Hot Peppers, Cold Nights, Abrupt Endings

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Date: October 8th 2009

The now-or-never harvest season is upon us. If farmers had time to watch television, they’d be watching Desperate Harvesters. But instead, they’re living it. Henry and his farmhand, apprentices, and family are working desperately to get the cold-sensitive vegetables safely out of the field -- knowing that the first frost – a hard one in the 20s – will hit this weekend.

Yesterday, Henry used the one halfway dry day of the week to enlist all hands in digging up the sweet potatoes. These are the most cold-sensitive of the roots, and so the crew worked from noonish to sundown, digging up all of the Georgia Jet and some of the Japanese. Still, that was less than a third of what needs to be removed from the ground before the hard frost -- meaning that the apprentices will stay down on the farm to keep digging them while Henry is at the market Saturday. And if they don’t finish, Henry and his helpers will be out again on Sunday, digging until they’re done, and trying to beat the low in the high 20s -- and a chance of SNOW -- on Sunday night.

Today, in the cold rain, Henry and the helpers picked the last of all the summer crops -- all the peppers (sweet and hot), all the remaining beans, all the eggplants, summer squash, tomatillos, bitter melons, winter melons, and lemon grass.

They also, in the cold mud, dug all your roots -- lots of great looking (and tasting) beets and carrots, celery root, parsley root, burdock (which Kris had to extract not only from the heavy earth, but from the locust tree root growing horizontally right down the middle of the burdock bed), radishes (French breakfast, globe, black, Korean, rose-heart), daikon, turnips (Japanese, purple-top, golden, red) , scallions and leeks.

And, pushing the envelope of what can be grown in central Illinois, Henry will be bringing up the first-ever . . . GINGER! This is ginger like you’ve never seen or tasted before – not the thick-skinned, dull-colored, stale-tasting stuff in the store, but gorgeous white-rose-golden-hued ginger with a delicate skin and mild flavor and lots of tongue-tingling juice. To achieve this amazing feat, Henry mixed his rich earth with a lot of sand, and then planted the rhizomes in one of the hoophouse early in the season. Since ginger loves hot days, warm nights, and rain every day, Henry kept that hoophouse at around 90 degrees and faithfully watered the ginger every day. You’ll get to taste the amazing result this week. To go with it, get some garlic, lemon grass, and hot pepper and stir-fry up a fabulous Asian dish. Or just stock up, and make yourself some ginger tea – mixed with lemon and honey if you like -- to keep you happy and healthy all winter.

Tomorrow we’ll be up at dawn to start harvesting your greens. While there will be some very nice Asian greens and mustard greens, you probably won’t see much, if any, head lettuce. This is because we’re now paying for the wet August, which prevented Henry from putting in his usual weekly plantings. The lettuces you saw last week were those that he had planted in late July – and he wasn’t able to plant again until late August . . . meaning we won’t have lettuce for most of October, and may or may not have some lettuces for the last market (first Sat in November) and for the pre-Thanksgiving market in mid-November. What you will see, though, is some nice, spicy fall mesclun mix, as well as big bunches of arugula, mizuna, and various mustard greens for your salad needs.

You’ll also see lots of Garlic braids, including the super-long ones with 40 heads, allowing you to make Julia Child’s chicken with 40 cloves of garlic at least once a month over the winter.

There will also be a lot of Winter squashes of every description because Monday and Tuesday were mainly devoted to picking all the winter squashes and pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, which now fill up three whole hayracks, currently in the barn so they don’t get wet, but wheeled out on sunny days to harden and cure in the bright sun and dry air.

A few news items before we move to the Food Notes on Hot Peppers . . .

1. 1. Our Annual Farm Tour and Potluck was a success -- thanks to everyone who braved the cool, damp weather to attend, and thanks to Goose Island, whose delicious beer and root beer kept everyone in good spirits. Henry took small groups on guided tours, and revealed the answers to the “Name that Vegetable” quiz. The winner, by the way, put only his first name, “Jim,” on his winning answer sheet. So if t hat Jim could identify himself, we will get you your prize--a dozen fresh farm eggs, plus a copy of The Seasons on Henry’s Farm.

Those of you who stayed until evening got the real prize, though . . . when the cloud cover finally lifted, revealing the huge and brilliant Harvest Moon. I will try and post some photos of the event on Henry’s Farm facebook page – and you’re welcome to post your photos and thoughts as well.

2. 2. 2^nd Annual HARVEST CELEBRATION benefitting The Land Connection and the Evanston Market

Please join Terra (and Henry’s vegetables), along with the produce of many other Evanston market farmers, prepared by a stellar line-up of Evanston chefs, THIS THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 6:30-9:00, at Now We’re Cookin, 1601 Payne St in Evanston. Reserve now -- $80 in advance/ $100 at the door.

3. erra talking about Henry’s Farm -- If you’d like to listen to a rather leisurely interview I did on WILL radio in Champaign this week, click here

4. Save Farmland and Fresh Chevre! While I was in Champaign, I stopped by Prairie Fruits Farm to get some of their amazing goat cheese, and saw a TV truck with a big satellite parked in the middle of their lane. Turns out Prairie Fruits, and many other farms, lie in the path of “progress” – otherwise known as sprawl. To fight for smart growth, and cast a vote for local food production as an economic driver, please sign the petition against the proposed extension of Olympian drive through prime farmland. You can also see the TV show they filmed the evening I was there.

FOOD NOTES – Pepper and Hot Peppers

Here’s a riddle for you (and your kids): What’s hot and frozen at the same time?

The hot peppers you buy at market this week and freeze for later, of course!

Henry says, “FREEZE NOW, or forever hold your peace!” This is definitely your last chance for hot peppers. And depending on how cold it gets over the weekend (predicting high 20s), the hoophouse the sweet colored peppers may or may not survive.

I wrote about sweet peppers and gave some recipes a couple of weeks ago (you can access previous Food & Farm Notes in the Archives at www.henrysfarm.com), so will briefly touch on the hot peppers, before calling it a night.

I still have molecules of capsaicin from one of Teresa’s very hot jalapenos dancing around in my mouth as I write. We cooked up a quick stir-fry of Chinese cabbage, tatsoi, garlic, and pepper -- only about half of one jalapeno pepper -- but it really had a kick!

Henry will bring you the full spectrum of hot peppers this week – from small to large, green to orange to red, with heat quotients from mildly warm to mouth-blisteringly hot. The seeds and membranes of chilies can contain up to 80 percent of their Capsaicin, the potent compound that gives chiles their fiery nature. Since neither cooking nor freezing diminishes capsaicin's intensity, removing a chile's seeds and veins is the only way to reduce its heat. Or keep them in if you’re a heat freak.

Hot Chilies for the Cold Winter - One of our customers bought a couple pounds of poblanos recently, and said she roasts, skins, and seeds them before freezing. That’s one way to do it, but you can also simply halve them or chop them, and throw them into small freezer bags. Then add them to soups, sauces, marinades, anything you like – all winter long.

Here, from hottest to mildest, here are some of the chilis you’ll see on Saturday, and some suggested uses below.

Habanero -- This is the crazy-hot chile that is nevertheless hard to resist. It has an amazing aroma – with hints of orange blossom, apricots, passion fruit, and grassy green herbs. The flowers and fruit come through in the taste as well, along with sweetness and a tangerine tang -- and then BOOM! -- the fire that overtakes your mouth and heightens your senses.

Habaneros are so small, and so powerful, that you can store a year’s supply in a little freezer bag. Just throw them in whole and keep them all winter. Frozen ones slice in half easily and taste as good as fresh ones in cooked sauces and even in fresh salsas, where there's so little chile that the textural difference is hard to notice.

Hot Thai - This thin-fleshed, fire-engine-red, diminutive chile packs a fiery punch that doesn't dissipate with cooking.

Jalapeño -- Named after Jalapa, the capital of Veracruz, Mexico, these smooth, dark green (scarlet red when ripe) chiles range from hot to very hot. In their dried form, jalapeños are known as chipotles.

Czech Black – looks like a dark green-black jalapeno, but it is much milder

Poblano - A dark (sometimes almost black) green chile with a rich flavor that varies from mild to snappy. The darkest poblanos have the richest flavor. Ripe poblanos turn a reddish-brown color and are sweeter than the green. In their dried state they're known as ancho or mulato chiles. Poblanos can be used in a variety of dishes, but are perhaps best known as the chile of choice for chiles rellenos.

Anaheim - This mild to medium-hot pepper is usually green, but may also be picked after it turns red. They have a sweet, simple taste with just a hint of bite. Anaheims are frequently stuffed and commonly used in salsas. The dried red variety are those used for the decorative ristra, a long string (or wreath) of chiles.

Togarashi -- Small, mild green Japanese chile – great simply pan-fried with salt.

THREE-CHILI RICE

2 large poblano chilies

6 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeño chili

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

2 2/3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

6 tablespoons crushed tomatoes with added puree

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

6 tablespoons chopped green onions

Char poblano chilies over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and chop poblanos. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add poblanos and next 6 ingredients. Cover pan; cook until onion softens, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, crushed tomatoes and salt. Bring just to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Mix in green onions. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Jalapeno Corn Bread

1 cup cornmeal (stoneground is best)

3/4 cup white flour

1/4 cup wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup corn

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

2 Tb vegetable oil

1 Tb light brown sugar

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, minced.

Heat oven to 400. Butter an 8 inch square pan.

Toss dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In another bowl stir the corn and remaining ingredients until smooth. Add half the liquid mixture to the dry mixture, stirring until just blended. Add the remaining liquid and stir until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is golden and a knife in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

Time to Start Stocking UP

The temperatures are dropping and all the old instincts are setting in. I’m eating more (like a bear putting on fat for the long winter), I have a harder time getting out of my warm bed in the morning, and I’m stocking up … filling all of my freezers and cupboards with summer’s bounty.

My name, Teresa, means “to harvest” and I think my parents named me well because I do have an almost compulsive need to harvest and also to store up what I harvest. Sometimes I feel like the ants in the fable “The Grasshopper and the Ants” -- frenetically harvesting, cutting, canning, freezing, and drying every food possible. Not necessarily because I have to, but because I don’t want to have to settle for grocery store fare this winter. If you don’t want to resort to that flavorless stuff from faraway places grown with unknown practices, then you should be stocking up now too – whether your name is Teresa or not!

Frozen Aronia Berries

We will only be bringing our frozen aronia berries up to the market one more time after this week, so if you are hooked on aronia smoothies or love them in your morning oatmeal, get some now to keep in your freezer for use all winter long.

Pears

This weekend you will see the last of most of our fruit, so take advantage of our deliciously sweet Keiffer Pears. These pears are so juicy and sweet that they are best eaten fresh and plain. We had so many rejects though, that I made this pear cake today and it was fabulous warm with ice cream on top. Try throwing in a handful of frozen aronia berries too!

Pear-Raisin Cake

(Makes 9X 9 pan)

8 T. butter, melt and cool

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. orange juice

2 c. flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. allspice

1/4 t. ginger

4 c. chopped pears (1/2 inch chunks)

2 c. raisins or craisins

1 c. walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter and eggs. Add the sugar and orange juice and blend well. Add all of the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Stir in pears, raisins, and walnuts. The batter will be very thick and it will seem like there is not enough batter compared to fruit, but don’t worry. Spread in a 9 X 9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Use a tooth pick to test for doneness.

Dry Herbs, Herb Teas, and Bulk Tea Herbs

Check your cupboards, make your holiday gift lists, and start stocking up. The culinary herbs or herb teas make unique gifts that anyone can use and enjoy.

Here’s what we have:

Herb Teas-

Thai Spice Tea-A cinnamon-y flavored basil called Siam Queen and a piece of cinnamon stick make a fragrant, invigorating, exotic hot drink.

Mint Tea-This is spearmint blended with peppermint and wild mint. A perennial favorite.

Chamomile Tea -Plain chamomile flowers. Tastes great iced or hot with a little lemon and sugar added if desired. Stress reliever and stomach soother. And for me… winter warmer.

Peter Rabbit’s Tea-A blend of chamomile, lemon balm, lemon thyme, and catnip. All four of these herbs have a calming effect, so this is a good bedtime tea. Children’s favorite.

Lemon Medley Tea-A blend of lemon grass and mint with a little sage and thyme thrown in for their aromatic qualities. One of my favorites.

Sunny Lemon Tea with Chamomile-This one IS my favorite. An incredibly fragrant tea, it’s a blend of lemon grass, chamomile, wild mint, and cloves. Both lemon grass and chamomile are good for the stomach.

Country Anise Tea-This is a blend of anise hyssop and raspberry leaves and is naturally sweet. We always keep plenty of this tea on hand for winter because it works wonders on sore throats and coughs.

Tulsi Tea- This is mostly tulsi, or holy basil, with a little lemon verbena mixed in. Tulsi is considered to be medicinal in ayurvedic medicine for a variety of things, but it also has a great taste....a little minty with a hint of cloves. Energy enhancing and uplifting!

Bulk Tea Herbs - Each of these bags can make about 20 cups of tea depending on how strong you like it. You will need a teaball of some sort to put the tea in to brew it.

Chamomile- Just plain chamomile flowers.

Lemon Verbena- The best lemon herb for tea. Use plain or add to your green or black tea.

Cooking Herbs-

Basil

Oregano

Tarragon

Thyme

Rosemary

Lovage

Nepitella

Sage

Dill

Marjoram

Lemon Thyme

Winter Savory

Parsley

Fresh Herbs and Flowers-Last of the season for many varieties!

Some herbs can take a frost or two, but others will die, so get your favorite fresh herbs this week, and then stock up on the dry for the rest of the fall and winter. As for the flowers, they will all be gone by next week, so enjoy one last bouquet!

Hedge Apples-probably the last of the season!

The freeze this weekend will more than likely turn the rest of the hedge apples to mush, so if you need some to keep those spiders out of your house or if you just think they make a nice fall decoration, be sure to get some this week.

See you soon-- rain or shine -- snow or sleet!

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Food and Farm Notes: A weekly peek at what's happening on Henry's Farm and what's coming to market, and what to do with it (with a side helping of poetry, science, philosophy, and what have you) For more information: http://www.terrabrockman.com/Henrys_Farm/welcometohenry%27s.html