Hello folks! READ ON….many important items.

Wow, 19 weeks have flown by and here we are at the final week of our CSA. Thank you so much to all of you who have supported us at Maple Wind Farm. We hope that you have enjoyed your experience cooking and eating the array of vegetables we have grown for you and your family. Some of you have been out of your comfort zones a few times trying new items-kudos to you! I would love to hear stories of you or your kids experiences. Send them along. Recipes for next year or an additional blog later this month would be great - please submit to my email!

PLEASE ALLOW A FEW EXTRA MINUTES AT PICKUP THIS WEEK to fill out our member survey and have a cup of cider. We’ll trade you a filled out survey for your last installment of syrup! 

PLEASE BRING BACK OUR OTHER PINT JARS. they are expensive to keep buying. Our intention was to buy only one set and refill for you each time but that model didnt work as we planned. If you have any suggestions, let us know. We hope you enjoyed the sweetness and inclusion in the share this year.

Many many thanks to all the farm crew helping in the garden this summer harvesting, weeding and washing your vegetables. A special thanks to Jodi Dean, my right hand this summer, who is knowledgable and capable and took on a great bit of the responsibility in the garden.

Congratulations to Susan and Lars Whitman on the birth of their baby boy (little brother to Carter), named Issac born on Sept. 9th. They are doing well and Ive had many sightings at the Richmond Farmers Market!

Storage Vegetable Share baskets still available: 35 lbs of great storage crops with a tip sheet included. $65. Order by calling or emailing. Pickup at Andrews Farm mid November.

Organic Turkeys still available for Thanksgiving. $4.75/lb. $25 deposit holds your order.

We’ll be at the Burlington Winter Farmers Market this 08-09 winter season beginning on Sat Nov 22 from 10-2pm at Memorial Auditorium. Maybe we’ll see you there.

ON THE FARM: This week, we’ve been doing quite a bit of logging with our draft horses in the woods bringing out firewood for the house and our two yurts. With this wonderful weather, its been great progress and Bruce said he was so thrilled to see how Herbie and Henry have worked together so well. 

IN THE GARDEN: As you drive by the garden from up on route 2,  you will notice big changes as much of the garden has been tilled under and we are cover cropping for next year. There will remain the rest of the kale and turnips through the fall so we can harvest it for our pigs to eat.

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Great big pumpkin (your choice, 1 per family), Acorn Squash, Cabbage, Turnips, Kale, Chard or Pac Choi, Beautiful broccoli and purple (yes purple) califlower, Some greens, Peppers, Onions, and Garlic. Oh yes, and the interesting Kohlrabi (see info below). ENJOY!!!!!!

Kohlrabi… 

Excerpted from Rolling Prairie Cookbook, by Nancy O’Connor.

Hello Folks, 

Many of you have been asking great questions about storage of some of the vegetables.

Please see this great website, its easy to read and has great information. Thanks to Robin at the Mad River Valley Localvore group for pointing me to this site so I wanted to pass it on to you.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/gist82.html

Hello Folks,

Reminders: CSA members PLEASE bring in the pint jar to refill for next weeks syrup.

Check out our recipes at the bottom of this newsletter- some great ones.

Still time to order a Thanksgiving turkey. Also our Storage Share Basket is getting some nice response so if you are interested (or anyone you know) for a basket of storage goods in November, please reserve one before the end of the month. Just call or email me.

ON THE FARM: Another group of lambs went to the butcher this week. We are seeing the slower growth of the grass but still there is plenty on the farm for both the sheep and the cows (coming back from Teal Farm) to eat before we have to feed out hay. The longer we can pasture the better, but we wont overgraze it to compromise good regrowth in the spring. 

IN THE GARDEN: Time is flying by and I cant believe we have only two more pickups for our CSA. The garden is getting trimmed down to pretty much just the cold crops now. What a great week for the garden and getting clean up jobs done thanks to the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. We had two groups of kids come on Tues. and Wed. this week to do some assistance clean up. We accomplished a great deal of pulling up mulch plastic, bundling drip tape, and pulling up the tomato, eggplant and old squash plants for the compost pile. We brought Herbie and Henry, our Percheron draft horses, to the garden today to harvest the remaining potatoes. Again, with the help of the VYCC, we bagged the potatos, pulled the leeks and picked peppers and brussel sprouts too.

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: New item… Brussel Sprouts! (recipe below) Give them a try, and go beyond the old boiled sprouts option. Also in your share this week: Pie pumpkins (easy recipe below), squashes, Peppers, Tomatos, Chard and Kale, Radishes, parley and Carrots (the last of our garden) - beets next week.

IN THE KITCHEN:

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe

This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts: cut in half and cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside.

Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

The following is submitted by Lucy, our apprentice and very good cook. Thanks!

An easy pie to make, and a denser custard than most pumpkin pies thanks to the mascarpone.

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie

Crust: 1 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt 5 T chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 c chilled non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 c (or more) ice water

Blend flour and salt in food processor. Add butter and shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1/4 c ice water; pulse until dough begins to clump, adding more ice water by teasponsful if dry. Gather into ball, flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch beyond rim. Crimp edges. Chill crust while making filling.

Filling: 1 c pureed pumpkin

1 c (packed) brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt 1

8-oz container mascarpone

Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add egs and next 7 ingredients and beat until blended. Add mascarpone and beat just until mixture is smooth. Transfer filling to prepared crust. Bake pie until custard is set, about 55 minutes. Transfer to pie rack and cool.

Notes: Vermont Butter and Cheese makes a great mascarpone that will satisfy localvores. Also, I’ve heard that real lard makes an even better, flakier crust than veggie shortening. Perhaps Maple Wind Farm lard, rendered, would do the trick

This looked quite good. I havent tried it yet but let me know. It uses alot of veggies from this week.

Ribollita (Reboiled Cabbage Italian Soup) from AllRecipes.com

Hello folks,

Week 17 for our vegetable CSA! Welcome to October. Its been another great week on the farm and in the garden. Remember, we are offering a winter storage share in November of a huge basket of veggies. Please make a reservation for one if you are interested and you can tell your friends too.

Side Note: PLEASE PATRONIZE THE RICHMOND FARMERS MARKET IF YOU CAN, The market has lost significant business since the bridge has been closed. Coming from the south, park at the round church and enjoy a walk across the bridge. Thanks! See you there. We’ll be grilling! Fridays 3-6:30 until Oct. 17th

ON THE FARM: This week we hosted our friend Dave Birdsall, who taught a Game of Logging course to a group of 10 on Tuesday and Wednesday. They learned many new skills for safe chainsaw use and how to fell trees in a thoughtful way. We took another group of lambs to the butcher, this group is intended for the Burlington Food Hub CSA with the Intervale. Those of you who ordered whole lambs for the freezers will be in future groups soon to folllow throughout the fall. 

IN THE GARDEN: We’re well on our way to cover cropping some of the areas in the garden that arent in production anymore planting with winter rye. Soon we’ll be putting in our garlic beds for next years crop. Im making notes for next year and realizing where we had some holes and what varieties we could plant more of. Example: I will plant more carrots next year in two week successions. This year we will only have one more share distribution of carrots as we had some bacteria arrive and hit our carrots so their growth was slowed.

THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Acorn Squash (recipe), Braising Greens (recipe), Peppers, Onions, Head Lettuce, Potatos, Tomatos, Beets, Cabbage, Radishes, maybe broccoli and eggplant.

IMPORTANT STORAGE NOTES: We are giving out the Acorn squash that the stems got broken off so they will not be long keepers. Enjoy it sooner than later. Store in a cool location about 50 degrees if possible or in your fridge.

IN THE KITCHEN: Enjoy the last of five winter squash we grew this year (spaghetti, kabocha, delicata, butternut and acorn). You’ll see more delicata and butternut in weeks to come. 

Acorn Squash stuffed with baked apples

Loaded with apples, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, it is like an acorn squash stuffed with apple pie. This side dish is especially good with pork. In a word: Yum!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Yield 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 medium acorn squash
• 3 tart apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small chunks
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

To facilitate slicing, partially bake or microwave the acorn squash until the skin can be broken easily by the pressure of your thumbnail. Transfer to a colander and allow to stand. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil 6 individual baking dishes or a large shallow pan. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the apples and flour and toss to coat evenly. 

When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and fibrous tissue. Transfer the shells to the prepared baking dish. Spoon the apples into the squash cavities and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Brush over the exposed flesh of the squash and then drizzle what remains over the apples. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the dish and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Simple Greens with Garlic

Here is a tribute to the simple cooking: when the livin’ is easy, cooking should be easy, too! This deliciously nourishing recipe, filled with heart-healthy, immune-boosting greens, is proof that you can eat inexpensively and well while pleasing your taste buds with seasonal goodness.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches fresh greens, about 8 cups, washed and coarsely chopped. This could include a mixture of Asian greens, or mustard, collards, turnip greens, beet greens, kale - any toothy substantial green will do.
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 cup water or vegetable broth
Salt to taste
Optional flavorings: Sesame oil, ume plum vinegar, tamari
Optional toppings: sesame seeds, chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add greens and garlic, stirring to coat with oil. Stir occasionally until greens are barely wilted, just a few minutes.

2. Add vegetable broth or water and stir, allowing greens to steam until barely tender. Salt to taste.

3. Add flavorings and toppings as desired and serve.

Serves 4.

From Rick Bayless’s Mexican Everyday, here’s a meatless alternative to a creative taco…

Braised Greens Tacos

- serves 2 -

Ingredients

1 12 ounce bunch Swiss chard, washed (or collard greens, kale, etc.)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white or red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water

12 corn tortillas, warmed with a bit of water in a kitchen towel in the microwave
1 cup crumbled queso fresco (or feta, or goat cheese)

A large handful (6-10) cherry tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
(Alternatively, a store-bought salsa or hot sauce will work)

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium high, add the onion and cook until golden but still a bit crunchy, 4-5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, slice the greens crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.

3. Add the garlic and chili flakes to the onion and cook for an additional minute, then add the broth or water, a large pinch of salt, and the greens. Reduce heat to low and braise, covered, for about 5 minutes or until the greens are nearing tender, but not quite finished.

4. Meanwhile, put the cherry tomatoes into a dry skillet over medium-high heat until blistered, transfer to a small food processor with the chipotle pepper and a large pinch of salt, and blend until smooth.

5. Remove the cover from the greens and cook off the moisture until it is nearly dry. Season with salt if necessary. Fill each taco—two tortillas thick—with a tongful of the greens, a spoonful of salsa, and the queso fresco.