Grand Finale Pt 2

Well! What a week of Kitchen work it's been! Last week the kitchen crew worked extra long and hard to prepare that unbelievable bounty and I think some CFK members were a little overwhelmed with the over 10 items they received. Never fear, this week won't be quite as huge, but just as delicious.
Even though I wasn't at the farm, last week's cooking marathon yielded its own adventures. From having just a little too much of every dish, to the overwhelming deliciousness of Hobbit Soup (I credit the Rutabagas), to dying immersion blenders, there was something to figure out every day. Not to mention trying to squeeze everything into the fridge at the end of the day--that was a puzzle! Check out Peter and Jason demonstrating how *stuffed* the fridge was for distribution! This week we have some more delicious items, mostly featuring squash, and also some end-of-season items such as hot sauce and kim chee.
When you visit the kitchen, I want to make sure you remember to check out the "wall of fame" opposite the door: I've posted pictures of almost everyone who cooked with us this summer. It's a gorgeous gallery. I hope the pics give an idea of how much fun we have cooking for you. More than one member commented that it gives you an idea of HOW everything gets made (HUGE bowls! Lots of chopping!). So, check it out. I personally can't stop looking at it, even though I know everyone! I'm so grateful to this smart and talented crew for giving so much energy and hard work behind the scenes at the CFK. Most of them are gone by the time members arrive, but you should know who they are!
SO, this week's menu:
White House Butternut Squash Soup --a recipe straight from the Obama administration, courtesy of this NYTimes article
Rutaloaf - a rutabaga-based dinner loaf from The Community Farm of Ann Arbor Cookbook (2001). As recipe author Karen says, "Everyone loves Rutaloaf! Even my teenager!"
Brussels Sprouts with Honey Mustard Sauce - Sauce recommendation from my friend Aaron. I'm actually going to give you your sprouts fresh for you to cook your favorite way, but we'll give you a little tub of sauce to go with.
Pumpkin Bread from Simply in Season Need I say more??
Kim Chee - after a week of fermentation, this Korean sauerkraut will rock your socks
Stuffed Carnival Squash - Like acorn squash but more colorful! This yummy fruit-and-seed based stuffing also comes from Simply in Season
Squash Malagushim - a tasty squash curry from Laurel's Kitchen
Cauliflower Risotto with Saffron and Dill from Farmer John's Cookbook p. 265
Parsley Cubes
Hot Sauce
another winter squash
dried chili peppers
Garlic

So much yumminess! I'd better get to work!
See you Friday for the end of the season (*sniff!*)
peace
Mary
Photos: 1. Becky, Peter, and Jason get tough on some leeks. 2. Sauerkraut! 3. Peter and Jason show off a FULL refrigerator! 4. Becky hard at work and Jason tasting some Hobbit Soup 5. Anna and Amanda chopping kale 6. Jason looks like a butcher after chopping beets. 7. Amanda and a "crone" rutabaga

Grand Finale!

There is so much to say about the Grand close of the season... how hard we worked last week on the farm on cold days and warm days and days that started frozen and turned warm... we brought in such a bounty from Mother Earth! We harvested roots like rutabagas and turnips and leeks, greens like napa cabbage, kale, and parsley, and brassicas like Brussels sprouts and cabbage and cauliflower. It was hard work but it felt so good to be harvesting these amazing vegetables for all the members. Saturday, the day of Grand Finale itself was amazing. For a start, the weather was perfect: warm and sunny. Exactly the sort of day when you WANT to be outside. Aaron and I headed out to the farm fairly early to do the last of the harvest and set up for distribution. After lunch, CFK cooks Jason, Jake, Anna, Amanda, and Becky all joined us at the farm for the Big Pick Up. I sent them scurrying around the barnyard picking up dozens of roots, boxes of greens, and hundreds of winter squash. Finally, we loaded it all into our cars. I didn't think Jason would make it up the hill with his trunk full of winter squash, but somehow he managed. We returned to the kitchen to try to squeeze everything into the fridge and pantry. The energy of the day was amazing--you could only feel good about bringing in such a lot of food for the winter.
At that point the work had only just begun. It's Wednesday and it's already been a busy week of cooking (and juggling things to make room in the fridge for everything!). I'm really excited about the menu we're working on. I think you'll really enjoy it. Here we go....
Share
Cauliflower - 1 head
Rutabaga - 4 lbs
Carrots and beets - 1 lb total
Turnip - 2 lbs
Garlic - 8 heads
Daikon - 3
Cabbage - 1 head
Tatsoi - 1 bunch
Mizuna - 1 bunch
Arugula - 1 bunch
Parsley - 2 plants
Brussels sprouts - 2 stalks
Kale - 3 plants
Big napa - 2
Small napa - 2
Blue hubbard - 1
Mixed squash - 1
Carnival squash - 3
Small Leeks - 2
Butternut squash - 3
Mixed squash - 1
Acorn squash - 3
Big leeks - 6

and the Menu (sorry, no page numbers right now)
Week 1:
Beet and Carrot Burgers from Farmer John's Cookbook: A favorite from the beginning of the season returns!
Leeks and Asian Greens with Pasta from Greens, Glorious Greens this recipe was recommended by a CFK member, and it looks perfect!
Creamies from The Community Farm of Ann Arbor Cookbook 2001 Everyone always asks "What are Creamies?", well it's an incredibly tasty casserole of squash and cabbage and kale, spiced up with tahini and soy sauce. We made it today and I think you'll like it!
Sauerkraut that's been fermenting for a few weeks--it's finally ready to go, all salty and flavorful!
Groundnut Stew from Simply in Season Peanut-based tastiness.
Hobbit Stew - learned this root-y recipe from my fellow cook Kurt at Pendle Hill. Contains no hobbits, but all of a hobbit's favorite root veggies!
White Bean Kale Soup from Greens, Glorious Greens Another perennial end-of-year favorite, this soup is sweet with squash and spicy with curry. Yum!
Nitya's Dahl with Napa Can't go wrong with this Indian beans-and-greens combo, I think.
Leeks with Pears and Mashed Potatoes from The Boxing Clever Cookbook The veggie combos in this cookbook are always so unexpected but somehow they always work. We made this one today and I'm really pleased with it. One taster plans to make it for dinner tonight!
The Grand Finale Green Salad with the usual Asian greens
Parsley Cubes - wait and see!
One Acorn Squash

There's more to come next week, but I think this post is long and overwhelming enough, right?
I'll post again with more pics and the rest of the menu in a few day's time.
See you Friday!
Mary
Photos: 1. Farm workers enjoy lunch on a cold harvest day. 2. Harvest crew with Kale and Brussels sprouts 3. Megan with the parsley 4. Aaron with arugula 5. Jason and a wheelbarrow of squash 6. Jake can carry three boxes of napa! 7. Anna de-stalks the Brussels sprouts 8. A car-trunk full of squash! 9. The pick up crew has a laugh.

More photos in next post!

Week Twenty Two: Last Regular Harvest

Here we are at the antipenultimate pick up for the CFK. This season has simply flown by! As the harvests decrease slightly in volume we are able to get ahead on other items we'd fallen behind with during the busier season. Last Friday, as some later pick up folks might know, Jake cleaned the stove and it looks fantastic. I know he's not satisfied yet, but it's really a vast improvement. At the farm, things are winding down. On Tuesday we spent time gathering up more of the infinite irrigation tape that is out in the fields as well as harvesting daikon radishes and eating cookies left over from Saturday's membership meeting. After an early lunch, we workers went home. Wednesday was similarly relaxed as we brought in the final "regular" harvest before Grand Finale. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, there is plenty of food. We picked over 200 heads of napa cabbage from one field, bunches of mizuna and arugula from another, and loads of leeks from a third. We cut down the palm-tree like curly kale plants. It was relatively warm and not wet, despite the rain on Tuesday night. Rainwater had collected in the leaves of the kale, though, causing a beautiful deluge when a plant was cut. What a wet fall we're having! Fortunately, the cauliflower seems to be loving it....
This week's harvest:
Black Spanish radish - 1
Mizuna - 1 bunch
Daikon radish - 1
Arugula - 1 bunch
Choice - Broccoli or Cauliflower - 1 head
Leeks - 2
Kale - 1 plant
Delicata squash - 2
Chinese (napa) cabbage - 3
Pie pumpkin - 2

and the menu:
Napa Cabbage Slaw from From Asparagus to Zucchini p. 61
Barley Risotto with Roasted Squash and Leeks from The Farmer's Market Cookbook p. 197 I bought this cookbook while living in Wales and I don't use it often, but its recipes are always delightful and this one sounds particularly delicious.
White Bean and Kale Stuffed Delicata I found this tasty treat here. After the popularity of a bean-kale-delicata dish from two weeks ago, I feel like this will be another hit.
Cauliflower, Apple, and Coconut Soup from The Boxing Clever Cookbook p. 113 Another tasty seasonal combination. We need soup on these cold rainy days, right? We'll throw the broccoli in here too.
Leaf Fall Salad with arugula and mizuna

Members, make sure you read your reminder email carefully this week for important announcements.

That's all, I think!
Mary
Photos: 1. Purple cauliflower! 2. Jake cleaning the stove. I think it looks cool with its top removed--like flowers. 3. Kristin modeling her kale plant. 4. Kristin as jolly green giant. 5. Jason sorting the salad bags.

Week Twenty One: Cool mornings; Sunny days

Oh my, it's hard to believe we only have one "regular" week left--though we've got lots of cooking still ahead of us. It was a lovely week at the farm. On Tuesday we planted four beds of garlic with a big team of workers. Now it's all tucked in for the winter under a mulch of straw--the promise of tasty seasoning in the year to come. We also had a visit from a very special guest: former farm worker Angela brought her 3-month-old baby Ben to visit the farm for the first time. It was so delightful and distracting to play with the baby at lunch and during the afternoon. Ben seemed to enjoy the farm, seeing the sunshine and the cows and being held by doting friends. Life is good when you're an adorable baby. Pictures coming soon, I hope--I never remember my camera when anything exciting is happening at the farm!
Wednesday was another gorgeous, golden fall day. It wasn't even very cold, allowing us to sit outside for a relaxed lunch. Aaron came to help with the harvest once more, which was fun. The harvest has decreased a bit in quantity, but fall veggies are some of my faves and I'm excited to work with these tasty treats. The frost has sweetened the mizuna, arugula, and tatsoi so much that they almost taste like different greens--you'll be surprised.
This week's share:
Turnips - 3
Rosemary - 1 sprig
Daikon radish - 1
Oriental greens - 1 bunch
Kale - 2 plants
Little winter squash -2
Mei qing choi - 1
Garlic - 8 cloves
Parsley - 1 bunch
Pie pumpkin or Jack-o-lantern - 1

Menu - This week I'm reviving some big hits from last fall. These tried-and-true faves were popular with CFK members last year, and I hope you'll enjoy them too.
Turnips with Greens and Raisins from From Asparagus to Zucchini p. 159 - so tasty one CFK member had to re-create the recipe himself.
Pumpkin (and other squash) Sage Soup From Farmer John's Cookbook p. 315
Choi Salad with Fruit and Creamy Dressing From Farmer John's Cookbook p. 78 - one of my absolute favorite choi recipes.
Dressed Grain - from The Community Farm of Ann Arbor Cookbook (2001) p. 37 A classic farm dish from Karen Chalmer. I think we'll do quinoa.
Daikon in Plum Sauce - from Farmer John's Cookbook p. 275 This is a new one, but I'm always looking for a creative way to use daikons and this looks simple and tasty.
Frost-Sweet Salad Mix - Last week saw the last of the lettuce, but we're still getting arugula, mizuna, and tatsoi, and they're SO sweet, you won't believe.
And we're working on another batch of Kristin's popular Hot Pepper Chutney, so there's that to look forward to as well.
Phew, that's everything.
See you Friday!
Mary
Photos: 1. Farm workers Kristin, Ricardo, Mary, Helen, and Aaron pose with Bob the cat and pumpkins 2. Beautiful turnips 3. Kristin shows off a masked winter squash 4. Dressing the Spaghetti Squash Salad 5. Pumpkins of all colors

Week Twenty: Cool Fall Days

It's been another good week here at the CFK. On Monday I went out to the farm to help out with a field trip of first and second graders from Ann Arbor Open School. The kids had so much energy and all seemed to love the farm. They helped with feeding the animals, separating garlic for the garlic planting (while keeping warm at a bonfire), and took a hayride. Anne always asks field trip kids if they might want to be farmers one day, and almost all of these kids responded with an enthusiastic YES. I can't blame them--I love being able to spend time outdoors at the farm. In fact, I was just reminiscing to a friend this week about how I used to stare at the Monet paintings in my calendar during class in highschool--longing to escape the classroom into fields and gardens. On Tuesday Melanie and I got to work on a crock of sauerkraut which will be ready to distribute in a few weeks time. Wednesday was a busy and chilly morning at the farm. Despite frozen fingers, we were able to bring in a bounty of leeks, daikon, kale, and more. Paul tells me that this is officially the Last Hurrah for the lettuce, but that it has been the Best Lettuce Year EVER at the Community Farm, with few crop failures, lots of good rain, and essentially ideal conditions. Hope you've been enjoying the bounty.
So, this week's share:
Choice: 1 spaghetti squash OR 2 delicata squash (we chose both)
Hot peppers - 2
Sage - 2 sprigs
Soup Box (potato, carrot, and broccoli) - 1
Assorted Oriental Greens - 1 bunch
Eggplant - 3
Kale - 3/4 lb
Leeks - 2
Daikon radish - 1
Lettuce - 2
Jack-o-lantern - 1

Menu
Delicata Squash with Kale and Cannellini Beans I noticed this recipe in the October Martha Stewart Living while hanging out with former farm worker Angela and her baby Ben yesterday afternoon. Looks perfect!
Thai Eggplant Dip A twist on Baba Ganouj that I found in From Asperagus to Zucchini p. 75
Ginger Miso Soup a vehicle for daikon radish and kale? what more could we ask this week! From Farmer John's Cookbook p. 275
Spaghetti Squash Salad with Citrus Dressing I spotted this recipe last week in Serving Up the Harvest p.452 and am excited to give it a whirl--rather a change of pace!
Karen's Potato Leek Soup a classic favorite from Community Farm of Ann Arbor Cookbook (2001) p.53. Warming and delicious.
Last Hurrah Salad with lettuce and oriental greens.
We'll also finally give out the Pasta with Broccoli we missed last week...sorry about that...hopefully we'll be more on top of things in the future!

I think that's all. Hope you're doing well!
Mary
Photos: 1. Still life with kraut ingredients (note purple inside cabbage!) 2. Melanie working on the sauerkraut 3. Adorable soup boxes in distribution area. Yum! 4. Kristin picking up her share.

Week Nineteen: The Frost King is Here!

Wow, what a change a week can make. The season shift into autumn has really happened now, and the effects of the Frost King's visit to our farm are obvious. We're already beginning to focus on the end of the season--which, it is hard to believe, is only a month away! All of the summer crops are really gone, though we're still distributing the last of what we had saved in the barn. Autumn crops are going strong and I have to dust off my memories from last year of what delicious treats there are to make with bok choi and winter squash.
We had a short work day at the farm on Tuesday due to the cold and rain. We spent some time gathering in the irrigation tape from the pepper and basil beds which will be cultivated soon and put to sleep for the winter with cover crops seeded. Wednesday was windy and chilly, but the harvesters spirits as we brought in the veggies. My friend Aaron joined us for the morning and, in addition to picking some gorgeous mizuna and playing with the goats, he serenaded us with an impromptu drum solo on the lids of the honey jars in the barn.....maybe you had to be there.
Anyhow, with this week's bounty I feel that we're returning to the refrain of early spring: "Here, have some (LOTS of) green stuff!"
The share:
Sweet peppers - 4
Spaghetti squash - 1
Daikon radish - 1
Hot pepper - 12
Eggplant - 2
Cauliflower - 1
Broccoli- 2 heads
Bok choi - 16 (!) plants
Kale - 1 lb
Swiss chard - 3 plants
Endive or chickory - 1 head
Garlic - 4 bulbs
Choice: Mizuna, arugula, tatsoi - 1 bunch
Lettuce - 2 heads
Fennel - 1 bulb

Menu:
Cauliflower Millet Soup - this is a perennial favorite here in the CFK. With tons of protein, what more can we expect from Diet for a Small Planet (p. 290)
Eggplant-Chard Curry - Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd p. 355
Spaghetti Squash with Green Sauce - this recipe comes from my head. The green sauce will be a version of Katharina's Green Sauce we enjoyed in the spring.
Pasta with Broccoli - every once in a while the CFK goes posh. This tasty recipe comes from Craig Clairborne's New York Times Cookbook p. 263
Stir Fried Bok Choi with Sweet Tahini Sauce We're going to try something different and stir fry the Bok choi and other veggies and package them seperately from their sauce (from Diet for a Small Planet p. 263).
Frost King Salad with lettuce, endive, chickory, mizuna, tatsoi, and arugula.

Hope you'll enjoy it all!
See you Friday
Mary
Photos: 1. Distribution board with Nancy's art--lots of bok choi in the foreground 2. Daikon and spaghetti squash 3. Aaron and the goats, Morgan and Delilah 4. Broccoli and Cauliflower

Week Eighteen: Birthday Frost

Well, last night the temperatures were low enough to threaten the tender summer veggies we've been enjoying for so long. In anticipation, we had a very busy harvest morning on Wednesday, bringing in all the chard, basil, peppers, and eggplants. A cold wind was blowing and we had to bundle up--fortunately, just when we were frozen to the bone, Paul brought us some delicious warm chai to help us finish the harvest! What a change from the balmy weather we've been enjoying all September! As we raced around bringing in the harvest, a favorite song came to mind, which I hope you'll all enjoy in the above music video. We think the Farmer's Chorus of Helma, Karen, Mary, Kristin, and Rebecca (complete with basil, chard, and clippers as props) are just about ready for the Big Time! (Thanks to Ricardo for such a steady hand with the camera). The song, "Hurry Hurry", is a great favorite with the Steiner School third graders and Karen's daughter Lucilla (now a glamorous teen) helped write the words to the third verse about the pony. :-)
So, this harvest represents essentially the LAST of the summer crops. Deciding what to make was really tough. I hope we'll be able to make Cauliflower Millet Soup (a CFK fave) in a future week because I'm really excited about what I DID decide to make!
Summer's last bounty is:
Eggplant - 2
Green onions - 1 bunch
Cauliflower - 1 large head
Hot peppers - 1 plant
Broccoli - 3 heads (!)
Swiss chard - 7 plants (!!!)
Parsley - 1 bunch
Mizuna - 1 bunch
Fennel - 1 stalk
Lettuce - 3 heads
Basil - 2 plants (!!)
Sweet peppers - 10 (!!!)

Menu--after long deliberation--
Eggplant Mykonos - this stew from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd p. 353 has basically everything we got this week. Yum!
Barley Broccoli Salad from Serving up the Harvest p. 126
Cauliflower Pie Hopefully a new favorite from Farmer John's Cookbook p. 267
Mediterranean Green Sauce from Farmer John's Cookbook p. 86 We had this earlier this summer and it was sooooo good and a great way to use up tons of chard.
Basil Thogaiyal (Chutney) - another Indian specialty from Nitya, it's spicy and tasty and a great way to use up basil
and of course, our classic Pesto ... I hope you're not overwhelmed by having this several weeks in a row. It's so tasty and it keeps in the freezer for a taste of summer all winter long.
Finally, Celebration Salad with lettuce, mizuna, and peppers. Crunch crunch!

See you Friday!
Mary--who turns 25 today!
Photos: 1. Mary making Arugula Potato Salad in a cooking demo at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market last Saturday. 2. A gorgeous Preying Mantis at the Farm 3. Peppers and Broccoli in this week's share 4. Melanie tubs up last week's roasted veggie salad