It’s been a delicious week here at our farm. Our children cheered last Saturday night as we served grilled squash and blistered padron peppers. (We aren’t making this up.)
Our six year old asked for two huge scoops of our favorite tomato relish. 
Our 11-month old wiggled with excitement for bowls of eggs scrambled with our Hearty Greens Mix.
All of the kids old enough to reach our farm stand table tested the boundaries by “sneaking” tomatoes to eat like apples…wondering if they would be scolded or allowed to eat the tomato-apple. (Of course they get to eat all of the tomatoes they desire! One shall never scold for extra vegetable consumption.)
Our three year old, of the hakurei-turnip-eating-video fame, found the first turnip ready to be eaten. She let no one photograph or videograph her. She enjoyed those delicious bites sans interference.
We love growing this food and we love eating this food. We know we feel significantly healthier than we did 10 (or even 7) years ago. We were but 30 years young then, but we were not eating the way we wanted to be eating. We were working office jobs, managing a commute, starting a young family…Time was short, the farmers’ markets (at that time) were a long drive away, and money felt tight. We know the pressures of daily life! Our life now is not a mainstream one, for sure. We are surrounded by vegetables and we have no commute. Our bodies are active, our hands are soiled. However, we still have plenty of stress and pressures in our life. Our business is demanding; our family is now large in number. Janet told someone recently that, as the primary (but not sole) dinner maker, she isn’t always smiling while trying to get 30 minutes of vegetable chopping finished while four children circle around in varying stages of happiness and attention-seeking. The farm chore list is not completed and everyone is still covered in the day’s dirt. It would be “easier” to order take-out…or even just use some semi-prepared food (frozen vegetables, etc.). But once the whole family sits down to dinner, we feel a collective sigh of appreciation. The food is real and alive. We are nourished. We are grateful. It is delicious. That is why we do this. 
(Photo, above, by Sylvie, age 8.)
This week’s harvest includes:
Arugula, Chard, Collards, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Kale, Lettuce Heads, Lettuce Mix, Microgreens, Okra, Peppers (sweet and spicy), Salad Mix, Summer Squash (yellow and zucchini), Tomatoes…and Naturally Leavened, Organic Multigrain Bread.
Recipe Suggestions: see these and others cataloged on our Recipe Page
We are continually inspired by the recipes and food ideas in the Bon Appetit magazine. Accordingly, today’s recipe suggestions are sourced from BA:
– Falafel-spiced Tomatoes on Flatbread.
– If the above recipe is too complicated for your life, use your tomatoes (and sweet peppers) in a simple and amazing dish like this Tomato Relish. We eat this dish multiple times per week, using our sweet peppers instead of the serrano peppers it calls for. All four of our children love, love, love this dish. (And it works for any meal of the day!) Feel free to sub out ingredients: We prefer garlic in it instead of onion. We often omit the parsley and instead use any other herb, or just savor the garlic flavor without an herb addition.
– Sichuan-Style Chicken with Rice Noodles is a great way to enjoy any type of kale, or use our Hearty Greens Mix, and you can sub any protein source of your choice, of course. This style of meal preparation is a great one to be familiar with. It is essentiallyseasoned protein + carbohydrate [noodles] + greens with a delicious sauce. It calls for a specialty seasoning (furikake) which we have not used. Instead, we substitute a combination of kelp, sesame seeds, and soy sauce. This adaptability makes it easier to prepare and enjoy a lot of vegetables.
– Head Lettuce: We love head lettuce because of it’s crunchy ribs and the big sweet leaves that work like boats for so many delicious toppings. They hold up well for a Classic Caesar Salad, Seared Steak Lettuce Cups, a Club Salad, or Greens with Horseradish-Creme Fraiche Dressing. Use any protein you prefer in any of these recipes!
– Sauteed Greens with Olives is an excellent way to enjoy any kale (or if you have collards left from last week) and also lettuce. (Trust Bon Appetit!)
– Radishes are back! Oh how we love them. If you can resist just slicing them in half, dipping them in salt, and eating them straight, we suggest you highlight their mild spice by making a Radish Salsa such as in this recipe for Steak Tacos with Cilantro-Radish Salsa. If you want to tame the spice, make Radish Raita, a sauce with yogurt and spices, to enjoy on any protein (or salad!).
– Beets have also made their fall debut this week, with wonderful greens on top. We swoon. This recipe for Roasted Beets makes use of creme fraiche and yogurt, plus a simple bit of oregano or marjoram, to highlight the beet flavor while enjoying a bit of smooth dairy. We also love beets roasted simply with olive oil and salt and pepper, then topped with goat cheese. This recipe for Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese also calls for fresh mint vinaigrette.
2015 Market Share CSA Members: Reserve your selection online to pick up on Saturday, Sept 19 at our farm, the Brandermill Green Market, The Market at Magnolia Green, or the South of the James market.
Vegetables not ordered by our Market Share CSA members will join us at the Brandermill Green Market , Market at Magnolia Green, or the South of the James market this Saturday. Anyone may order select goods from us through Fall Line Farms, Richmond’s online farmers’ market. You can use discount code “broadfork” to earn a complimentary 6 month subscription.
We are proud to be once again participating in the Richmond Farm Tour, put on by Ellwood Thompson’s and the VABF. We will be open for tours on Oct 3 and 4, with guided tours at 3:00 each day. See the website link above for ticket purchasing info, or purchase tickets at the Ellwood’s customer service counter. There are lots of options for you to be able to visit farms and learn more about biological farming!
Enjoy ~
Janet, Dan, and the whole Broadfork crew
