Whose bringing the biscuits?

I've been missing in action - totally gone AWOL! Life all of a sudden got busy busy busy. So this wrap up to the season comes a little late and there might be some other posts over the winter but if you are looking for a few good recipes be sure to check out the facebook page - there are some on there as well.

It sounds like the potluck- end of season bonus pick was a lot of fun. Sorry to miss that one but was off on another trip. I was so hoping for some beets and those sweet carrots! Guess I'll have to settle for the Farmer's Market from here on out.

So my latest project with a few pumpkins I had left from a share plus a few of my own was to make overnight pumpkin butter. What a way to wake up in the morning! the smells of pumpkin and cinnamon wafting through the house. Smelled like Thanksgiving!

Here's my adaptable recipe. Sorry this really isn't a precise one so you'll have to work with me here.

First cook 5 or 6 small pumpkins - any variety is good but sugar baby are particularly sweet. (Shown above with a long island cheese) I just jab them with a big fork and cook them whole at 350 degrees until they are soft like a baked potato. Then scoop out the seeds and stringy flesh - super easy after it is cooked! and scoop the pumpkin flesh into the crock pot or into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use in the next day or two.

Then combine in a large crockpot (I use a 6 qt) the pumpkin flesh, 2 cups of brown sugar, almost a cup of apple cider, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and ginger and 1/2 tsp cloves (these can be in any amount based on your taste buds but this is where I start). Stir together and cook on low over night. In the morning blend with an immersion blender. Taste and decide if you need to add anything like cider or sugar or a little more cinnamon. You'll also need to decide if it needs to cook down further based on consistency. If it is too runny, remove the lid and let it cook down - Caution: Spatter Alert! If it is too thick add a little cider.

Pumpkin butter is then ready to use or gift. I canned mine in (mostly) half pints for 10 minutes. Many websites caution against canning and suggest you freeze or use immediately. I have never had any problem canning mine but that is my disclaimer.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Souper Pumpkin Recipes

I've received some "souper" sounding recipes in the mail from Stoney Lonesome fans - sounds like we need a pumpkin or two in our bonus share next week - no pressure Pablo :)

The first one comes from Joan - sounds divine and the blog it came from is beautiful - then again anything from New England is, especially this time of year.

http://frombeyondmykitchenwindow.blogspot.com/2011/09/rouge-vif-detampes.html

The recipe involves roasting a pumpkin (directions included) and uses a light cream cheese in it. Must try !

The next recipe comes from Rebecca

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Corn-and-Lemongrass-Soup-240545

She suggests using veggie stock instead of water, and to use additional seasoning. I was a little confused by the lack of pumpkin in the recipe ingredients - but obviously substitute pumpkin for the squash. Or try the squash - the butternut flavor would be excellent as well.

And a bonus recipe for the swiss chard - which we are sure to see at some point

 -from Rebecca

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/neelys-chickpea-ham-and-swiss-chard-soup-recipe/index.html

if you are not a ham eater Rebecca suggests - turkey bacon, turkey sausage or just smoked turkey as worthy substitutes. 

Swiss Chard is calling your name

Happy Soup Suppers!

Fall Colors and Soup

You probably expected to see leaves - but no I am talking about the fall colors in vegetables. I love fall and winter vegetables - all those greens and oranges. We have had a lot of tasty greens over the last week. I have found myself experimenting with a few new recipes. Aside from the standard frittata which we always enjoy I tried a recipe for "Olive Garden's" Gnocchi and Chicken Soup. The recipe calls for spinach but I substituted the swiss chard and it was delicious. The greens added a depth to the soup that wasn't there before and even though it is a knock off recipe - meaning it really isn't from Olive Garden - I thought it was better! And hearty and warm - perfect for those torrential downpours the last few nights.

http://www.copykat.com/2010/02/28/olive-garden-chicken-and-gnocchi-soup/

Previously I tried this soup recipe and used the kale in it. I like this one as it tasted light but still creamy since I mashed some of the potatoes with my immersion blender. I just used regular turkey sausage, too.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Portuguese-Kale-and-Potato-Soup-10261

Of course each week we have a vegetable soup with whatever veggies are in the share and in my garden - and occasionally I'll add noodles or beans and call it minestrone. Yes I do love soup weather! And the salads have been super too! Those little cherry tomatoes - what a treat! Just add crusty bread and life is good! Hopefully you were able to put up the extra peppers etc that we had so that you can still enjoy some of the tasty freshness over the winter.

And what about those pumpkins - what creations did you come up with for them? I'll post recipes for them next but would love to hear what you tried. It might be your last chance to contribute until next year . Email me at CSAfarmgirl@gmail.com.

 

PS.If you thought our blog was done because I disappeared for a little bit - not to worry - I still have several things left to talk about and lots more pictures to share. I've been happily involved in my son's wedding and then was quite sick but I'm back for a few more weeks of vegetable goodness.

HAPPY FALL!

All Spruced Up

Today (Sunday) was the Prince William County 11th Annual Farm Tour and Stoney Lonesome Farm was the first stop on the schedule. Even without the hayride, which has been a big hit in past years, Pablo reports that this was the best attended tour yet. With tours of the farm - including the Future Field for the adventurous  - and an introduction to the CSA, everyone kept busy including Aryeh. The place was all spruced up with new raised beds of flowers welcoming guests.
It is hard to believe there are only a few short weeks left in this season's CSA shares. Today there were lots of new things in the share - well I guess "new" is a misnomer, but things we haven't seen since spring are cropping up all over. (pun intended - been hanging out with Pablo too long!)

The share includes lots of greens; lettuce, kale, braising mix, for fresh salads this week. A few pattypan squash  and a little okra are left. And don't forget the delicious crisp radishes for breakfast.

 Week 19

 Braising mix and greens, lettuce, kale, basil, pattypan squash, 

okra, garlic,and radishes

Before they are completely gone, celebrate with some squash fritters. A grilled steak and a fresh salad will round them out nicely.

Squash Fritters

1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
a little pepper
2 eggs.
Mix to form a smooth batter. Add:
3 cups shredded squash
1/3 cup minced onion or some garlic (optional)
1 tbsp fresh herbs - your choice

Add a little olive oil to a medium skillet and heat to medium heat. Drop a large spoonful of batter into the frypan. Fry until golden, turn and cook on second side until done.

 
And a fresh one for those greens that are coming out again
Confetti Kale

In a large skillet saute in 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, chopped kale and a little minced garlic for about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed), 1/2 cup red sweet pepper, 1/4 cup water and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 more minutes until heated through and serve immediately.

This week's recipes come from the cookbook, Simply in Season. A world community cookbook by the creators of More With Less and Extending the Table.

Is it too late for Fried Green Tomatoes?

 Week 18 - lettuce and beet greens, squash eggplant and pepper medley,

green tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and flat green beans,

and edamame

 

green heirloom tomatoes  - so pretty

 a little slicing, a little batter and - tada -

 fried grren tomatoes and okra

It's probably too late to enjoy fried green tomatoes from our share but if you get the chance you have to try them. They are delicious - sweet, juicy, crunchy  -I don't know why I have waited so long to try them. I used a recipe from online (googled from simply recipes) and it was super easy. The hit was the sauce they suggested for dipping - a remoulade sauce. Super good - with a bite - a great compliment. I hope you get the chance to enjoy them yet this fall. I also threw in a few okra. Will definitely repeat!

 

I never get tired of this  container of goodies. I love the small eggplant and patty pan squash and the different varieties of peppers. Will miss you when you're gone!

Only four weeks left!

Remnants of Summer

 Week 17 - Moon and Stars Watermelon, Squash, eggplant, onions, peppers, basil and edamame


It's that "weird" time in the garden. The in-between time when summer's bounty is about finished and fall crops aren't quite ready. Especially with the rain we had a few weeks ago the gardens are in a phase of change. There is still plenty to eat - This past weeks share had a number of yummy options. I found myself making squash fritters, a watermelon, feta and mint salad (one of my favorites) and some more basil oil with the bag of basil we got on Sunday. I also roasted peppers and then froze them for later use in a variety of recipes.

On Wednesday I stopped by the farm to visit the future field. Every other time I came it was too wet or raining so when Wednesday turned out to be a beautiful day I headed over. Here's what's growing in the future field: winter squash, herbs, carrots, onions, lettuce, beans and peas, etc. We should be seeing some of these soon. There were also lots of watermelon and okra left to harvest and plenty of green tomatoes.

What's this?

The new kid on the block is edamame - a green soybean. Easiest prep is to boil for about 5 minutes in salt water and then eat the beans right out of the pods.There are some dip recipes out in cyberspace that look and taste quite similar to hummus. It is a super nutritional food and a great snack for dieters. I added mine to a veggie casserole recipe (with corn, carrots and squash) and it was delicious. Let us know how you ate your edamame.

Okra is still growing

A new twist

Week 16

Watermelon, pattypan squash, eggplant, onions, fennel,
tomatoes, peppers, herbs and flowers

Oh it rained,rained rained, forty days and forty nights, and the animals in the ark rocked to and fro. But the ark stood still after 40 days and nights and old Noah told them, "Now you're free to go!"

A silly song from my childhood but one which has replayed itself in mind over these last few days/weeks of rain. And they say it isn't over with yet. At Harvest time on Wednesday there were 5" of new rain in the gauge. And it had only begun! Head over to facebook to see pics of a very wet Stoney Lonesome - Pablo referred to it as Venice.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/121577615922/

Even so we had a great share to use on Wednesday. I was particularly excited about the green tomatoes and the cute little herb bunch. I love fresh herbs and to get such a nice variety all at the same time was really fun. I'm going to fry up those green tomatoes and I will post some pics and a recipe soon. I'm thinking about watermelon rind pickles like grandma used to make too!

But for today I want to share an idea for the flowers - yup the flowers. I started making these last year and got rave reviews so this year I grew my own field of globe amaranth to supplement those coming from Stoney Lonesome and to have enough to sell these cute little wreaths on the side.

First of all you have to save and dry the globe amaranth. If you are not familiar with the globe amaranth, it is the little purple globes found in each bouquet. These dry beautifully and you can do it one of two ways - one is to hang it upside down by the stem. The other way to dry is to cut the stem off and just dry them on an old window screen. After they are dry - a few weeks, they are ready for use. I purchased these little 6 inch wreaths at Michaels for .79 cents each. I also bought a few little silk green vines and and some dried static for variety in texture and hot glued them on four spots for some variety. Then I glued all the globe amaranth I could find around the edges. If you've been saving it all along you'll have enough by the end of the season. I have also been known to pick up all the "rejects" that end up on the ground - from broken stems to those that just don't make it into the bundles for one reason or another. We have a lot of oak trees and I have been making oak candle holders as part of my business for some time so these wreaths were a welcome addition to the candle holders. Another use for the amaranth pieces that fall off is to just add them to some potpourri. The pretty purple color adds a bright spot and freshens up the look. I added some lavender and some rose petals and put them all in a pretty glass bowl.

Hope you've saved your globe amaranth or Gomphrena Globosos as it is formally known. It really is a beautiful flower and hold its color well for some time. Has anyone had any luck drying anything else?

September Reflections

Hello loyal farm blog readers,

This week’s post is brought to you by me, Stoney Lonesome Apprentice Diana, for Mary while she is on vacation.

Can you believe it’s September already? The summer months really flew by, in a flutter of cherry tomatoes! There are still 8 weeks of the season left, and lots more to look forward to. Yesterday afternoon Pablo and I finished up a record planting of bok choi, lettuce heads, and cabbage. Just as the seasons begin to change color, so will the shades of our share… from the rainbow array of watermelon, flowers, and tomatoes back to earthy tones with leafy greens and winter squash.

Last week we said goodbye to our amazing college interns, Katherine and Logan. They were a great help on the farm and hard workers in every activity from buckle hoeing broccoli to weeding strawberries or hilling potatoes. Their positive spirits, stories, and ideas discussed in the field and over lunch helped us weather the hottest, humid days of summer together). I hope it was a good experience for them; it was certainly a great one for me to help lead them.


This is my second season working at Stoney Lonesome. I started last year with zero experience or knowledge of farming besides an interest in sustainability and vegetables. I’ve come a long way since then and am still loving the work everyday. Staying on another year and working full-time has allowed me to see the farm come full circle… In the wintertime I cleared brush and got to experience a still, snow-covered farm. I helped Pablo with the planning process and ordering seeds. In early spring I started seeds in the greenhouse and rehabbed the beds despite the challenges of rain. We started our most ambitious project of the season- breaking ground in the “future field.” It has been so exciting to see the field transform from soggy sod to a colorful sea of vegetables (after many hours of tilling, planting, weeding, and mulching of course!). My added responsibility this spring and summer comes with the amazing bonus of living in the farmhouse. Day to day life of a young farmer can be challenging and sometimes exhausting, but my connection to this beautiful piece of land makes it all worth it.

My favorite part about farm life is appreciating how growing vegetables can bring a community together. Harvest days are so gratifying as our wonderful, unique harvest helpers come to reap the edible benefits of our hard work. I love greeting and getting to know members as we chat in the distribution shed about recipes, weather, and life. Sharing a meal of Stoney Lonesome veggies and pasture-raised chickens with Pablo, Esther, and Aryeh is just about as good as it gets. Life is delicious!

Cleaning Out the Frig Sauce

Between my own garden and my CSA share and my family dwindling in size I have a bunch of misc veggies that need something done to them. A few weeks ago I made a lasagna from the recipe that was submitted to the CSA newsletter and I tucked away the idea that this sauce could really be used for lots of things. So this morning I pulled everything out and began to reconstruct the recipe based on what I had available

Part one - You really want to do the prep ahead of time, there is nothing worse than something burning in the pan while you chop the next ingredient. The only exception to this was I saved my eggplant to chop at the last minute because it browns so quickly.
So: peel tomatoes and chop veggies. I used a leek and a red onion, garlic, peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, okra, chopped tomatoes, fresh herbs and fish pepper.
Cook in a skillet w olive oil in the above order. When the onions and peppers are soft, add the squash, when the squash is soft, add the eggplant, etc. adding oil as needed. Then once you have everything softened add the chopped tomatoes and herbs. Then I added a can of diced tomatoes
and a can of tomato sauce. Cook everything until desired consistency, add salt and pepper to taste and you have a delicious multi-purpose sauce.

Excellent in lasagna, yummy on pasta or my favorite - scooped over focaccia bread. Just for fun lets call it upside down pizza. I took one focaccia bread, topped it with grated cheese and some chunks of Brie (leftovers from another recipe from the blog), then put a scoop of sauce on top. The juices soak into the bread making a cross between a panzanella experience or a soup with croutons. I love it - hope you will too.

As for amounts - you can really use whatever. The first time I made it I had one of each vegetable, and 1 can of each kind of tomato. Made just enough for a 9x13 lasagna. The second time I made it I doubled the ingredients and had enough for pasta with dinner plus put a qt in the freezer. Today when I made it I used about 6 of everything, used three cans of each kind of tomatoes, two pans and canned 6 qts for later use. Not too bad for just "cleaning out the frig."

Sizzling HOT and Extra Spicy

HotPeppers on the extras table

No – I don’t mean the weather. Just looking for ideas on what to do with the hot peppers – and “lucky you,” I’ve found TEN. Actually quite a few more than ten but I will let you take it from there.

First of all a brief explanation - This year we have for our palette pleasure a variety of peppers in a variety of heat levels. Farmer Pablo tells me we have Red and Orange Bells, Corno Di Toro, Jupiter, Early Thickset, Jalapeño, and Fish Peppers. Their heat levels go in that order – give or take with Bells being the sweetest and Fish being the spiciest.

A few other things I’ve learned is that the Corno Di Toro means “Bull’s Horn” and is an heirloom Italian sweet pepper used most often in frying and sauces. The Fish pepper also has an interesting story.

Fish peppers

Another heirloom pepper, it originates in the Baltimore/Chesapeake Bay region of the USA. Black caterers used them to make white paprika to flavor the cream sauces used with the many fish and shellfish dishes they served. This avoided the muddy appearance that typically came with using paprika made from red peppers. The redder they are the hotter they get and dried peppers are hot hot like cayenne pepper. Fish peppers date back as far as the 19^th Century and are now a popular plant with landscapers due to the ornamental variegated strip on both the pepper and the leaves of the plant. They grow well in container gardens but you will want to be sure that you have a true heirloom seed and not the “off” seeds that have come from landscaping companies. (All info from Mother Earth News)

Ten things you can do with Hot Peppers

(and probably the sweet peppers too for the most part)

1. Hot Pepper Oil

2. Hot Pepper Jelly – especially delicious over cream cheese on crackers. Makes a great gift over the holidays with its bright color

3. Salsa

4. Dry them – Just string them up and hang to dry. Heat will increase with drying so watch out!

5. Stuffed – try cream cheese or cheddar cheese or combination in jalepenos

6. Roasted – roasted peppers are delicious with pasta, on toast, etc

7. Pickles – You know the old pickled pepper rhyme. A delicious condiment

8. Marinade – on both meats and vegetables – use that grill year round

9. Flavored vinegar – used in Barbeque sauce, hot wings, salsa, Italian veggies

10. Relish – either as a pepper relish or in other relishes like pickle relish, corn relish, etc.

I found hundreds of recipes using Google and you probably have some of your own so I will let you use the internet to your advantage and find what you like. This is just to get the wheels rolling. Better pick up your share early next week to get your HOT peppers off the “extras” table. I expect a run on hot peppers. Please save a few for me!

(the sweets)

Back to Tomatoes

Week 13
Tomatoes and tomatoes and Patty Pan Squash,
Peppers, Eggplant, and Lovely Bouquets
and "extra" cucumbers and okra

What do you do with all of your cherry tomatoes? That was the question posted on the facebook page this week and the answer is: Apparently quite a bit!

Renee C passed along the blog address of Food 52. This week the food blog Food52 hosted a contest for cherry tomato ideas. You will want to see this weblog for reader submitted ideas. Perhaps there is time to submit your own? I plan to try the Tomato Cobbler first.

http://www.food52.com/contests/252_your_best_cherry_tomatoes#submit

Former CSA member Joan W sent in these links for preserving cherry tomatoes.

http://www.foodinjars.com/2011/08/five-ways-to-preserve-small-tomatoes/
http://thetanglednest.com/2009/10/a-new-way-to-freeze-cherry-tomatoes-tasty-herb-roasted-bites/


Member Renee C sent in these ideas for the larger tomatoes

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/the-temporary-vegetarian-moroccan-stuffed-tomatoes/

and Hannah G sent in this recipe:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/gratitude-with-a-cherry-tomato-on-top/

If you haven't tried the lasagna recipe from week 12 newsletter, you must do it! It was absolutely delicious and this week's share had all the ingredients needed. Thanks for sharing it with us, Andrea K!

With all these recipes and ideas let's hope the tomatoes keep coming for a while! But next I promise to write about peppers. Those fish peppers are awesome and have quite an interesting history.

Thanks to everyone for their contributions! You may have to cut and paste the links to your browser to read.

And now for the rest of the story.....

We've gone a little crazy over tomatoes (and with good reason!) but let's not neglect some of the other shining beauties of summer - the peppers, the eggplant and the zucchini.

Share member Lori shares this recipe for zucchini and/or summer squash:

Zucchini and Tomatoes with Mint

Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Saute 1 medium chopped onion until golden and soft. Add sliced garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add in chopped fresh tomatoes, 2 T capers, S & P, and bring to a boil. Add in 3 medium zucchini or squash, cut into bite sized pieces and bring to a boil over med. heat. Cook covered until tender. Remov e cover and boil away most of the liquid. Add chopped mint just before serving.
adapted from Taste of Home

My neighbor gave me about a dozen small eggplants so along with my share I have a hardy pile.

I discovered this page earlier today and was glad to see ways to cook eggplant without tons of oil.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/dining/counting-the-ways-to-cook-an-eggplant-a-good-appetite.html

I especially love to roast my vegetables - the flavor of the vegetable becomes intensely sweet so I will try the Eggplant Parmesan Deconstructed but I will roast the eggplant with just a drizzle of oil or perhaps dip it in egg whites and broil it. Haven't decided which yet.

And how about those peppers? How many hot peppers can you stand? It just wouldn't be summer without a capsicum burn on my lips, transported of course from my fingers because I am sure I won't touch anything! Be careful people - those suckers can burn! especially sensitive skin areas. The best way Iknow to eat them aside from fresh in salsa is stuffed with cream cheese and a little cheddar. Or try this recipe from Ina Garten for Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread - a perfect side to all the eggplant, zucchini and tomato recipes you're serving for dinner tonite.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Directions

Combine theflour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.