Community Supported Agriculture Newsletter

HAWTHORNE VALLEY FARM

327 Route 21C                Ghent NY 12075     518-672-4465 www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org

No. 16                                                                                                                      September 23, 2004


Anticipated Sept. 30th

If you would like to visit Hawthorne Valley Farm, our Fall Festival is

Saturday, October 9!

If you need directions, please call Rachel at 518-672-7500, x 105

 

Take advantage of this special opportunity to stock up on some organic potatoes to hold you over the winter. 

Dear CSA members,

Thompson Finch Farm, the truly wonderful, organic farm that produces the strawberries and potatoes for our CSA, will have extra potatoes for us at the beginning of November. These potatoes will be available on a pre-order basis, in addition to the regular amount of CSA potatoes we receive from Thompson Finch Farm.

If you have a place to store the potatoes, (a cool room will do, one that does not freeze), the fresh potatoes can be stored for a couple of months, especially if they are kept out of the sunlight.  Please sign up for extra potatoes by Thursday, October 14 in order to give Marnie and Don, the Thompson Finch farmers, enough time to prepare the special orders of potatoes.

These extra potatoes are available to us for one delivery only, on Thursday November 4. You will be able to pick up your extra potatoes along with your regular CSA share. The cost of these extra potatoes will be $1.00 per pound, so please include a check made out to Hawthorne Valley Farm with your extra potato order.

Thompson Finch Farm was planning on wholesaling their extra potatoes to retail stores, but we thought we should offer the potatoes at a wholesale price to the CSA members first. Community Supported Agriculture works to more directly connect the consumers to the farmers. As CSA members, you get the absolute priority in all the harvests, you receive high quality, fresh vegetables and fruit (in a fruit share), you know where your food comes from, how many miles it has traveled, and you can trust the farmers to be working the land well and ecologically.

Thompson Finch Farm is a NOFA Certified Organic farm in Ancram, NY, about 20 minutes south of Hawthorne Valley Farm. The farm has been in Marnie’s family for generations. Don and Marnie concentrate on fruit growing, and they have a beautiful farm open to the public most week ends for you-pick fruit.

Please give Don and Marnie a call if you would like to visit their farm. Thompson Finch Farm: 518-329-7578.

Winter Squashare harvested in the fall, but their hard shell allows them to be stored and enjoyed during the colder winter months.  Varieties include the striped and oblong Delicata, bulbous Butternut, and squat Acorn.

Braised Winter Squash with Garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

I 1/2 pounds winter squash, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock, or water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Place the olive oil and garlic in a large, deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the garlic begins to color, add the squash, stock or water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally and stirring somewhat less often, until all the liquid is evaporated and the squash has begun to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and cook until the squash is as browned and crisp as you like. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnish, and serve. Makes 4 servings.

from How to Cook Everything — Simple Recipes for Great Food, by Mark Bittman

Warm Couscous and Roasted Vegetable Salad

1½ cups small carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into ½ -inch chunks

4 large cloves garlic, peeled

1¼ cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons salt

1 small butternut squash (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 cups cooked couscous

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place the carrots, onion and garlic in a shallow roasting pan. Stir in ¼ cup of broth, 1 teaspoon of salt and some pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Stir in the squash and roast until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring twice.

Place the pan on top of the stove, over medium-high heat.  Pour in 1 cup of broth.  Stir, scraping up all of the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat slightly and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper, chickpeas, cumin and turmeric. Cook until broth is reduced to a sauce consistency, about 3 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in the couscous.  Divide among 4 plates and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Roasted Squash with Red Onion, Oregano & Mint

Two butternut squash,

(approx 2 ½ lb each)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 garlic clove, very thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

 ¼ cup mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice the squash crosswise 1 inch thick; scrape out any seeds. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets and arrange the squash slices on them. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with ¼ cup of the olive oil. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until just tender.

Combine the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the vinegar, onion, oregano, garlic and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the warm squash and let stand for 20 minutes.

Arrange the squash on plates, sprinkle with the mint leaves and serve. Serves 8.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours