Dear CSA members:
Patricia Heckart comes to
Hawthorne Valley with over twenty years of experience in the world of natural
foods. Most recently, she was managing and buying for the Greenstar Co-op
in Ithaca NY, and after that was a broker for various natural foods
products. As store manager at Hawthorne Valley, Patricia combines her
skills and enthusiasm for her work, with a broad and grounded vision for our
new farm store. We are grateful and delighted to be working with her here
at Hawthorne Valley Farm.
Rachel Schneider, CSA Coordinator
FUN
for the FAMILY!
Saturday,
Oct. 11th
Harvest
Festival at Hawthorne Valley Farm
Anticipated Harvest for September 25th
·
Broccoli (for some)
·
Lettuce
·
Potatoes
·
Scallions
·
Tomatoes
·
Turnips
I have been the Farm Store manager for
almost a year now. I am very happy to be working here in such a positive
work environment with a great staff, in a business with an admirable
mission and in a community of people who want to contribute to a healthy
society. Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity.
This is my first time as a member of a CSA. I have been astounded by the
flavor of the produce and happy to support biodynamic farming. I
thank the farmers and apprentices for their hard, long hours and their
important work here. My work in the store has not allowed me the time to
work around the farm. I thought I would be out there pulling weeds and
other helpful things. When it was raining and muddy, or hot and humid I
felt sympathy for the farmers, and realized what a "fair weather farmer"
I would be. It's just not the same as home gardening, is it!
Now we are looking forward to the Fall Festival, October 11. We can come
together to celebrate and appreciate the important work of the farmers, the
earth, wind, water and sun. We can count our many blessings.
We are also looking forward to the NEW STORE and NEW BAKERY opening in January
2004. I have heard many people already nostalgically missing the old
store. I do understand the concerns that the charm of the old store will
be gone and this is in large part true. The new store will not be the
same, but in many ways will be far better. We can be very proud of
the many environmental features the store contains. But, in my opinion,
the most important feature of the new store is the safer and saner work
environment for the staff. Working conditions in the store now are
extremely difficult and unhealthy. The other exciting feature is that
there will be space for folks to sit down, have a cup of tea and enjoy a
conversation with a colleague. Staff and shoppers can all contribute to
making the new space cozy and welcoming.
In the new store we can also look forward to a wider product selection.
We want to hear from you, our shoppers, as to what products you would like to
see in the Farm Store. There will be a poster on the front porch that
will provide you with the opportunity to contribute your ideas.
Together, we can be sure that the Farm Store will continue to serve the needs
of our community.
Patricia Heckart
Winter
Squash are actually harvested in the fall, but their hard shell
allows them to be stored and enjoyed during the colder winter months. Varieties include the oblong Delicata,
bulbous Butternut, and squat Acorn.
Roasted and pureed
winter squash seasoned with nutmeg, thyme or sage makes a simple but beautiful
side dish. Add some onions and cream
for a lovely soup, or mix with Parmesan cheese to create a delicate filling for
raviolis.
Delicata
Squash Soup
8 SERVINGS
Delicata is a cream-colored oblong squash with green stripes; its sweet
flesh is deep orange-yellow.
Three 1-pound delicata squash, halved
lengthwise and seeded
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 small thyme sprig
3 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or
canned low-sodium broth
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup crème fraîche (optional)
1 small black truffle, shaved (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Set the squash,
cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the
butter to each squash and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/8 inch of water to
the baking sheet. Roast the squash for 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 2
tablespoons of butter. Add the onion and thyme and cook over low heat, stirring
occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
Scrape the flesh out of the squash and add it to the saucepan along with the
stock and heavy cream. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until
the liquid has reduced by one-fourth, about 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or
food processor. Strain into a clean saucepan and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into soup plates and garnish with a dollop of crème fraîche and
a fresh truffle shaving if desired.
from www.foodandwine.com
This recipe by Grant Achatz
originally appeared in February 1999.
Pear Crisp with Polenta-Pecan Topping
8 SERVINGS
Try this topping with
other fruits!
8
ripe Bartlett pears (about 4 pounds)—peeled, halved, cored and sliced ½ inch
thick
1
cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4
cup granulated sugar
½
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½
cup pecans, finely chopped
½
cup light brown sugar
1/3
cup coarse polenta (not instant)
1
teaspoon cinnamon
salt
1
stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Vanilla
ice cream, for serving
1.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a
bowl, toss the pears with 1 tablespoon of the flour, the sugar and the vanilla.
Spread the pears in a 9-by-13 baking dish.
2.
In a food processor, pulse the remaining cup of flour with the pecans, brown
sugar, polenta, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add the butter and pulse just
until clumps start to form.
3.
Sprinkle the topping over the pears and bake in the center of the oven for 45
to 50 minutes, or until the topping is browned and the pears are tender when
pierced with a knife. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
FOOD & WINE NOVEMBER 2000
