p i c k l i s t

PARSLEY - REDBOR KALE - SHISHITOS PEPPERS! - HABANADAS PEPPERS! - CAYENNE PEPPER! - JALAPENO PEPPER! - BEETS - BUTTERCUP WINTER SQUASH - CARROTS- HEIRLOOM FIELD TOMATOES - CORN - ONION - GARLIC

Content Warning: this newsletter talks about food, if you are fasting in recognition of the holiest day of the Jewish Calendar, then please feel free to pause until tomorrow…. Ok?

And now let’s get into it: our Summer CSA ends this week! What in the world are we all supposed to eat after this week’s goodies run out? Cereal?! Hot dogs? Nightly takeout from Brownsville Butcher and Pantry? JK, As you all know our Fall CSA begins in a week, so this is certainly not the end of fresh veg for those that signed up. In fact for many of you, the fun starts next Wednesday (first FALL CSA!) when our efforts go into filling the farmstand with towers of brussel sprouts, bins of onions, trays of greens and if you are smart and gluten friendly- a fresh warm loaf of bread (via add on bread share).

And as for the fields this week, they did get a light frost two nights in a row. Some plants are toast but the majority remain and they will continue to kick around until a deep kill frost hits and the fog breaks. Truthfully, none of us expect the peppers, corn, and cherry tomatoes to stick around much longer, but while they are here, we will love them dearly and pick them with pretend Summer delight. The brassicas and other greens have no problem with these cool temps, and we have enough greenhouses growing food to keep our bellies full and happy through the Winter Solstice (and beyond?).

In other field topics, we are all impatiently waiting for the tops on the potatoes to properly dry so we can begin to dig the spud field using our fave large piece of equipment, the potato harvester- this will save an insane amount of time. We are all a little sick of hand digging and our fingernails could use a break. For real, the pain of hitting your finger nail into a potato while digging into the soil is a shock to the system for daaaaays.

But the most pressing topic to really hit today is all the food we ate together these last 17 weeks. From strawberries in June, to blueberries in July and Melon into the end of September. We ate like kings and queens! And come January, I guarantee you, the onslaught of Equinox peppers will be missed as you sip on your dried tulsi tea. Moreover, a huge shout out to all CSAers near (farmstand pick up!) and far (Eastman! The Studio! Novo Nordisk! Windsor! Brownsville!). I don’t know what the CSA means to you- is it just groceries? Is it more? But for me, the CSA gives my every week real meaning and rhythm. With the help of so many awesome hands and fellow farmers (Ray, Roy, Garnet, Claire, Denroy, Carlington, Tim, Jasper, Strong, Joe and Mike, Mrs. T and Pam), I get to curate your meals from a field! That is a huge honor and I do not take it lightly. And bottomline here, a massive cheers to you all for taking a chance on Edgewater this season, and I do hope to check in with you all again in the not too distant future.

Peace, Love, and Habanadas, Jenny

Pro-tips:

KALE SALAD WITH ROASTED SQUASH AND FENNEL

FROM START SIMPLE

(the above book is absolutely my go to for nearly all meals, treat yourself:

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The dressing - a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil, plus an optional jolt of ginger- could make anything taste good, and the salad, with its autumnal profile, works just as well in holiday menus as it does in packed weekday lunches… Add some crumbled feta if you’d like a tangy creamy element.

2 cups winter squash cut into bite size pieces

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (optional)

Salt & pepper

1 small fennel, cored (also optional!)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large bunch of kale (stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Parsley, (chopped)

Preheat the oven to 425. Spread the squash on a baking sheet, then toss with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool.

Whisk together the remaining1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, and ginger, if using, in a serving bowl. Cut the fennel (if using) into thinnest-possible shavings, preferable using a mandoline or, if not, a very sharp knife. Add the fennel and squash to the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, which will soften up the fennel, then add the kale and toss with your hands. Top with cheese if using and chopped parsley!

Grounding Roasted Roots with Creamy Jalapeño Yogurt Sauce

Grounding roasted roots with herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce is a beautiful and simple side dish that features a delicious sauce.

PREP TIME:15 MINS/ COOK TIME:1 HR/ TOTAL TIME:1 HR 15 MINS/ SERVINGS 4 -6

ROOTS:

1 lb carrots (5 medium), peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces
½ lb beets (3 medium/4 small) peeled and chopped into 1-inch wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons za’atar spice
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

YOGURT SAUCE:

1 cup mixed herbs, packed (I used parsley, dill & basil), plus extra for garnish
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped (I left some of the seeds because I like the heat)
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons shelled and salted pistachios, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup thick non-dairy yogurt (see notes for recommendations)

Notes

I would make this a meal by serving it in a grain bowl-style setup with some cooked farro, white beans, and a big handful of chopped/baby greens per person.
I used carrots and beets, but any mixture of root vegetables you like is good. You’ll need 1 ½ pounds.
If you don’t have za’atar spice blend, that’s fine! Just use salt and pepper. The sauce is super flavourful.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9x13x2 baking dish with parchment paper.
Place the chopped carrots and beets in the baking dish and toss them with the olive oil, za’atar, salt and pepper. Once the vegetables are evenly coated, spread them out into a single layer and slide the dish into the oven. Roast the vegetables for 1 hour, taking them out at the halfway point to stir them up and flip them over.
Make the herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce: In a food processor, combine the herbs, jalapeño, garlic, pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse the machine a few times until everything is finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Add the non-dairy yogurt to the food processor and pulse until the sauce is fully combined and uniformly light green. Check the sauce for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
To serve: Spread the herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce out on the base of your serving plate. Pile the roasted root vegetables on top of the yogurt sauce.
Garnish the grounding roasted roots and herbed jalapeño yogurt sauce with extra chopped herbs and pistachios. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Corn!

Heads up yall, this corn was picked on Saturday pre-frost as a just in case frost precaution. It’s great for soups or freezing for winter!

To freeze: blanch in boiling water, let cool, remove kernels, put in zip lock bag, and freeze!