Roots Farm CSA Week 1: October 4 & 7This Week:
-Tomatoes: Arkansas Traveller, Pink Beauty, Sunny Goliath, Whopper, Big Beef, Trust, Sungold cherry
-Eggplant: Nadia, Nubia, Pingtung Long
-Peppers: Red, Yellow, Purple, & Green Bells, Carmen, Lipstick, Mellow Star, Habanero, Ahi Dulche
-Okra: Burgundy, Clemson Spineless, Burmese, Star of David
-Kale: Winterbor, Red Russian
-Radishes: Easter Egg, French Breakfast
-Summer Squash!: Zephyr
-Cucumbers!: Marketmore
-Dill
On the Farm . . .
Well, it looks like that cold weather was too much for the basil. It’s bronzing and blackening and on it’s way out. It may make a comeback, but I’m not keeping my fingers crossed. Basil is such a cold-sensitive vegetable (that’s why you don’t want to keep it in your fridge). Oh well. As basil is on its way out, dill and cilantro are on their way in. You’ll find dill in your baskets this week, and it’s actually our featured veggie, so we’ve got lots of recipes that incorporate dill this week.
Yep, cool weather is here. And what that also means on the farm is that it’s time to plant strawberries! We got in 2,000 strawberry plugs last week, and this is the week they go in the ground. That’s a heck of a lot of berries for next year. It’s also garlic planting time. A couple of weeks from now, we’ll be breaking apart heads, preparing rows, and planting several hundred feet of garlic! Wow! October’s a busy month! Welcome Fall!
Pickups
We’re switching ALL of our pickups to the pre-packed box format for the rest of the season. Tuesday folks will still be picking up theirs on the farm, but we’ll be in and out during pickup hours, so we’re switching to a self-service format. There will be a pickup sheet to check off and extra veggie seconds available. Boxes will be in the walk-in. We appreciate you being able to make this change with us. The flexibility it offers us is needed at this time. So again, thank you. Friday folks--you already know this drill, so thanks for sticking with it. Yay!
In Your Basket
Cucumbers are here! Our Fall planting is finally producing, so we’re excited to offer everyone some cucumber goodness this week. Also dill is in the box. Summer squash continue to be available, as well as okra, peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. The late summery goodness flows in. Glad you’re with us to enjoy it!
Dill
Dill is in the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family (both names are valid). This is a family of usually aromatic plants with hollow stems, commonly known as umbellifers. Their seed heads form an inside-out umbrella-shaped cluster that many insects find desirable, and indeed these plants are great beneficial insect habitat. Plants such as angelica, anise, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, cicely, coriander/cilantro, cumin, dill, fennel, lovage, Queen Anne's Lace, parsley, parsnip, and more are members of the Umbelliferae family. Yay for family ties. Storage: keep dill in a closed plastic bag for up to a week. Air is your enemy, so don’t let it dry out and wilt. Usage: dill is awesome in anything creamy, as well as some non-creamy things. I like it with potatoes, fish, dairy, and veggies like cucumbers, carrots, and beets best. We’ve got lots of recipes for you below, so enjoy this aromatic herb!
RECIPES
Confetti of Radishes and Carrots
3-5 radishes
4-6 carrots
8 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
Shred radishes and carrots (with a grater or food processor). Toss with remaining ingredients. Chill & serve. Makes 8 servings. From the From Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook.
Grated Raw Beet Salad
4 medium beets, peeled, grated coarsely (3-4 cups)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced
salt & fresh ground pepper
1-2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
Put the grated beets in a large salad bowl. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, and garlic in a large jar. With the lid tightly screwed on, shake the jar vigorously until the oil and vinegar are thickened. Pour the dressing over the beets and toss until well coated. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Transfer beet mixture to the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour. Add the fresh dill, toss again, and serve chilled on lettuce, over cottage cheese, or as an unusual and colorful condiment. Makes 6 servings. From Farmer John’s Cookbook.
Cheddar Dill Muffins
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine milk, eggs and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack. Makes 12 servings. From www.allrecipes.com.
Vegetable Fritters with Yogurt-Dill Sauce
2 medium white potatoes
2 large carrots
2 small zucchini
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
oil for cooking
Optional Yogurt-Dill sauce:
1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
4 oz plain yogurt
Grate potatoes, carrots, and zucchini. Place them in a colander and squeeze out the excess liquids. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the onion, flour, and garlic. Fold in eggs and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Spoon 2 Tbsp of fritter mixture for each patty into the pan and shape with the spoon. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until bottoms are crisp. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook 2-3 minutes more, or until browned on both sides. Serve immediately topped with Yogurt-Dill sauce (just stir the yogurt and the dill together). Makes 4 servings. Adapted from the June issue of Vegetarian Times Magazine.
Dill Gazpacho
6 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 large lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
In a large bowl, stir together tomatoes, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Season with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. In a blender or food processor, puree half of the mixture until smooth. Return to bowl, stir in dill and mix well. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving. Makes 6 servings. From wwww.allrecipes.com.
Spicy Dill Potato Salad
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 eggs
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
1 red onion
2 cups reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup horseradish mustard
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1/4 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers
8 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced, or to taste
1 pinch ground cumin, or to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. Place the potatoes into a large bowl, and chill in the refrigerator until cold, about 1 hour. While the potatoes are boiling, place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water, then cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel once cold. Chop the eggs, and place into the bowl with the potatoes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cut the bell peppers in half, and remove the seeds, core, and stems. Place the bell peppers onto a baking sheet, cut sides down. Cut the onion in half, and place it onto the baking sheet, cut sides down. Roast the peppers and onion in the preheated oven until the skin of the vegetables has charred in places, about 25 minutes. Remove any large pieces of burned skin, and chop the peppers and onions. Transfer into the bowl with the potatoes and eggs. In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, horseradish mustard, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, dill, garlic, cumin, and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture, and lightly toss until the potatoes, eggs, and vegetables are thoroughly coated with dressing. Chill before serving. Makes 12 servings. From www.allrecipes.com.
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