Blue Gate Farm News – Volume V, Number 2 – November
20 , 2007
In this week’s box:
Carrots: Bolero & Napoli
Chinese Cabbage:
Daikon Radish
Pac Choi
Potatoes: German Butterball
Sweet Potatoes: Beauregard
Shallots: Bonilla
Tapestry Salad Mix
Turnips: Golden Ball (cream
w/ long tops), Hakurei (white w/ short tops) &
Purple Top
For those with the Cheese option:
Featured Recipes
(on back): BGF Sweet Potato Casserole
Chinese Cabbage
Salad
Rain this week: 0.00”
What’s up on the farm?
Finally, here we are at
Thanksgiving…and even after this past season, we have a lot to be thankful for
on the farm. Most recently, we were thankful for a beautiful day on Monday in
which to start our harvest for the week. We so hated to squander even a minute
of this mild weather that we were harvesting the Pac Choi by moonlight…what a
treat!
Early last week we ran the
chisel plow through the upper garden to knock down the last of the season’s
growth (read weeds) and get ready to sow the garlic. Then both tillers broke
down and the repairman has a family emergency, so we still haven’t gotten our
garlic planted for the fall. Hopefully we can get it into the ground one way or
another in the next week. We forgot to mention in the last newsletter that Blue
had her first birthday earlier this month. She celebrated by going out to the
garden one night and shredding all but two of the row covers on the fall crops.
Fortunately, she managed to have this little party without actually damaging
any of the crops, but we did have a little discussion with her about dogs not
belonging in the garden. We hope she doesn’t feel a need to repeat this little
caper or she may not live to see her next birthday.
This is the first year that
we’ve grown Chinese cabbage (also known as napa
cabbage) and we think it’s a keeper. It is an Asian specialty that combines the
thin, crisp texture of lettuce with the fresh, peppery tang of cabbage. It is a
versatile vegetable, both in raw and cooked recipes. It can be used in green
salads and coleslaws as well as stir fries, soups, egg rolls and mashed with
other vegetables. Don’t remove all the tough outer leaves before storage; they
help keep the inside fresh and crisp. Store in the hydrator
drawer of the refrigerator for up to two weeks. While we’re on the
subject of storage, Pac Choi should be wrapped in a damp towel or placed in a
plastic bag and stored in the hydrator drawer as well, it stores for about a
week. The final Asian adventure for the week is the daikon radish. We only have
a handful of these in the garden this year as they were volunteers following
last year’s cover crop, but there’s just enough for everyone to try them out. Use
them grated raw in salads or use in place of carrots or turnips in soups, stews
and stir-fries. You shouldn’t need to peel them, just wash thoroughly. To
store, wrap the root in a plastic bag and place in the refrigerator where it
will keep for up to two weeks. The turnips are wonderful this fall, so we hope
you enjoy them. All three varieties are good in any recipe calling for turnips
or rutabagas, but the Hakurei are absolute tops for
fresh eating. Try them sliced into salads, on relish trays or just as a
crunchy, mild snack. And don’t forget to use those greens as well.
See you in two
weeks…Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean
BGF Sweet Potato Casserole
(This casserole is so
rich that it could substitute as a dessert.)
3 pounds sweet potatoes,
peeled and cut into chunks
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tbs
margarine
2 – 4 tbs
light brown sugar
2 cups crushed Crispix (cereal of your choice)
- Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch
oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for
25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes,
milk, eggs, brown sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a
1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with
cinnamon.
- In a microwave safe dish, melt remaining 4
tablespoons margarine and brown sugar. Stir in crushed cereal. Sprinkle
over sweet potatoes. Bake, uncovered, at
350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Source: Blue
Gate Farm
Chinese Cabbage Salad
(note from the farm…shredded
carrots would be a nice addition to this recipe)
5
c. chopped Chinese cabbage 2
tbs rice vinegar
¾
c. sliced or shredded radish (daikon is best) 4
tbs sesame oil
1
½ c. chow mein noodles (the crunchy ones) 3 tbs
soy sauce
1
c. crushed peanuts 1
tbs honey
¼
c. sesame seeds (black, if available ½
- 1 tsp dry mustard
Combine
cabbage, radishes, noodles, peanuts and sesame seeds. Mix remaining
ingredients. Toss with cabbage, using just enough to suit you taste.
Makes 6 – 8 servings.
Recipe Source: From
Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce