Chilly Nights and Hot Soup

The wind blew hard on Thursday afternoon bringing down a storm of yellow cottonwood leaves.  It was so majestic in the garden with the cool air blowing down from the mighty mountain peaks.  Plants in the garden have pretty much stopped growing and our plot is just a holding ground until we harvest.  It is also the season for gleaning the last of some of crops.  You will notice the bagged chard and lettuce leaves in the share this week.  These are the last of those crops and so we picked smaller leaves that cannot be bundled but are still super tasty.

The share season is sadly drawing to a close.  The last week for shares is coming next week.  Shares as always will be here at the farm until Tuesday evening.

Though the veggie season is almost over, there will be more opportunities to visit the farm in October.  Bring the whole family to the 2nd Annual Farmhands benefit Pumpkin Patch Festival.  For more information on Farmhands an education program of the non-profit Guidestone check out http://guidestonecolorado.org/GigPage.aspx?PageID=1737 The Festival will run weekends, October 18th and 19th and 25th and 26th on Saturdays from 10 am – 5pm and Sundays from 12 pm – 4pm.  Admission to the event is $5, 2 and under free.  There will be lots of fun events including horse drawn wagon rides, hay bale maze, farm games, pumpkin patch, silent auction, bake sale and Colorado Grown Bratwurst BBQ.

Garden Share

Beets

Cabbage

Carrots

Chard Leaves

Leeks

Mixture of Lettuce Leaves

Red Onions

Sangre and Yukon Gold Potatoes

Fennel

Butternut Squash (From Mattic’s Orchard in Olathe)

Eggplant (From Mattic’s)

Fruit Share

All from Austin Family Farms

1 bag honey crisp apples

1 bag peaches, pears and plums

Eggplant and Red Chili

This is a dish of Seth’s that is great with eggs and tortillas or poured over rice.

Peel 1 large eggplant.  Cut into pieces 1/2 inch wide by an 1 1/2 long.  Saute in oil with a little bit of garlic.

Make one recipe of red chili.  Chili powder can be found in the Hispanic Foods section at your grocery store and usually comes in mild, medium and hot. Buy the large package that is probably more than a cup of ground chili not the small quantity that comes in a spice jar.  The recipe on the package is the one we generally follow.  Or if you are feeling ambitious you can rehydrate red chili pods and try the method explained here   http://www.zianet.com/focus/chile/chile3.htm adding salt and garlic and a roux to thicken of necessary.

Add red chili to the eggplant and simmer 5 minutes or so to thicken the mixture.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Here is a simple recipe that includes some fruit, too.

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000051butternut_squash_apple_soup.php

Seth’s Green Squash Soup

This makes a lot of soup.  Cut the recipe in 1/2 for a smaller quantity.

4 c winter squash

1 1/2 c. carrot cut into chunks

4 c. potatoes cubed

5 c. kale, chopped or other green

1 large onion, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves chopped

1 T. salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 T dried tarragon

Add 2 c. potatoes to small pot and boil until they are soft but do not fall apart.  Add everything else to a large pot with enough water to cover 2 inches.  Cook until tender.

Blend the mixture in a blender or food processor in batches and return to the pot.  Add cooked potatoes as you blend.  Add more spices as you like.  Simmer 10 minutes more and serve.

Potato Leek Soup

Potato leek soup is a fantastically simple and satisfying soup to make.  I liked the story behind this soup even though we are entering winter rather than coming to the end of winter.  With lows going down into the high 20s this week winter is on its way.  Potato Leek Soup is a hearty comfort food.

http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/03/19/a-hearty-potato-leek-soup-recipe-for-the-last-days-of-winter/

Celebrate Our Foodshed

The Central Colorado Foodshed Alliance, sponsers of the Salida Farmers Market, are holding their annual celebration on Saturday October 11th from 6-9pm at the Salida Steamplant Ballroom, 220 West Sackett St. in Salida.  The event will feature local author, Susan J. Tweit speaking about the benefits of consuming local food.  There will also be a delicious dinner of local foods, samples from local growers and music and dancing after the presentation.  Admission is $5 and children under 5 and CCFA members will be admitted free.  Come join in and Celebrate Our Foodshed!