- P I C K L I S T -
BUTTERNUT SQUASH - RED KURI SQUASH - CELERY - CELERIAC - KALE - BOK CHOY - FINGERLING POTATOES - WATERMELON RADISH - ONIONS - PARSLEY - CARROTS - PURPLE TOP TURNIPS - BOK CHOY - DILL - ROSEMARY - CAYENNE PEPPER - SPINACH
CSAers- we did it! These past 7 weeks, on top of the 17 weeks prior (Summer CSA) mark the end of the 2020 growing season. Making it through this particular season feels like a wild accomplishment. In the Spring, we as a global community were faced with the pandemic. On the farm, none of us knew how to respond, and the rules felt blurry. We established protocols that were changed maybe 15 times… This thing- farming- that we’ve all been working at for sometime now, felt more important than ever. People need access to food, we grow food, it should stop there, but it didn’t. We had to figure out the best practices to get the crops to you in a manner that keeps the community going, and keeps us all healthy. Again, this should seem simple- but it’s not. We worked in a tight bubble all Summer, with our field crew as our family. Driving together in cars, working together in packsheds, and taking deep breaths outside when in the fields working. Thank the actual heavens it all worked out.
(Quick aside- this note just became cathartic- I can actually feel my shoulders drop as I write this, phew).
AND the CSA!!! Ahhh! Yesssss!!! This and our wholesale were the only aspects of the farm that required very little modification to become COVID appropriate. The weekly system of harvesting a diversified list of crops for a large group, and then packaging into separate containers for pick-up, is already, for the most part, a contactless sport. It felt like a huge relief to already have the CSA in place with years of practice prior to the start of the season. However something was always missing, and that something was the actual in-person community meetups either at the farmstand, or in the field for gleanings. To make up for that missed contact, I emailed you all once a week as reminders for pick up and utilized instagram stories. This was done somewhat for efficiency (come get your box so we have less to clean up at the end of the day!) but mostly just to connect. Because otherwise, it's just a box of vegetables. Now you know it’s so much more than that. It’s a wholly sincere box of food and connection from me and the crew, to you.
Also, let it be known, that I can not express how good it feels to have such a positive and flexible group to grow food for. Y’all made this season more than just possible, you made it actually sparkle (Not kidding here, I’m absolutely putting a little nod to the 2020 CSA participants in my memory bank- yall are the best). THANKYOU.
And to wrap up this note, for those that might go into mourning next week when there is no CSA pick up (me) here is a list of places you can STILL purchase the food we grow:
All of the COOP foodstores (Lebanon, WRJ, Hanover)
Brownsville Butcher and Pantry
Kearsarge food hub
Warner public market
And as for Winter plans and projects: mulch strawberries, continue the storage crop pack out for wholesale, complete seed orders, watch allllllllll the movies, pretend I’m a fiber artist, and come January 2nd we will open up our online shop for CSA sign ups for the 2021 growing season- stay tuned people! (and stay safe!)
HOT TIPS:
CELERIAC: For those new to celeriac, welcome to the weird and wonderful vegetable party. Here is what you need to know:
This vegetable takes a loooooong time to grow. But it’s worth it. The root, when paired with equal parts potatoes makes a great mash. Add a pinch of lemon juice to keep the color a bright white. Also, like all root vegetables, celeriac roasts beautifully.
Seasons well with: walnuts, lemons, thyme, honey, celery seeds, mustard, apples, lime juice, vinegar
Also, great fresh, see below recipe:
... 4 SERVINGS
⅓ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup capers
½ medium celery root (celeriac), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline
5 celery stalks, thinly sliced into long ribbons on a mandoline
Whisk oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and capers.
Add celery root and celery to dressing; toss to coat. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Harvest vegetable mash is a flavourful alternative to mashed potatoes. Featuring roasted garlic, fresh horseradish, and fried dukkah to top.
Author: Laura Wright firstmess.com
DUKKAH:
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (optional)
chili flakes, to taste
big pinch of flaky sea salt
HARVEST VEGETABLE MASH:
1 medium celery root (1 ¼ lbs)
2 russet baking potatoes (1 ¾ lbs)
Carrots (¾ lb) (original recipe calls for parsnips, but we dont have parsnips, sub in carrots!)
1 head roasted garlic (see notes)
2 inches horseradish root, finely grated (JENNY’S NOTE: ugggh, never harvested our horseradish, this might be worth sourcing to complete this recipe, but perhaps you could omit altogether)
¾ cup creamer (non dairy creamer for the lactose adverse)
¼ cup olive oil, divided
sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the dukkah: in a food processor, combine the pumpkin seeds, coriander, and cumin. Pulse the mixture until pumpkin seeds are finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in the sesame seeds, nigella seeds, chili flakes, and flaky salt. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
Peel the celery root, potatoes, and carrots. Chop the celery root and potatoes into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a large pot. Chop the carrots into ½-inch pieces and transfer to the pot as well. Cover the vegetables with water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover the pot and bring the vegetables to a boil. Boil the vegetables until all varieties are VERY tender when pricked with the tip of a paring knife, about 12-14 minutes.
Drain the vegetables and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange vegetables in a single layer and place in the oven for 5 minutes, or until the surface appears dried out.
Squeeze the roasted garlic out into an upright blender. Add the horseradish, creamer, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth. Transfer this garlicky cream to a small saucepan and bring to a strong simmer.
Place the dry vegetables back in the big pot and mash them up a bit by hand to break up the big pieces. Then, add all of the garlicky cream to the pot along with a lot of salt and pepper. Keep mashing until vegetables are smooth and slightly fluffy. Keep warm.
Set a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add ¼ cup of the dukkah to the pan and stir constantly until fragrant and spices appear golden brown and toasted, about 3 minutes. Spoon fried dukkah and flavoured oil over the harvest vegetable mash. Serve immediately!
NOTES
This recipe makes extra dukkah. It’s amazing on top of creamy pureed soups and salads, avocado toast, on dips with a swoop of olive oil, or sopped up with fresh bread and olive oil.
The roasted garlic and dukkah can be made 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
Watermelon radish
Unfortunately, half the crop got eaten by wireworms! I wish I could have offered you heaps more- but this is all we got. However, the color here is so vibrant, that even just using it as a garnish will be enough to blow the socks off your zoomgiving guests. Use a knife to peel off the tough outer greenish-white layer, and behold the most beautiful hot pink color. Slice thick or thin and eat fresh.