Pick List:
red onions - corn - spinach - brussel sprouts - green beans - cayenne peppers -
eggplant - tomatoes - heirloom tomatoes - russet potatoes - zinnias
KITCHEN CSA:
Raspberry Apple Sauce & FRESH BREAD
Writing from inside the farm office on this very wet and cold Tuesday afternoon (hoorah for finishing up with CSA pick in good season, this by the way is a rarity). Anyhow, this week our region finally began to feel the first flirtations with Fall. As the leaves change, so to do the food we eat- we are heavy into soups at our house right now. The past two weeks of soup are basically comprised of all the extra CSA veggies going into a pot, and cooking til boil- an easy meal to continually reheat at the day’s end.
This week was far less eventful then last week (thank goodness no bee stings). Field crew is still working to keep up with cherry tomato ripening, raspberry picking, carrot and onion packing, etc… Mike and Ray are typically harvesting potatoes every night until about 8 pm... and I have been picking up chicken eggs, helping in the packhouse, picking your spinach, but mostly blurring the lines between parenting and farming.
About your veggies: This week you get a special appearance by the brussels sprout!! Typically we wait until after the first frost to harvest the stalks as the cold frost really sweetens them up. However our crop is showing signs of alternaria. Alternaria are parasites that can destroy a brassica crop. Though the infection is mostly cosmetic, it can affect storage as the damage made by the parasites provide entry for secondary soft-rotting organisms. So while we would love to leave these stalks in the field a while longer, picked after frost on an as needed basis, because of the infection we risk watching the entire crop turn yellow and eventually shrivel. So, please do not be disappointed by your early picked brussels, just add more butter/oil/maple syrup.
And in case anyone is wondering about their yellowing eggplant (yes, some of you are lucky to get the golden eggplant) let it be known, the yellowing is from sun exposure and is perfectly suitable for eating.
LASTLY YALL, I NEED TO REMIND YOU ABOUT FALL CSA SIGN UP!!
If you want to continue to eat with us throughout the Fall (and i hope you do), head to our website http://www.edgewaterfarm.com/fall for all the info and please email me with any questions. Cheers!
TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES:
Roasted Za’atar Eggplant Bowl https://goop.com/recipes/roasted-zaatar-eggplant-bowl/
We love the kick of za’atar with the creaminess of the cooked eggplant, onion and yogurt lemon dressing
1 eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons za’atar (Middle Eastern spice that can be found in most spice aisles)
1 bay leaf 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked olive oil
sea salt + black pepper
for the yogurt lemon dressing:
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt juice of 1 lemon
1 small clove of garlic 1/2 tablespoon tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil sea salt + pepper
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the eggplant on a baking sheet and sprinkle with za’atar until coated. Drizzle with olive oil (about two tablespoons). Cook for about 10 minutes, remove from oven and shake the baking sheet to move the eggplant around (for even cooking). Place back in oven for another 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions: Coat a large pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Sauté onions with bay leaf until soft and deeply caramelized, about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. To make the dressing, finely grate the garlic into a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice and tahini. Mix. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place equal amounts of quinoa and brown rice into two serving bowls or sealable food containers. Top with the eggplant and onion mixture. Drizzle the dressing over the bowls to your liking.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cups apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 red onion, thinly sliced
Whisk first 3 ingredients and 1 cup water in a small bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onion in a jar; pour vinegar mixture over. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and chill. Drain onions before using.
JENNY’S NOTES: THIS IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PICKLED FOODS TO KEEP IN THE FRIDGE- OBVIOUSLY GOES GREAT WITH TACOS, BUT ALSO CAN TAKE A SALAD, A ROAST, SANDWICH OR EVEN EGGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL