Circle M Farm

Now that our houses are cold more evenings than not, it seems natural to use the oven at night to roast meats and vegetables for that lovely, smokey fall flavor. I’ve mostly put up my frying pan in exchange for baking sheets and the Dutch oven. You can roast a lot of what you got in the box this week – the peppers, tomatillos, kohlrabi, onions, eggplant, yellow squash and fennel will all surprise you with the subtle changes in flavor that occur with roasting. Mostly things get sweeter. Here’s what else is in the box:

Fennel – Always one of the most stunning and unusual vegetables to look at in the garden, it’s also one that has lots of fans and an equal amount of enemies. I’m a fan, myself, of the odd mix of celery, licorice and parsely I taste in raw fennel. If that doesn’t sound good to you, try roasting a sliced bulb with olive oil and eating it as a side to pork chops. Or try the Green Beans with Fennel and Feta recipe below.
Swiss Chard - Another gorgeous garden beauty, chard is just luscious in early fall. When it’s warm out, I tend to just saute chard in a frying pan like I do everything else. But when the nights are chilly, I want something rich from the oven – like Alice Waters’ Chard Gratin published below.
Napa Cabbage – I confess I find this frilly cabbage ridiculously beautiful, too. Can you tell I’m ridiculously happy in the garden right now? Everything really is so pretty in colorful rows, on the cusp of autumn before stalks turn brown and leaves start to crinkle. Napa, which is meant to be crinkly, is traditionally used in Asian dishes like stir fry and fried rice, but you can use it anywhere you use regular cabbage.
Yellow Crookneck Squash – With the rapidly shrinking hours of daylight, the plants that have been vigorously producing tender yellow summer squash are suddenly producing dozens of winter-type squash. Even when picked small, they’ve got bumpy firm skins and round tummys. Time to change recipes! These tasty crooknecks are perfect to stuff, bake into casseroles or puree for a creamy soup. Do resist peeling the skin, as that is where many of the nutrients are. This website has some great squash recipes for kids, including one for squash chips!
Green Tint Patty Pans – These pretty little scalloped squash are perfect to bake in. Or you can slice them and use instead of pasta in lasagne. Or simply dice and use like yellow squash. No matter what, be sure to enjoy them sitting on your kitchen table before you cook!
Cantalope – Mmmm, these single serving heirloom muskmelons are melt-in-your-mouth sweet!
Beans – Three colors.
Cucumbers - These are the last of the spiny variety, and the first of the smooth variety.
Eggplant – We just love these young and tender. At this size, you won’t want to make the ubiquitous eggplant parmesan, but consider simply roasting these with olive oil, or grilling them on a kabob with lamb and peppers. The little green variety really looks like eggs.
Peppers – You’ve got yellow Hungarian Hot Wax, white Feherezon Pa
Tomatillos and Tomatoes - Once again, thanks so much to Hillspring Eco-Farm for sharing non-blighted tomatoes!
Storage Onion - These Frontier storage onions are so pretty when their skins dry to that copper sheen.
Chives, Parsley, Lemon Balm, Celery
Kohlrabi – Could a vegetable possibly be more fun than this? An asteroid you can eat. Slice and eat raw, boil and mix in with mashed potatoes, or bake with a gratin.
Red Rubin Basil – This purple basil makes a really ugly pesto, but it has a particularly sweet flavor, with a lovely buttery finish. Use it raw chopped in dressings for pasta salad, in spaghetti sauce or over tomato soup.
Broccoli Spears – Both purple and green continue to be tender and delicious.
Baby Leeks
Flower Bouquet: Nothing says “Autumn” quite like these funky amaranth spears. We’ve mixed them with sunny black-eyed susans, indomitable zinnias and delicate floating cosmos.

Green Beans with Fennel and Feta
from Fox Lair Farm in Pennsylvania

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
1 fennel bulb, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fill a saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and fennel slices; cook until just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes. Pour into a colander to drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Return the empty pan to the stove and set heat to medium. Pour in the olive oil and let it heat for a minute. Return the green beans and fennel to the pan. Season with basil, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until coated and warm. Transfer to a serving dish and toss with feta cheese.

Chard Gratin
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

1 1/2 bunches of chard
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons melted butter
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
Salt
2 teaspoons flour
1/2 cup milk
A few strokes of freshly grated nutmeg

Wash and stem the chard. Save half the stems and slice them thin. Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil and cooked the sliced stems for 2 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and cool. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid from the stems and leaves and coarsely chop them. Toss together the breadcrumbs and the melted butter. Toast on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven, stirring now and then, until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard and season with salt. Cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir well. Then add the milk and nutmeg and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk if the mixture gets too thick. The chard should be moist but not floating in liquid. Taste and add salt if needed. Butter a small baking dish. Spread the chard mixture evenly in the dish and dot with the remaining butter, cut into bits. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the gratin is golden and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes.

Try these two delicious roasted salsas from Rick Bayless:
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Essential Roasted Tomato Salsa