Update from the farm & this week's box

(more of these little gals coming soon!)

This past week was a very busy one around the farm! The pigs went to market, Jeff took a field trip to nearby trout farm, mushroom farm & lamb processing facility, and our crew had their last day with us today. Like spring, fall time is a season of slowing down, business planning, education and planting garlic for the 2011 season.

The next few weeks, Jeff will lead manager and worker on our fall CSA. He'll also be actively preparing the animals' shelter for winter and getting new chicks to increase our chicken population. Join us on Facebook to continue to watch the structures come to life and the farm continue through the winter.

In the meantime, we'll have eggs available throughout the winter in the long, white barn at the farm (please let us know if you need more information) as well as for sale at this week's CSA pick ups. (in Grayslake, please ask at the farm stand if you're interested)

Finally in this week's box, you'll find a variety of sweet greens (our greens love all of these frosts we've received) and items that we started as transplants early this season (e.g., celeriac). Enjoy your share this week!

Best, J&J

Spinach

Broccoli

Stir Fry Mix - A popular addition to a stir fry (add as one of the last additions), this mix includes items such as Hon Tsai Tai, Komatsuna, Red Russian kale, Southern Giant and Red Giant mustards, and Tatsoi for great flavor and color.

Haruki Turnips (sweet salad turnips)- A favorite at our markets this year, try these raw, chopped in a salad or lightly sautéed in butter.

Red & Green Bibb Lettuce

Mixed Beet Bunch - In this mixed beet bunch, you'll likely find a mixture of red, bull's blood (deep red) and chioggia (pink) beets.. Don't throw away their tops/greens! They are delicious (bull's blood beets are known for their delicious tops). Here's a recipe for preparing them -- then, we always throw the beets on top for a great beet side dish.

Beet Greens

While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, if you want you can use them too if they aren't too woody. Just cut them into 1-inch segments and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound beet greens
• 1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/6 cup of cider vinegar

METHOD

1 Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

2 In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.

3 Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

Serves 4. (SimplyRecipes.com)

Cabbage - Even though we're not Irish, we still love our Corned Beef and Cabbage. Here's a classic recipe that is perfect for a lazy, fall Sunday.

Celeriac (celery root) - Here's a great article about this "unsung frog prince" of winter veggies. We love it as an addition to our smashed potatoes, which is nicely paired with pulled pork braised in apple cider. This was a menu we put together for a farm benefit we threw last year to raise money for a friend, and the combination was as memorable as the event!

Celery - A note from last week's newsletter and a few storage tips: To store celery, place it in a sealed container or wrap it in a plastic bag or damp cloth and store it in the refrigerator. If you are storing cut or peeled celery, ensure that it is dry and free from water residue, as this can drain some of its nutrients. Freezing will make celery wilt and should be avoided unless you will be using it in a future cooked recipe.

Onions