Salve making for the holiday season!
CSA newsletter from the week of October 10th:
Hard to believe that next week is our last week of the CSA. We are happy to have all these fall crops though after such a rainy spring, a hot summer, and with this continuous rain we have been experiencing this fall. Last week we did get a little of a break with the nice, sunny warm days, but we’re back to rainy and cool again. It doesn’t look like there is any frost in the 10 day forecast though, so for that we are grateful. Every year we always plant flowers hoping to have late frost and end up losing some of them, but this year it has been paying off having those late plantings of flowers as we’ve still been able to keep up with our bouquet orders that have been placed.
Everything in the fall seems to grow and bloom slower, and we too seem to move at a slower pace. We have been using this slower pace to our advantage though and have been able to take some time foraging in the woods to make fall wreathes, and dry some branches and such for our holiday arrangements. We’ve spent a couple days each week for the past two weeks foraging grapevines to make the bases for the wreathes, and finishing them off with some wild bittersweet. These wreathes have been a nice addition to our offerings and are fun thing to handcraft, sometimes with the grapevine being thick enough it takes your whole body bend and shape them the way you want them… Martha Stewart, eat your heart out!
I would also like to take this time to let you all know that we won’t be doing a CSA this year. We regret to inform you of this, as we have really enjoyed having you all this year. It feels like it took a while to build up our CSA to where it is, but the flowers just keep pulling us further and further away from growing any vegetables. We will only be growing vegetables in the flowers’ off-season as we have discovered that the flower market is our niche. In fact, we may eventually just be growing flowers all together if this heated greenhouse works out this winter. This will be our test to see if flowers will support us through the winter with the flowers that we can produce and the market for them around town.
Although, we do hate to lose our connection with the local food system, we will shift our focus to educating people that local flowers are just as important as local food. The freshness and quality of flowers shipped all over the world do not compare to the flowers that are grown locally, and harvested fresh from the field the day of the order. Some florists are not even hip to this thought process yet as they just see it as they can get it cheaper from their wholesaler. If only they knew the system they were buying into when they buy international flowers! Buying local ensures you are supporting your local economy, getting better quality flowers, and passing that quality on to the consumer. So as you can see, we have a lot of work to do still in the field of local flowers!
Thanks for your support,
Sunny Meadows Flower Farm
In the half share this week:
- Spinach- this is just the beginning of this winter crop, and if you want more, you can always come see us at the Worthington Winter Farmer’s Market starting in January, or we have thought about setting up a weekly pick up for spinach here at the farm.
- Radishes- if you are getting too many, then chop them up and roast them with your other root vegetables. You can also put some radishes, carrots, and scallions into softened cream cheese to make a great veggie cream cheese. Don’t worry though, these guys aren’t too spicy!
- Bok Choy- from Tim at Toad Hill Farm. He grows everything organically, and everything he grows is top notch! You can find him at the North Market on Saturdays and he sells to some restaurants in Columbus including Alana’s in Clintonville, and Basi Italia in Victorian Village. You can find out more about him at his website: http://toadhill.tripod.com/index.htm. We like to eat our bok choy sautéed with other veggies with some soy sauce and garlic then served over top of rice with an over easy egg on top. It may sound crazy, but since my grandmother is from the Philippines, I love rice and dippy eggs, and bok choy is a great addition to that meal for breakfast or any meal. Or if you are looking for a good side dish to go with a piece of chicken or fish, then follow the recipe below.
- Parsley- also from Toad Hill Farm and it looks great! This can be stored either in a bag in the fridge, or can go into a glass of water like cut flowers would and into the fridge as it is hardy enough to handle refrigerator temperatures. Parsley goes great in eggs or on top of pasta, maybe try it in your spaghetti squash dish if you are a full share.
And extra for the full share this week:
- Spaghetti squash- how to cook it: Just get in there and cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and pulp as you would with any squash or pumpkin. Then you have options to either: Bake rind side up about 30 to 40 minutes at 375 F OR… Microwave 6 to 8 minutes (let stand for a few minutes afterwards) OR… Boil 20 minutes or so. Separate strands by running a fork through in the “from stem to stern” direction. We like to have it just sautéed with a little butter and garlic, use it as a substitute for pasta in any dish, or look at Martha Stewart’s seasonal produce page here for more ideas: http://www.marthastewart.com/275670/spaghetti-squash-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#/155956.
- Delicata squash- a tasty winter squash, but it doesn’t store like the rest of them. You would still store it on the counter, but would to want to eat it within a couple of weeks.
- Bell peppers- I know we keep saying it, but this is really it for these guys. The plants were tilled in yesterday while we were cover cropping, so they are no more. If you have been getting too many, you can always cut them up and freeze them for winter use.
- A bouquet made just for you- because the sun came out and helped the flowers bloom this week again!
Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze
2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef’s knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.
2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.
3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Delicata-Squash-with-Rosemary-Sage-and-Cider-Glaze-104125#ixzz1abATGMii
Baby Bok Choy with Cashews Recipe
(recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes website)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup chopped green onions, including green ends
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, larger leaves separated from base, base trimmed but still present, holding the smaller leaves together
- 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- Salt
- 1/2 cup chopped, roasted, salted cashews
METHOD
1 Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Add onions, then garlic, then bok choy. Sprinkle with sesame oil and salt. Cover, and let the baby bok choy cook down for approximately 3 minutes. (Like spinach, when cooked, the bok choy will wilt a bit.)
2 Remove cover. Lower heat to low. Stir and let cook for a minute or two longer, until the bok choy is just cooked.
3 Gently mix in cashews.
Serves 4.
