The Weekly Bushel, Week 21, 2009
LotFotL's
The Weekly Bushel #21
Oct. 6, 2009
The last weekend of events
As previously promised, then backed out of, then re-promised, we are planning to host LotFotL's first ever chili dump this upcoming saturday. The premise behind a chili dump is to get a bunch of people and a bunch of different types of chili together, dump the chili's together in a great big pot, and dump the people together in a shed somewhere on a farm. Chili dumps were first constructed by some savy oyster cracker company on the east coast. Now they've travelled to the north, for us to improve upon, ad nauseum.
DETAILS
Party begins about 5pm. I'm planning on coming up with some way (either by charcoal or nesco) to heat up all the chili brought, but if you make crock pot chili, it may be a good thing for you to bring your crock pot with. Also, please bring a bowl to eat your chili out of, and a spoon. I will provide sour cream, shredded cheeses, hot sauces, napkins, charcoal, beer, wine, and of course oyster crackers. We will be only somewhat indoors, so dress appropriately. We'll stoke an early fire too, but it may be kinda cold. Address is W2857 county rd. ES, in East Troy. Please do RSVP, as it will take some work to put this together, and if no one's gonna show, I'd just assume spend that time hiking in the woods, or trying to plant garlic.
See you then!
The Week
Welcome to the sixth sextet of LotFotL produce for 2009. We have a rainwashed assortment of food for you this week. As frost approaches in the weekly weather forecast, we scurry and shuffle along, trying to get plastic mulch out of the field, to allow for manuring fields that will soon be put to rest for the winter. This rain, once an absolutely priceless gift, is aggravating, and slowing the process down. I'm not one to shake my fists at the sky, but I sure would like a couple more weeks of sunshine. So it goes...
LotFotL in print and on screen
If you haven't seen it yet, October's Outpost Exchange Magazine has a nice piece in it about LotFotL and other young farmers in the region. The interview was really fun, and the free press is much appreciated. Check that out if you get a chance.
Also, this sunday at 10:30 am, LotFotL will be prominently featured on CBS 58, courtesy of Arthur Ircink and the folks at Wisconsin Foodie! These guys do excellent work, and are really engaged in the local food movement. They are also always looking for sponsors to help their mission of being the eyes mouth and ears of the local food scene. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the farm looks through the eyes of a TV. How bizarre and blushing that will be. We may try to get a group of people together at a bar in Milwaukee to watch the episode as it airs. The show features LotFotL along with Beans and Barley folks and Usha Bedi, sultan of subji, and owner of the new invisible version of Dancing Ganesha :} More to come on the bloody mary possibilities soon.
If you can't catch the show on sunday, be sure to check out wisconsinfoodie.com in the coming weeks, were you're always able to check out past episodes.
The Food!
This may very well be the last week for peppers and eggplant depending on what the weather does. We've had a pretty good year for both, considering just how cold it has been. We're still heavy on beets, but will hold these back for the last two shares, as for some I think we've been a bit too heavy on beets this year. Carrots should round out all of the last shares of the year. Onions too. We do have watermelons still, but they are very large, and a bit outside of most people's cold weather palettes. If you'd like to order a large moon and stars watermelon for $6, delivered with your upcoming shares, let us know and we'll happily make that happen. We'll definitely dig into some of these at the chilly dump too. Next week, expect more carrots, spinach, hopefully broccoli, dill, and perhaps the first brussel sprouts of the year.
This Week's Share
Kohlrabi or Cauliflower-too small of a kohlrabi stand right now, and cauliflower is on its way out. We'll have more kohlrabi before years end
Cilantro-typically not good late season, but this time, it's really good
spicy saute mix-arugula and mustards
lettuce
bell peppers
eggplant
carrots
potatoes
onions
garlic
bok choy-we have more bok choy than we know what to do with. We'll try to give you a week or two off soon, but expect it to be around for the remainder of the year
Fixins
Bok Choy Chicken Soup
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesesouprecipes/r/bok-choy-soup.htm
This easy Chinese recipe allows you to get all the nutritional benefits of bok choy in a simple, flavorful soup. Feel free to increase the nutritional value by using homemade chicken broth, or adding cooked chicken or raw, peeled shrimp.Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth
10 leaves bok choy, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, peeled, chopped
Preparation:
Bring the chicken broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the seasonings (the red pepper flakes, soy sauce, Asian sesame oil), and the chopped garlic.
Add the bok choy. Simmer for up to 10 minutes, until the bok choy leaves turn dark green and are wilted and tender. Serves 4 to 5.
This recipe is submitted by a reader, Linnie Williams.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup-pressure cooker
http://lezzetler.net/creamy-cauliflower-soup-vt8184.html
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 medium onions, quartered
3 cups cauliflower, chopped (about 1 head - florets + core chopped)
3/4 teaspoon rosemary
3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup almonds (blanched almonds are recommended for the smoothest soup)
GARNISH
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
3/4 cup green onions, chopped fine (about 6 stalks)
Heat an uncovered pressure cooker over medium-high heat and add oil. Saute onion and cauliflower, sealing them one at a time (about 17 minutes total). Tie the rosemary in a cheese cloth, and add it with the water, salt, and almonds to the pressure cooker.
Lock lid of pressure cooker and bring it up to pressure. Begin timing at this point and adjust heat to maintain pressure (use a flame tamer to keep the bottom from burning). Cook for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat; release pressure before opening.
Remove the rosemary wrapped in cheese cloth from the soup.
Finish by blending soup. (Try using a hand blender where you can blend the soup right in the pressure cooker; this makes for very easy cleanup; if this does not make the soup smooth enough (the almonds can be a problem), use a blender or food processor.)
Garnish each serving with a bit of cilantro and green onions.
VARIATIONS:
- Use eggplant in place of cauliflower.
- To reduce fat, use rolled oats instead of almonds; this will result in a slightly different creaminess due to the reduced fat content.
- For a richer soup, use twice as many nuts.
MEAL-IN-A-DISH CASSEROLE
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,168,152170-230202,00.html
5-6 med. potatoes, thinly sliced
1 lb. ground beef
1 sm. onion, thinly sliced
3 carrots, sliced
1 qt. canned tomatoes
3 tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. rice, uncooked
Brown ground beef and layer in casserole dish with the potatoes, carrots, rice, and onion. Add sugar to the tomatoes and pour over above ingredients. Bake in a covered dish for 2 hours at 325 degrees.
