CSA Week #17

Week 17

Oct.1 and 2

1 bunch carrots

1 bunch radish

 arugula

2 lbs. sweet potatoes

1 lb. red onions

1 bunch parsley

cabbage or broccoli

sweet peppers

garlic

The times, they sure are a changin’!  Fall has fallen and it is all about out with the old, in with the new and exciting these days as we have clearly made the shift from from end of summer cruise control mode to autumn action.  BKF is in major transition, keeping us in motion and on our tippy, tippy farm toes.

Last week was major!  We bid a fond farewell the well to our beloved tomatoes.  After 10 rock solid wee ks of harvesting and enjoying them, the entire crazy greenhouse packed full of plants that were still reaching towards the sky and almost grazing the ceiling, was dismantled.  This being the first season that we grew our tomatoes under cover, we are pleased to mark the experience up as a major success!  With the intense mid-season rains, tomatoes grown outside did not fair very well, so our consistent and tasty fruit was certainly a testament to growing them as we did this season.  Summer bounty out, dare I say, WINTER, (yuck, gross!) bounty in!  With the tomatoes pulled, the big greenhouse is now an open canvas for the next experiment in season extension at BKF, winter greens!  By the end of the week, kale, collards, arugula and salad mix will fill the space to be sold at indoor farmer’s market this winter.  Who knows, if all goes well, perhaps an all greens BKF Winter CSA is on the horizon for 2014!

Something else that is new, exciting and finally up and out of the ground, a crop that has never, ever been grown on BKF ground and one that yours truly has never, ever grown after years of toiling on farms from Maine to Cali to India and beyond, the ever powerful, the ever fabulous, the ever beautiful, delicious and general happiness inducing sweet, sweet, sweet potato!!!!!  We had no idea what we were in for when we started to harvest these babies last week, but as I am incredibly happy to report that we have a bumper, bumping yield!  The soil stayed warm enough, the field mice went else where and those little, whacky looking plants that came in a box from Tennessee way back in June proved to be major survivors and glorious producers!  After the let down of the winter squash, pulling the sweet potatoes out of the ground and filling bucket after overflowing bucket, was a major victory for the farm.  Beginners’s Luck? Hey, we’ll take it!  Nothin’ says styling and profiling this fall like enjoying a fresh, roasted sweet potato in your fave cable knit sweater!  Lookin’ good, y’all!  Here’s to ya!

Not only did we say good bye to the tomatoes, but rockstar/wild card apprentice, Carly, packed up her sweatpants and knee socks and hit the road back to D.C. last week.  A volunteer who was supposed to stay for two weeks, but meshed so superbly with the crew and the vibe of the farm, our girl stuck around for the majority of the the season and was second to none in salad mix harvesting, pig documenting and allergenic awareness.  She is already missed at farm lunch!

Embracing change is the BKF thing these days, after 4 seasons of delivering to Portland’s Fort Allen Park, the park is officially closed for renovations and the pick-up has shifted to the first parking lot heading down to the boat launch on the Eastern Prom.  Portland Crew make it happen, sink your teeth in the theme of seasonal transition and make that change!  Need more info?  Be in touch!

Even with all these changes, shifts and inevitable evolutions, we still have our awesome base of bounty, beauty and community connections! 

Much love and savor this extra-special, sparkling October sunshine!

Baked Sweet Potato Latkes - www.organicgardening.com
2 pounds grated sweet potatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
   2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Drop by quarter-cupfuls onto the baking sheets. Flatten with a spatula.
   3. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Roasted Watermelon Radish

www.yummly.com

1 pound watermelon radishes, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut radishes into wedges. Mix with 2 tbsp. oil and put in a 2-qt. baking dish. Roast radishes, stirring occasionally, until fork tender, about 1 hour. Drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp. oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic and Herbs

www.epicurious.com

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss sweet potatoes with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes to platter.

Mix parsley, thyme and garlic in small bowl. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.