Marc and the staff are working hard to grow and harvest every bit of goodness from our fields. Some crops are coming to an end, while with others, it is a race to get them to mature before the end of the season. With the shorter days and cooler nights, we seem like some crops look like they have stalled. When that happens we give a helping hand by hoeing and adding extra irrigation to get them moving again. Luckily we have so many beautiful options for your last 4 baskets.
Here is what you can expect this week:
Harrow Sweet Pears – Late season, sweet and juicy white flesh pear. This is a new variety we planted about 5 years ago and are finally starting to produce. It was developed by the Harrow research station in Ontario, hence the name. Did you know pears are a great topping for pizza? Try it with goat cheese and caramelized onions.
Hearty Lettuce Mix – Finally our sweet tender lettuce has matured. We mixed it with our spicy mustards to give you a wonderful blend for your fall salads. Try this autumn pear salad with candied walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. Its a perfect balance of sweet and tart that will impress everyone at the dinner table!
Carrots – Roasting carrots draws out the natural sweetness and you get a nice caramelized flavour. Its so easy, start by par-boiling them. Next season them before roasting with honey and seasoning mixture. Cook carrots on a rimmed baking sheet pan until soft (20 -30 minutes at 400F). For easy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Summer Squash – Try this fall squash, vegetable soup. In a large opt heat olive oil (2 tbsp) and add onion (1/2 yellow diced), carrots (3 diced – in your share) and celery (one rib diced). Cook for about 5 minutes until onions translucent. Add 4 garlic cloved minced, cook for another minute. Add 5 summer squashes, diced, 2 tsp ground cumin and 2 tsp ground coriander. Cook for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Pour 6 cups vegetable broth, bring to boil, reduce to simmer cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs – 1 tbsp each chopped sage, oregano, rosemary, thyme. Add 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and cook for two minutes stirring occasionally. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes – What can you do with an abundance of tomatoes? One of our favourite is a quick and easy roasted cherry tomato tart for a light dinner or lunch. Use ready rolled all butter puff pastry, cream cheese, 1 egg yolk, red onion, 2 garlic cloves, fresh basil leaves, cherry tomatoes halved, kalamata olives halved, olive oil and kosher salt & black pepper. Unroll the pastry on a cookie sheet, spread with cream cheese and one red onion finely diced. Arrange the tomatoes and olives on top, drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush beaten egg yolk over the edges of the dough. Bake tart for 25 minutes until pastry is puffed and dark golden. Allow to cool slightly and scatter with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Flat Green Beans – Tender enough to eat raw and will lend a fresh crunch to a salad or slaw. You can add them straight to a wok or frying pan and sauté them swiftly. There is a recipe for Italian flat green beans with tomatoes and garlic. Sauté garlic in olive oil and add diced tomato, cook for 2-3 minutes to heat. Add boiled flat beans and heat for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper and top with fresh basil leaves. serve warm or at room temperature.
Fresh Cilantro – Versatile herb essential in many Mexican, middle eastern, Indian and Asian recipes.
Enjoy
