27 October 07Week 20 News and Produce

This season has gone by fast and I can't believe we are at our final week of the CSA. We've tried to give you storage items this last week or two so that the season will extend a little further out for you. I hope you all have a nice fall and winter break and we'll be contacting you in the early spring about a collaborative CSA venture that Tolt River Farm will be taking part in next year. It's been great getting to know more of you this season and we appreciate all your supportive emails and recipe ideas. Thank you so much for being a part of our farm!

This Week's Produce

• Winter squash - Today you are getting 'Carnival' squash (which you have had before and is a sweet dumpling variety) and the pretty 'Blue Ballet' which is a hubbard type squash. Both are delicious and easy to use. If you are going to bake the squash, try putting them in whole for the first part of the baking to soften them up so they are easier to cut in half. There is a recipe attached.
• Leeks - We didn't have much luck growing leeks this year so I ordered some from Oxbow Farm, another local Organic farm in the Snoqualmie Valley. I've attached a recipe that combines the leeks with winter squash in a wonderful risotto dish.
• Pie pumpkins - 'Winter Luxury' is the name of this variety that has been bred to have a creamy and silky texture. It makes the most amazing pumpkin pies! I've attached a recipe for a not-so-traditional pumpkin pie.
• Dry beans - 'Jacob's Cattle Bean'. These heirloom beans have an "earthy flavor with a slight sweetness" and can be used in any recipe calling for kidney beans. They are great as baked beans or in soups, stews, and casseroles.
• Hot peppers - The two varieties that make up these beautiful strings of hot peppers are 'Red Rocket' (the longer ones) and 'Thai Hot' (little ones). The 'Red Rocket' is a hot cayenne and the 'Thai Hot' is just that, HOT (80,000 Scoville units). Be careful when handling hot peppers! Hang them somewhere in your kitchen for decoration but use them for heating up your favorite dishes.
• Storage garlic - These garlic bunches will store for several months if you keep them in a dark, dry place such as a kitchen cabinet or drawer.
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage

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20 October 07Week 19 News and Produce

I just got back from a walk down to the river to watch the salmon that have come back to spawn. The pinks come back every other year to the Tolt River. This was my first time seeing so many fish! There were fish all over, swimming up river, jumping, spawning, and along the rocky edges of the river in various stages of decomposition. I saw several Silver salmon (that must have been at least three feet long) darting around too.

Next week is the last week of the CSA. Please bring any stray wax boxes you may still have. Thanks!

This Week's Produce

• Green Tomatoes – Well, it is that time of year when we are down to just green tomatoes. I've attached two recipes for you to try and there are others from years past on our website.
• Brussels Sprouts – The key to cooking Brussels sprouts is in not overcooking them. The leaves cook faster than the core, so cut an X in the bottom of the stem for even cooking when cooking the sprouts whole. I've given two recipes to help you get some ideas on how to use these nutritious little nuggets!
• Cinderella Pumpkin – These are one of my favorite types of pumpkins as they vary in color from light orangey/yellow to a beautiful red. They are not only ornamental but are edible as well. I've given you a recipe for a great soup that you make and bake right in the pumpkin!
  
• Winter squash – Today you are getting ‘Butternut' squash and they are delicious! They have a sweet, nutty flavor and are very versatile. I've seen people use them in place of pumpkin in pumpkin pie but then they are delicious as a savory dish also. I've attached a recipe for one of my favorite ways to use them and it is a simple, savory pasta dish.
• Beets – Beets store really well in your refrigerator so if you are not going to use them right away, cut the greens and stems off and store them separately as they will break down faster then the beets. Use the greens as you would the chard or kale. They are great in a stir-fry or cook them down like you would turnip greens. We have some great beet recipes on our website.
• Shallots – These will store for a while if you keep them in a cool, dry, airy place. Shallots can be used raw in sauces and salad dressings or cook in place of garlic or onions. The butternut squash recipe calls for them and I use more then the 8 that the recipe suggests as they add so much to the flavor.
  
• Broccoli – We had enough to give it again!
  
• Chard or Kale bunches
  
• Sage/Oregano bunches – The recipes call for these herbs. If you aren't going to use them all up soon, try drying them for later use.
  
• Corn stalks – These we just give as an extra item for your Halloween or fall decorating.
  

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13 October 07Week 18 News and Produce

Today's harvest was a lot more enjoyable than Wednesday morning's harvest in the rain! We were drenched but I guess it is to be expected at this time of the year. This morning though was nice and dry and we had fun harvesting apples and pumpkins for you. One of the apple trees was so tall and grows over the road, that we had to stand on the top of Erik's big work truck to pick them. And when we were bringing in the pumpkins, I hit a rock with the cart and almost spilled them all. But fortunately Nate came to the rescue and grabbed the cart!

This Week's Produce

• Cabbage - It's nice to have the green cabbage back this fall. I brought a cabbage salad to a potluck in the spring and another farmer asked, "What is this? It's so sweet." It was so sweet and tender, he didn't realize it was cabbage! Now that is some good cabbage! I've attached a recipe for shredded cabbage salad.
• Winter squash - This delicious squash is called 'Uncle David's Dakota Dessert Squash'. It's quite a mouthful to say but the name is the main reason I bought the seed the first year as it sounded different and interesting. The reason I bought the seed again this second year is because it is so good! It is essentially a buttercup variety and can be used in sweet and savory situations. I've included a recipe that is on the sweeter side but would still be considered a side dish.
  
• Apples - Now keep in mind we are not professional apple growers and the size and appearance are probably not what you are used to but we sampled some from each tree that we harvested from and they are really tasty!
• Carving Pumpkin - It's that time of year again to start thinking about carving pumpkins and making hot apple cider! We will be going through the pumpkin patch and picking out the best pumpkins we have for you. We are giving you ones for carving today and next week we'll be passing out Cinderella pumpkins (which are beautiful but also edible) and corn stalks. Don't forget to roast your pumpkin seeds! I've attached a quick recipe to use up the seeds for a nutritional snack.
  
• Broccoli - We're lucky to have some nice size heads of broccoli this late in the season. It can be a little iffy once we start getting a lot of rain as the rain can sit on the tops and rot them.
  
• Mini lettuce - These lettuce heads were planted late and will not get to full head size but are perfect for a salad or using on sandwiches.
  
• Peppers - 'Jalapeno' peppers. For you hot sauce fans I've included a recipe for a Jalapeno hot pepper sauce that is easy to make and will last for a long time.
  
• Tomatoes - This will be the last week for the ripe tomatoes.
• Garlic

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06 October 07Week 17 News and Produce

The farm has dramatically changed in the past two weeks as we've been getting colder nights and obviously more rain. Nate and I have been busy cleaning up the fields and have started the process of putting the farm to "bed" for the season. This includes pulling out spent plants like cucumbers, cauliflower, and summer squash, harvesting the beans we grew for storage (dry beans), taking down trellising, preparing beds for garlic planting, pulling up irrigation and hoses, and doing a final mow and weed whack around the perimeter, hoop houses, and walk ways. We've been harvesting more winter squash and later this week we'll start on the pumpkins and gourds. Just wanted to give a heads up that next week is the last week of the Magnolia Farmers Market. We will be giving you information next Saturday as to where the CSA boxes will be picked up for the final two weeks. But don't worry, the site is only a few minutes drive from where you pickup now!

This Week's Produce

• Greens bunches - A nice bunch of kale and chard and also a bag of pea tendrils that would all cook up into a great stir-fry. Add the pea tendrils at the end of your cooking as they are very tender. Since they are so tender, the tendrils are also a great addition to a salad.
• Beans - We were hoping to give everyone green beans but there weren't enough to go around so a few lucky folks are getting the Gold Romano again. Remember that the Gold Romano beans can be used just like you would a regular green bean, but I've also given several recipes for both the green and the golden beans.
• Peppers - We've been patiently waiting to have enough red peppers to give each share at least one. The lack of heat in August and September didn't help the situation but given enough time, we finally have some rosy ones. We've given you a bunch of peppers today (red pimento, bell and sweet) as they store well in the refrigerator and they also freeze nicely. I wash, remove seeds and stem, chop, slice or dice the peppers, and then just put them in quart size freezer bags. When I want to use them I can easily pull out a handful at a time or use the whole bag.
• Carrots - For some reason we didn't have good luck with our late season carrots (actually it was due to lack of weeding mid-season!), so we haven't had them to give you the past few weeks. Fortunately, Cathryn over at SummerRun Farm, (remember the melons?) has a lot of carrots right now and I was able to get some from her.
• Spinach - I've included a Spinach Quiche recipe for you this week.
• Tomatoes - The tomatoes are really slowing down but we still have some ripening! I'm guessing one more week and then we won't have enough to give out so enjoy them while they stick around! We'll be giving green tomatoes one of the last weeks of the CSA so you can make some fried green tomatoes!
• Potatoes
• Red Onions

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29 September 07Week 16 News and Produce

This past Monday I was able to take some time and attend a Farm Walk at a Hmong farm here in the valley called 'The Children's Garden.' The walk was part of a series that Tilth Producers puts on for farmers and people interested in farming. It is a great way to see what other farmers are doing and talk about new techniques, pest problems, equipment, etc. The Children's Garden specializes in flowers while also growing some vegetables. The rows and rows of dahlias were truly amazing and have inspired me to grow some dahlias at our place. Nowhere near the amount they grow but some around our house and herb garden to brighten up the place in the fall. I've given you a flyer about Tilth Producers for you to get more information on this wonderful and helpful organization.

This Week's Produce

• Winter squash - This beautiful squash, 'Carnival', is not only decorative but also delicious! Nate, the farm intern, just tried one last night for the first time and said it was "Brilliant!." And he is not even British! A trick to cutting the sometimes-hard-to-cut squash is to bake them whole for about 10-15 minutes (or more) and once they soften up, you can easily cut in half and continue on with the baking process. I've attached a recipe but you can also use 'Carnival' squash in most any recipe that calls for winter squash. One simple way to use winter squash is to "cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, and place the halves, cut-side down, on a glass baking dish filled with about a half inch of water. Bake at 350 until the halves are completely soft and just starting to collapse (45 minutes to 1 hour or more, depending on size). Remove them from the oven, fill with butter, seasonings, or fillings, and serve them in the shell" (Farmer John's Cookbook ~ The Real Dirt on Vegetables).
• Beans - These pretty, pale yellow beans are called 'Gold Romano'. You can use and cook them like a green bean. (Yes, you eat the whole pod. :)
• Spinach - Get the benefit of the high vitamin A and vitamin C content by eating raw in a salad or with minimal cooking. You only have to briefly blanch, steam, or sauté until the leaves turn bright green.
• Beets - I've attached a recipe for "Roasted Rosemary Beets with a Horseradish Sauce". These beets do not need to be peeled as they are freshly picked for you.
• Cucumbers - These are the last little cucumbers from the vines.
• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Rosemary

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22 September 07Week 15 News and Produce

My folks are in town this week so I don't have much time to write so I thought I would give you a cute little poem out of a book that my dad just gave me. The book is called Poems for Gardeners ~ A Joyful Bouquet.

"The Tryst"

Potato was deep in the dark under ground,

Tomato, above in the light.

The little Tomato was ruddy and round,

The little Potato was white.

And redder and redder she rounded above,

And paler and paler he grew,

And neither suspected a mutual love

Till they met in a Brunswick stew.

~ John Banister Tabb

This Week's Produce

• Arugula - This spicy green is back for the cooler weather. It would be great with the red onions, some goat cheese, walnuts, and pears in a salad.
  
• Pepper - These are 'Hungarian Hot Wax' peppers. They are a semi-hot variety that adds loads of flavor to any dish. They can be stuffed and baked and also used in Chile Rellenos, of which I've included a recipe.
• Eggplant - I've included a delicious and easy recipe that will make the most of these Japanese and Italian eggplants.
• Summer squash - This will be the last week for the summer squash as we will be starting the transition to winter squash soon. The Gardener's Community Cookbook has an excellent recipe for "Sauteed Zucchini with Red Onion, Dill, and Aged Gouda." You will be getting a mix of the summer squash that includes zucchini. You can use your other squashes as you would the zucchini in this recipe.
• Potatoes - The beautiful purple fingerling, 'Magic Molly.' These would be wonderful roasted.
• Red Onions
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Herb trio - The recipes I've given call for these three herbs, Italian Parsley, dill, and basil. Enjoy the fresh herbs while they last!

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