October 28th, 2011

NU-WAY FARM CSA

News from the Farm this Week:

David reports the first heavy frost of the year last night, but he saw that coming and harvested all the remaining zucchini and winter squash from the fields. The greens are very content to be frosted now and then, on the other hand, and David even has new plantings of spinach and arugula we’ll probably see in our boxes next April.

In appreciation of your investment in NuWay Farm, CSA deliveries will continue for at least another two weeks, unless we get dumped upon with snow (yes, I just bit my tongue while typing that).

In Your Boxes This Week You'll Find Some of the Following:

Carrots

Arugula

Cauliflower

Sweet potatoes

Acorn Squash

Eggs

Daikon radishes

Turnips

Glazed Turnips and Carrots

1 pound turnips
1 bunch small carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Trim and peel turnips and cut them into one inch pieces. Trip the carrots (but there’s no need to peel them) and cut each in half. In a steamer set over boiling water, steam turnips and carrots until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Vegetables may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

In a large heavy skillet cook steamed vegetables in butter with sugar and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until heated through and glazed, about 4 minutes.

Pickled Daikon, Turnips, and Carrots

This colorful pickle is my spin on a condiment used for Báhn Mi (Vietnamese) sandwiches. Or just eat it with a fork out of the jar.

5 turnips, peeled

6-8 small carrots, trimmed and scrubbed

2 daikon radishes, peeled

2 cups hot water

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or regular distilled vinegar)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons salt

Heat the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan and stir until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved. Julienne the turnips, carrots, and daikon (or simply cut so all the vegetables are of the same size and thickness) and pack into a small mason jar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the vegetables until the jar is full and all the vegetables are submerged. Cover tightly and let marinate at least one hour. For better pickles, refrigerate at least three days. These should keep up to two weeks in the fridge.

Easy Cream of Cauliflower Soup

1 large head cauliflower, broken into uniform florets

6-8 small carrots, carefully washed (there’s no need to peel them), then chopped

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup cream

1 cup milk

2 T. butter

Salt and Pepper

Bacon (for garnish, entirely optional) or toasted breadcrumbs

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the cauliflower until very tender, about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium, then add the butter, onions, carrots, and garlic with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in the butter for five minutes, then add the stock and simmer until the carrots are very tender.

Drain the cauliflower. Working in two batches if necessary, combine the carrot mixture and cauliflower in the bowl of a food processor and run until the mixture is very smooth. Transfer the puree to a pan set over very low heat, then add the cream and milk, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a little water, if necessary, to bring the soup to your desired consistency, then heat slowly (but do not boil).

Garnish with crumbled crisp bacon and/or toasted breadcrumbs before serving in pre-warmed bowls

A Few Things about Acorn Squash

Although considered a winter squash, the acorn squash is of the same family as summer squash. We tend to treat it as a vegetable, though in fact it’s a botanical fruit. Among the first foods cultivated by Native Americans, squash (along with beans and corn), is part of the triad of the three most important aboriginal staples.

Winter squash will keep well (even over-winter) if kept in a cool, dark place. Keep the stem intact for better storage. Peeled, frozen pieces can also be frozen.

Zucca al Forno

Mario Batali’s Stuffed Acorn Squash

7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, cut into fine dice
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups mascarpone
3/4 pound Emmentaler, grated
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
3 whole eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
8 slices white bread, cut into 1-inch squares
2 large acorn squashes, seeds and strings removed, caps reserved

In a medium saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons of the butter, add the onion and mushrooms, and saute until they soften and the onions release their juices. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone, Emmentaler, Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, and nutmeg, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the onions and mushrooms.

In a saute pan, melt the remaining butter and toss in the bread cubes, cooking over high heat until they are crisp.

Place the squashes in a baking dish and, using a total of a third of the cheese mixture, stuff the bottom of each of the squashes. Using a total of half of the bread cubes, place them in even quantities into each of the squashes. Top the bread cube layer with more of the cheese mixture, then the remaining bread cubes, and the remaining cheese. Replace the top on the pumpkin and roast 1 1/2 hours in the oven, until the flesh is very soft. Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes and scoop out the cheese and flesh to serve.