Watershed Farm CSA - 04 September 2012 - Delivery #12

Hi everyone!

Well, it's unbelieveably September already: We who spend entire days from dawn to dusk outdoors notice the crispness of the mornings and the slight chill in the air mid-day.  Some of the leaves have already dropped and the days are noticeably shorter.  There's always something wistful about fall, that makes one think about all the things that didn't get done in the summer.  Other years I have found myself wishing I had spent more time outside, or paid more attention to my garden, but of course not this year.  We've even managed to get to the beach enough that I'm not regretful about that.  I suppose wistfulness naturally precedes the monotony of winter, and just knowing that it is coming is enough to make one long for summer again.

I asked our friend and most excellent WWOOFer James to be our official CSA photographer this week, so you'd get a fresh perspective on the farm.  If you'd like to get a personal perspective on our farm and many others, I recommend you look into Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture's 2012 Open Farm Day.  It's happening Sunday, September 16, and we're among many farms that you can come and visit that day.  They have a great website, so check out the link above if you are interested!

I promised a second CSA Open Farm Day, and we've decided that it will be Saturday, September 30th.  It's very near the end of the CSA season, which means we'll have more time to meet you (and hopefully it won't be as beastly hot as last time!).  If you came to the last one, you're welcome to come again, and we'd love to see as many of you as possible that day!  Pencil it in on your calendar, and I will be sure to remind you plenty of times before then!


One of our new honeybees returning to the hive.

Last chance for more eggs!  If you would like to sign on for a fast and furious delivery of 5 dozen eggs (1 dozen a week until the end of the season) there is just enough time.  Email me and pay via paypal on the website or by cheque in your bag return ($25).  If you're unsure as to how many dozen you have left in your share, or if your share is over, just email me to find out!

One last thing: for all of you who attend the Lunenburg Market regularly, make sure you say Happy Birthday to Lisa if you pass by the Watershed Farm stall this Thursday!

What's in your basket this week:

CSA bag looking ultra-glamorous!
Carrots
I asked our work share Susan today if she had any ideas for carrots, and she mentioned the attached recipe, carrot greens with sesame dressing.  She says: "This recipe is taken from a cookbook called 'Good Food from a Japanese Temple'. A vegetarian cookbook ....it is 'shojin ryori' ....the food actually prepared and eaten by monks and nuns in Buddhist temples. This recipe (and the others in this cookbook) came from a Zen Buddhist nunnery in Kyoto, Japan."

Tomatoes
I never find enough time to preserve food when it's seasonal and abundant.  If you're finding yourself with a surfeit of tomatoes, and like me, you don't have time nor inclination to can them, try freezing them!  Wash them, throw them in a freezer bag, and throw them in the freezer.  When they emerge, you can remove the skins so easily by just running under cold water.  You can use them all winter long and save yourself the time of canning them. 

Leeks
The cold edge to the air really makes me long for hot soup, and leeks are a great base for a really delicious one.  Also great in a stuffed squash recipe!

Parsley
An excellent, if under-appreciated herb, to season all the delicious flavours in your bag this week!

Turnips
I always get a lot of "I got radishes, not turnips" feedback right after we ship out turnips.  I assure you, we do not even have any radishes ready for harvest, and these really, truly are turnips!  The white are called Hakurei, the purple and white are the more recognizable Purple Top, and the red ones are called Scarlet Queen.  These turnips are a favourite of chef Rob Bruce of The Rum Runner Restaurant in Lunenburg, who has been including our turnips on his menu since he first tasted them in early spring.  He serves his hot, steamed in a consomme broth, with other seasonal vegetables like patty pan squash.




Orange pumpkins peeking out in the ever-chaotic-looking squash patch.

Winter Squash
I LOVE winter squash, and I feel I could never get sick of it.  In my experience, some people are a little afraid and feel they don't know what to do with it: So, I have attached to this email a handy squash chart that shows photos and descriptions of some of the more common varieties.  In general, you'll want to slice it length-wise (from the stem to the end) and scoop out the seeds.  From there you can:
-roast it (in the oven about an hour at 350, either face up with butter and sugar/spices inside, or face down with some water in the pan)
-boil it (remove the peel and boil the flesh until cooked)
-steam it (remove the peel, dice, and steam until cooked)
-fry it (remove the peel, dice, fry in oil until thoroughly cooked)
(*"cooked" means soft, the texture of a cooked potato or softer, depending on how you prefer it)
-stuff it (cook face-up in the oven and stuff with rice, sausage, herbs, leek, garlic, tomatoes, et cetera- your imagination is the limit!)
Whenever I ask Jon what he wants for supper, he invariably answers "stuffed squash".  I don't follow a recipe, but here's an outline of what I do:
Stuffed Squash:
Cut squash in half and remove seeds.  In the cavity left behind, stab all over with a fork (not all the way through the skin), and add about a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.  Roast face up in a 350 degree oven for about half an hour.  In the meantime, saute leeks or onions, sausage, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini (et cetera) until cooked.  Mix with leftover rice or cubed fresh bread and an egg, and place inside both sides of the squash.  Cook for at least another half hour, or until squash is very soft.
This is a great way to use up some leftovers and create a simple one-dish meal that you can cater to your ingredients.
If you got a spaghetti squash in your bag this week (oblong and orange), it's the only squash that is really different than all the others.  When cooked, the flesh of spaghetti squash turns into translucent strands, almost like real spaghetti.  It's great just roasted and then pulled away from the skin with a fork and served with a great tomato sauce.
(Other than the spaghetti squash) You should eat the skin of your squash, too: We do! 

Full-size shares also get:
Zucchini
I love eating seasonally: Zucchini and tomatoes go so well together.  Here's a recipe for a quick side dish that uses both:
1 medium zucchini
1 clove garlic, minced
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 T finely sliced fresh basil
1 T olive tapenade (or finely chopped olives)
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute the zucchini and garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned (5-10 minutes).  Toss together with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Arugula
Arugula, also known as "rocket" or "roquette", is a zesty green that is great for fresh salads and stir-fries.  I like it best chopped and put on top of dishes after they're cooked, like pizza, pasta, and soups.  It can have quite a spicy flavour, so beware! 

Kale
Kale is what they call a "superfood", and here's why:
"Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming or stir frying do not result in significant loss. Along with other brassica vegetables, kale is also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Kale is also a good source of carotenoids." Wiki

Here's a photo of a cute kitty to say goodbye for this week!

Have a great one,

--
Teri Dillon

Watershed Farm
768 Allen Frausel Road
Baker Settlement, Nova Scotia
B4V 7H8
c. 902.212.2301 | p. 902.685.3901

WatershedFarm.org
Follow us on Facebook
Check out the new Watershed Farm blog!

CSA12-06_carrotgreensrecipe.jpg