Week 17 Newsletter 2015

Hello Everyone,

This past week we started harvesting apples and continue to see
the damage that was created by the storm back in August. Luckily,
we have crop insurance and our crop was declared 100% damaged
on the majority of our apples. It looks like a wonderful set of fruit until you get a closer look at the pecks, bumps below the skin of the apples. It is a great year for applesauce and ciders!

My mother was very fond of poems by Robert Lois Stephenson and I am including Autumn Fires to kick off our magical  season.

Apple harvest 2015

  Autumn Fires

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

What to expect to find in your bin:


Apples

Red Cabbage

Fernleaf dill 

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Eggplant

Leeks

Peppers

Garlic

Red Kuri Squash/ Butternut Squash

Sage



Here are a couple of recipes that include items you will find in your bin this week.

Butternut Squash Soup With Sage and Parmesan

 ( you can easily substitute red kuri squash for butternut squash in this recipe)

MOIRA HODGSON  Time 45 minutes  Yield 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Spanish onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 ½ quarts vegetable or chicken stock
¼ pound Parmesan piece or rinds
2 butternut squashes, peeled and cubed
3 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 bay leaf

PREPARATION

Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, leeks and garlic and cook them until they are soft.
Add the vegetable or chicken stock, Parmesan pieces or rinds and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Add the butternut squash, sage, bay leaf, salt, pepper. Cook until the squash is tender (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Remove the bay leaf and the cheese and puree one quarter of the soup in a food processor and return it to the stock pot (the cheese -- not the rind -- can be crumbled or grated as a garnish for the soup). Heat through and correct seasoning. Garnish the soup with scallions and serve. Pass the freshly grated Parmesan separately.

Cabbage and Red Pepper Gratin

  MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  Time1 hour 20 minutes  Yield Serves four to six


Paprika contributes a spicy edge to this sweet, comforting gratin.


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in small dice
6 to 7 cups shredded cabbage about 1 1/2 pounds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon sweet or smoky paprika
3 eggs
½ cup milk
2 ounces Gruyère, grated 1/2 cup

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin dish. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Add the red pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pepper is tender and the onion is beginning to color, about five minutes. Stir in the cabbage, dill and paprika. Add salt to taste, and cook, stirring, until the cabbage begins to wilt, about five minutes. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and continue to cook for another five to 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and whisk in about 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in the milk, and stir in the cabbage mixture and the cheese. Scrape into the baking dish.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes or longer before serving.
Tip
Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 1 hours or even a day before assembling and baking. The baked gratin will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, and it can be reheated in a medium oven.