on average, as
the wheel of the year turns toward its “dark half.”
This shift is reflected in the CSA gardens, with a marked decline in the vigor of our warm-weather-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and eggplant, and an increase in cool-weather crops like brassicas (kohl crops, cruciferous vegetables) and greens. We still have plenty of warm-season vegetables, at least for this week, but the cool-season ones are coming on strong, and will soon overtake them. So enjoy this transitional season in our CSA year, where the bounty of summer veggies meet the rise of the cool-season ones. With quite a selection to choose from, meals this week should be a treat indeed!
Please feel free to drop us a line if you discover a new recipe, have any cooking tips, or would like to share your favorite way to eat the veggies from our harvest - email us and we’ll share with everyone else! You might also want to post these to our inter-active web presence at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spoutwoodcsa. There you can post messages that all members can read, add photos of your favorite Spoutwood memories, and otherwise contribute to our CSA community here at Spoutwood Farm. Enjoy! But first, a few notes on upcoming events...
The Mother Earth Harvest Fair, to be held here at Spoutwood on the weekend of September 29th and 30th, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., is drawing near! The MEHF is a celebration and showcase of “green,” sustainable, and healthy/balanced living in the Chesapeake Bay bioregion. We are looking for shareholders to man (or woman) our CSA booth, perform demonstrations and provide examples of CSA Cookery and Preserving the Harvest. Please contact our CSA Booth/Country Kitchen “Czar” (coordinator), Heather Woodward, bacwood2@suscom.net, to sign up.
Hours worked apply to your CSA hours!
Also, please note that our upcoming Mother Earth Harvest Fair Prep Weekends will be this weekend and next:
MEHF Prep Weekends - Sept 15 & 16 and 22 & 23, 9:00am-5:00pm at Spoutwood Farm.
Please RSVP to spoutwood@supernet.com or 717-235-6610.
There is much to be done, but “many hands make light work.”
Many thanks in advance for your assistance in getting ready for this important event!
This shift is reflected in the CSA gardens, with a marked decline in the vigor of our warm-weather-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and eggplant, and an increase in cool-weather crops like brassicas (kohl crops, cruciferous vegetables) and greens. We still have plenty of warm-season vegetables, at least for this week, but the cool-season ones are coming on strong, and will soon overtake them. So enjoy this transitional season in our CSA year, where the bounty of summer veggies meet the rise of the cool-season ones. With quite a selection to choose from, meals this week should be a treat indeed!
Please feel free to drop us a line if you discover a new recipe, have any cooking tips, or would like to share your favorite way to eat the veggies from our harvest - email us and we’ll share with everyone else! You might also want to post these to our inter-active web presence at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spoutwoodcsa. There you can post messages that all members can read, add photos of your favorite Spoutwood memories, and otherwise contribute to our CSA community here at Spoutwood Farm. Enjoy! But first, a few notes on upcoming events...
Special Note: Mother Earth Harvest Fair
The Mother Earth Harvest Fair, to be held here at Spoutwood on the weekend of September 29th and 30th, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., is drawing near! The MEHF is a celebration and showcase of “green,” sustainable, and healthy/balanced living in the Chesapeake Bay bioregion. We are looking for shareholders to man (or woman) our CSA booth, perform demonstrations and provide examples of CSA Cookery and Preserving the Harvest. Please contact our CSA Booth/Country Kitchen “Czar” (coordinator), Heather Woodward, bacwood2@suscom.net, to sign up.
Hours worked apply to your CSA hours!
Also, please note that our upcoming Mother Earth Harvest Fair Prep Weekends will be this weekend and next:
MEHF Prep Weekends - Sept 15 & 16 and 22 & 23, 9:00am-5:00pm at Spoutwood Farm.
Please RSVP to spoutwood@supernet.com or 717-235-6610.
There is much to be done, but “many hands make light work.”
Many thanks in advance for your assistance in getting ready for this important event!
Tomatoes: This week continues the recent trend of vast numbers of these luscious fruits (yes, tomatoes are technically fruits, not vegetables). Rich with flavor and health benefits, tomatoes are one of the true joys of summer. However, this may be the last of our truly “epic” harvests, so enjoy them while you can!
Summer Squash: To the relief of some, perhaps, and the disappointment of others, this week definitely marks the end of the summer squash. Enjoy one last sautée or pot of ratatouille before they’re gone.
Green Peppers: Another classic summer vegetable, these delicious green peppers are entirely our own this week! Two varieties for your enjoyment this week: green bell peppers, and Anaheims, a mild chili pepper.
Eggplant: Still another summer vegetable, similarly associated with summer cooking. Ratatouille, eggplant parmesan, and baba ganoush are among the many possible uses for this popular veggie. Select from Italian-style, Oriental (long and thin), and “Beatrice” – an Italian type also, with a pink-violet complection.
Leeks: Native to a wide swatch of Eurasia, leeks are particularly closely associated with the British Isles. A member of the allium family like onions and garlic, but milder than either, leeks are excellent in soups, quiches, and even sparingly in salads.
Radishes: First of the fall crop of radishes, a potpourri of colorful summer radishes to grace your salads, eat out of hand, or (if you’re brave) enjoy with melted butter for breakfast, as the French do. Our Veggie of the Week for this week – see below for additional information and suggestions.
Bok Choi: A relative of Chinese cabbage, Bok Choi is an Asian green that is truly excellent in stir-fries, soups, or sparingly in salads.
Kale: This leafy green is a wonderful pot-herb, which can be steamed, sautéed with butter or olive oil, or used in soups (potato-kale soup, with or without crumbled sautéed sausage, is particularly tasty). Smaller, more tender leaves can even be used, sparingly, in salads. Rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants, kale is a tasty health-booster. We did have to spray our kale with an organic pesticide a few weeks ago, so even though we’ve had rain since, please be sure to wash it carefully before using.
Cucumbers: Our cucumbers continue to produce well. Delicious in salads or pickled.
Basil: A delicious and fragrant herb – add to pasta sauces, make a fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad (toss in olive oil), or blend your own pesto. Please note: Basil should be placed in a vase with water, as you would cut flowers. Most refrigerators are too cold and tend to blacken the leaves.
Parsley: An under-used and under-appreciated herb, parsley makes a good garnish, yes, but also can be added to soups and stocks -- where it adds flavor, vitamins, and minerals -- and even to salads. Use it replace some of the basil in pesto.
Bread: For those with bread shares, we continue our wonderful selections from Atwater bakery in Baltimore.
Flowers: This week’s bouquet will include the usual potpourri of wild and cultivated blossoms.
Summer and winter radishes can add refreshing crispiness to salads and sandwiches. They make a delicious topping for bagels. Use them as hors d'oeuvres, snack on them, or add winter radishes to liven up many different recipes.
Pickled Radishes and Carrots
This is a refrigerator pickle, allow it to chill overnight before serving. Store for up to 4 weeks. Traditionally made with daikon radishes; globe radishes may be substituted for daikons in this recipe.
1/2 pound daikon or other radish
1 carrot shredded
1 tablespoon canning salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1. Wash, peel and shred radishes if using daikon. Do not peel red globe radishes before shredding. Put vegetables in a bowl, sprinkle on the salt and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Drain off water and squeeze vegetables as dry as possible.
3. In a small bowl combine vinegar, sugar and pepper flakes.
4. Place in a clean quart-size jar and refrigerate overnight or 6-8 hours. Serves 6.
Open-faced Radish Sandwiches
4 bagels cut in half or 8 slices black bread
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
6 small globe radishes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Spread bagels or bread slices with 1/4 inch cream cheese.
2. Using s sharp knife or mandolin, slice radishes very thin. Overlap radish slices on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle each sandwich with salt and pepper. Cover with damp paper towels until serving.
Radish Confetti Salad
4 large radishes, washed and trimmed
1 medium carrot, trimmed
1 celery stalk, trimmed
Six to eight chives, cut into one-inch pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sweet rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
6 romaine lettuce leaves
1. Using a mandolin or box grater, shred the radishes and carrots.
2. Cut the celery into matchstick-size pieces. Toss the vegetables together in a medium bowl.
3. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, vinegar, celery seed and salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables and toss. Serve on a bed of romaine lettuce.
Radishes with Pasta and Radish Greens
24 radishes, sliced (about 2 cups) with green tops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
12-ounce package short pasta such as penne or shells, cooked
1/4 cup cooking water from pasta
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Salt and pepper
1. Separate the greens from the radishes. Wash greens in several changes of cool water. Drain or spin dry in a salad spinner. Wash and trim radishes. Thinly slice radishes.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add onions and cook just until they begin to soften. Add radish slices and greens. Cover and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until greens wilt and radishes look almost translucent. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust seasoning.
3. Add drained pasta to skillet and toss. Add cooking liquid from pasta and stir. Sprinkle on the cheese and toss. Pass additional cheese if desired.
Hail to the Czar!
We are very pleased to announce that we have a CSA Booth/Country Kitchen Czar (Czarina): our wonderful shareholder Heather Woodward has kindly volunteered to fill that slot. Yaaaaaay, Heather!!!
Radishes
The radish (Raphanus sativus) is a cool-season root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that is grown and eaten worldwide. Its cultivation and consumption dates back at least to Hellenistic (Greco-Roman) times, and very possibly earlier. The “Watch Your Garden Grow” website notes that “radishes have often been dismissed as decoration and garnish. They are actually members of the cruciferous vegetable family so eat the greens. Because they vary in keeping quality, radishes are classified as winter or summer. Summer radishes [the kind we grow here at Spoutwood] are the small ones of bold red, pink, purple, white or red and white. They may be globe-shaped or elongated, fiery hot or mild.”
A Wikipedia entry notes that radishes are suggested as an alternative treatment for a variety of ailments including whooping cough, cancer, coughs, gastric discomfort, liver problems, constipation, dyspepsia, gallbladder problems, arthritis, gallstones, kidney stones and intestinal parasites. Please note that this is provided for information only, and is not intended as medical advice!
Nutrition Facts (1/2 cup fresh sliced raw red globes [http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/radish1.html]
The popular red globe radish is low in calories with an abundance of flavor and crunch. A 1/2 cup serving (about 12 medium) of sliced radishes provides a goodly amount of potassium, vitamin C, folate and fiber. Winter radishes such as daikons are similar in nutrients.
Calories 12
Protein 0.35 grams
Carbohydrates 2.0 grams
Dietary Fiber 1 gram
Potassium 134.56 mg
Folate 15.66 mcg
Radishes are most often eaten raw. Use a stiff vegetable brush and scrub radishes under cold running water. Do not peel summer or black radishes. Pare away the top and root end then slice, dice, shred, or serve whole. Large Chinese and Japanese varieties hold up well during cooking. They can be eaten raw, preserved or substituted in any recipe calling for turnips. Radish greens are also edible, providing a spicy bite to leafy salads.
Daikon greens can be washed, stacked, rolled into a scroll, and cut crosswise. This produces thin julienne strips which are traditionally salted and left standing for an hour. The moisture is squeezed out. The leaves are then chopped and stored in glass jars for up to a week in the refrigerator. The Japanese stir them into warm rice; they can also be added to soups and other recipes. If you try this with our radish greens, let us know how it worked!
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