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FARM NOTES: And it’s a hard. it’s a hard, it’s a hard . . .

Frost gonna fall . . .

 

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Yup. This very night could be the fifth night of hard frost for us. It all started last Saturday night, then Sunday night, and Monday tonight, and last night was the hardest frost of all. Henry’s farm is 3 hours south of Chicago, but without the moderating influence of that big blue-tiful body of water, we have been much colder than you.

 

Henry had this last market week all planned out . . . the plan was to harvest as much as possible, so you can stock up for the sad, market-less weeks ahead. He figured he’d start digging all the root crops on Wednesday, then begin on the greens Thursday, and continue until dusk on Friday. But, as Grandma Henrietta always said, man proposes and God disposes.

 

This morning, feeling the frozen crusted-over ground beneath his boots and looking over the hoary fields, Henry realized he should have picked the greens Wednesday, before the mercury dipped into the mid-20s last night.

 

Of course, there were still plenty of roots to dig in the morning, while Henry and Matt and Courtney waited for the frost to melt off the greens as the sun slowly warmed them. If you try and cut and bunch greens when they are partially frozen, the plant cells will rupture and the greens will turn all mushy and limp. But if you wait patiently until they come back above freezing, they somehow return to their normal, pre-frosted selves, and can handle being harvested. Most of the autumn greens are very hardy, even the lettuces. They may look fragile and delicate, but they are steel magnolias.

 

The frosts were certainly a long time coming this year—about a month later than usual. But they are here at last, and, as always, their arrival is bittersweet. The basil and okra, peppers and tomatoes are long gone, blackened and beginning their return to the soil whence they sprang. But that same frosty kiss is making all your greens all the sweeter.

 

And we end the regular season with a big hug and kiss to you, our friends and customers, who value what we do enough to enable us to keep doing it. We truly couldn’t do it without you.

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FOOD NOTES: Highlights of the Last Market . . .

 

Big and Bouncy Broccoli Raab

The Broccoli Raab looks and tastes fantastic this year, and Henry will be bringing almost every bit of it up to market this week. Consider buying 4 or 6 or 10 bunches, and cooking them down to put in freezer bags for later. It’s really quite easy to do (instructions below), and when you break the bags open, they’ll be the freshest-tasting thing you’ll eat all winter.

 

Second Coming of the Fennel

There will also be lots of beautiful fennel. These are the fennel plants that Henry transplanted from the greenhouse to the fields way back in April and May. He harvested the main bulb months ago, but rather than clear-cutting them and being done with it, as happens in large-scale commercial production, Henry harvested the bulbs out slightly higher, so that each plant would make 2 or 3 more bulbs as side shoots. These are the carefully tended fennel bulbs you’ll get this week.

 

Topless Roots

Despite the nip in the air, you’ll see, parading around Henry’s stand, a lot of loose, topless . . . radishes and turnips. They’ll be on sale for a reduced per-pound price this week. We’ve heard customers say they want tops on their roots so that they’ll store better. Au contraire! Roots store much better, for much longer, with the tops off. So buy these babies up and put them in a bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. They’ll be happy there for months.

 

Pumpkins, Squash, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes . . . Get ‘em while you can!

This week you will see tons of pumpkins and winter squash, but do not be lulled into a false sense of squash security. Henry has 3 more CSAs in the coming weeks, and there may be few or no squash/pumpkins/potatoes/sweet potatoes at the pre-Thanksgiving market at Immanuel Lutheran Church. [For any first-timers, there is a private market held the Saturday before Thanksgiving at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Evanston. You’ll get another email just before that market with all the details.]

 

By Popular Demand . . . another La Ratte Special - 5 pounds of the white fingerling La Ratte, toast of Parisian chefs, for only $10.

 

 

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FOOD NOTES: Broccoli raab (Rapini), Chinese broccoli (Gai-Lan), and Even’ Star Farm Champion Collards

 

All of these greens, and many others you’ll see this week, are now at their peak of taste and nutrition. So take the plunge and freeze them! All you need is a big pot, and some freezer bags.

 

When you get home with your big bags of greens, put your pot of salted water on to boil. While you’re waiting for it, rinse the greens and coarsely chop them. Then, when the water’s boiling, put lots and lots of greens in . . . they melt down as they hit the hot water, and you’ll be surprised how many chopped greens will fit into one pot.

 

Bring the pot back to a boil for just a minute or so, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. You want them tender-crisp, just a minute or two shy of being cooked they way you’ll want them in the end. Then fill the freezer bags, and put them in the freezer and you’re done, until, a few weeks or months from now, you crave some farm-fresh greens, and voila, there they are, waiting for a microwave or a pot of boiling water to bring them back to the exact taste, nutrition and freshness you had the day you froze them.

 

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

from Giada De Laurentiis

4 bunches broccoli rabe (rapini), stems trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup raisins (optional)
Salt
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Working in batches, cook the broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 1 minute per bunch. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Strain the cooled broccoli rabe and set aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the reserved cooking water, the raisins, and cook until the broccoli rabe is heated through and the stems are tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt, to taste. Just before serving, toss the mixture with the pine nuts.

 

Stir-Fried Chinese Greens with Ginger, Oyster and Soy Sauce

from Jamie Oliver

1 pound of mixed Chinese greens--bok choy, Chinese broccoli, etc
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
4 scallions, finely shredded
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 pinches of sugar
juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Cut the Chinese broccoli into 2-inch chunks, and the bok choy into quarters. Plunge the greens into boiling water for about 1 1/2 minutes until just tender, and drain well.

Put the oil and the ginger into a very large, hot wok or other suitable pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the scallions and the rest of the ingredients apart from the seasoning. Toss so that everything is coated in sauce. The vegetables will sizzle and stir-fry. The oyster and soy sauce will reduce, just coating the greens. At this point season to taste. Stir-fry for a further minute and serve immediately.

 

Even’ Star Farm Champion Collards

The collard greens you’ll get this week were developed by Brett Grohsgal of Even’ Star Organic Farm in Maryland. Even Star Champion Collards were developed to perform under bitterly cold growing conditions. They also offer a taste treat that is noticeably more robust and flavorful than your typical leafy green vegetables.

 

You can do a classic, slow-cooked collard or mustard green dish with ham or smoked turkey, or, for something different, make a delicious saag. Saag is a greens-based curry dish eaten in India and Pakistan, usually with bread such as roti or naan. Saag can be made from spinach, mustard leaves, collard greens, or other greens, along with added spices and sometimes other ingredients such as cheese or potatoes. A common form of saag is "Saag paneer", which contains a type of cheese known as paneer. You can substitute a firm tofu if you like.

 

Saag

from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian

1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
1 to 2 hot fresh green chiles, very finely chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
1 small, ripe tomato, finely chopped
3 pounds cooking greens, cut crosswise into very fine strips
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon garam masala

 

Put the oil in a large, wide pot and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, put in the chile, onions, and garlic. Stir and fry until the onions turn medium brown. Add the tomato. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Now put in the greens and salt. Cover, allowing the greens to wilt. Stir, turn the heat to medium, cover again, and cook for 25 to 45 minutes (shorter for mustard and longer for the collard greens). Uncover, add the garam masala, and stir. Cook, uncovered, another 5 to 6 minutes, or until almost no liquid is left is left at the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat during this period, if needed.

 

Creamy Saag Curry

from Tyler Florence

2 pounds greens, finely sliced or chopped
1/4 cup butter or peanut oil
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Salt

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, toss in the greens and cook for 20 minutes or until very tender. Dump greens into a colander and press firmly with the back of a spoon to extract as much water as possible. Set aside.

Heat the butter or oil in a deep skillet over medium-high flame. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir for about 5 minutes until soft. Sprinkle the mixture with the curry powder; continue to stir to marry the flavors, about 1 minute. Fold in the chopped greens and give everything a good toss. Shut off the heat and stir the buttermilk and yogurt into the spinach to incorporate. The mixture should be creamy and somewhat thick. Season with salt, to taste, and serve with steamed basmati rice and/or flat bread.

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Teresa’s Fruit and Herb News

 

More Hedge Apples

Two weeks ago, the few boxes of hedge apples that Michael brought up disappeared so fast that several people who got to the market late were disappointed to find they wouldn’t be able to buy their organic bug control for the season.  Michael, being one who doesn’t like to leave anyone unhappy, kept an eye out all the way home that day for the rare tree that might be bearing in this lean hedge apple year, and finally, on the last leg of the trip, he spied a tree in a neighbor’s pasture.  After getting permission from the farmer, who was happy to have us gather them since his cows have choked on them in the past, he crossed a couple of fences,  braved the thorny branches, and ended up with over-full boxes to lug across the wide field and back to his truck.  So, this is the LAST CHANCE for your spider/insect repellent hedge apples.  Get to the market early for the best selection.  They are at their peak for aroma now, and make a unique and beautiful decoration too – either whole in a basket, or sliced into rounds and dried. For everything else you’ve ever wanted to know about hedge apples, see (what else?) hedgeapple.com.

 

 

New This Week: Horseradish, Dried Wheat and Allium Bunches, and Jam

All the flowers have been frosted, but we have some nice dried decorations that look very autumn-like and will last all winter!  Pair a bunch of wheat with a nice bowl or basket full of hedge apples.

 

Last chance for Raspberry Jam--Come early!

 

Horseradish Roots

Horseradish needs to be nipped by frost to release its best flavor, so that’s why we only have it for you at the last market.  Fresh horseradish root has a wonderfully pungent, hot flavor that is used most commonly with meats, from prime rib and roast beef to pork and turkey. However it is also good with potatoes, in dips, and for something different, try a tablespoon of grated horseradish in 1 cup of applesauce for a piquant condiment for your pork dishes.

 

To prepare the horseradish root, scrub it and peel off the skin.  You can grate it, but using a food processor will make it much easier.  Cut the peeled root into cubes and pulse until you get the desired consistency.  The fumes are very strong and can actually burn your eyes and nose.  Be sure to open a window, remove the lid at arm’s length, and turn your head away.  For homemade prepared horseradish, just add white vinegar and salt to taste while processing.  Store in a lidded glass jar in the refrigerator up to 6 weeks.  In cooked dishes, always add horseradish at the end of cooking or it will lose its spicy zing.

 

Horseradish and Celery Root Potatoes

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium celery root, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons horseradish, grated

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Chives to taste, chopped finely

 

Steam potatoes and celery root until tender.  Drain and process through a food mill or mash with a fork.  Whip with butter, salt, pepper, and horseradish.  Fold in chives.  Serve.

 

Creamed Horseradish Dill Sauce

(Great with prime rib or rare roast beef)

1/2 cup fresh grated horseradish

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry dill or 1 tablespoon fresh

 

Place grated horseradish, heavy cream, and salt into the bowl of a small food processor and pulse until thickened to the consistency of stiff-whipped cream.  Do not over-beat or you will end up with butter.  Scrape into a bowl and fold in the dill.  Refrigerate at least two hours to let flavors meld.

 

Last Chance for Fresh/Dry Herbs and Herb Teas

I’m just going to give you a list here, so you can check your cupboards and write down what you still need to get you through the winter.

 

Dry Herbs               Fresh Herbs *     Herb Teas

Basil           Mint             Chamomile tea

Oregano          Cilantro                 Mint Tea

Dill weed                Dill             Country Anise Tea (very limited amount)

Dill seed                Cutting celery   Catnip Tea (time to stock up for kitty too!)

Sage             Parsley          Thai Spice Tea

Tarragon                 Marjoram                 Peter Rabbit’s Tea

Marjoram                 Rosemary                 Sunny Lemon Tea

Catnip          Lemon Medley Tea

*Fresh herbs subject to change depending on frost conditions.

 

 

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