CSA News for the Final Week of the Summer Share

Reminder: This is the final week of the Fruit Season and the Summer Vegetable Season. Next week will be the first week for fall vegetables, eggs, dairy, meat and trout.

The Vegetable Share:

• Broccoli
• Radishes
• Head Lettuce
• Leeks
• Cilantro
• Poblano Peppers
• Butternut Squash (grown by our neighbor, Brad Paulsen)
• Kale

The Fruit Share:

• Apple Cider
• Jonagold Apples
• Honey Crisp Apples
• Asian Pears

Registration for 2014
CSA Shares for 2014 are now available. The 5% early bird discount will be available until November 15th for 3-Season Vegetable Shares and Fruit Shares. Reserve your 2014 shares by registering at our website. As always, you can pay for your shares in up to 5 installments throughout the course of the season.

Peg's Farm Journal
As the summer season draws to a close I want to take the opportunity to thank our members for your encouragement and support. It's been a great summer and we hope it shows in the quality of the foods you've received. Your membership is important not only to us, the Sheaffers and the Millers, but also to the Riemers, Klugs, Bekkums, Byers, Parises and Langes. Along with these families, we are  working hard to bring you the best produce, dairy and meat we can. We all know that purchasing food from family farms helps make sustainable family-scale farming a viable economic enterprise, but what we don't always think about is the way that it contributes to healthy rural communities. Where rural economies are strong, rural culture is strong and vibrant. Small towns become places where people, young and old, want to live. This past weekend we traveled north to visit the town of Reedsburg, where Wisconsin's 3rd annual Fermentation Fest was taking place. Fermentation Fest is a celebration of cultured foods and of rural culture. We enjoyed delicious food, great music, and amazing art, including some pretty cool temporary art installations right in the middle of farm fields. These pictures represent a small sampling of what we saw on Saturday. It was a truly inspiring example a what a vibrant rural community looks like. Thanks again for all you do to make small farms and small towns strong!

Have a good week! --Peg

Avery gives an impromptu pasture performance.

 

Stained glass combine

Our kids contemplate a heavy metal sculpture.

 

The back of this truck says it all.



At the end of the day we leave with a trunk full of  pickles, pies and preserves. Farmer Matt has a big grin on his face the whole way home!

This Week's Featured Recipes

Butternut Squash and Roasted Poblano Casserole
2 poblano peppers, roasted and cut into thin strips

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick

4-5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper

1 leek, thinly sliced (white and light-green parts only)

1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup sour cream

4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

4 oz farmer cheese

chopped cilantro for garnish

toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the butternut squash with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and spread it on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with half of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the squash is tender. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sliced leek, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the leek is softened and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the poblano strips and cook until they are very tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and season the poblano mixture with salt and pepper.

Spoon half of the poblano mixture into a medium baking dish and top with half of the butternut squash and half of the Monterey Jack and farmer cheeses. Repeat with the remaining poblano mixture, butternut squash and both cheeses. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the gratin is golden and bubbling. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and pumpkin seeds and serve.

Chicken Chile with Kale and Poblanos

1 leek, white and light green parts chopped

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed, leaves chopped

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 large can diced tomatoes

1 poblano pepper, skin removed and chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

 

In a medium skillet sauté leek and garlic until soft. Add kale and water and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

 

Meanwhile, pour beans, tomatoes, poblano pepper, cumin and chili powder into a crockpot set on high. When the kale mixure is ready, add it to the crockpot along with 2 cups of water. Cook on high for 3 hours and then add the shredded chicken breast and cilantro. Cook for another hour. Garnish with more fresh chopped cilantro

Gnocchi with Butternut Squash and Kale

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)

1 17.5-ounce package potato gnocchi

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until slightly soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.
Preheat the broiler. Add the chicken broth to the skillet. When it starts to simmer, stir in the kale and cook until it wilts slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the gnocchi, stirring to coat. Cover and cook until the gnocchi are just tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan; transfer to the broiler and cook until golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Next Week's Share (our best guess)... spinach, red potatoes, sage, carrots, Napa cabbage, lettuce, onions and more!