Week 15 News

The fair weather continues, much to our liking.
   This week's boxes included: spaghetti squash, carrots, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, kale or collards, parsley with rosemary and oregano; leeks (except downtown).
   The spaghetti squash is a variety called 'stripetti', hence the green stripes. These should last for months so there is no hurry to "use it up". Like most winter squashes, the flavor will actually improve after curing and storage. Here's a site about it: http://www.gardenguides.com/2067-spaghetti-squash.html.  I believe the seeds of the spaghetti squash are good for roasting; see http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/squash_seeds.htm. I usually skip the rinsing part and just pick out the seeds from the "guts", then season them lightly and roast them in a separate pan for the last ten minutes of the squash cooking. Stir them once and be careful not to let them burn.
   Getting beans this late in the year is a nice bonus; the light frosts had not penetrated deep enough into the bean canopy to do much damage to the fruits. Slugs have been nibbling on those that were close to the ground; we tried to remove the most damaged bits. Some of the yellow beans have some rust colored spots on them, symptom of one of the many plant diseases, unsightly but harmless to us.
   The potatoes are almost all dug up, save for the russets and purple ones. We'll dig those up and hand them out next week, then, if Hugh has some in his shed in a week or so, I'll get good deal more of them for the last drop.

Next week will feature another squash or two, along with more beets, baby greens, leeks, etc.

Two more weeks left.

Please, remember to bring back your empty boxes!!

Recipes:

Leek Ragu – Makes about 1 cup

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 pound leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into ½ inch thick slices and washed well

Flakey sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

*Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add leeks, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes.  Add 1/3 cup water, cover, reduce the heat to low and gently cook until leeks are very soft, about 15 minutes. If necessary, increase heat to high and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of the cooking liquid has evaporated.

*Taste the leeks and add additional salt and/or pepper if necessary.  Remove from heat and serve warm or at room temperature.  (The leeks can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.

Leeks Braised in Red Wine – 4 servings

This French classic is good served hot, cold, or at room temperature.  You can also use a dry white wine instead of the red.

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 medium leeks, halved, with 1 to 2 inches of green top

Salt

1 cup red wine

½ cup vegetable broth or water

*In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add the leek halves, cut side down, season lightly with salt, and saute until brown on the edges. Turn and brown the other side.  Turn the leeks once more so they are cut side down, and pour the wine and vegetable broth over them.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the leeks are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

*Remove the leeks to a serving dish.  Increase the heat to a glaze.  Pour over the leeks.

Adapted from Cooking from the Garden from the Kitchen Gardener

Rapid-Roasted Tomatoes – Makes 3 to 4 cups

Cooked this way, the tomatoes are juice and make a great quick chunky tomato sauce  Toss them with fresh pasta, herbs and cheese for a quick and great meal.

12 medium tomatoes

2 sprigs fresh rosemary or other fresh herb(s)

½ cup olive oil

10 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped

¼ cup red-wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

*Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Wash and core the tomatoes and cut them in half.  If plum tomatoes, cut from end to end.  With regular tomatoes cut through the middle.  Remove and chop the herb leaves from the stems.

*On a baking sheet or in a shallow casserole, pour half the olive oil and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the garlic and herb(s).  Place the tomatoes cut side down and dab with the vinegar and the remaining olive oil.  Salt to taste and add a few grinds fromo the peppermill.

*Place in the preheated oven for a few minutes until the pulp has softened and the skin blistered.  Remove from the oven, pick off the skins and discard them.  You can serve the tomatoes right from the oven or store them in their own juices in the refrigerator.