We hope everyone remembers in August when we were saying that we harvest more in November than we do in August. It’s true. And now it’s November and we are rolling in delicious goodness.
We have a lot of options available everyday in our Farm Stand, for those for whom it’s most convenient since the farmers’ markets in Chesterfield have closed. Lettuce, cabbage, microgreens, radishes, turnips, kale, peppers, etc. We will also continue selling through Richmond’s online farmers’ markets: Fall Line Farms and Local Roots Food Co-op and at the St. Stephens market as long as we have vegetables to sell, which should be into January.
We still have tomatoes and sweet red peppers. The tomatoes, admittedly, aren’t as delicious as our tomatoes were in August, but hey…they are still being appreciated. And they are Certified Naturally Grown right here in Chesterfield, so we know they are the best option around. Stop by the farmstand and take a peek at them still growing (across the driveway from the barn.) We are loving them diced on top of open-faced sandwiches (see recipe below), sliced and in broiled cheese sandwiches, and cooked in soup.
Fall vegetables are our favorite, since we still have our favorite summer fruits but we also have cabbage, tons of greens, kohlrabi, the tastiest radishes and turnips (they are sweeter in the fall), etc. We are real food nerds in the fall. We were offered restaurant food the other day from a kind family members but we said “No, thank you, because what we have in the fridge to make for dinner is so much more delicious!” Kohlrabi is what is pictured above. You peel the bulbous bottom of the plant, slice what remains, and eat it raw or cooked. We prefer it raw. It’s taste and texture is one-of-a-kind.
Napa cabbage (pictured above) is so sweet and crunchy and we love it raw and cooked and fermented as in this kimchi recipe. We tried to grow the daikon radishes that this recipe calls for and had 0% successful germination. What a downer. (We know Crumptown Farm has grown some great ones so seek them out if you are going this recipe route.) Pictured below is some purple kohlrabi that is not yet ready, but so gorgeous.
Our microgreeens are also at their peak right now. We add them to all sandwiches, egg dishes, soups, and salads. They are extra-nutritious (shown to be up to 40x as nutritious as their adult greens counterparts) so they are an efficient way to get a nutrient boost. Keep this in mind as cold and flu season approaches.
Finally – active 2016 planning has already begun. We plan to have CSA sign up open as of next Monday, including a new Farm Share pick up location in the Summer Lake neighborhood. Notes to inform our seed order are being compiled from where we kept track of our observations and opinions during 2015. And, accordingly, we are accepting applications for our 2016 positions. See our Job Opportunities page and please spread the word! There are full-time, paid positions as well as part-time, work-trade positions.
Sunday’s Farm Share will most likely include:
Salad Mix, Little Gem Lettuce (mini heads), Radishes, Broccoli, Turnips, Hearty Greens Mix, Microgreens, Sweet red Carmen peppers, and Tomatoes.
(photo by Brandon Hambright. Thank you!)
This week’s harvest includes:
Arugula, Bok Choy, Tatsoi/Asian Spinach, Tokyo Bekana, Chard, Broccoli & Broccoli Greens, Cabbage, Chard, Chinese Cabbage, Escarole, Hearty Mix, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Microgreens, Parsley, Radishes (red & watermelon), Red & Green Peppers, Turnips…and our Organic, Naturally Leavened Bread.
Recipe Suggestions: see these and others cataloged on our Recipe Page
Radishes: These little babies are packed with flavor and nutrients! Dice them up and incorporate them wherever you can. This weekend we enjoyed them on slices of toast (or crackers) with a slather of goat cheese, diced radishes, diced tomatoes, a sprinkle of salt, and our parsley (preserved by food-processing them with garlic and salt to make a simple spice spread). We also keep serving radishes diced and mixed in cream cheese with some salt. It is a big hit! We served this to guests this weekend who were surprised to enjoy radishes! Try it! You will most likely like it, too!
Little Gem Lettuce: These mini lettuce heads, like tiny romaines, are especially tasty. Use them like usual lettuce, or serve them as a sort of wedge salad by slicing them lengthwise with toppings and a drizzling of dressing. They can also be grilled, as in this recipe for Grilled Little Gem Salad.
Turnips: We served them this weekend to a self-proclaimed non-turnip lover. We diced them, along with diced white potatoes, and simmered them in a cast iron skillet with water, cumin, salt, savory, garlic, and pepper. We served it with our Tomato Chutney and microgreens. We are really a single-trick-pony when it comes to cooking. Luckily it’s tasty and we won over our guest who left here with a bunch of our turnips.
Broccoli: We keep serving it roasted. It’s a hit with all ages. Chop. Spread on baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle salt on top. Bake in oven at around 400. Fifteen minutes. Or so. Amaze your friends. It’s delicious.
Hearty Greens Mix and Microgreens are both great in smoothies, with scrambled eggs, mixed into any casserole, or massaged with olive oil, honey, salt, lemon juice, and garlic. Microgreens are super nutritious so we say you should eat them as an actual salad serving, not just as a garnish. After enjoying a particularly sugar-filled treat at the farmers market last Saturday, at least one of us, unnamed, restored balance by later consuming a just-microgreens salad: A huge bowl of just our microgreens and the dressing listed above. It does a body good. We’ll all be skipping that treat next week. Our Hearty Greens Mix featured nicely in a casserole that we made up a recipe for last week: Boil quinoa and diced sweet potatoes at the same time, in the same pot. Saute onion, garlic, and butter in a separate skillet (preferable cast iron). Turn off the heat on the skillet and add in a bag of our Hearty Greens mix, chopped. Add the cooked quinoa and sweet potato mixture. Stir. Crack a few eggs over top of the whole thing. Grate a 1/4 cup or so of Parmesan or Gouda cheese on top. Stir again until it is all mixed. Bake at 375 or so for ten or fifteen minutes. Serve! You could also incorporate diced sweet pepper and/or tomato into this casserole. Also mushrooms are fabulous.
2015 Market Share CSA Members: Reserve your selection online to pick up on Saturday, Nov 14 at our farm, Good Health Herbs (new location! @ Genito & Old Hundred), or the St. Stephen’s Farmers’ Market – OR – because Saturday is the Richmond marathon, which changes the access to the St. Stephen’s Farmers’ Market, you can also order for pick up on Sunday at the First UU Church.
Vegetables not ordered by our Market Share CSA members will join us at the St. Stephen’s Farmers’ Market this Saturday. Anyone may order available 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.
**From the St. Stephen’s market: “The Richmond Marathon course runs right near St. Stephen’s this Saturday. The market is a perfect place to grab some great food or a tasty baked good before or after your favorite runner passes by. The market lot is still accessible by car, but you will need to avoid the intersection of Libbie and Grove Avenues. Travel south on Somerset Avenue and turn right onto Grove Avenue to park in the main lot or the Three Chopt lot near St. Bridget. Somerset is accessible via York Avenue, north of Grove, from Three Chopt Road, Maple Avenue, or Libbie Avenue. A complete list of road closures can be found here.”
Enjoy ~
Janet, Dan, and the whole Broadfork crew
