In
this week’s box:
Radishes: Easter Egg Mix & Black Spanish with
greens
Spinach
Mix: Bordeaux (red veined) and Space
Tapestry
Salad Mix
Turnips:
Hakurei (white) & Purple Top with greens
Featured Recipes (on back): Sautéed Radishes with Greens (an interesting new use
for radishes)
Hearty Turnip Herb Dip (a fun new dip for your
holiday entertaining)
We hope you all had festive
and relaxing Thanksgiving celebrations and are looking forward to this
activity-filled time of year with eager anticipation. We had a lovely
traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings with Jill’s family here at the
farm. We were so determined to have turkey leftovers, that we made a second
turkey just for that reason (we really like turkey!) We topped off the
beautiful 60 degree day with a walk around a neighboring Christmas tree farm
and tagged the Beebout family Christmas tree, which we will go cut down in another
week or so. It’s strange to pick out a tree in “short-sleeve” weather, but not
at all unpleasant!
What nutty fall weather! As I
write this on Tuesday morning just before going out to harvest your vegetables,
the sun is just breaking through the storm clouds and streaming across the hay
field. Its already 60 degrees, which is decadent for this time of year, so it
will make for a pleasurable harvest, though the nearly 2 inches of rain will
require rubber boots for getting into the main garden. The crops in the high
tunnel are little affected by the recent weather, and are still growing nicely,
albeit slowly given the shorter daylight hours. About half of your salad mix
and spinach and all the radishes are from the high tunnel, everything else is
still outside. Given the weather reports, today may be the last harvest for
everything outside except the leeks and sunchokes (which you will get in your
boxes next week.)
Things here have slowed
considerably. This is the time of assessing crop yields, compiling seed orders
and mapping garden plots for next year. Though after last week’s CSA growers
meeting, I panicked about the amount of garlic I had planted (which was almost
4 times what I planted for this year) and so I ordered another eight pounds. So
now I have to get more beds prepped and next week get the rest of the garlic
planted. It’s later than I would prefer, as garlic must be planted in the fall
here, but so it goes. If I get lucky, maybe it will warm up a bit again.
Anyone need a good mouser or just a very personable companion? We have three adult cats here at the farm that are in need of a new home (we just have too many!). Two are indoor/outdoor cats: Mimi & Teller (mother and son) who are fabulous mouse and mole catchers as well as being very affectionate indoor pets. They would be happiest in a place where they had access to the outdoors, but they do enjoy a warm place to sleep. The third (Thisby) is the perfect indoor pet for someone who is looking for a very gentle and loving lap cat. She has a wonderful little personality, but would prefer to be the only cat in your life. All are spayed/neutered and litter box trained. If you or someone you know are interested in one of our fine-furry friends, please let us know.
Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean
¼ c. butter
1 pound radishes, quartered
4 c. radish greens
2 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon
juice (about 1 small lemon)
salt
freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in a large
skillet over medium heat.
Add radishes; cook, stirring constantly,
until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes depending on size.
Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Return skillet to stove.
Wash radish leaves and place
in skillet without drying. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just
until wilting. 2 – 3 minutes.
Turn off heat. Add lemon
juice and radishes to skillet; stir until well combined. Season with salt and
pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Recipe Source: Farmer John’s
Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables
Hearty Turnip Herb Dip
2 tbs. lemon juice 1
tsp. dried thyme
2/3 c. vegetable oil 1
tsp. dried sage
1 ½ c. whole wheat flour ½
tsp. nutmeg
1 cup sunflower seeds 2
c. boiling water
3-5 garlic cloves, minced or
crushed 3 c.
shredded turnips
1 ½ c. nutritional yeast 1 ½ c. thin
sliced or shredded onion
¼ c. soy sauce 1
½ c. shredded carrot
2 tsp dried basil 6
bay leaves
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Combine 1st seven ingredients and
stir well. Stir in spices and boiling water. Add vegetables; stir until well
combined. Pour mixture into baking dish; arrange bay leaves on top and press
them lightly into the mixture. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour.
Serve warm or cold (but not hot out of the oven) with rye crackers. This recipe
can be made with a variety of shredded root vegetables, depending on tastes,
Combinations of turnips, beets, potatoes, carrots and onions works well. Makes
enough to serve 8 – 10 as an appetizer.
Recipe Source: From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking
Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce