Week 2: Fall Veggie & Egg Shares

Fall on the Farm

Our crew has been finished for a couple weeks now so I am back to doing all the farm work (it's like our first season of farming again!). Not having people around to help out has taken a little adjustment. In some ways this means I can be more flexible -- I only have my own day to plan, plan my own errands and I don't need to continually think three steps ahead to make sure everyone is prepared for the next project. In other ways, it is a little tricky I am now doing all the harvesting, washing and packing along with getting the fields ready for winter and caring for the livestock. All in all, I enjoy working on my own, even though some things take a little longer than I expect and its nice to have some time to slow down and think after a very busy summer season.

This week is also brought the first of many big things to be happening on the farm this fall/winter. 350 day-old chicks are coming to increase the size of our flock of layers. We are partnering with The Learning Farm to brood the chicks (half are theirs). We will be sharing space as well as the chores. Last year, we brooded our first batch of chicken in early February in little more than a tent within a tent and heat lamps. There was more than a foot of snow on the ground and it was brutally cold outside. Baby chicks need the temperature to be 95 degrees for the first week of their life dropping the temperature by about 5 deg each week until they are fully feathered. This was very difficult to maintain with the setup we had last year, however, we learned a lot and a much better prepared this year. The Learning Farm has a space much better suited to raising baby chicks for all of us, which is much larger and better insulated. Plus working as a team will provide us all more eyes and hands to help out....which is helpful since we're out numbered with about 115 to 1 person!

In your veggie CSA box, you’ll find:

• Arugula - Your bunch of arugula can be stored like any other salad green -- in plastic or veggie storage bag in crisper. Cut off the roots and put into salad, or our favorite -- saute with olive oil and garlic very lightly and use as a bed for your favorite hearty fish.
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Kohlrabi - The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet.
• Spigariello Lisca (aka Leaf Broccoli) - With a taste between broccoli and kale, we find this delicious green great to cook with (one of my favorite greens). Cook similar to kale, lighty braised with olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes with a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice at the end.
• Beets - With wonderful texture and an earthy, nutty flavor. They're nutritious and filling. They can be juiced, boiled, pickled, cooked in soups, mashed, sliced in salads, or roasted. Although they have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, they are very low in calories
• Hakurei Turnips - Sweet, tender and delicous raw in salads, veggie platters, as a snack or in stirfry. I just heard someone call them the, "Hello Kitty of turnips". No need to peel.
• Brussels Sprouts (on the stalk) - Keep them on the stalk until you're ready to use them, which will keep them for longer. Simply cut off the sprout, peel off exterior layer and prepare as you like!
• Celery - This celery is tasty but a little tough (this is common for locally grown celery). It is best used as more as a flavoring in soups.
• Red Bok Choi - "White cabbage" or Chinese cabbage, put this delicious vegetable into stirfry, soups or saute with a splash of soy sauce at the end.
• Onions
• Garlic

Recipes
Golden Beets and Brussels Sprouts - Roasted beets and parboiled Brussels sprouts are quickly sauteed in a pan with roasted almonds, shallots, and thyme.

Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts, tough ends sliced off and outer leaves removed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/8 to 1/4 cup apple cider
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Cut an X in the bottom of each sprout. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add sprouts and return to a boil. Cook, covered, 20 minutes until sprouts are tender but still firm. Drain. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring, until garlic is soft and fragrant and sprouts are coated with oil. Add cider and turn heat to high, stirring constantly, until cider is reduced in volume by half, making a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Serves 3.

Sweet Broccoli & Kohlrabi Salad

1 small to medium bunch uncooked broccoli, cut into florets
1 or 2 small kohlrabi, peeled, cut into mitchsticks
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/2 cup cashews (or other nuts)
1/3 cup raisins (or other dried or fresh fruit, such as cranberries or apricots)
1/4 cup chopped red onion (or scallions)

Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Mix the broccoli, kohlrabi, bacon, nuts, raisins and onions together in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat dressing ingredients together gently until smooth. About 10 minutes before serving, toss the salad with teh dressing to allow the flavors to blend.

Cream of Celery Soup with Bacon

Braised Hakurei Turnips

Easy Hakurei Turnip Gratin with Thyme

2 teaspoons butter
4 Hakurei turnips, greens removed, turnips sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a medium non-stick skillet. Layer the sliced turnips in the pan. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, then pour the cream and stock over the top. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. The turnips will be completely cooked, but there will be liquid left in the pan. Remove the cover and cook to reduce the liquid. When most of the liquid has reduced, and the sauce is thickened, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Serve hot.

Serves 2.

Have a great week!
The Miller Family