Circle M Farm

This garden year has been one full of surprises, and I’m certain we’re not done yet! The morning’s shock was lurking under our dead and blackened squash leaves, which I was rifling through to find the few fruits I thought might have survived the frost. To my great delight I found dozens of colorful ripe Carnival squash that I didn’t think had made it out of the blossom stage. But there they were, and here they are. They must have been hardening up for weeks, hiding there beneath the monstrous canopy of vines. Here’s what else is in the box:

In The Box; 8, Madison Delivery, September 20, 2007

Edamame – Yet another variety, called “Be Sweet,” and still terrific. Boil for about 10 minutes in water with at least two tablespoons of salt. Salt really brings out the nutty flavor.

Green Beans – The final harvest, unfortunately. We’ve really enjoyed these flat-podded climbers.

Parsley, Chives, Oregano – Use more in recipes than with dry leaves.

Curry – At it’s best! When I picked this yesterday, my hands smelled for several hours. Try throwing half a sprig into cooking rice for a wonderfully fragrant base to Indian dishes.

Sweet Frying Peppers – These are fine for fresh eating, but get even sweeter when fried up in some olive oil.

Hard Squash – Truly the taste of the season! The ones we’ve sent off to you this week are those who’s stems broke off either at harvest or in the process of shelving them. So use them within a month. Squash last longer with intact stems, because disease can come quickly in through any wound and cause rot.

The Fresh Market Wisconsin cookbook says: “Most squash can be baked just like a potato – poke them two or three times and bake at 350 degrees until tender. Or cut them open, remove seeds and steam serving sized pieces over boiling water.” I hate to work with squash raw, because they are so darn hard to cut! So I prick them and cook in the microwave for a few minutes until I can more easily cut them. Then I generally slice in half, remove seeds, and stuff with something – rice or barley, bread stuffing, apples annd cinnamon, nuts and butter, whatever goes best with the meal. Then I bake them at 350. Of course, most of the ones you’ve got in the box aren’t cured, since their vines died so early, so they’ll be easier to cut through. Here’s a nice side dish recipe. Steaming the squash will warm up your kitchen and smell delicious, so do it on a cool day!

Nut-Crusted Winter Squash, adapted from Fresh Market Wisconsin by Terese Allen

Preheat oven to 350. Halve squash, remove seeds, cut into large chunks. Steam over boiling water in a covered pot for about 25 minutes. Cool, then scrape squash into a bowl. Mash with 1 T butter, 1 T brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Grease 1 quart baking dish, spoon in squash. For topping, mix all ingredients lightly together with your fingertips. Sprinkle over squash, bake 30 to 40 minutes.

Rhubarb – What a giver of a plant! These perennial clumps grow all year, if given water through the season and a generous helping of compost at the end. Here’s a fast recipe so quick you can whip it up for breakfast:

Rhubarb Cake, courtesy of Troy Kendall and the Jonesdale 4-H Club

Spray and flour a 9×13 pan. Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together in a large bowl 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 stick melted butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 cup milk, 2 cups cubed rhubarb, 2 cups flour. Spread in pan and sprinkle top with 2/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Bake 40 minutes.

Red Cabbage – These tiny little heads are Super Red, a cold tolerant variety that will get spicier as the nights get cooler. Try in a slaw with grated broccoli stems, dressed with some mayo, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A few julienned carrots would add some color.

Mystery Greens – Check these out before you read the rest of this paragraph and see if you can guess what they are. Not collards, but like them, not kale, but almost. Cauliflower! Our cauliflower are going gangbusters with these cool nights, but not heading up yet. It seemed a shame to waste such gorgeous greens, which will yellow when the weather turns really cold. Since they’re in the same family, brassica, as other winter greens, I thought I’d shred them into soups in the same way. And they are delicious. Cabbage-y, substantial but not as tough as kale, and a very pleasing color. I hope you’ll give them a try, and here’s a recipe to get you started, out of Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables:

Kale and White Bean Soup

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium. Add garlic and fennel seeds, cook while stirring for one minute. Add onion, cook and stir 2 minutes. Add potato, carrot, parsnip and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock, bay and oregano. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add kale, beans, sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add saffron, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Goat Cheese

Bon appetit!