Thursday, October 22, 2009

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

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