Week #19, Sept 27, 2018

From left, Noah Engel (Driftless Organics), Mike Nolterwyss (Crossroads Community Farm), Hans Bishop (PrairErth Farm), Steve and Raul Casique Montes (our farm).

Steve left at 5:30 this morning for a field day at our friends Hans and Katie Bishop’s farm in Illinois.  The topic was mechanical weed control.  Steve was in seventh heaven, checking out specialized machinery imported from Europe and watching tool demonstrations.  “I got to meet the engineers who designed these pieces!”  We spend so much time managing weeds that even small improvements are exciting.  Steve carpooled with farmer friends Noah Engel, Mike Nolterwyss and our assistant farmer Raul.  They had a great time hanging out during the seven hour round-trip.  Sounds like 90% of the discussion was about farming and the remaining 10% gossip about other farmers.

We hosted UW beet trials again

 
Tipi crew members evaluate beet breeding lines selected at our farm by UW grad student Solveig Hanson, second from right.

Solveig with a vivid orange-fuschia beet line.

Once again, we hosted research trials this summer for UW graduate student Solveig Hanson, who is breeding beets for specific flavor and color profiles.  Many of you have given input on this project.  At last year’s gleaning party, Solveig brought beet samples for Tipi CSA members to evaluate.  She used your opinions (among others) to hone her lines.  She is selecting beets for different levels of the ‘earthy’ flavor that some people like and some people don’t.

Solveig returned to the farm this fall so our work crew could evaluate the updated breeding lines.  The range of flavors is quite interesting. As a group, we are a mix of beet-lovers, beet-haters and beet-ambivalent types. Almost everyone found a breeding line they found appealing.  Solveig plans to sample beets again at our gleaning party this year.

Veggie List and Veggie Notes
Week #19, Sept 27/28, 2018
Weekly and green EOW

Green cabbage
Bok choy or tat soi, 1 medium
Acorn winter squash, 1 or 2
Frying &/or bell peppers, ~2
Oranos snack pepper, ~1
Poblano chiles, 3
Yellow onions, ~2
Basil, the last sprig of the year
Each site gets 1 or 2 of these:
Broccoli OR cauliflower OR eggplant OR zucchini OR orange snack peppers

Next week’s box will probably contain yellow potatoes, green beans, carrots, peppers, leeks and more.

Green cabbage – Here’s a crop that’s done very well.  These are substantial.  Storage:  Refrigerate.  It’s OK to cut off chunks as needed, then store the leftover head in your crisper drawer.  If you plan to use again within a week, you don’t need to cover the cut head.  Next time you use the cabbage, shave off and discard the cut surface.

Bok choy or tat soi – These nutritious greens are interchangeable in recipes.  Bok choy has thicker white midveins, tat soi has smaller, darker, more abundant leaves.

Acorn winter squash – You’ll get one or two acorn squash.  Most people get Festival, a very tasty variety.  Some get one of the other types in the photo below.  All are cured and ready to eat.  Store on your kitchen counter and keep an eye on them.  They look good now but might not last.  Wet weather as the squash matured makes them unpredictable now.  They sure taste good!

Poblano chiles (triangular, shiny, dark green) – This week’s poblano variety is spicier than the one we sent three weeks ago. 

You’ll get one or two of these types.  Clockwise from top left:
– Festival, a very tasty acorn squash.
– Celebration, a new type we’re trialling this year.  Can you distinguish Celebration from Festival?  Neither can we.
– Jester, a favorite acorn x sweet dumpling cross.  This one is more oblong.
– Heart of Gold, another promising new acorn we’re trialling this year.  This variety is green and white with a little orange but no yellow.

Poblano chiles (top) versus frying peppers (bottom).  Poblanos are darker and triangular.  They will be all green, or chocolate-brown, or green with a red tip.  Frying peppers are longer, and will be red or yellow, some peppers mixed with green.

RECIPES

Visit our 2018 Recipe Log or our 2017 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Comforting Classics
Simple Sesame Soy Choy Pepper Sauté
Cabbage and Onions with Caraway
Chicken Tacos with Shredded Poblanos and Cabbage in Chipotle Crema
Honey Soy Glazed Winter Squash Rings

LOCAL THYME/ Outside the Box Recipes
Miso Grilled Tatsoi or Bok Choy
Sweet Salt-Pickled Cabbage
Rigatoni with Cabbage and Meat Sauce
Lasagna Stuffed Acorn Squash

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Winter Squash and Poblano Posole with Black Beans

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

CABBAGE & POBLANO RUNZA
What the heck is runza you ask?  Well, officially, it is the state dish of Nebraska.  But closer to home, it is a dish I grew up with when my mom had extra cabbage in her garden.  It’s essentially a German-style calzone packed full of ground meat (traditionally beef, but here I used pork because it’s what I had on hand), cabbage, and onions.  Poblanos are a fun addition and you could even throw more peppers in there if you wanted to.  I know making your own dough can seem intimidating but give it a try.  It’s easier than you think.  Lauren.

Makes 8 runzas
Takes 2 hours

Dough:
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2-1/4 teaspoons active yeast
Pinch sugar + 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
4 eggs; 3 for dough, 1 for egg wash
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided + more for dusting counter
12 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium (or 1/2 large) yellow onion, sliced
2 poblanos, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1. In a large bowl, combine water (it should be warm but not hot), yeast and sugar. Whisk gently to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes until it bubbles, rises and smells yeasty. Add 3 eggs and whisk to combine. Add half the flour and beat with a spoon until totally incorporated. Add butter, remaining flour, sugar and salt. Stir until just combined and then let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Once rested, dust counter with flour and knead dough for 5 minutes until tight and smooth. Transfer the dough to a clean, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm space for an hour (until doubled in size).
3. When the dough is about 20 minutes from finished, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and start on the filling. In a large heavy skillet (or Dutch oven), heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground pork, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Break up meat with two forks, cooking for 5 minutes until browned. Add onion and pepper. Cook 5 minutes more. Add butter and remaining salt to skillet. Get it a stir so the butter coats all the meat and veggies. Add cabbage along with dried herbs and let wilt gently over medium low heat for 15 minutes.
4. At this point, your dough should be risen. Grease two baking sheets. Divide into 8 pieces.
5. Re-dust counter with flour and roll out dough into a rough 8×4-inch rectangle. Scoop 3/4 cup of cabbage mixture into the center. Fold in the two long sides of dough so they touch then pull the other edges into the center until you form a sealed dough pocket with the meat in the middle. Place, seal side down, on the greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and cabbage mixture.
6. Beat last egg in a small bowl until smooth and brush runzas with egg mixture.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate pans and bake 15 minutes longer until golden brown.

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FALL SQUASH CURRY
I know a lot of you aren’t receiving eggplant this week.  If you have some in your fridge from last week, use that!  Otherwise, just skip the eggplant or feel free to substitute zucchini or cauliflower. This recipe is incredibly versatile so you can adjust the veggies a bit based on what you have on hand.  Lauren.

Serves 6-8
Takes 50 minutes

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil or butter)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium head bok choy (if you got two small heads, use about 75% of them), leaves roughly chopped and stems sliced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1-2 acorn squash (whatever you received this week), halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (optional)
1 colored bell pepper, diced
1 orano, diced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

5 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon curry powder

2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
Two 13.5-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
5-6 cups cooked rice
Sriracha, optional
Lime wedges, optional

1. In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion to pot followed by bok choy stems and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add squash, eggplant, if using, peppers, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes longer until squash is just beginning to soften.
2. Add red curry paste, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir until it evenly coats the vegetables and cook 5 minutes longer until fragrant.
3. Add broth and coconut milk to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes. Add bok choy greens and fish sauce. Cook until greens are just wilted, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. This curry as written isn’t super spicy so you may want to add sriracha.
4. Serve over rice with lime wedges.

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