Wednesday, October 6, 2021

October 7, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Daikon Radishes!

 



Cooking With This Week's Box

Spinach: 

Salad Mix:

Italian Garlic: 

Green Leaf, Green Boston and/or Mini Green Romaine Lettuce: 
“The Best Taco Salad” (Also calls for onions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, cilantro and radishes!)

 Yellow Onions: 

Orange or Red Italian Frying Peppers: 

Tomatoes: 

Purple, Yellow or White Cauliflower: 
Sicilian Cauliflower Salad (Also calls for tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions)

Broccoli: 

Asterix Potatoes:   

Jalapeño Peppers: 

Violet Queen Salad Turnips: 

Purple Daikon Radish: 
Spicy Roasted Daikon “French Fry” (See Below)
Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon (See Below)
Savory Slaw with Mint & Cilantro Includes daikon radish and serrano chiles—sub jalapeños

Broccoli Raab: 

Cilantro: 

Hello Everyone!

It’s another full box this week!  I’m going to keep this short and sweet this week as we’re deep into root crop harvest and the wagons of celeriac are coming into the packing shed just as fast as I can get them unloaded!   This week our featured vegetable is beautiful purple daikon.  This was one vegetable many members listed as one of their favorites from last fall.  If you search on our Facebook group you’ll find some great suggestions for ways to utilize this vegetable.  One recipe that was popular last fall was Spicy Roasted Daikon “French Fry” (See Below).  Because daikon is so juicy, these fries will not be as crispy or fluffy as a potato fry, so don’t expect them to be.  They are their own tasty creation!  The other recipe for Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon (See Below) was another member recommended recipe from the group.  Pickled daikon is a great condiment to have in the refrigerator.  Eat it alongside homemade sushi, serve it with fish, add it to salads, or put it on a sandwich!

This week I also included several recipes for ways to use this week’s Asterix potatoes, which are a drier potato.  Give these Crispy Oven Fries or Homemade Baked Potato Chips a try.  If you really want to go deep, make these Jalapeño, Bacon and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes with Cilantro!

We have lots of options this week for salad greens.  One thing that sounded good, and utilizes a lot of vegetables in this week’s box is “The Best Taco Salad”!  This recipe includes 6 vegetables from this week’s box, and you could even add more if you’d like!

We didn’t have room for any winter squash in the box this week, but hang tight, it should be back next week along with more crispy, crunchy head lettuce, salad greens, potatoes and much more!

Have a great week!
Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Daikon Radishes 


By:  Chef Andrea Yoder

Purple Daikon
Description: Daikon radishes have a variety of different common names depending on the culture they are being used in, such as Japanese radish, Chinese radish or simply winter radish. They are a mild flavored winter radish that are extremely popular in Asian cuisines.  Their crisp, juicy texture is complemented by a sweet, slightly peppery bite.  We grow three different types of daikon including the traditional white daikon along with purple and pink varieties.  Although the typical white daikon will measure between 15-20 inches in length, certain varieties can grow to be 36 inches long!  The purple and pink varieties are slightly smaller than the white variety we produce and have stunning lavender and pink hues throughout the skin and flesh.  We find daikon to have a slightly sweet and spicy flavor that is more mild than spring radishes.  In its raw form, the flesh is very juicy and crunchy.  When cooked, the flavor becomes more mild and the texture becomes tender, similar to a cooked turnip.  If you are a radish lover, you’ll likely prefer them raw.  If you’re still learning to like radishes, you may find them more to your liking when cooked.

Traditional White Daikon
Preparation & Use: The skin of this radish is edible, but most often a thin layer is peeled away before use.  Pickling and stir-frying are the most predominant methods of preparing daikon radishes, and they are perfectly good to eat raw as well in slaws or as garnishes dressed with a simple vinaigrette.  Daikon radishes may also be roasted or sliced thinly and made into vegetable chips, either baked or fried.  We enjoy daikon radishes in fall and winter stir-fries, cabbage slaw and braised meat dishes.

In Chinese cuisine, daikon radishes are also featured in a variety of soups, braised meat and vegetable dishes as well as baked goods.  A popular Bangladesh dish finely grates daikon and ads it to a mixture of fresh chili, coriander, lime juice, salt and flaked steamed fish in a light and refreshing side dish known as mulo bhorta.  In Korean culture, daikon is often fermented.

Storage: Daikon radishes should be stored, in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator.  They will last this way for several weeks.  Cut daikon stores well in its raw form, but can produce an odor that is absorbed by other items your fridge if it is not contained in a closed container. 

Additional Fun Facts: The word Daikon comes from Japanese, and literally means “big root!”


Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon

Yield:  10 servings

10 ounces daikon radish, julienned
7 oz carrots, julienned

Pickle Brine:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup apple cider or rice vinegar
Pinch of salt


  1. Combine the pickle brine in a saucepan and boil on medium heat until the sugar dissolves (3 to 4 minutes).  Stir occasionally.  Remove from the heat and cool it down.
  2. Place the julienned radishes and carrots into a sterile pickling jar and pour over the brine.  Close the lid.  Gently move the jar around a little bit to make sure the brine is touching all the radishes and carrots.
  3. Leave the jar at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, then move to the fridge.  Chill the pickles for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving for optimal taste.
Recipe borrowed from www.mykoreankitchen.com.  


Spicy Roasted Daikon "French Fry"



Photo from cookingontheweekends.com
Yield:  4 servings

“Look, I’m just going to be totally honest with you.  While they may look like potato fries, they’re not—nor are they trying to be potato fries.  They’re Daikon Fries, and proud of it.”---Chef Valentina Wein of cookingontheweekends.com

5 cups daikon radish, peeled and sliced (see instructions)
3 ½ Tbsp grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp chili-garlic paste
1 tsp soy sauce or tamari
½ tsp freshly grated ginger
½ tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt

  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F, and position an oven rack in the center of the oven.
  2. Cut the daikon into sections approximately 3-inches long, then cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices.  Stack a few of the slices and cut them again to make ¼ inch square “French Fries.”  Spread the daikon slices on a baking sheet and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili paste, tamari or soy sauce, ginger, sugar and salt.  
  4. Drizzle this over the daikon slices and then use your hands to toss them until they’re all evenly coated and in a single layer. 
  5. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast until they are golden brown on all sides, about 30 minutes.  You should gently toss/flip them about halfway through the cooking time.
  6. Add a double layer of paper towels to another baking sheet, and when the fries are done, add them on top of the towels to drain before serving.
This recipe was also a member-recommended recipe that several people in our private Facebook group tried last fall and posted positive comments!  
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021

September 30, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Winter Squash!

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Spinach:

Salad Mix:

Porcelain or Italian Garlic:

Green Boston Lettuce:

Red Onions:

Orange or Red Italian Frying Peppers:

Red or Golden Grape Tomatoes or Variety of Tomatoes:

White, Purple or Yellow Cauliflower or Broccoli Romanesco or Broccoli:

Gold Carola Potatoes:

Butternut Squash:
Roasted Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas (See Below)
Winter Squash and Mushroom Curry (See Below)

Guajillo or Korean Chili Peppers:

Jalapeño Peppers:

Violet Queen Salad Turnips:

Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata, photo from windycitydinnerfairy.com
The trees are starting to turn shades of yellow and red, the nights are cool and we could see our first frost very soon!  Over the course of the next month we’ll be filling our coolers with root vegetables, cabbage and more.  Do we really only have 8 more CSA boxes remaining after this week’s deliveries?  Yes, it’s true.  It’s time to start stocking up for the winter!  This week our featured vegetable is winter squash, one of our staple winter vegetables in the Midwest!  This week’s butternut squash are one of the most versatile varieties and may be used in either of this week’s featured recipes.   Both recipes came to me as recommendations from CSA members and they both lived up to their recommendation!  Read on and find a recipe for Roasted Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas (See Below) and Winter Squash and Mushroom Curry (See Below).

Photo from tasteofhome.com
I hope you’ll plan a few salads into your week and take advantage of this week’s abundance of salad greens including a gorgeous head of Green Boston lettuce along with salad mix and baby spinach!  I’ve included a few recipes for salads that could be side salads or could become an entrée salad.  Check out the recipes for Apple Walnut Spinach Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette, Mesclun and Mango Salad with Ginger Carrot Dressing and Chicken Milanese with Mesclun Salad.  There’s also a recipe for a tasty BLT Chicken Salad!

Of course you could also turn the green Boston lettuce into wraps such as these Korean Beef Lettuce Wraps and you could wilt the spinach down into Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata!

As always, I hope you’ll find some tasty ways to put this week’s vegetables to use, whether you use the links above or put your own spin on a recipe idea.  Either way, have a great week and enjoy your CSA Vegetables!

Vegetable Feature: Winter Squash

By Chef Andrea

Butternut Squash
Description: We grow a wide variety of winter squash which we start distributing in late September.  We strive to grow a variety of types that are aesthetically pleasing while still being interesting, delicious, sweet and flavorful!  So before we get too deep into winter squash deliveries, we want to pause for a moment to review a few of the basics.

Storage: First, lets talk about storage.  The optimal storage temperature for winter squash is 45-55°F.  This may be difficult to achieve in a home setting, so my recommendation is to choose a cool, dry place in your home if possible, even if it is a little warmer than 55°F.  Many people choose to store winter squash in the garage or basement, which is fine to do as long as these spaces don’t get too cold in the winter and if they aren’t too humid.  In the coldest part of the winter our garage temperature usually dips into the 30’s which is too cold for squash.  We also do not recommend storing winter squash in the refrigerator.  As I mentioned, storage at temperatures less than 45°F may cause chill injury which will shorten the storage potential of your squash.  Honestly, it’s fine to also store them at room temperature, beautifully displayed in your kitchen or living space.  They will add beauty to your space until you’re ready to eat them!

Variety of winter squash in bins.
While winter squash is a vegetable meant to be stored and eaten over time, not all winter squash varieties have the same storage-ability.  Some varieties that have a thin skin and/or are high in natural sugars typically have a shorter shelf life and may not keep into the deep winter.  Other varieties that have a thicker skin are often able to be stored for quite some time.  The other factor that affects how well a squash may store is related to the field conditions where it was grown.  If we have a wet year or there is some plant disease in the field, we find some squash varieties do not store very well.

So, keep an eye on your squash and check them periodically if you’re keeping them for an extended time.  Look for any spots starting to form that may indicate the start of deterioration.  If you do see a problem spot, don’t automatically throw it out!  I repeat, do not throw it out!  If you catch it early, the problem may only affect a very small portion that may be cut away.  If that’s the case, don’t delay, it’s time to cook the squash before the issue gets bigger!

Squash and Poblano Quesadillas
Preparation & Use: Each week we encourage you to check the “What’s In the Box” section of your email where I’ll include details about the squash variety we’re delivering.  Some varieties, such as butternut, are multi-purpose and may be used in a variety of ways including roasted, baked, simmered, steamed or put into soups and sauces.  Other squash may have a more specific use.  I’ll also make an indication as to whether or not a variety may have a longer storage potential or if you should use it sooner than later.

Don’t feel like you have to eat all your winter squash right away.  If it’s a variety that will store, you can set it aside for later.  If you do have some that are starting to develop spots, you should still cook it even if you are not ready to eat or use them.  You can scoop out the flesh once it’s cooked, puree it and pop it in the freezer.  Better to do this so you can preserve the flesh than to surrender it to the compost bin!

There are so many different ways you can use winter squash.  You can include it in soups, stews, sauces, casseroles, hot dishes, pasta dishes, baked goods, desserts, or just eat it with a little butter, salt and pepper.  Don’t be afraid to create tasty pizzas, tacos, quesadillas, curry dishes and anything else you might dream up!  Winter is long and we’re going to be eating quite a lot of squash over the next months, so pull out your old favorite recipes and start looking for new ones to keep things interesting!

Roasted Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas


Yield:  4 servings
photo by Joe Lingeman for thekitchn.com

Enchilada Sauce:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ medium red onion, diced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ cup chili powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

For the Enchiladas:
1 pound butternut squash, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 ½ cups (12 oz) shredded Monterey Jack or mild cheddar cheese, divided
4 ounces salad greens (baby spinach, salad mix or arugula) OR shredded lettuce
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime

Make the sauce:
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add the flour, stir to coat the onions, and cook for 2 minutes to lightly toast the flour.
  2. Stir in the chili powder, tomato paste, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne, and black pepper.  Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the broth.  Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.
Make the enchiladas:
  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F.
  2. Toss the squash with the olive oil and salt, and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until tender and caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.  Cool slightly.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
  3. Place the roasted squash, black beans, and corn in a large bowl, and stir to combine.  Spread ½ cup of the sauce in an even layer over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  4. To assemble the enchiladas, place the tortillas on a flat work surface.  Spread about 2 Tbsp of sauce over the top of each tortilla, then top with ½ cup of the vegetable mixture and about 2 Tbsp of cheese.  Roll tightly to close, and place seam-side down in the baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Spread the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  5. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the greens, sliced red onion, cilantro, and lime juice in a medium bowl and toss to combine.
  6. Divide the enchiladas between plates, top with greens, and serve.
Note from Chef Andrea:  This recipe was recommended to me by one of our longtime Twin Cities CSA Members.  They sourced the recipe from www.thekitchn.com and it’s become one of my fall and winter favorites too!

Winter Squash and Mushroom Curry

photo by David Malosh for cooking.nytimes.com

Yield:  4 to 6 servings

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
10 oz butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 jalapeño (may substitute guajillo or Korean peppers)
1 small onion, finely diced
½ tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
Fresh or frozen curry leaves (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of ground cayenne
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 pound mushrooms, a mix of cultivated and wild, trimmed and sliced 1/8-inch thick
¾ cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp lime juice
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
  1. In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high.  When hot, add squash cubes in one layer.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more.  Use a slotted spoon to lift the squash out, then set aside.
  2. Cut a lengthwise slit in the jalapeño to open it, but leave whole (This helps heat the sauce without making it too spicy.)  If you prefer a more mild curry, just use an appropriately smaller portion of jalapeños (or other hot pepper of your choosing).
  3. Add onions, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, if using, and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne, turmeric and the hot pepper.  Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.
  4. Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat.  Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
  5. Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes.  If the mixture looks dry, thin with a little water.  Taste and season with salt.
  6. Before serving, stir in lime juice.  Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with cilantro.
This recipe was developed by David Tanis and is featured at www.cooking.NYTimes.com.  One of our longtime CSA members in the Twin Cities recommended this recipe and it’s a tasty one!

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Friday, September 24, 2021

Is Organic Food Healthier than Conventional Food? Some thoughts on Cover Crops and Health

By Richard de Wilde and Andrea Yoder

Rainbow over one of our lovely fields!
“Is organic food healthier than conventional food?”  This is the question Anneliese Abbott posed in her recent article posted at EcoFarmingDaily.com, and a question many have been debating for years.  In her article, Abbott takes a step back and approaches this question from a broader, more historical perspective.  She brings attention to the fact that we can look at this question with a very narrow, limited focus, or from a more holistic approach.  You see, it’s not just the nutrients in the food that we need to be concerned about.  It’s also the things that are not in the food that affect health, such as pesticides that are detrimental to not only human health, but also the health of our ecosystem.  Which leads us to consider the question, “What is health?”  Is it just our individual physical state?  The absence of disease and the presence of vitality in our bodies?  What if we widened the lens to expand our view of health to not only our individual bodies, but also our communities, environment, and the world as a whole?    We are all interconnected and the health of our community and the environment around us impacts our own personal health both directly and indirectly.  So when presented with the choice of choosing organic food or conventional food, we’re really in a position where we are choosing what kind of a farming system we want to support.

Onion crop with clover cover crop in the wheel tracks.
If you’re reading this article, you are likely a CSA member or a consumer who eats vegetables from our farm and you have made the conscious choice to eat organic food.  We value informed consumers and feel it is important to facilitate the connection between eaters and where their food comes from.  So this week we want to draw your attention to one part of our organic farming system that is very important to maintaining the health of our land, supporting the health of our vegetable crops, and in turn supporting your health!  We’ve been using cover crops for over 40 years, mainly as a means of enhancing soil quality.  Only recently have we learned that cover crops are an important tool we can use to help mitigate climate change, both by reducing excessive atmospheric carbon as well as their role in making our soils more resilient to erratic weather conditions.  We know that soils with high organic matter hold water better in drought conditions and are able to drain better in times of excess moisture.  There are many benefits to including cover crops in farming systems and, from a farmer’s perspective, we can’t understand why every farmer wouldn’t want to plant them!

Close up of Mammoth Clover, Rye Grass, and Vetch.
While many of the vegetable crops we grow have shorter days to maturity ranging from 60-90 days, we also plant crops that need more days to reach maturity.  Lets consider a crop that requires 120 days to reach maturity.  So the crop is in the field 120 days.  Given our climate, we can also assume there are about 90 days during the winter when it’s too cold and the weather conditions are such that we cannot grow a crop.  But there are 365 days in a year, so what about the remaining 155 days?  What happens over that period of time in between vegetable crops and the changing of the seasons?  If we work with the laws of nature, we know that Mother Nature does not like to be naked and there is great value in having plants on the land.   This is where cover crops play an important role on our farm.  Once we take a vegetable crop off a field, we turn around and plant a cover crop.  The cover crop will then help hold the soil in place and prevent erosion from winter winds as well as early spring and late fall rains.  Cover crops also help us build soil fertility, maintain and build communities of soil microbes, build organic matter in the soil and replace the nutrients we take off the land every time we harvest a vegetable crop.

The difference one week makes!  Cover crop on the left
was planted one week before the cover crop on the right.
Time is of the essence in the fall and our goal is to give the cover crop as many growing days as possible to get established before the temperatures drop and winter sets in.  We have two main cover crop mixes we plant.  One mix includes plants that will “winter kill.”  Even though we may get some frosty nights and cold temperatures late in the fall, the plants in this mix continue to grow, albeit slowly.  Once the ground freezes solid their growth stops.  This mix includes Japanese millet, oats, field peas, crimson clover and a few other clover varieties. The benefit to planting a cover crop that winter kills is that the plants will not grow again in the spring and we can prepare that ground early in the spring to plant vegetable crops since the cover crop residue will work into the soil very easy without a lot of green crop plant matter to get in the way.

Farmer Richard standing in a cover crop of rye grass.
Our second mix consists of plants that can go dormant during the winter, and then resume growing again in the spring.  We plant this mix in fields that we won’t need to plant very early in the spring.  This allows us to leave the cover crop in the spring so it can grow and we can maximize its benefits.  We usually cut or chop the cover crop just before it goes to seed.  This mix consists of cereal rye, rye grass, mammoth red clover, hairy vetch as well as Alice clover and red clover.  In addition to serving as a sponge to take up available nutrients and hold them in place for next year’s crop, the rye also makes a good mulch that we cut and bale.  We take the bales off of one field and put them on another field to mulch in between beds of vegetable crops such as strawberries, tomatoes and garlic.  The clovers and vetch are able to take nitrogen from the air and fix it in the soil, which means we don’t have to apply fertilizer!  If we have excess rye grass beyond our needs for mulch, we may choose to bale some to use as feed for our cattle and goats through the winter or sometimes we just chop the crop back onto the field and work it into the soil.  This is referred to as a “green manure” crop.

Australian Peas holding nitrogen in the soil.
Over the past few years we’ve increased the diversity of plants in our cover crop mixes.  While it is more complicated to make these mixes, we appreciate the plant diversity and the different beneficial attributes each plant brings to the mix.  Each variety also supports its own unique microbes that interact with the plant at the root level.  We are also learning that there is also a synergy between organisms that multiplies the benefits exponentially.  Little is know about this interaction, but it is believed that the microbes communicate and function as a larger, very complex organism that can move water and nutrients across the field to plants in need.  Plants and microbes also work together to trade nutrients each may need, but may not be able to produce on their own.  Plants exude simple sugars and carbohydrates on their roots.  These carbohydrates are available for microbes to utilize and in exchange the microbes help make nutrients in the soil more bioavailable for the plant.  This is a very simplified explanation of what is happening at that microscopic level and we are continuing to learn more about this complex and beautiful symbiotic relationship.  What we do know though is that our crops are healthier and produce better and taste better when we have lots of microbial activity in the soil.  So for us, it’s worth the investment in time and money to diversify our cover crop plantings to reap these benefits.

Nicely established September cover crop.
We plant the majority of our cover crops in the month of September, but we’ll continue to plant them in fields as we finish harvesting crops.  Our goal is to maximize their growth potential in the fall, but after October 15 we realize the time on the growth clock is pretty limited.  At that point in the season will start planting only perennial rye seed and we’ll do so at 2-3 times the normal rate in hopes that if we can at least have a short stature, but thick, stand of plants that will be able to hold the soil in place.  Even if we don’t have much height above the surface, the root system and below ground biomass will be established.

Even though we plant cover crops every year, we continue to be amazed at the difference they make in our farming system.  We’ve spent over $6,000 on cover crop seeds that we’ll plant this fall.   We’ll also be investing in a lot of compost as well as minerals that will be applied to fields before winter.  The dollars add up and sometimes we ask ourselves “Is this really worth it?”  The answer is always “Yes” and we consider the investment to be one of those non-negotiables.  At the end of the day, you can be the judge as to whether or not it was worth the investment.  What do you think?  Is organic food healthier than conventional food?
 

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Wednesday, September 22, 2021

September 23, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Pie Pita Pumpkins!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Baby Arugula:

Salad Mix (also referred to as “Mesclun Mix” by some in this world):

Pie Pita Pumpkin:
Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Sauce (See below)
No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake (See below)

Porcelain Garlic:

Yellow Onions:

Orange Italian Frying Peppers:

Variety of Tomatoes:

White, Purple or Yellow Cauliflower:

Purple Viking Potatoes:

Orange Carrots:

Broccoli Raab:

Mini Sweet Peppers:

Guajillo Chili Peppers:


Shrimp Scampi with Linguine and Broccoli Raab
photo from healthyishfoods.com
We’ve officially transitioned into fall and to celebrate, we’re sending the cutest little pumpkins your way this week!  This week’s featured vegetable is a new one for us, Pie Pita Pumpkins.  We’ve never been much of a fan of pumpkins as we favor the more flavorful and sweet winter squashes such as butternut and kabocha.  Nonetheless, this cutie caught our eye because it has a large amount of hulless pumpkin seeds!  I love two for one vegetables, so this one went on the trials list for this year.  If you’re looking for recipe ideas this week, consider trying my recipe for Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Sauce (See Below).  I wrote this recipe in my head over the weekend after working in the cooler for awhile.  I was hungry and cold and this soup was just what I needed.  It’s packed with nutrients, flavorful and simple.  The cilantro sauce is an added bonus to stir in at the very end when you serve it.

The other recipe I’ve included this week is for a No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake (See below).  I made this for the first time last year for our Christmas Dinner dessert.  It’s vegan, raw, paleo and sweetened with only dates and maple syrup……but wait, it’s also very creamy, flavorful and delicious!  The creaminess in the filling comes from soaked cashews.  The crust is made with chopped nuts and dates.  It’s a dessert you can feel good about eating!

Garlicky Broccoli Raab, Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Jam Sandwich
photo from seriouseats.com
This week’s cooking green is Broccoli Raab, a slightly bitter green that has a mustardy flavor.  This green pairs well with garlic, fatty cheese, olive oil, fish, tomatoes, etc.  I included several tasty recipe ideas for you this week such as Shrimp Scampi with Linguine and Broccoli Raab; Garlicky Broccoli Raab, Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Jam Sandwich; and Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.

In addition to a cooking green this week, we are also happy to have both baby arugula and salad mix!  That means it’s time to start tossing greens salads again!  This is one of my favorite times of the year to create tasty, simple salads topped with fruit, nuts, cheese, etc.  You really don’t need to follow a recipe, just use a flavorful oil, a fruity vinegar and some creativity in choosing the other ingredients.  Anything goes as long as you use good ingredients and you like the final outcome!

Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Mini Sweet Peppers
We’re moving into our final few weeks of pepper season and this week’s pepper selections are quite colorful!  Mini sweet peppers are great for snacking on, but they are also tasty when used in other savory recipes such as Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Mini Sweet Peppers, a recipe well-suited to this week’s Purple Viking Potatoes or last week’s Peter Wilcox potatoes.  We also included either guajillo or Korean chili peppers this week to give you a little heat to spice up your meals!  If you don’t have a use for these peppers this week, dry them, put them in a jar and use them later in the winter!

Looking ahead to next week, we’re going to see more shifting of the seasons with our vegetable selections.  We’ll be harvesting some fall head lettuce, possibly daikon radish and a few beets.  We also have a few winter squash selections we hope to send your way and a new crop of fall broccoli!  I can’t believe we’re two-thirds of the way through our CSA season!  Time flies when you’re having fun and I hope you’ve been enjoying all of your seasonal cooking adventures!  Have a great week and I’ll see you next time!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Pie Pita Pumpkin

By:  Chef Andrea Yoder

Description: These cute little pumpkins are a new addition to our line-up this year.  We typically don’t grow pie pumpkins because, well they don’t taste as good as butternut or kabocha winter squash which are acceptable substitutes for pumpkin in recipes!  Nonetheless, the leading line in the seed catalog description captured our interest:  “A dual-purpose fruit with bright orange, sweet flesh and light green hulless seeds.”  Well, this sounded different from other pie pumpkins so we thought we’d give it a try.  When I called in our phone order to High Mowing Seed who is our supplier for this variety, the customer service gal chuckled a bit and then revealed that this is one of her favorite vegetables in their catalog!  So we’re looking for feedback from you before we decide to grow it again next year.

Pie Pita Pumpkin Seeds
Preparation & Use: The flesh of this pumpkin is a rich golden color.  Before you cook this pumpkin though, cut it in half and extract the seeds from the center.  If you don’t save seeds from any other squash or pumpkin this year, humor me and at least save them from your pie-pita pumpkin!  Once you’ve extracted the seeds, rinse them well in a colander and try to remove all of the fleshy pumpkin pieces.  Air dry the seeds on a plate at room temperature or put them in a dehydrator.  Once they are dry, toss them with oil, salt and pepper, then toast them in a low heat oven (275-300°F) until they are crispy and slightly golden (about 10-20 minutes).  Each pumpkin may yield anywhere from ⅓ to ½ cup of seeds.  They are a tasty little snack, but are also good sprinkled on salads, etc.

Pumpkin can be used in a wide variety of sweet and savory recipes ranging from soup, gratin, casseroles, etc. on the savory side to bread, cookies, cheesecake and pie on the sweet side!  There are several ways to cook pumpkins, or any winter squash.  You can cut them in half and bake them, cut side down.  Once cooked, scoop the flesh out and puree it.  You can also peel away the thin skin and cut the raw pumpkin into chunks to either roast or incorporate into other recipes such as soup.

Storage: We don’t have any experience with storing this pumpkin, but due to the fact that it has a thin skin, our guess is that they won’t store very long.  So, store your pumpkin at room temperature and try to use it within a week or two.  In the meantime, keep your eye on it.  If you see a spot starting to develop, it’s time to cook it and eat it or freeze it!

Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro Sauce

Yield:  6-8 servings (about 3 quarts)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, medium dice
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tsp dried turmeric powder
1 fresh guajillo or Korean chili, stem removed*
1 cup diced sweet pepper
1 ½ cups diced carrot
4-5 cups pumpkin, large dice
1 orange, peeled and seeded
5 cups liquid (water, vegetable or chicken stock)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice
1 can coconut milk

Cilantro Sauce:
1 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup sunflower oil or olive oil
Salt, to taste
  1. Heat oil in a 5-6 quart pot over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and saute for 4-5 minutes or until soft and fragrant.  Add the garlic and ginger.  Saute an additional 1-2 minutes, then stir in the dried turmeric until it fully coats the vegetables.
  2. Roughly chop the hot pepper, seeds included and add to the pot along with the sweet pepper,  carrots and pumpkin.  Cut the orange into eighths and remove any seeds.  Add to the pot and stir to combine the entire mixture. 
  3. Add the water or stock to the vegetables along with 2 tsp salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.  Cover and increase heat to medium high to bring the entire mixture to a rapid simmer.  Once the soup is simmering, adjust the heat to hold it at a steady simmer.
  4. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. 
  5. While the soup is simmering, make the cilantro sauce.  Roughly chop the cilantro with a knife, then add it to the bowl of a food processor or to a blender along with the garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar and a few pinches of salt.  Blend until the garlic and cilantro are coarsely chopped, then slowly drizzle in the oil while the machine is still running.  You want the sauce to have a little texture remaining, so blend until the desired thickness is reached.  Taste and add additional salt and vinegar as needed.  Set aside until you’re ready to serve the soup. 
  6. Once the vegetables in the soup are soft, remove the soup the heat and let set for a few minutes before blending.  Carefully transfer the soup to a blender, working in batches and being careful to not overfill the blender pitcher.  Blend until smooth, then pour into another bowl or pot.  When the soup is all blended, taste a little to see if it has enough spice for your liking.  If not, chop more fresh guajillo or Korean chili pepper and add it to the blender with several cups of the soup.  Blend until smooth, then pour it into the remainder of the soup and stir well.  Once all the soup is blended, return it to the original pot and keep it warm over medium-low heat. 
  7. Stir in maple syrup, apple cider vinegar or lime juice and coconut milk.  Stir to combine and simmer for about 10-12 minutes.  Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning to your liking by adding additional salt, black pepper, apple cider vinegar and/or maple syrup as needed.
  8. Serve the soup with a few spoonfuls of the cilantro sauce.  Each diner can stir the sauce into their soup.
*Note: If you want a more mild soup, use one guajillo.  If you like some spice, use a Korean chili pepper. 

Recipe by Chef Andrea Yoder.

No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake


Yield:  One 8-inch pie
photo from theroastedroot.net

For the Crust:
3 cups raw walnuts, almonds or pecans
10 medjool dates, pitted
3 Tbsp coconut oil, softened or melted
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked 3 hours
⅔ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup pureed pumpkin (may substitute butternut squash)
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp lemon juice or 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon, to taste
½ tsp salt, to taste

Make the Crust:
  1. Line an 8-inch spring form pie pan with parchment paper.  If you do not have a spring form pan, you can also just press the crust directly into a lightly greased 8 or 9-inch pie pan or baking dish. 
  2. Add the ingredients for the crust to a food processor or blender and pulse until it is well-combined and forms a sticky dough.
  3. Transfer the crust mixture to the parchment-lined pan and press it into an even layer.  Stick the pan in the freezer while you prepare the pumpkin filling.
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
  1. Soak the cashews for at least 3 hours (or overnight).  Drain the cashews and add them to a high-powered blender along with the remaining ingredients for the filling.  Blend until super smooth and creamy.  Taste the filling mixture for flavor and add more cinnamon, pure maple syrup, and/or sea salt to taste.
  2. Pour the filling over the pie crust and spread into an even layer.  Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours before serving.  (Note:  you can also freeze the pie for 2 hours to get it to set up nicely.  Thaw in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or at room temperature for 2 hours before serving.)
  3. When you’re ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and cut into slices.  Serve with a dollop of coconut milk whipped cream on top if you wish.
Recipe borrowed from www.theroastedroot.net

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