Ohmygato Farm newsletter #20
Hi Gatos, hope all is well. Today you will find yummy apples that we harvested last night from our little lone tree. We didn’t include them all in the boxes as most of them had little peck holes. So this week we will cut out all the blemishes and dry them for your up and coming boxes. Be on the look out for these dry sweeties.This month we are planning on planting garlics so that next year we will have plenty of garlic for many weeks of deliveries. We are also coming upon the time when we will be planting our fruit trees: Apples, Figs, Pears and Peaches. The beets that you got in your box this week are the beets that our polish volunteers Ania & Marek planted back in August. The leeks were also planted around this time and you will be getting those next week. The mixed salad greens are first cut wonders. They have really been growing so perfectly & loving this rain. Natures irrigation is the best. In the bag you will see red leaf mustard, tatsoi, arugula roquette, mizuna & osaka mustard. ENJOY! This week anthony started tutoring spanish at UCC. Spanish is anthonys lingua mater and tutoring is a good way to supplement our income. It’s also good for this farmer to get out of the house every now and then. If anyone is interested in brushing up on their español or are thinking of taking spanish for the first time. Come out and take spanish with anthony at UCC. He will be teaching a non credit Community Education course during the winter term.
todays produce list:
beets
collards
kohlrabi
salad greens
chard
potatoes
acorn squash
Balsamic-Roasted Acorn Squash with Hot Chiles and Honey Bon Appétit | November 2003
Makes 6 servings.
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced peperoncini
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place acorn squash halves, cut side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides with 2 tablespoons oil. Whisk 4 tablespoons oil with remaining ingredients in bowl; divide glaze among hollows of squash halves. Brush glaze over cut surfaces, leaving excess glaze in squash hollows. Bake until squash are very tender and brown, brushing cut surfaces every 15 minutes with glaze in squash hollows, about 1 hour.
Timing tip:
Bake the squash for 45 minutes early in the day. Finish just before dinner is served, baking until squash is tender, about 20 more minutes.
Beet Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash Gourmet | November 2000
The roasted acorn squash tastes fabulous when scooped up with spoonfuls of the beet soup. But if oven space is limited, simply serve the soup in bowls.
Yield: Makes 8 servings (about 10 cups)
Active Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 1/2 hr
8 (1- to 1 1/4-pound) acorn squash
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For soup
1 large red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 medium beets (2 pounds without greens), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red apple such as Gala or Braeburn, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 to 5 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
Accompaniment: cornmeal-cayenne grissini
Roast squash:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut off “tops” of squash (about 1 inch from stem end) and reserve. Scoop out seeds and discard. Cut a very thin slice off bottoms of squash to create a stable base. Brush “bowls” and tops all over with oil and sprinkle salt inside. Arrange squash bowls, with tops alongside, stem ends up, in 2 large shallow baking pans.
Roast squash in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until flesh of squash is just tender, about 1 1/4hours total.
Make soup while squash roast:
Cook onion in oil in a 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add beets and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
Add broth and 4 cups water, then simmer, uncovered, until beets are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in vinegar and brown sugar.
Purée soup in 3 batches in a blender until very smooth, at least 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a large bowl. Return soup to pan, then season with salt and pepper and reheat. If soup is too thick, add enough water to thin to desired consistency.
Serve soup in squash bowls.
Cooks’ notes:
• Squash flesh shrinks during baking; if a small hole forms, serve soup in squash but set in a soup bowl. • Soup can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.