September 26 or 29 CSA
This picture is Aaron’s and my hands after completing the worst job of our season. Just before hurricane Florence didn’t hit us we decided to harvest all the orange sweet potatoes. They looked great, our best sweet potatoes crop yet. We tucked them away in an insulated walk-in and turned a heater onto low to “cure” the skins. We checked on them daily for 4 days and then didn’t go for 2 days. During that time, it got too hot in the room and we cooked 90% of them. We had to go thru them because they weren’t all bad. It was a grueling and constant reminder of our mistake. There will be some sweet potatoes (we hope) in your box next week. We wanted to hold them 1 more week to be sure they are in fact good.
This weeks’ share contents: 1 bunch radish, 1 bunch mild white turnips, 1 head of radicchio, 1 small head of celery, 1 bunch of kale, 2 pounds red onions, 3 pounds of satina potatoes, 1 kohlrabi.
I am aware that many of you do not love radicchio as much as I do but maybe give it one more try…A salad made of equal parts radicchio and pear or apple, some toasted walnuts, blue cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette is really quite delicious.
Radishes and kohlrabi combined make a great slaw and are also both great for adding to your ferments.
Delicious Turnips (adapted from “The Talisman Italian Cookbook”)
3 T butter or oil
1 lb turnips, sliced thin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp flour
1/2 cup stock or water
greens washed and sliced thin
Melt butter or heat oil in pan, add turnips, salt, pepper, and sugar and sprinkle with flour. Mix well, add stock and greens and cook over low flame 15 mins or until tender.
Creamy Kale and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 small head of celery, roughly chopped
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2-3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
- 2 cups milk (doesn’t have to be cows’ milk)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery and potatoes and saute until golden brown, 5-8 minutes, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Add 6 cups of the broth and the kale; simmer for 5-10 minutes until the kale softens and becomes a darker green.
- Transfer the soup to a heavy-duty blender. Puree for 2-3 minutes or until the soup is completely smooth. Transfer the pureed soup back the pan and stir in the milk and the remaining 2 cups broth depending on how thick you want the soup to be. Season with salt and pepper.
Addiebelle, Anne, Aaron, and Cyril Grier
Gaining Ground Farm NC 