Happy Halloween and Samhain

Happy Halloween--or Samhain, as the original Celtic festival celebrated from October 31 to November 1 was called. Some say Samhain means "summer's end," and that is surely what it is for us, as we'll have our last pickup at the Enright Ridge CSA this coming Saturday. Samhain celebrated the end of the harvest season--just what we are reckoning with at the CSA, too. It also marked the end of the "light" half of the year, as we head into darkness, and hey--I believe that Daylight Savings Time ends next Saturday, too. Who knew that Congress followed the old pagan calendar . . .

In any event, we'll be seeing the last of the tomatoes and peppers of summer, which continued well into fall, as well as some fall greens and root vegetables. You might think about carving one of those big turnips we got into your jack o' lantern this year--it was turnips and rutabagas that were used to carve scary faces to ward off evil spirits before new world pumpkins were introduced to Europe. Or you can just hide behind a false face, as masks were another way people found to hide from the demons.

Most likely the only demons showing up tonight will be trick-or-treaters. My uncle used to discourage them by passing out heads of cabbage, turnips, and occasionally brightly colored hard-boiled eggs, just to confuse them. I think I'll keep my turnips and cabbage for dinner, however, and pass out the more usual chocolate and licorice treats.

Happy Halloween, Happy Samhain, and as my grandfather would say, don't forget to set your clocks ahead. Remember, it's spring back, fall forward.

Survey Says . . .

We’ve been distributing an end-of-season survey that we’d really, really like everybody who has been a part of the Enright Ridge CSA this season to fill out and return to us. You should have gotten a copy via email; it’s a PDF file so (almost) anybody can print it out on their home computer. If for some reason you can’t, we’ll have copies at the greenhouse on Saturday.

If you already have a survey, take a few minutes to fill it out and bring it back on Saturday, October 29—there will be someone there all during pickup collecting completed surveys. If you are just picking one up on Saturday, you can bring it to the Harvest Potluck on Sunday, October 30 (5:00 pm at Imago), or drop it off at the greenhouse any time, but we really, really want to have all surveys returned by the last pickup.

We’ve gotten a lot of good ideas from CSA members in the past, so there’s a place on the survey for any ideas you might have to improve things around the farm. We’d also like to hear what you liked best this season, what you’d like to see more of (or less of), and what you thought of the work that was involved. It’s important for us to hear what you have to say about your experience at the CSA, because we want to keep you all involved, and even better, we want you to tell your friends to join next year.

So, if you can take a few minutes to fill out a survey and bring it back this week or next, we would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

Leeks and Potatoes in the Soup Pot

Last week we got leeks and potatoes in our shares, so I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one thinking about soup. I suspect everybody has a good potato soup recipe, hot or cold (the Good Housekeeping cookbook from the 1950s has my favorite vichyssoise recipe). In fact, I think I have three kinds of soup in my refrigerator right now--leek soup, gazpacho, and cream of tomato and dill soup. I thought I'd post a nice simple recipe for a cold soup that uses leeks and potatoes.

Leek Soup

4 leeks (white part mostly) washed and sliced thin
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 oz. spinach or other greens
2 Tbsps. butter
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash white pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream or sour cream
chopped chives or parsley

Saute the leeks, potatoes, onions, garlic, and spinach or greens in a large saucepan for about 20 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown. Stir in the chicken or vegetable stock and milk; bring the mixture to the boiling point, then remove from heat. Cool a little, season with salt and pepper, and puree in a food processor. Chill several hours, then stir in heavy cream or sour cream before serving, cold, with chopped chives or parsley.

Yes, We Have No Eggs

An Announcement
Unfortunately we will no longer have egg sales during Saturday pickup. The eggs have never been a direct part of the CSA, but rather a convenience to members which has become an economic inconvenience to some. Specifically, several times CSA members on Enright have had to write personal checks (up to $30) to insure the week's delivery when egg payments were short. Consequently, the Core Group has decided to suspend egg sales for the remainder of the season.

We regret we've had to take this step and pledge to work over the winter to find a more satisfactory method, if enough members want to continue to purchase eggs next season during Saturday pick-up.

Something Else to Do with All the Eggplant: Eggplant Enchiladas

A little bird tells me there will be more eggplant in this week’s harvest, and that’s okay with me. I’ve still got to try the Eggplant Involtini recipe Angie Utley posted on the Enright CSA Facebook page, and I made some pretty tasty Eggplant Enchiladas last week. More eggplant!

First, I thought I’d repost something Suellyn Shupe researched for the blog last year—she found a list of eggplant varieties so we could put names with the lovely different types we’ve seen, the purple and white striped, creamy white, and pale green eggplant in addition to the classic aubergine aubergine. We don’t necessarily grow these types at the CSA farms, but it gives you an idea of the variety of eggplant there are out there.

Heirloom Eggplants Varieties from Around the World
Cambodian Green Giant – Large, green fruits with light colored stripes and unique ribbed fruits.
Diamond – This popular Ukrainian variety offers dark purple, delicious tasting fruits.
Rosa Bianca – An Italian eggplant displaying beautiful shades of pink and lavender.
Brazilian Oval Orange Eggplant – Fruits start out green, ripening to orange and finally red.
Thai Yellow Egg – This heirloom eggplant from Thailand produces yellow, egg-shaped fruits.
Ping Tung Long – A productive slender purple fruited eggplant from Taiwan.
Japanese White Egg – Plants are very productive yielding large quantities of small white fruits.
Thai Long Green – Another heirloom eggplant from Thailand produces long, light green fruits.
Listada de Gandia – Purple and white striped eggplant, this one is another Italian variety.
Goyo Kumba – Unusual, tall and ornamental African heirloom with attractive, bright red fruits.
Chinese Round Mauve – This heirloom from China produces colorful medium sized eggplants.
Udmalbet – This green and purple striped eggplant from India turns yellowish as it ripens.

Now, that Eggplant Enchilada recipe:

2 medium eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 small hot peppers, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
6 flour tortillas
grated cheese or cheese sauce

Arrange the eggplant on one or more oiled baking sheets, sprinkle with salt, turn, and sprinkle with salt on the other side. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees ad bake the eggplant until it is brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Combine the tomatoes with the basil, garlic, hot peppers, salt, and pepper in a large skillet or wok. Add the eggplant and simmer for about 15 minutes. Fill the tortillas with the eggplant mixture and fold or roll to make enchiladas. Arrange the enchiladas in a plan and cover with cheese sauce or grated cheese. Bake for about 20 minute until enchiladas are brown.

The recipe I adapted this from served the enchiladas covered with southern white gravy, but they taste pretty good garnished with a little more cheese, sour cream, or guacamole, too, or just a little salsa if you prefer.

Honeymoon Salad (with a Nice Balsamic Vinaigrette)

So, how about that lettuce we got last Saturday? I don’t think I’ve ever seen heads of lettuce quite so large. I’ve already had two delicious salads made from it, but Jennifer Belisle reports that it’s best in a Honeymoon Salad . . . which is . . . wait for it . . . “lettuce alone.”

May I have a drum roll, please? It’s a good joke, but you know you can’t really live by lettuce alone, you need some dressing. (Um, there’s probably an off-color joke in that somewhere, if you are inclined to go down that road.)

All joking aside, here’s my balsamic vinaigrette recipe, which I had to think very hard about to make up into a written recipe. I make this all the time and just eyeball the ingredients, so you might want to adjust the amounts a wee bit to suit your own taste.

Julie’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

3 Tbsps. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. xanthan gum (optional)*
Minced garlic (or a bit of granulated garlic if you’re in a hurry)
Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil
Vegetable oil

Whisk the first six ingredients together in a large bowl, then add about 3 tablespoons of good olive oil, still whisking. Then add about a half cup of vegetable oil of your choice slowly, while whisking, so the dressing emulsifies. Taste, and if it is too sharp, add a little more vegetable oil. Toss on those greens and enjoy!

* Xanthan gum is a powdered substance that helps dressings emulsify; I learned about it in a cooking class all about salad dressings. It’s nice if you happen to have some, but if you don’t, just be sure to mix up the dressing well before using it.

CSA Members Occupy Cincinnati

The Occupy Wall Street protests went local over the weekend with an endeavor called Occupy Cincinnati, and a number of folks associated with the Enright Ridge CSA were on hand as the protestors gathered at Lytle Park, marched through Over the Rhine to Findlay Market, and then returned to Fountain Square to settle in, discuss issues, and occupy Cincinnati’s historic public venue.

The signs people carried were all over the map in terms of what inspired them to come down and join the rally, but it was good to see a few of them were thinking about the environment, urban agriculture, and the future of farming, as you can see in the photo above.

Some folks stayed all night on Fountain Square, then moved to Garfield Park, where they are still in residence as of Sunday night. They are settling in for another night (fortunately it’s been good weather for outdoor protests as well as for harvest) of occupying a public space in Cincinnati, along with other organized protests across the country.

They are still working on their goals, deciding if they want to publicize a specific agenda or simply create an arena for anyone and everyone to protest what they see as the problems we face in our country and our world today. The Occupy Cincinnati movement hasn’t gotten a lot of press coverage (though it had extensive police coverage on Saturday), but it took a few weeks for Occupy Wall Street to get in the news, too.

There was a lot of music as well as speeches at Occupy Cincinnati on Saturday, and it reminded me of a line from a poem by Arthur O'Shaughnessy —“three men with a good song’s measure/ Can trample an empire down.” Which reminded me of another fellow who had something to say about the strength of a few people leading to something more:

And if three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin’ a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day walking in singin’ a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement.

Friends, maybe Occupy Everywhere has a chance of becoming a movement.

Eat Locally, and Help Harvest, Too

I made the BLT pictured here the other day, and realized it was a completely "locally sourced" sandwich: The lettuce and tomato came from the Enright CSA; the bread was from St. Lawrence Bakery, and the bacon was from Eckerlin Meats down at Findlay Market. It was also very tasty.

It's great to have local produce, and I appreciate it even more when I've been in the garden or the fields down at Ritter Farm helping with the harvest. (It also makes me appreciate just what "field worker" really means.) I've done it in the blazing heat and the chill, but right now the weather is perfect and I'd like to recommend a harvest shift if you haven't done that yet.

There's a lot to be picked every week, and if you still need hours for your share, this is somewhere that your work is really needed right now. CSA staff and members are harvesting all day long Friday, so if you have any time free--or if you can get a little time free to spend outdoors in this glorious fall weather we're currently experiencing--think about joining the harvest.

If you go to the greenhouse, the white board will tell you where the harvest is happening, and when. The harvest at Ritter Farm is often in the late afternoon and early evening, and it's easy to get to. Just go down Cleves Warsaw Pike till you get to Hillside, turn left, and look for some cars parked behind the white house on the right (the second house on Hillside on the right). The fields are right along the small parking area.

Join the harvest before it's all over. You'll be glad you did, you'll appreciate those eggplant and peppers and beans that much more, and we'll all thank you for bringing them in from the fields!

Belgian Beet and Dill Salad

Sometimes it works out well to not manage to use up all of one week's produce before the next week's comes in--I had beets left when we got dill last Saturday, and I found this recipe to use both of them to make a lovely and tasty fall salad. The recipe comes from a cookbook I found at the downtown library, Everybody Eats Well in Belgium which I hesitated about bringing home--Belgium and Flanders are kind of known for not getting along. But I thought I'd give it a try, and so far no complaints. Turns out it's not all waffles and crepes; I've made a green bean recipe from this cookbook, too. Not that our green beans need any dressing up--they have been both delicious and prolific this season.

But back to beets and dill; another nice thing about this recipe is you can make it the night before; the longer it marinates in the vinaigrette, the better it tastes. So, eat well, eat Belgian (I just pretend it's Flemish), and try this recipe.


Belgian Beet & Dill Salad

4 or 5 small to medium red beets, scrubbed, with about 2” of green tops left on
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small onion, sliced thin
Salt
Pepper
Lettuce or other greens
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Place the beets in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until beets are tender, 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size. Drain and let cool slightly, then slip off the peels and slice or cube the beets. Whish the oil and lemon juice together and pour over warm beets. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve—at least an hour, but overnight is okay, too.

Just before serving, drain off and reserve the vinaigrette (which should be a lovely hot pink color). Arrange the beets and onions on a bed of lettuce and drizzle the beet-colored vinaigrette over all. Top with dill before serving.

Squash That Soup—or Soup That Squash

This is a delicious soup that is, equally importantly, yet another way to use up some of the squash that has been filling our bags each Saturday morning at the CSA. I've made butternut squash soup in the past, and I have always liked it, but since we are knee deep in summer squash at the moment, it's good to have a recipe to make a nice soup for these chilly October days, too. Thanks to CSA member Diana Lewis for sending the recipe.

Summer Squash Soup with Parsley Mint Pistou*

For squash soup
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 lb yellow summer squash, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 yellow-fleshed potato (1/2 lb), peeled, halved,
and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth**

For pistou
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 large scallion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt



For the soup, melt butter in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool soup, uncovered, 10 minutes. When the soup is cool enough, work in batches and purée it in a food processor or blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a bowl. Return purée to cleaned pot and thin with water if desired; simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and garnish with the pistou.

Make pistou while vegetables simmer by combining the mint, parsley, and scallion in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a stream, then add water and salt, blending until incorporated. Swirl 1 tablespoon pistou into each bowl of soup.

*From Gourmet magazine, September 2006.
**Vegetable stock works fine for this, too.

Eating Well and Good Eating and Zucchini Blondies

Sunday morning, I was eating some delicious Huevos Rancheros with salsa made entirely from Price Hill produce, enjoying my breakfast while reading what I refer to as “the funny papers” in the New York Times. They may not have comics, but the Sunday Styles section is always good for a laugh. What other people consider trend-setting and important makes me giggle. I particularly like one feature that highlights what a society lady wore each day for the past week. I decided to take that as inspiration for a blog entry. I have been eating so well lately (and it has tasted so good), that I’ll list “What I Ate,” maybe not for a full week, but for a few days, anyway . . .

On Saturday morning, I arrived bright and early at the greenhouse to work the first packout shift, and found a plate of Zucchini Coconut Blondies, made by Jennifer Belisle, that got the day off to a delightful start. In fact, Jennifer has shared the recipe, and it’s at the end of this entry.

When I got home, I spent some time sorting and putting away produce, then made a weird but tasty sandwich—on bread from Skiritz & Johnson bakery down at Findlay Market, I spread homemade Baba Ganoush, then sliced up a tomato from the Enright farm. It was very tasty! I spent the rest of the day making pickles, salsa, and pear butter, then for dinner I put the salsa to good use; we had tacos with homemade tortillas, garnished with Enright farm lettuce and tomatoes, then had baked peaches with almonds and brown sugar butter for dessert.

On Sunday, with leftover tortillas and plenty of salsa, I had those tasty Huevos Rancheros that started this blog entry. A busy afternoon made me forgo lunch, but I had an early dinner of Summer Squash Soup with Basil Pesto garnish, fresh-baked bread, and Belgian Beet Salad with Dill. The squash soup recipe is finally posted (Squash Soup), and soon I will also post the beet salad—it was marinated overnight and quite tasty. I also had a lot of delightful treats at the Queen City Balladeers’ Leo Coffeehouse in the evening to wrap up a weekend of good eating, in no small part due to the great harvest from the CSA this week.

Zucchini Coconut Blondies*
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups White Whole Wheat Flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1½ cups coarsely grated zucchini
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup carob or chocolate chips
1½ cups unsweetened coconut, toasted

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan or the microwave and then add to the bowl of a mixer. Add the brown sugar and mix thoroughly. With the mixer running, add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, beating well.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and ginger. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture until just incorporated. Mix in the zucchini, pecans, carob chips, and coconut until combined.

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread the batter into the pan and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

*Recipe and photo from http://acraftylass.blogspot.com