Hello everyone!
You wouldn’t know it’s fall by the weather around here! Sunny, 70, and wearing only a t-shirt to harvest? It’s equal parts enjoyable and weird! We’ve never in our six years of harvest seen it this warm. In fact, we’re still holding off on planting our 6,000 cloves of garlic-it’s just too warm, they’d be in danger of starting to germinate prematurely.
This is the last Fall Extension Box and the last week of deliveries for the year. It’s been a great season, folks, and we thank you for being our inspiration and reason to work this hard and have this much fun!
Juno the kitty getting ready to cozy down for the winter…if it ever comes
What’s in the box:
- Acorn Squash: 2
- Delicata Squash: 2
- Pumpkin: 5-8 pounds
- Carrots: 5 pounds
- Potatoes: 3 pounds
- Beets: 3 pounds
- Celeriac: 3 pounds
- Brussels Sprouts: 2 pounds
- Onions: 3 pounds
- Garlic: 2 heads
- Kale: 1 bunch
- Thyme: 1 bunch
- Sage: 1 bunch
- Tokyo Bekana (pale green lettuce-type greens): 1 bunch
and a very special treat: Pickled Garlic Scapes! Heather made these this summer while we were swimming in scapes. They are pickled in a traditional brine-enjoy them on your meat and cheese plate some wintry evening and think of how great garlic is! Or just snack on them like regular pickles, or serve them with your bloody marys!
Making the most of this weeks share:
Make sure to take your Potatoes out of their plastic bag. Store out of the fridge in a paper bag or loose in a cupboard. Plastic is too suffocating for them. We recommend using these potatoes sooner rather than later. Enough skin came off when they were washed that their shelf life will be limited.
Tokyo Bekana is the lettuce like bunched greens. Think of it as a cross between lettuce and pac choi. Eat fresh like a lettuce or lightly cook like an asian green.
Hang your Herbs to dry or spread them out in a single layer on a plate and turn every few days until dry. Once dry you can leave them out or put them in a plastic bag or container to keep long term.
Make sure to bag your Kale for best storage. Store your onions, garlic and squash/pumpkins outside of the fridge. Most everything should keep for at least 2 or 3 weeks. The root crops (carrots, beets, celeriac, garlic)and squash/pumpkin should keep for months.
Recipes:
Celeriac-it’s back, and better than ever! Celeriac is one of the veggies that is under-rated in most people’s veggie box, and I’m here to make it a favorite! Most of you have gotten celeriac once during the regular season, and we’ve got some good recipes for it on the celeriac page. Around this time of year I’d recommend Mashed Potatoes with Celeriac or Bacon and Celeriac Soup. Here is a new addition, and I love it’s simplicity and satisfying taste: Celeriac, Sausage, Dijon Vinaigrette. Enough said!
Beets-beautiful, sweet, and the perfect size. It would be hard to suggest anything other than a classic roast beet dish like this one, but if you’re feeling more adventurous we think you’ll like making beet risotto. Here’s a nice recipe. For something totally different, make this Ottolenghi Beet dip recipe-our friends brought it to dinner at our house and it was hard to stop eating it. They used coconut yogurt since they are dairy-free, and it was fabulous, but dairy yogurt would be great, too.
If your family likes a good cured salmon for the holidays, try this Beet-Cured Salmon recipe.This would be fabulous on a holiday party buffet. I’ve made this one before, it was a favorite of my Dad’s. Just proves that you can take the guy out of New York but you can’t take the New York out of the guy!
Pumpkin-it wouldn’t be fall without it! This variety is the New England Pie Pumpkin, and while I think everyone who reads the newsletter knows what to do with it, here’s a few links just in case: Dad’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie, made with your own pumpkin puree. The puree is really simple to make, and you won’t believe how lively, bright, and fresh a “real” pumpkin pie can taste. It’s very different, and we think it’s better, than canned. Also, don’t miss the Pumpkin Laksa. The length of ingredients might scare you off, but don’t let it. It’s a fairly simple recipe-make a flavor paste, make a broth, cook some pumpkin, pour it over some rice noodles. Not so bad, right?
Thank you for the fantastic year! We hope you all have a wonderful and cozy winter. See you next year!
Brandon, Heather, Maybelle, and the Crew!
sleepy root farm 