Week 15 Newsletter 2018

Hello Everyone,  

Honey Crisp

We are in full swing with the apple harvest. The cooler and the packing shed have a strong fresh apple aroma and the bins keep marching in from the orchards. We are not fond of the gale like winds and hope that the weather settles down for the next few weeks. We prefer a cool finish for the apples and are looking forwards to cooler temperatures for the apple picking crew to complete the apple harvest.

*Save The Date*

You are invited to come to the farm and fill your last bin (Week 16) of the season. We will be meeting in the Peak Season CSA garden on Wednesday. (10/3/18) between 4:30 - 6:30 pm.

 I will include your Beyond The Bin tally this week with your Week 15 Bin. It works best for me if you can plan on paying when you pick up your Week 16 Bin.  For those who will not be coming to the garden please mail the payment to me to this address:  

17017 Peninsula Drive,
Traverse City, MI  49686

Smoothies

Once again ... I will be offering an early sign up option for the 2019 season. If you sign up for next year by November 1, 2019 and include your $ 50.00 deposit you will receive a FREE 1/2 bushel of Honey Crisp apples for a full share or a FREE 1/2 peck of Honey Crisp apples for a small share. I will have apples and sign-up sheets available at the CSA garden on Wednesday. (10/3/18)

 What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Macintosh Apples
Purple Plums
Beets
Lettuce
Red Onions
Sweet Peppers
Garlic
Kuri Squash
Tomatoes

... and in your buckets:

Jonagold

Macintosh Apples
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Kuri Squash
Garlic

Here are a couple of recipes that include some seasonal ingredients. 

Original Plum Torte

MARIAN BURROS
YIELD
 8 servings
TIME 
1 hour 15 minutes


INGREDIENTS

¾ to 1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt (optional)
2 eggs

Empire

24 halves pitted purple plums
Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping


PREPARATION

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

Roasted Squash and Red Onion Gratin With Quinoa

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
YIELD
 Serves 6
TIME
 About 1 hour 15 minutes plus 10 minutes cooling time


INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds butternut or kabocha squash, peeled, seeds and membranes removed, and cut in small dice (1/2 to 3/4 inch) (about 4 cups diced)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ red onion, chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, cut in half, cleaned thoroughly, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 ounces Parmesan, grated (1/2 cup)
3 eggs
½ cup milk (2 percent)
½ cup cooked rainbow or black quinoa

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet in an even layer. Place in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 350 degrees. You should have about 2 cups roasted squash.
Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add leek and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until onion and leek are tender, another 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Remove from the heat.
Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. In a large bowl, beat eggs and add salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt). Whisk in milk. Add onions and leek mixture, squash, Parmesan and quinoa, and combine well. Scrape into the prepared baking dish.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until set and the top is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or longer before serving.

Tip
Advance preparation: The roasted squash will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. The gratin will also keep for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a medium oven for about 20 minutes.