Turtle Times
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Vol. 13, No. 20, Sept. 23, ‘08 7260 NW 58th St., Johnston 50131 278-4522 (577-9208)
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In the Box . . .
Winter squash ‘Butternut’ and ‘Gill’s Golden Pippin’
Shallots ‘Prisma’
Lettuce or spinach or pac choi
Tomatoes
Summer squash ‘Sunburst’, ‘Dark green’
Peppers ‘Islander’ (purple ones), ‘Romanian’ (light yellow ones), ‘Orion (green),’Ace’, ‘Lipstick’, ‘Jimmy Nardello’, ‘Tequila Sunrise’, ‘Frank’s’, ‘Tolli’s sweet’, ‘Sweet Chocolate’, ‘Yummy’
Eggplant ‘Snowy’, ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Ping tung long’, ‘Rosa Bianca’, ‘Italian blush’
Raspberries and strawberries rotating sites
Ala Carte Herbs & Veggies ($1 ea): Lavender, parsley, tarragon, thyme, collards ($3)
Free herbs to anyone who requests them: marjoram, sage or basil bouquets
Requests or changes in your delivery this week should to go Ben at grizzdover@gmail.com or 319-331-2367.
Farm Update
Remember next week is the last box of the regular season. You don’t want to miss it. It will have what sweet potatoes we could find, all of your beautiful German Extra Hardy garlic (we saved the best for last), probably beets and greens of some sort. Please bring back your boxes, and unless you have an October share or half-share, bring a bag or box to put your produce in so that you can leave the CSA box behind.
The berries and tomatoes and eggplant are fading. But the winter squash has been very productive this year. This week’s butternut may need to cure a bit longer by keeping in a warm spot for a week or more. The Gill’s Pippin can be eaten now. This is a new one to me. I tried one and liked it a lot.
Because we are digging the sweet potatoes at the last possible moment in order to get as much growth in them as possible, you will need to cure them, as we won’t have time. Keep them in a warm, well ventilated space for 8-10 days. Handle them carefully when you get them next week until they are cured.
This is the first year we have distributed shallots. I discovered when I grew them in my home garden a few years ago that they keep longer than my storage onions. That doesn’t mean that they can’t spoil if this year’s moisture got to them, so keep an eye on them. But maybe next March when you are waiting for the asparagus to ripen, you can enjoy a shallot, avocado, orange slice salad dressed lightly with olive oil and lime juice. They are milder than onions and therefore lovely in salads.
Recipes
Squash salad is a new on for me, so this sounds interesting. I don’t know why you couldn’t use our orange ‘Sunshine’ or butternut for this.
Acorn Squash Salad (from Farmer John’s Cookbook)
2 medium acorn squash
½ d. olive oil
1/3 c. minced fresh cilantro
6 T. orange or tangerine juice
3 T. maple syrup
2 T. minced candied ginger
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper.
Salad greens (one handful per serving), washed, dried, lightly dressed in extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves cut-sides down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender, 30 to 45 minutes depending on size. Cool completely, scoop out the soft flesh, and roughly chop. Place the squash in a bowl and set aside.
Combine the olive oil, cilantro, orange juice, male syrup, ginger, salt, and cayenne in a blender or food processor. Blend well. Pour the dressing over the squash and toss gently. Chill for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to combine. Serve on a bid of lightly dressed greens.