This season has flown by so fast, and with this warm weather it's certainly hard to believe that November is right around the corner. We've had a great season here at the farm and we want to thank all of you for being such an important part of it! It's been wonderful the share the bounty of the fields with you and get to know you and your families. There is a lot of buzz out there about "know your farmer" but we equally see the importance in knowing the folks we feed every week. You help us stay motivated and inspired in our work and are the fabric that vibrant communities are made out of.
Our share today has some late fall staples like Brussels sprouts and Rutabaga! For those of you who have never seen Brussels sprouts on the stalk, simply snap off these tasty brussels to enjoy. The stalk makes a good dog toy or conversation starter with your friends. You can store the brussels sprouts, stalk and all in a cool entranceway or snap off and store in fridge. With the dry summer our Brussels are a bit tiny this year but very tasty. See below for an easy recipe. The Rutabaga in you share today is a cousin to turnip, and in our opinion the more flavorful of the two. Use our root gratin recipe below or simple peal, cut into chunks and put in a steaming basket till tender. Mash with butter and garlic as a great, and healthier substitute to mashed potatoes. We look forward to sharing more of these fall crops with some of you through our Winter CSA which starts next week. For those of you we we don't get to see, we hope you have a great winter! Thanks again! Your farmers, Adrienne & Ken
FIRST WINTER SHARE DELIVERY NEXT TUESDAY! 10/31/17
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup raw peanuts
3/4 cup unsweetened raw coconut flakes
2 tablespoons fish sauce
8 small dried red chiles, such as Japones or chiles de árbol, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon neutral-tasting or melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
1 teaspoon sugar
10 lime leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
Handful of Thai or Italian basil leaves
2 to 3 limes, quartered
4 tablespoons coconut oil or neutral-tasting oil
3 medium shallots, diced
1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 3-inch pieces
Kosher salt
2 medium butternut squashes (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into about 3/4-inch cubes
2 (13 1/2-ounce) cans coconut milk
6 to 8 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, or to taste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 to 4 cups water or chicken stock, preferably homemade
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Melt oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add shallots, ginger, lemongrass and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender and just starting to brown, about 18 minutes.
Add squash, coconut milk, curry paste, 3 tablespoons fish sauce and 3 cups water or stock. Increase heat to high. When liquid comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook the soup covered until squash is tender, about 25 minutes.
Make garnish while soup cooks: In a medium mixing bowl, toss together peanuts, coconut flakes, fish sauce, chiles, 1 tablespoon oil, the minced lemongrass, the sugar and the lime leaves, if using.
Spread mixture out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes after the first 10 minutes. Remove from oven when coconut is deep golden brown, and pour mixture immediately into a bowl to prevent overcooking. Stir to combine, and set aside.
Remove soup from heat. Remove lemongrass stalks from pot. Use a hand blender to purée soup. Alternatively, transfer soup in batches to a blender or food processor and purée. Taste and adjust for salt and curry paste. Add water or stock to thin soup to the desired consistency.
Thinly slice the basil leaves and arrange on a small plate or platter, along with lime wedges and peanut mixture. Serve soup hot with garnishes.
This is a great way to eat the rutabaga in your share today. It might need some adjustments based on taste for cheese or garlic.
3 lbs mixed roots: Beets, Carrots, Rutabaga, Potatoes all work!
2 cups freshly shredded cheese (I usually use a mix of Cheddar and Pepperjack ,soft goat cheese or ricotta is also nice.
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease sides of 14" baking dish with butter.
Make Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan and add garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add herbs and sauté till aromatic ( another minute more). Turn heat to medium-low and add milk, cream, salt & pepper. Stir constantly till milk is warm but not boiling. Remove from heat.
Slice roots thinly into half moons or medallions. Add two single layers of roots, then 1/3 of cheese. Repeat twice or till dish is full. Pour Gratin Sauce over dish, making sure there is at least about one inch of head room between sauce and lip of dish.
Bake till roots are soft and top of dish is golden. Serve hot or cold.
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CARROTS 1 lb (2 cups) Brussels sprouts halved
4 Carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
fresh ground salt and pepper.
juice from 1 lemon (or 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar)
1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
Preheat oven to 400.
Toss Carrots and Brussels Sprouts in olive oil, garlic, thyme salt & pepper. Arrange in baking dish, no more than two layers high. Roast for 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Pull out of oven and squeeze lemon, stir and serve.
