Happy Fall! Hard to believe there are only two more CSA pickup weeks left. We always feel a bit bitter sweet this time of year, on one hand its nice to close off another great season and on the other…..we are going to miss you all very much. The great news is our on-line store continues to be loaded with so many yummy things to eat so we hope you continue to come by and enjoy the later fall produce. We will also be attending the Welland farmers market each Saturday morning until we run out of inventory. Now is the time to ask everyone to look around your house, basement or garage for extra Rumar bushels, baskets, quarts, pints and even egg cartons. We recycle as much as possible and your help would be greatly appreciated. Marc will be sending out an email to everyone shortly with year end instructions so watch for it in about a week.
Here is what you can expect this week:
Gala Apples – Nothing says fall like hard crunchy fresh picked apples. A crisp and sweet delight that has a burst of juicy flavour with every bite. A great choice for lunches and will keep well in the fridge.
Buttercup Squash – Not as common as other fall squashes, but this one is a bit special because of its delicate sweet flavour. A great source of fiber and a deliciously satisfying side dish. One of the best features of buttercup squash is that the rind is edible. Roasting is the best way to prepare this squash as it adds extra flavour by naturally caramelizing that develops it’s sweet undertones. Just preheat the oven to 425, place squash slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and a bit of maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes. Flip each piece and drizzle with more olive oil and maple syrup, roast for an additional 20 minutes. Serve.
Mustard Greens – They are the leafy greens of the mustard plant and are related to collards, cabbage and Kale. Common in Southern US cooking, bright bunches of greens have a peppery, pungent and a bit bitter flavour that mellows with heat. The four elements that make the best mustard green sauté is heat, olive oil or butter, salt and acid (splash of balsamic or white wine vinegar). They work well in your smoothie too.
Beefsteak Tomatoes – Big and juicy tomatoes, perfect sliced in a sandwich or burger. Also, juicing, salsas, dips and cold or hot sauces. Its that last tomato offering of the year so enjoy.
Baby Bok Choy – When you need an easy delicious side dish try sautéed choy with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Just heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and ginger cooking for 30 seconds add choy halved lengthwise (washed/drained) stirring to evenly coat. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce with 2 tbsp water. cover and cook for 2 minutes then remove lid and cook a bit longer until liquid has evaporated and choy is tender. Season with more soy sauce if desired and serve.
Swiss Chard – One great recipe when you see Swiss Chard in your basket is our Rumar Farm Spicy Sausage and Chard Pasta. If you didn’t try it in week 11 or 14, I really urge you to go for it this time around. So easy, you just cook 12 oz. of pasta (I prefer linguine) Sauté in a large wide pan hot Italian sausages (3-4 links) castings removed with chard stems. Add your chard leaves, couple of tomatoes (hello beefsteaks), 1/2 cup onions, and two large garlic cloves…everything chopped up. Cook for 4 minutes then stir in 1/2 cup cream. Portion into bowls over the pasta and top with fresh slivered basil leaves and shave fresh parmesan cheese. Serve with a large salad.
Bunch Sunflowers – If you read our weekly newsletter you know all about our cover cropping to add nutrition to our soil. In one of our new mixes is sunflowers, and what a lovely surprise to see these happy yellow sunflowers peppered throughout our fields. They make beautiful cut flowers that should last a week in water at room temperature.
Enjoy
