Winter Share Contents 10/24

It's a fantastic fall harvest, certainly welcome after a summer full of what seemed to us more than the usual challenges! We're especially pleased with the onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fall greens and leeks - all very nice. Enjoy the harvest!

Here's a list of what is in your share from Picadilly Farm:
Celery, a bunch. We picked it last week, as it would have died in the 25 degree nights, even with double row cover. It is tasty, though will not store for too much longer. Our celery tends to be less watery, more fibrous, and stronger flavored than supermarket celery. Best for cooking, less ideal for juicing.

Kohlrabi, a piece. What?! I joined a CSA and now they are giving me kohlrabi?! This is the softball-like item in your box, unsuspectingly full of vitamins A & C, calcium and potassium... If you've haven't tried it yet, prepare for a mild flavor, much like the stem of broccoli with a little turnip tossed in. Peel off the outer layer, use it all at once or just a bit at a time - it will keep well partial or whole in your fridge. My favorite use so far has marinating and grilling slices - takes a little longer than most veggies, takes on the flavor of your marinade, and retains a nice crunch. Recipe: Shredded Root Salad.

Leeks, a bunch. Not just for potato leek soup, though delicious if you go there. Leeks can be easily frozen - just wash, dice and put in sealed bag in the freezer.

Potatoes, 6 pounds of "Sangre" reds.  Good yields this season, with more blemishes on the red potatoes than usual. We usually don't wash potatoes, since they store better unwashed. We washed these for better sorting, and included six pounds instead of five, to account for any "bad spots" that we didn't/couldn't see. Store them in a cool and dark place, out of the plastic bag, and they'll be best used within the month.

Onions, 2 pounds of reds and 2 pounds of yellows. A bumper crop of nice onions this season, our best ever. The rain in June and July was great for sizing them up.Then the warm and hot for those three short weeks in August was just right for harvest and curing time. Store onions in a cool, dry-ish place, and they will keep for months.

Beets, 2 pounds. A smaller harvest than usual, with sweet flavor following a few hard frosts. Store in the fridge.

Winter squash, 2 delicatas and two acorns. Enjoy these more perishable winter squash in the next month or so. They are best stored at about 50-55 degrees, not much colder - a cool place in your kitchen can work well. Watch for small bruises or rot spots - the squash will deteriorate quickly once they appear. Any winter squash seeds are great for roasting: rinse them well, and let them dry. Oil the pan slightly, and roast in a thin layer. Roast at a low temperature, 300-325, as the seeds can go from brown to burnt quickly. Stir occasionally. Try seasoning halfway through roasting with sugar and cinnamon - yum!

Pie pumpkin, a good sized "New England pie". If you plan to cook with it (which I hope you do!), then don't let it freeze while it adorns your porch for Halloween. To cook: cut off the top, quarter, and roast just until tender. Remove the skin, puree and use as you like. Pumpkin puree can be frozen - put 1 cup portions into small plastic bags or containers.

Savoy cabbage, one. A versatile, tasty cabbage, this will store in your fridge for a month or so.

Salad turnips, a bunch. A radish-like turnip, which can be used raw or cooked. Cooked, it is more watery and milder flavored than a big fall turnip - try it stir-fried rather than roasted or souped.

Parsley, a bunch. One of the most cold-hardy fresh herbs. Store it with the stems in a glass of water, in or out of the fridge; or wash and dry the leaves and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Sweet potatoes, 4 1/2 pounds. A beautiful crop of sweet potatoes this year, great flavor and texture in all shapes and sizes! Who knew that a tropical crop could thrive in New England with virtual no summer... The plants did well in our sandiest field, and the tubers are sweetening up in storage. Keep them in a cool place in your kitchen - they'll last for months if you have a 50-55 degree spot, with good ventilation. Recipe: Sweet Potato Oven Fries.

Daikon, a bunch. This mild Japanese radish is the most common vegetable grown in Japan, and has many uses there. It will store in a plastic bag your hydrator drawer for a long time (I used my last one from last November's harvest in April!). So, plenty of time to figure out your favorite ways to use it. Try pickling it, grating in to salad (or as a salad with carrots and beets), or in a stir fry. Recipe: Japanese Radish Salad

Fennel, a bulb or two. A versatile seasoning. Use raw with dips, add to soups or to Italian-inspired dishes. Store in a plastic bag in your fridge for up to 2 weeks. 

Sweet peppers, a handful. We picked out the peppers before the hard freeze (along with the celery). They store well, and it's nice to have a "summer" food in October. Three "italias", which are pointy and red, or partially red - these partially red ones may ripen more if you leave them in your fruit bowl for a day or two before eating. And four green bell peppers. Peppers freeze easily and well, for cooking later - chop and put them in a container.

Hot peppers, take what you'd like. We are not including them in the boxes, but you can take a handful if you are a fan. Mostly hungarian hot wax, green serranos and jalapenos.

From Riverland Farm:
Lettuce, two heads of Summer Crisp variety "Magenta". The foundation of a nice salad or two .... add carrots, hakurei turnips, a red pepper and a little parsley.

Kale, a bunch of winterbor, a green curly kale that's been sweetened up by the frost. This would make great kale and sausage soup, or if you're not in the mood for soup try kale sauteed with garlic and olive oil, with some of Baer's Best beans thrown in.

Carrots, 4 pounds. This variety of fall carrot, Bolero, has a loyal following among shareholders and farmers. Excellent for eating raw, makes a great carrot soup, or mix up a batch of carrot muffins. This will store well in your fridge.

Broccoli and/or Cauliflower, 2 heads.

You'll also find a pound of Baer's Best Beans in your share (Jacob's Cattle, Otebo or Calypso). Ten pounds of apples from Cider Hill Farm are also included this month. Apples varieties include Empire, Mutsu, Melrouge, Carosel, Braeburn, Gala and Jonagold.