September 26, 2006
How unusual to keep the
ceiling fan on in September! Usually the
last CSA day I have sweaters and gloves on, while I
am picking. I’m not complaining although this warm
weather is rather disconcerting. The fields are
striped with golden corn and soybeans and I am still
battling our summer nemesis weed. Do check your
lettuce this week. I tried to get all the weeds
out, honest.
Last Tuesday I planted some oats in the old tomato
beds. Today they are up about 2 inches. We cover
crop the winter garden with oats. It sprouts
quickly and gives a great cover to the fields. Then
in the spring we till in the oats which helps break
up and nourish the soil. Years ago when we started
expanding our gardens, we struggled with clay as
hard as rocks. Our carrots didn’t get much bigger
that our fingers. After many years of cover
cropping our gardens we now have long, sweet carrots
and I am not breaking anymore forks!
Although this is the last week of the CSA, we still
have some garden work to tend to. There are more
garden areas to clean up and cover crop, garlic to
be planted in early October and pots to be washed.
Our greenhouse is full of all the dirty pots used
for our bedding plants. Every fall we wash out the
small pots to avert any fungal or viral problems
next spring. It’s one of those chores I do a little
each day and eventually the stack gets smaller.
This year Jayne and I have added incentive to
organize the greenhouse and barn. We are expanding
our native plant business and will be working with a
local prairie and wetlands restoration specialist.
If you have ideas for prairie or wetland projects,
give us a call or come visit. We love to show off
our prairie and pond and we will have a wide variety
of native flower and grass plants for sale.
Of
course we are going to have a big selection of
vegetable plants too. Jayne is already checking
catalogs for different varieties of tomatoes and
peppers. If you are in the mood to start your own
kitchen garden, check our website or come see us at
the Platteville Farmers Market.
Even though we are taking a break from the CSA, we
will still have plenty of produce available, either
at the Farmers Market or at the farm. Just send me
an email or give us a call.
Jayne and I have enjoyed the CSA adventure. This
has been a great way to learn the idiosyncrasies of
vegetable production. Jayne loves trying out new
varieties of tomatoes and squash and I love trying
out new recipes. We hope you have enjoyed our
produce and will come see us at the Farmers Market.
Finally, if you get hungry for some farm news and
more vegetarian recipes, be sure to check out our
website
www.safehomefarm.com.
Thanks for a great year.
Cilantro-I
am always amazed by the fall cilantro. It comes in
so full. Where was this stuff during salsa season?
Cilantro goes great in curry dishes and is fabulous
in tomato soup. It was dry when I packed it this
morning so it should last a couple weeks.
Fennel-The
fall fennel is a very small. Try chopping it fine
and adding it to your lettuce mix.
Lettuce-
Garlic-I
will be planting garlic next week. If you are bored
or miss me, come on over. We will break cloves
together.
Onions-These
storage onions will keep until spring, unless you
use them.
Potatoes-Sunday
afternoons: Potatoes and Packers at Safe Home
Farm. Jayne puts on the headphones and listens to
the game while she digs her potatoes. Only a couple
rows left. After all that digging, I guess she
deserves to sit on the couch and watch her Packer
boys for the rest of the season.
Sorrel-The
fall leaves are a bit tougher that the early spring
sorrel. Best to add this lemony green to soup or
stews or omelets for a kick.
Winter squash-Butternut
squash is standard fare for our Thanksgiving. This
squash will keep until
Christmas, if you can leave it that long.
Carrot and Fennel Soup
1
pound carrots,
diced Few sprigs
of fresh thyme
1/2
cup fennel,
chopped 4 cups
vegetable stock
1
onion or 2 leeks, chopped
1-12-oz container Silken tofu
1
cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp olive oil
1
bay leaf
2 Tbsp fennel leaves or fresh dill,
chopped
Sauté carrots, fennel, onions or leeks and cinnamon
stick in oil for 5-7 minutes. Add stock, bay leaf,
thyme and tofu. Bring to boil then reduce heat to
simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaf, cinnamon stick and thyme sprigs.
Puree; season with salt and pepper and serve hot or
cold.
Garnish with extra fennel or dill fronds.
Serves
4
Ginger Squash Soup
The fresh ginger gives zing to this warming winter
soup.
2-1/2 to 3 pound
winter squash (butternut, acorn, pumpkin)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 rounded Tbsp fresh
ginger, finely chopped
2-1/2 to 3 cups water
1 Tbsp Kikkoman soy
sauce
Wash off squash,
puncture skin with a sharp knife. Put on a plate
and microwave on high, until done; about 10
minutes. Remove from microwave and cool. Scrape
flesh from skin. You will have about 3 cups mashed
squash.
While squash is
cooling, sauté onion and ginger in olive oil until
soft, about 5 minutes. Add water and soy sauce and
bring to boil. Add squash and return to boiling,
then simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree soup with a
stick blender, in a
food processor or blender.
Serve hot.
Xiao’s Soup
A
friend of mine fed me this wonderful soup, after a
chilly morning at the Farmer’s Market. I have been
adding other veggies to the basic recipe. The last
version had some chopped cabbage in it.
1 large tomato
olive oil
water
1 spring onion,
chopped
few mushrooms, sliced
handful of cilantro,
chopped
rice noodles, cooked
Chop tomato and sauté
in a little olive oil. Then cover tomatoes with
water and boil. Add onion, mushrooms and any other
handy veggies and cook until everything is heated
through, about 5 minutes. Add cilantro, bring to a
boil for a minute. Then add rice noodles and serve.
