Hi Everyone, Jess here. It’s been quite a week, lots going on in the world, and at the farm! Life has changed enough this year where our eating habits have taken a hit, and getting fresh and local food into the bellies of our families has become a more important mission than ever.
The Fall CSA has been a lovely addition to the the Springdell Farm list, and there are other lovely choices, such as placing a “Holiday Fixin’s” order (check-in at the farmstand for details)! The CSA “early bird” sign-up is in process for the 2021 Peak Season, and the farmstand remains stocked with all that the season has to offer. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at this week’s Fall Bridge CSA:
Apples– The farmstand is currently holding a “mix and match” apple sale at the moment, it’s a great time to pick some up!
Broccoli– Salted and steamed is what’s working in this house right now. This may change on a dime, but meanwhile, I’m going with it.
Spaghetti Squash– Read on, I’ll pontificate about this beloved squash today.
Radishes– These will be foil-grilled with a couple of Springdell T-Bones thawing in the fridge.
Lettuce– We enjoyed some lettuce wraps in place of taco shells for tonight’s “Taco Tuesday” meal.
Rainbow Carrots– My kids wont let me cook them lately, so it’s the mandolin slicer and a bowl on the table in this house.If you need ideas though, just send me a message and we’ll find you the perfect dish!
Cauliflower– This week, it’s all about Cauliflower Soup! I’ve tried a couple of adaptations on the side, but nothing I’m quite ready to put out there… Please stay tuned for an update!
Beets– I actually thought this might be the week for Sweet Beet Cookies, but alas, the beets are the golden variety, hence will be roasted and in my belly with some thinly shaved cheese shortly.
The construction project at Springdell Farm is really coming along! I see a slab, a retaining wall and steps going up… I’m getting excited to see things taking shape! I thought I’d take a minute to talk about spaghetti squash. This delicious squash can double as pasta, (I love a good garlicky cream-based pasta sauce with spaghetti squash, yum)! However, not all members of my household are convinced, and perhaps it’s the same in your household. If you’re not a believer in spaghetti squash as a pasta, stuffing a spaghetti squash “boat” might be your dish. Simply fill your cooked squash half with the delicious filling of your choice (a cheese covered bolognese or a hearty chili works well), top it and bake it for 15-20 minutes. After a few forkfuls of delicious filling, one can’t resist digging deeper, and the squash holds flavors quite nicely. I’ve tried making “crab cakes” with crab meat from Jordan Brothers using some Old Bay, chives, egg, parsley, and panko.Fresh little bundles of joy… A little Sriracha mayo on the side and this is a treat! You can see where these sizzle up a lot like Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns (which I will be springing on my kids this weekend along with some Springdell Breakfast Sausage). Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai remains my favorite. The kids like traditional Pad Thai enough to recognize the flavors of the sauce, and for the most part can ignore that their “noodles” are in fact vegetables. The peanuts also help.This Spaghetti Squash “Birds Nest” was a fun creation, the poached egg nested on some shiitake mushrooms. There are many variations of this bird’s nest on the internet today, some where you cook the egg right into the nest. This photo was from 2015, I’m definitely due a reboot of this recipe with my kids.I wanted to include a shot of these veggie pakora/pakoda from a recent get-together with our homeschool pod. Pakora are a great way to incorporate just about any vegetable in your cool-weather CSA. Lots of the root veggies (turnips, radishes, potatoes, onion) and brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) hold up fabulously in pakora, and your choice of binding agent (chickpea, rice, or all purpose flour) can also be quite flexible. You won’t be winning any health awards due to the deep fry, but they make for a great wintry comfort food. (For the health conscious, I am seeing air fryer versions out there that look promising- so Google and find your inner pakora!) Finally, for our Election Day lesson, our homeschool buddies brought a delicious apple galette. The galette is a favorite go-to, as it doesn’t take as much muss and fuss as a pie, only needs one crust, and has such a rustic elegance to it.
That’s about it on this end! As always, please contact me if you’re stuck with a veggie that could use some love, and I’ll do my best to help you find inspiration!
