Life on the Farm (Week 39)

Another night of quenching rain awakening to sun and breezes. The trees are just beginning to turn, and growing is slowing down in the fields. Anyone else feeling claustrophobic with the arrival of late dawn and early dusk?

The tomatoes and peppers in the high tunnel are appreciating this respite from frosty weather. Cucumbers, well, they took a hit even inside. The outside offerings are looking mighty peaked as the fields take on that spent Fall appearance…begging for cleanup vs. harvest.

All open spaces are in cover crops now. Some will winter kill, others will hibernate until spring and come back. Garlic seed has arrived and is awaiting planting to overwinter and emerge first in line in the spring.

Hightunnel #3 position building nutrients with peas and oats

The Market is now open for a herbs, tomatoes and just a little bit more.

Ordering will be open from Sunday morning until Monday 8pm. Get your orders in now so harvesting can begin specific to your requests.

Deliveries will be made Wednesday per usual to your chosen Dropsite Location .

Recipes for your consideration

A hearty chili with lots to chew and savor— wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. No fuss, no muss with a one-pot meal.

Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large sweet bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed (or dried beans cooked/frozen)
4# tomatoes, chopped w/ juices (blanched 1min and peeled, if desired)
1-2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (or roast your own)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp maple syrup or 2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 cups cooked Wheat Berries, (recipe follows)
Juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a Dutch oven/large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, chipotle to taste, broth and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in cooked wheat berries and heat through, about 5 minutes more. (If using frozen wheat berries, cook until thoroughly heated.) Remove from the heat. Stir in lime juice. Garnish each bowl with avocado and cilantro.

Wheat berries, cooked

2 cups wheat berries (hard/high protein varieties work best)
7 cups water
1 teaspoon salt if desired

Rinse and pick thru to eliminated stones and debris. Add to pot of water (and salt).

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse. Serve hot or cool for freezer storage.

If storing, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to several months.

Adapted from: Eatingwell.com

This is a simple recipe that uses just one pan, has all the protein you need, lots of flavor for the palate, and packs in those healthy super greens too.

Kale, Lentil, Sausage Skillet

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 package Kielbasa Tofurky sausages
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cup lentils, preferably French green
12 cups chopped kale leaves, tough stems removed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Tofurky Kielbasa sausages and cook until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Transfer to a clean cutting board and slice into bite-sized discs.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and onion to the pan and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add water and wine, increase heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add lentils, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Add kale, sage and salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and kale are tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir sliced Tofurky sausages into the pan along with pepper. Cover and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Adapted from— Eatingwell.com

These make a great addition to pasta sauce (use up those great tomatoes), mashed potatoes and gravy. AND they freeze well for quick meals later in the winter when fresh herbs are long gone and it is dark out and too late to plan a fancy dinner.

Veggie Balls

1 cup ground raw potatoes
2 tsp soy flour
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp fresh sage, minced
½ tsp fresh thyme, stripped from stems
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cup ground walnuts
1/2 tsp. salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Mix all above ingredients thoroughly. Form into balls.

Either: Put into baking dish. Cover with your favorite gravy or pasta sauce and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Or: Bake on parchment paper 350 F for 20-30min, cool and freeze for later use.

I think I am craving Thanksgiving. Maybe we need a dry run before the big day! I’m making stuffing, yes I am.

Simple Stuffing

1 large onion, chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
Optional, 1 large apple, chopped
Optional, 1 cup raisins
Optional, 1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
Optional, ½ cup pecans, chopped
½ cup margarine (Earth Balance works great)
1 tsp ground black pepper
5-10 leaves fresh sage, chopped (or 1 tsp dried ground sage)
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 Tbsp dried parsley)
3-4 cups vegetable broth (more or less for moist or dry stuffing)
2 loaves stale French bread, cubed or crumbled (or equivalent stale corn bread/muffins)

In a large pot, sauté onion and celery (and optional ingredients) in margarine until onion is clear. Add pepper, herbs and broth; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add stale bread and fold bread into broth mixture until well coated.

Turn into large baking pan; cover with foil. Bake at 325-350?F for 30-45 minutes; remove foil during last 10-15 minutes for crisp top.

If anyone has some good recipes for this week’s ingredients, pop on over to the website and enter them there for everyone’s benefit!.

Subscription Box Highlights

Anticipated this week for the CSA/Subscription Boxes:

Tomatoes
Summer squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Sweet peppers
Baking potatoes
Onions
Celery
Cabbage
Melon
Shallots
Sage
Chives

Start your meal planning now!

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara

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