oh september...
Oh, it's a long long while
From May to December
But the days grow short
When you reach September
When the autumn weather
Turns leaves to flame
One hasn't got time
For the waiting game
Willie Nelson puts it best. Happy September to all! When the days get shorter and the nights cooler, now is the critical time for getting in our fall seedings. If it doesn't happen now than it never will. We're almost on top of things and September is already shaping up to be a busy month full of rain, humidity, farm tours, potlucks, school groups, food preservation and not to mention the same ol' harvesting and weeding. We always think it will slow down in September, but it doesn't really. Will frost come this month or will it hold out until October? Will the tomatoes keep producing as temperatures drop? Hard to say...but we're ready to see what happens this month.
Eggplant and peppers are still going strong...
The fennel is growing!
And Kidogo look cute napping under the Farmall as usual.
This week in the share we're going to give you a chance to try some crops that we usually just grow for restaurants, mostly because they're pretty crazy flavors and not your usual CSA fare, but why not try it?
So this week your share will include a choice between:
shiso (a japanese herb in the mint family),
papalo (a strongly flavored herb a lot like cilantro),
red shishito peppers ( a slightly spicy small japanese pepper)
and sweet potato leaves (in the morning glory family used a lot in japanese cooking and extremely high in Vitamin K).
We'll call it the 'weird' table!
The rest of your share will be...
swiss chard
kale (it's back!! we know you missed it)
salad mix
head lettuce
arugula
asian green
scallions
onion
garlic
sweet pepper
eggplant
tomatoes
potatoes
celery
herbs
Freakishly Good Japanese-Style Shiso Pesto Recipe
http://summertomato.com/shiso-pesto-recipe/
Ingredients
- 4 c. tightly packed shiso leaves
- 1/2 c. raw pistachio nuts
- 2 tbsp miso paste (any type)
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1/2 c. olive oil
- 1/4 c. rice bran oil
Preparation
In a food processor add the nuts, shiso, miso paste, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until evenly ground.
Turn the food processor to “on” and let it puree while slowly adding the rice bran oil until smooth. The consistency should be between a sauce and a paste. Miso should make the pesto plenty salty, but you can adjust the salt and acidity (lemon) to your liking if necessary.
If you made far more than you can use in a few days (as I did), you can add the remaining pesto to ice cube trays, drizzle a touch of oil on each, cover with plastic wrap and freeze to preserve individual servings. Enjoy for months!
Sweet Potato Greens in Coconut Cream
Yield: 4 side servings
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large bunch sweet potato greens
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root (from a 1/2-inch piece)
2 teaspoons grated fresh turmeric root, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 red thai chili, finely sliced
2-inch lemon grass stalk, trimmed and finely sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce, or to taste
1 cup coconut cream plus 1 cup water (or substitute 2 cups light or regular coconut milk)
2 to 3 teaspoons raw or brown sugar, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Trim off any thick stems from greens. Add to boiling water and blanch for 60 seconds, then immediately transfer greens to a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.
Heat oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili, and lemongrass and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce.
Add coconut cream and water (or coconut milk) and bring to a simmer. Add blanched greens and return to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Add sugar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and serve with rice.
Recipe from Permaculture.com.au.
Grilled Chile Salsa with Papalo Leaves Recipe
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10388-grilled-chile-salsa-with-papalo-leaves
Papalo (Porophyllum ruderale) is a distinctly pungent herb used in salsas; it has a flavor somewhere between arugula, cilantro, and rue. In Spanish it’s called mampuitu (skunk), because of its penetrating aroma.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat a grill. Rub 6 ripe plum tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 1 quartered red onion, 2 poblano chiles, and 1 jalapeño chile with a little oil. Grill well on all sides. Alternatively, broil on high, turning once, until the skin is blackened. Peel off most but not all of the blackened skin from the vegetables. Trim and seed the bell pepper and chiles.
- For the best chunky texture, prepare the salsa by grinding all the vegetables in a meat grinder. Alternatively, use a food processor or chop well by hand.
- Add 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons chopped papalo leaves, and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips, tacos filled with guacamole or pork carnitas, or Mexican-style chile-marinated pork sandwiches (cemitas).
Have Fun!!!
Love,
R2R Crew