CSA Week #16

Week 16

Sept. 24 and 25

1 bunch greens

1 bunch beets

1 bunch watermelon radish

1 pound onions

salad mix

broccoli

sweet peppers

hot peppers

garlic

tomatoes - last of the season!

butternut squash from Alma Farm

Porter, Maine

BKF Announcements, Info, Classifieds and Connected Connections!

Welcome Everett Comer Stabler!  Beautiful Baby Boy to long time CSA members and major veggie enthusiasts Hank and Becca Stabler of Portland!  The stork dropped our little Everett off on September 8th, just in time for his parents first wedding anniversary.  Yay and hurray!  So much to celebrate these days! Another Kettle mouth to fed!  

Exciting News!  This week’s Butternut Squash is brought to you by Alma Farm of Porter, Maine.  Unfortunately, yet again, the Kettle has had a real challenging time growing any sort of winter squash this season.  Picture flooded field, water logged plants, bug infestation and all sorts of rot, a generally sad situation all the way around.  We sadly accepted it, chalked the winter squash field up as a failure, hung our heads and threw some nasty, squished pumpkins to the pigs, which they loved.  Then just as the squash morning period was over, as wonderful luck would have it, I got wind from Geof Hancock, a farmer buddy and owner of Alma Farm with wife Gina, that they were absolutely swimming in literal tons of butternut squash.  They had a crazy bumper crop that yielded way too much for them to move in their typical outlets.  A perfect match for your farms was made and we fostered a really smooth collaboration to share their food and abundance and fill in a hole in our farm’s fall time harvest.  Check out www.almafarm.com to learn more about Geof and Gina’s impressive and inspiring operation.  It makes me so happy to join forces with friends to feed other friends like you, revealing that there is always more then enough to go around and sharing is the absolute best.

Donate your love seat/small couch or comfy chair to the Black Kettle Farm Yurt!

The temps are dropping and it’s time to gather ‘round the newly installed wood burning stove in the Kettle crew’s yurt.  We will come and pick up that piece of furniture that is no longer of use to you and it will live on in glory at the farm!  Donate a love seat and you will get major creds and praise AND you just might be able to poach from the trade table for the rest of the season...just sayin’.

So it has been four (16 weeks, that’s FOUR, right?) months of seeing you all every week at CSA veggie pick-ups.  That tomato fueled spring in your step, that kale based sparkle in your eye, that carrot generated sense of wisdom and that peppery air of spirit and fabulousness are just too much to let go unnoticed!  As we rock on in to full on fall, it is high time to give thanks and deeply acknowledge the gorgeous people, the veggie eaters and the amazing farm supporters of the BKF CSA!  This connection is not missed, it has only grown stronger and we have been nailing it all season!  We are a unit, a posse and a crew  of well over a 100 households and souls who, even with our diverse and different lives, vibrate on the same frequency because we all eat from the same source, filling our bellies, cells and molecules with all that the Kettle provides!  Here’s to our veg-tastic interconnections!  Hoard your food!  We’ve got 3 weeks left!

Kale Salad with Quick-Pickled Watermelon Radish 

www.thekitchn.com

1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Kosher salt
1 (6-ounce) watermelon radish (can substitute regular radishes)
1 (8-ounce) bunch kale
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seed oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Thinly slice the radish using a mandoline or chef's knife, add to the bowl, and stir to combine, making sure the slices are well coated. Let stand at least 30 minutes or refrigerate up to a day before serving.

Wash the kale and pat off excess water. If the center stems are tender enough to eat, simply trim the bottom inch or two. If the center stems are thick or tough, cut or tear them out and discard or save for another dish. Slice the leaves crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons.

In a large bowl, combine olive oil, pumpkin seed oil, lemon juice, thyme, a generous grind of black pepper, and a little salt. Add the kale and use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves until they soften and wilt.

Drain the radishes. Toss with the kale - OR - arrange the slices on individual plates and place the kale on top. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash and Almonds

Bon Appetit

8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 small onion, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubed butternut squash

1 bunch kale, stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch wide ribbons (about 5 cups)

3/4 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped

Parmesan (for shaving)

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with foil. Whisk 5 Tbsp. oil, vinegar, onion, and Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Combine squash and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Transfer squash to prepared baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until squash is tender and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. 
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add kale and cook, tossing frequently, until bright green and slightly wilted, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat; add 3–4 Tbsp. dressing and toss to coat. Transfer kale to a baking sheet and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
3. Add reserved squash and almonds to kale; toss well and season with pepper. Divide among bowls; drizzle with more dressing, if desired. Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan over.