Helsing Junction Farm Newsletter Archive

Greetings from Helsing Junction Farm!

We’ve been harvesting and finishing up fall chores between raindrops. Fall on the farm, as with every season makes us feel like eating. As it gets cooler out, we like to start baking vegetables in the oven. (Old farmhouses can be very drafty!) There’s nothing like puttering around the house before dinner while something good roasts slowly in the oven. Though more earthy and odd looking then their summer counterparts (think rutabaga or parsnip), the produce of fall is especially sweet. When temperatures start to drop, sugar acts like anti-freeze inside of vegetables. The colder the temperature, the higher the sugar content, which is why fall produce always tastes better after the first frost, which we had on Saturday. It’s taken us awhile to appreciate kale and leeks, but we’ve found that when they are grown properly and served fresh from the field, they are delicious annual treats. Plus, we like the thought of eating something that can happily grow in all that chilly rain. Speaking of rutabagas, it seems to us that their lack of popularity has more to do with their awkward name then their pleasant taste. Perhaps it’s time for a vegetable makeover, any suggestions?

As of last week we began planting winter gray oats, which will grow through the winter then be turned under by the plow to fertilize next year’s ground. Cover crops are a necessity in our area. They help to stabilize and anchor precious topsoil as well as providing nutrients for all of the microorganisms that live in the soil. Adding green manures to the soil is an important part of maintaining good soil fertility. It’s kind of like growing your own compost right on top of the soil.

Also on the agenda for the next sunny spell is planting garlic for next summer’s harvest. We’ve gotten so frustrated with the mold problem our garlic has that we bought all new seed, which was kind of sad because we had been saving our seed for the last 5 or 6 years. We trialed 3 varieties this year, and the winner by far was Musik for its large easy to peel cloves and lack of mold! We bought 600 pounds of seed as well as saved 100 pounds that we grew this season. Each garlic clove grows a head of garlic. We should be planting about 245,000 cloves in all.

It’s hard to believe it, but next week is the last week of CSA delivery!
The last day of delivery will be next Tuesday October 21, Wednesday October 22nd or
Thursday October 23re, depending on which day of the week you pick up.

Here’s some important info that should help make the last week of delivery go smoothly…

Storage Shares will be delivered to these drop sites this week, Tuesday October 14th:
Ballard, Phinney Ridge, Fremont, Wallingford and Green Lake.

Storage Shares will be delivered to these drop sites this week, Thursday October 16th:
Capitol Hill, Ravenna, Queen Anne, Belltown, Allrecipe, West Seattle, WSNMC and Georgetown.
To determine if you have bought a Storage Share, please consult the sign-in sheet at the drop site under the heading Storage Share. If there is a “yes” in the column next to your name, you are slated to receive one. Please do not take a Storage Share unless there is a “yes” next to your name under the column Storage Share. The Storage Shares are packed in boxes and labeled Storage Share with the date and drop site’s name on them

What to do with your box the last day of delivery?
Please have all boxes returned to the CSA drop sites by Monday October 27th. We will be returning the week of October 27th with the truck to pick up all the empty boxes. To save yourself a trip, you could bring empty bags the last week of delivery and/or we will leave some bags at all of the drops for those of you that forget to bring some. If you do not remember to bring back your box before Monday October 27th, please keep it and recycle it yourself. We don’t want the people who host the drop sites to be stuck with the empty boxes.

Are my winter squash ready to eat yet?
The delicata, kabocha, sweet dumpling squash and the pie pumpkins (that you’ll receive next week) should have sweetened up some by now, though they will be sweeter in another week or two. The Asian pears included in your box this week and the comice pears which you will receive next week will need several days to a week to sit out and ripen on your counter to reach their full and delectable potential. We’ll give some Asian pear/pear recipes next week not this week, in order not to tempt you into eating them too soon.


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This Week's Shares

*These lists are approximations, contents of your box may vary depending on availability. Please consult the packing list in your box for actual contents.

Tuesday's small shares will recieve:
3 leeks, 2# Maris Piper potatoes, 2 fennel bulbs, 1 red cabbage, 1 bunch arugula, 1 lettuce, 2 delicata squash, 1 spinach, 1 bunch parsley and Asian pears.

Wednesday's small shares will recieve:
3 leeks, 2# Maris Piper potatoes, 2 fennel bulbs, 1 red cabbage, 1 bunch arugula, 1 lettuce, 2 delicata squash, 1 spinach, 1 parsley and 2# Liberty apples.

Thursday's small shares will recieve:
3-4 leeks, 2# Maris Piper potatoes, 2 fennel bulbs, 1 red cabbage, 1 bunch arugula, 1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch pink beauty radishes, 2 delicata squash, 1 rainbow chard, 1 parsley and 2#Comice pears.

Tuesday's large shares will recieve:
4 leeks, 2# Maris Piper potatoes, 3 fennel bulbs, 1 red cabbage, 3 parsnips, 2 bunches arugula, 1 lettuce, 3 delicata squash, 1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes, 1 lacinato kale, 1 bunch parsley and 1 yellow doll watermelon.

Wednesday's large shares will recieve:
4 leeks, 2# Maris Piper potatoes, 3 fennel bulbs, 1 red cabbage, 3 parsnips, 2 bunches arugula, 1 lettuce, 3 delicata squash, 1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes, 1 lacinato kale, 1 bunch parsley and 2# Liberty apples.

Thursday's large shares will recieve:
4-6 leeks, 2# Maris Piper potatoes, 3 fennel bulbs, 1 red cabbage, 2 bunches arugula, 3 delicata squash, 2 pints Sungold cherry tomatoes, 1 bunch pink beauty radishes, 1 lacinato kale, 1 bunch rainbow chard, 1 bunch parsley and 2#Comice pears.

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Recipes

Roasted Potatoes with Flat Leaf Parsley:
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Halve 5 potatoes the long way and season the potatoes with salt.
-Melt 4 TBS butter or olive oil. Pour the butter or oil in a large baking pan.
-Put a whole parsley leaf or 2 on the bottom of each potato before you put it cut side down in the pan.
-Sprinkle the potatoes with some more salt. Roast for 35 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup:
-Cut 2-3 leeks into half the long way and then wash carefully between the layers. Slice into thin strips.
-Chop 1-2 fennel bulbs (optional).
-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large pot, add the leeks and fennel and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
-Add 1-2 pounds potatoes (depending on if you used fennel) diced into ½ chunks, 4 cups stock and 1 bay leaf.
-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
-Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of the potatoes against the side of the pot, leaving some intact.
-Remove the bay leaf and stir in ½ cup cream, 5 TBS chopped parsley, salt, pepper and some grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese (optional).

Scalloped Potatoes with Fennel, Artichokes, Leeks and Fontina Cheese:
-Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
-Slice 2# potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices using your food processor.
-Slice up 2 bulbs of fennel, 2 leeks and 1 bunch rainbow chard (optional).
-Melt 2 TBS butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
-Add the fennel, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp dried rosemary and cook 4 minutes.
-Add the potatoes and leeks, 1 cup low sodium chicken broth, 1 cup heavy cream, one 4 ounce jar drained artichoke hearts and 2 bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
-Cover and reduce heat, simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
-Transfer the potatoes to a greased 8 by 8 baking dish, and sprinkle with 1 cup grated Fontina cheese.
-Bake until top is golden, about 15 minutes. Let potatoes cool 10 minutes before serving.

Sautéed Chicken Breast with Fennel, Leeks and Spinach or Rainbow Chard:
-Pour about 1 TBS olive oil into a large sauté pan.
-Separate 2 chicken breasts so you have 4 medium sized pieces, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
-Add to the pan and cook over medium high heat until both sides are brown.
-Chop 1 fennel bulb into thin strips.
-Wash and halve 2 leeks the long way and then chop into thin half-moons.
-Remove the chicken from the pan, then add the fennel and the leeks.
-Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Chop up a bunch of spinach or rainbow chard, stems and all. Add to the pan and cover until just wilted, then stir in.
-Add the chicken back to the pan along with ½ cup dry white wine.
-Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
-Serve the vegetables and sauce over the chicken.
-Top with a sprinkle of crumbled chevre goat cheese.

Frizzled Leeks:
-Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
-Cut 2-3 leeks in half the long way leaving most of the greens and clean them thoroughly under running water.
-Slice the leeks lengthwise into long thin strips (not rounds).
-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large skillet and fry the leeks for 5 minutes over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
-Transfer the leeks to a baking pan, spread them out and bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until done.
-Watch them closely so they don’t burn, but they should get very crispy.
-Sprinkle with salt and let cool.
-Serve the leeks as a side or crumbled on to salad or soup.

Linguine with Rainbow Chard or Lacinato Kale and White Beans:
Simple, easy and highly adaptable.
-Cook 1 pound of linguine according to package directions.
-Chop up 4 cloves of garlic, 1 onion and/or 1-2 leeks and sauté for a few minutes.
-Add 1 bunch of chopped rainbow chard or kale and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
-Add 1 can of cannellini beans and ½ bunch chopped parsley and cook until warmed through.
-Toss the vegetables with the pasta and serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Spiced Winter Squash with Fennel:
-Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
-Peel 1-2 winter squash (about 2 pounds total), halve lengthwise, seed and then cut into ¾ inch wide wedges.
-Cut 1 fennel bulb and 1 onion into 1-inch wedges.
-Combine squash, fennel and onion on a large baking sheet.
-Add 3 TBS olive oil and toss to coat.
-In a small bowl, mix 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp chili powder and ½ tsp turmeric.
-Blend the spice mixture then sprinkle evenly over the vegetables and toss to coat.
-Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
-Roast until vegetables are tender and browned, turning once, about 45 minutes.

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Greens and Toasted Almond Dressing:
-Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
-Peel and seed 1 delicata squash then cut into ½ inch cubes.
-Toss squash with 1½ TBS olive oil in a shallow baking pan and season with salt and pepper.
-Roast stirring once, about 30 minutes.
-Coarsely chop ½ cup whole almonds, then add them to a skillet with 4 TBS olive oil.
-Cook over medium low heat stirring often until golden, about 3 minutes, then put a strainer into a large salad bowl and strain the almonds and reserve the oil. Set aside both to cool.
-Leave the rubber band on 1-2 bunches of arugula and cut into thirds, discarding the rubber banded stem ends.
-Clean and stem ½ bunch of spinach (if using only 1 bunch of arugula).
-When the oil is cool, whisk in 2 tsp fresh lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
-Add the squash and half the almonds to the dressing and toss to coat.
-Then add the arugula/spinach and toss again gently. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts:
-Toast ½ cup of walnut halves in a small skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until nicely browned.
-Slice 1 red cabbage into thin strips. Then thinly slice ½ onion.
-In a large sauté pan, add 2½ TBS olive oil and 2 TBS Balsamic vinegar.
-Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
-Then add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, being careful not to overcook the cabbage.
-Turn into a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper.
-Sprinkle with 3-4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and the toasted walnuts. Serve warm.

Soft Fish Tacos:
For batter and fish:
-In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper.
-Pour in 1 cup dark beer at room temperature. Whisk until batter is smooth and let stand 15 minutes.
-Cut 2# halibut into ¾ inch strips.
-Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and squeeze some limejuice over each strip.
-Let stand 15 minutes and then mix fish into batter.
For the tortillas:
-Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
-Heat a skillet over medium heat.
-Stack 2 white corn tortillas and sprinkle top with water (you will need 12 tortillas in all).
-Place in skillet wet side down, heat 1 minute.
-Sprinkle top with water and turn stack over, heat 1 minute.
-Transfer stack to a large sheet of foil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
-Enclose tortillas in foil and place in oven.
To fry the fish:
-Pour vegetable oil into a medium skillet to reach a depth of 1 inch.
-Attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 350 degrees.
-Slide 4 fish strips into the oil and fry until golden, about 4 minutes.
-Transfer fish to paper towel-lined baking sheet and place in oven. Repeat.
To assemble:
-Thinly slice 1½ cups red cabbage.
-Fill each warm tortilla with 2 fish strips.
-Top with red cabbage, sour cream, salsa, a squeeze of fresh lime and a dash of hot pepper sauce.

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Helsing Junction Farm
12013 Independence Road, Rochester, WA 98579 | (360)273-2033
helsingfarm@msn.com | www.helsingfarmcsa.com

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