Katie Sulau has officially dubbed this month "Crocktober." It's time for soup and stew, friends.
Note:
Saturday people: shares may not be ready until 9 tomorrow, try to come on the late side if possible.
Also,please come to the hoophouse plastic pull on Sunday at the farm! (11-3)
Ok, here goes:
Celeriac- "celery times ten!" (the flavor) this weird, gnarled root is closely related to celery- some just call it "celery root," maybe because it's easier to pronounce. Use stalks as you would celery for cooking (it's super fibrous, not so fun for fresh eating, but great for soup, stew, stock, etc). Use root as part of your soup/stew base, or chop and roast just like potatoes, in fact, it's great as part of a mixed-roots roast. It also stores for months in plastic in the fridge, or in your root cellar, without the stems/leaves.
Leeks- more potato-leek soup? Or try caramelized leeks drizzled over potato soup or chowder.
Potatoes-same! or chop and mix with other roots, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast/bake at 375-ish for 30-60 min (dep. on size chunks).
Carrots- please don't tell me you can't figure out what to do with carrots.... ? ok, give them back, then, we'll eat them, they're delicious. :)
Herbs: Sage or Thyme- both excellent in soup stocks and roux, or try crispy fried sage (from The Splendid Table last week) sprinkled on your soup or tomatoes as garnish.
Garlic- enjoy the rest of the garlic season, then come to the Garlic Planting Party here at the farm on Halloween- come in costume!
Heirloom Tomatoes- this may be the end, my friends. If we really get the frost that's predicted for Sunday early morning, the plants will be toast, and whatever we've harvested and stored inside will be what we get the next week or so. If we don't get that frost, we could see another week or two of tomatoes (until the frost does come). I hope you've enjoyed the variety this year; we'll be asking your feedback to inform our variety choices for next year, so be thinking of what have been your favorites, least favorites, and what you'd like to try next year.
Kale, Chard, or Collard Greens- the mothership of nutrients, fall collard greens are finally starting to mature! Use just as you would kale, just cook a little longer; the leaves are heartier and require a little more cooking. Unless you're into the raw food thing, in which case, I'd recommend (for any leafy greens) chopping coarsely and massaging the leaves well with salt in a bowl (til tender). Massaging (or kneading) the leaves breaks cell walls somewhat, making digestion easier, but doesn't kill any live enzymes, like cooking with heat does. Best of both worlds. Dress massaged greens with vinegar, lemon juice, and/or chopped tomatoes, and let marinate an hour to overnight. The acid helps make the calcium in green leafies more digestible by breaking the bonds of the molecules in which it's normally bound. AND it tastes good!
Sweet peppers- colored bells, Carmens (long horn-shaped sweet red pepper), and/or pimiento (somewhat flattened, round, thick-walled red pepper). This may also be our last week of sweet peppers if we get a frost- enjoy!
Basil- almost certainly the last week of basil, as basil doesn't even like 35 degrees, let alone 32. It's been a great pesto season! p.s. if you still want to squeeze in a batch of pesto, we will have enough for one or two more preserving shares (1 lb basil for $10), but let me know this weekend!
Bon appetit everyone- and yes, we WILL keep going at least one to two more weeks, possibly more. We'll keep you updated when the end is near. For now, enjoy the turning of the season into bona fide fall.
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