Winter Squash: Not Just Another Halloween Decoration!!

One of my favorite things about Fall is the delicious produce that is in season...broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts (not everyone's favorite, but I did say my favorite things), and winter squash.  A few weeks ago, Michael's dad asked whether he was growing "gourds," to which Michael responded "yup" and to which I interjected a resounding "no!"  I knew his dad meant the decorative (even with their weirdly pimpled rinds) variety that sit in kitchen table centerpieces and doorstoops across the country from late September until Thanksgiving...whereas I knew Michael was responding yes because he understood the question to encompass Winter Squash. 

What is Winter Squash?? There are a lot of varieties of Winter Squash out there, but I am sure you are mainly interested in One Acre Farm's varieties...this year we have Butternut (great for soups and roasting), Acorn Squash (can we say butter and brown sugar....YUM!), and my personal favorite Spaghetti Squash (cook until done, fork up the stringy noodles and serve with your favorite tomato sauce for a great vegetarian meal)!  How can you not be excited for the next few weeks' distributions?!?!?

What most people don't necessarily know about Winter Squash is that a cup of cooked squash provides great nutritional value.  According to the world's healthiest foods website, http://www.whfoods.com/, winter squash provides the following nutritional benefits:

• 25% of your dietary fiber requirements;
• 145% of your daily value of Vitamin A;
• 33% of your daily value of Vitamin C;
• 25% of your daily value of Potassium; and,
• Winter Squash is also rich in beta-carotene, which is a great antioxidant.

Michael reports that the Farm's squash is a little unripe because the plants that bear the fruit have fallen prey to a disease (I am pretty sure that bugs -- stink, bed, or otherwise -- will continue their reign of terror for months to come).  So, while the "fruit" has grown to ample size, the plant has cut off nutrients that continue the ripening process.  Our Potomac members (who received squash last week) reported that the squash was delicious.  Michael, however, suggests that you may need to cook it longer to ensure it is nice and soft and possibly add additional (or more) seasonings if you find that the squash a little bland.  We made Acorn Squash the other night and I did not notice a marked difference in the taste from last year's harvest, so for now, I am going to chalk Michael's suggestions up to his usual nerves associated with the fear of never being able to please everybody.   Please feel free to let us know if you have any recipes or cooking suggestions.  Here are two recipes for this week!

A recipe from one of our Potomac members, Louise, is as follows:

2 Acorn Squash (cut in half, seeded and sliced into about 8 wedges for each squash)

Leaving the skin on, place in a greased casserole dish in a single layer

Sprinkle the squash with salt and drizzle with maple syrup

Cover the dish with foil at 350 degrees until soft; probably around 30 to 40 minutes

Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables
Note:  I wish I could take credit for this recipe...I did bring it to my family's Christmas dinner (where we have eaten the same staples every year since I was practically born...what can I say, we are rich in tradition) and now, my brother begs for it every year.  I think I got the recipe from Cooking Light or the Simply Recipes website, but I cannot locate the exact recipe.  The way I make it, however, is not a "hard-and-fast" recipe.  I usually adjust the amount of each vegetable used based on the number of people I am serving and to ensure a nice variety of colors.  Also, make sure you try to cut the different root vegetables in similar-sized pieces so they cook consistently.  I think the original recipe called for fennel (blech! no offense, fennel, and your fans), so feel free to substitute vegetables for what I've identified below.  And, of course, ENJOY!

1 Butternut Squash (peeled, seeded and cut in cubes)
Handful of parsnips (peeled and cut)
Handful of turnips (peeled and cut)
Handful of carrots (peeled and cut)
A few sweet potatoes (peeled and cut in cubes)
A few small red potatoes (cut in cubes, leave skins on)
Head of garlic (use whole cloves, do not chop, mince or otherwise) OR Shallots, halved

Fresh Thyme
1/4 cup Honey
Salt
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Combine the Honey, Olive Oil and Thyme; Toss all vegetables in the Honey Mixture.  Spray a casserole dish (or shallow baking dish) with cooking spray.  Spread vegetables in single layer (as best you can) and bake for 35 minutes or until all vegetables are tender and slightly browned.  Stir/mix the vegetables occasionally throughout the baking process.

Until next time...

The "To Refrigerate or Not Refrigerate" Mystery Solved!!

First, I want to apologize for the lag in posts.  My late summer months flew by, with an insane work schedule and my brother's wedding (destination: MIA) this past week/weekend.  I hope to get back to a regular posting schedule, hopefully on Wednesday evenings, and promise to post more than the hokey game or two (which I realize have been the subjects of my last few posts).  I hope to keep posting with more information about the goings-on at the Farm in order to give you a better glimpse into the trials and tribulations of being a small Farm owner...so, check back later in the week for a more Farm-inspired post...but for today, I am leaving you with the long awaited answers to the Refrigerate "game."

Jill, I have to admit that you are correct, based on how the grocery store groups its produce is certainly not random. So, why, then when we get our beautiful tomatoes home, do we refrigerate them?  This (I guess) is okay when you have store-bought tomatoes, which are picked on the vine when they are still green (and which have harder, thicker skins to withstand coast-to-coast delivery).  But, when you have vine-ripe tomatoes, you typically ruin them by putting them in the refrigerator.  The cool, damp refrigerator reduces the flavor, causes mushiness, and in my humble opinion, dries out an otherwise perfectly plush flesh.  If you are going to store your tomatoes for less than a week, then the countertop or windowsill is perfectly fine.  If you plan to store them for more than a week (One Acre Farm's tomatoes are so vine-ripe that if you wait a week to eat them, they may have passed their prime...and who are we kidding, they don't last more than a day or two in my house because they are so fresh that I can eat them plain!), then find a cool, dark place (pantry shelf), or the refrigerator at last resort!

Likewise, potatoes and onions should be stored in a cool, dry place.  Good ventilation is also important.  I have seen baskets in cabinets (or the pantry), but paper bags (reduce, reuse, recycle!) should work just as well.  If the potatoes are kept at a temperature below 40 degrees (F), they develop a sweet taste because the starch turns to sugar.  (I googled it!)  The dark place is key because lengthy exposure to light causes the potatoes to turn green and taste bitter.  Don't throw away your potatoes if they begin to sprout...just trim off the sprouts and enjoy!  At first, I thought Michael was nuts at suggesting this, but I don't want to waste his hard-work, so I have converted into a sprout-cutter, and trust me, they taste just fine!

Now for the basil.  I tend to wrap my basil in a paper towel and store in the refrigerator.  A website that I found recommends layering the basil in damp paper towels in the refrigerator for up to four days.  I also read in the Post (I think it was a Hint from Heloise!!) that all herbs -- including basil -- should be treated like fresh flowers: trim the ends and store in a glass with some water.  Unlike flowers, however, cover the top of the glass (and the herbs) with a plastic bag.  Change the water frequently (this same website says every day).  This will extend the "shelf-life" of your herbs!  For those of you who were encouraged about my pesto tip, I have read a little more into it and it appears that you should do make the basil and oil into a paste and freeze that; don't add the pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese until you are ready to use the paste.

I hope this has been somewhat informative (although, I suppose it is a little "elementary" because I found most of the answers by googling storage tips and information) and I am in no way claiming to be an expert in food storage principles (the lawyer in me comes out!).  If you have any other storage techniques or tips, feel free to share them!

Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate?!?!

As promised (albeit over a month ago), here is the next "game" for this week.  Based on your current refrigeration practices, let me know whether these items should be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature:

• Tomatoes (all kinds)

• Onions

• Basil

• Potatoes (all kinds)

If you have any good storing techniques, please feel free to share. 

This week, I also want to share my basil storing "techniques:"

I personally have been having a heck of a time trying to figure out what to do with the mountains of basil Michael brings home.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and have been breaking the leaves off of the stems and "drying" them on a baking sheet in our oven's warming tray on the lowest setting.  If you do not have a warming tray, I would think you could set your oven on low (apprx. 200 degrees) to obtain the same effect.  When the basil is dried out, I crumple the dried leaves over the baking tray and then scoop them into a mason jar for "fresh" dried basil (that is more fragrant -- and probably correspondingly tastier) than the bland dried basil from the grocery store.

Another pointer that I have heard, but admittedly have not used, is making pesto with the basil and then placing the pesto into ice cube trays and freezing them.  Each pesto cube is good for one serving of pasta.  (I will double-check with my Italiano capo on the serving size).

With both of these basil-saving techniques, my eyes light up at the sight of basil, basil and more basil!!

July 13th's What is It?!?

Commenter MegWoody was the closest! The technical name of the "tool" in the photograph is a Water Wheel Transplanter and it is used to transplant seedlings into the soil. This is how it works:

The yellow container is filled with water (and, in our case, fish emulsion, which acts as a natural fertilizer). You load up trays of seedlings that are ready to be transplanted. I say seedlings because they are essentially baby plants that have grown from seeds in trays that are hardy enough to be planted. The trays are held on the racks in front of (and also above) the two chairs in the rear of the Water Wheel Transplanter. The Water Wheel Transplanter gets hitched to the tractor and Michael lines it up with the bed that is ready to be planted with the transplants. The water comes on and the wheel (that has dull, spike-like attachments spaced 12 inches a part) makes indentions in the soil, which then fills with water and the person sitting in the seat places the transplant into the water filled hole. Depending on the plant-type, the transplants are either placed in every indention in the soil (such as tomatoes) while others go in every other indention (i.e. brussels sprouts).

This is by far my personal favorite "tool" at the Farm, as I get to avoid the pain-staking, knee-killing act of planting seedlings by hand!

What Is It?!?!

This item is used with the tractor. Here are several pictures...No guessing if you have been at the Farm when this "tool" was being used and especially no guessing if you have used this "tool" before!!!

Oh the Games We Play...

"What is It!?!?"

This weekend, at the Farm, I remembered a silly game from one of Michael's favorite shows, "Ask This Old House." In the middle of the show, the fellas from the show gather around the workshop with an interesting-looking thing-a-ma-gigy and they all guess what the item is used for.

So, this weekend, I decided to take some pictures of things around the Farm for the readers to guess what the item is used for at the Farm. I think this game will not only be interesting to hear what people think/guess but also informative, as it will hopefully connect you to all the different "items" that go into making your food.

Occasionally, I will post pictures of Farm-related items and open the forum for your posts/guesses as to what the item is used for. I will check back and post the answer a day or two later.

"To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate"

Another "game" that will be featured on this blog is "To Refrigerate or Not to Refrigerate?" Though the subjects of this game are definitely finite, it is my hope that through this "game" you will be able to extend the shelf life of your One Acre Farm produce...as I am sure there are many of you (myself included) that are refrigerating items that can be left at room temperature. Of course, any feedback on the Farm's suggested refrigerating (or not) techniques are welcome in the comments section.

Happy Playing!!

Water, Water Everywhere?!?

It is hot out. You know it, I know it, we all know it. No, we all feel it. I bought a chocolate chip cookie at lunch today and by the time I got back to the office (a five minute drive later), the chocolate morsels were literally melted, as though the cookie just came right out of the oven. That’s hot. But I digress.

The papers all say that we are in the midst of the summer heat wave with temperatures expected to remain high through September. September?!? The thermometer on my car registered yesterday at 106 degrees. I cannot imagine withstanding temperatures like these (or even to a lesser degree) for one more day, let alone two more months!

As I sat in my air conditioned office today, able to adjust the temperature as I see fit, I was left thinking about Michael sitting in his “office:” the unrelenting sun-drenched fields -- the shadiest oak tree nowhere to be found. I can only imagine how he works on days like these and sometimes wonder what it is that drives him to do what he does…Yet again, I digress.

The theme of this post is Water, Water Everywhere?!? Do you remember the last time it rained -- and I mean, really rained? Me neither. Actually, I believe we got a brief downpour last Monday (I recall Michael calling me singing “Hallelujah!”) but it was not enough. Indeed, WAMU reported this morning that local farmers have been experiencing a drought since mid-May. The Post reported that Montgomery County water users were under restricted use last week -- primarily because of a water main shut off -- but it does make you wonder whether further water restrictions will continue to be in place as the dog days of summer move forward.

With the severe lack of water we have experienced this hot spring & summer seasons, I continue to be amazed at the produce that comes home with Michael every distribution day. Eggplant that looks robust, summer squash and zucchini that you can sink your teeth into…you get the idea. I have been to the Farm on many occasions and know that watering the fields is not only a science, but an art. Did you know that the Farm’s sole water source is a well that also supplies the property owner’s home (and her own small vegetable operation, too)? Because we are sharing water with another farming operation, the time for watering is halved (meaning, we have access to water from 9am to 8pm only). During watering hours, the cardinal rule for watering is half-hour on, hour off.

When hand-watering the plants, Michael usually sprays the plant’s leaves first with a gentle mist and then applies direct water to the base of the plant. If the plant is mulched with straw (as the tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, eggplant, onion, garlic, etc.), then you have to nuzzle the nozzle into the straw to really get to the base of the plant…but as Michael explained to me a few weeks ago, the straw really keeps the water trapped for the plant’s continued use. A drip tape irrigation system waters other plants, too.

What will these hot and extremely dry conditions mean for the rest of our crops? It is too early to tell. The farmer cited in the WAMU report noted that his corn crop is usually a foot taller by this time in his previous seasons. Though the Farm’s crops seem to be flourishing, at what rate can they sustain this dry, scorching pace? And what about our fall vegetables? Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are ready to be planted, but require row cover to keep the fatal Brassica-loving pests from destroying the crop. The hot summer sun, however, will trap an enormous amount of heat under the row cover and will likely suffocate the plants. We are hoping that the temperatures break by week’s end so we can get these fall plants into the ground.

While everyone laments the heat wave and its resulting discomfort on our daily lives, just remember that the drought and three digit temperatures are stifling your fresh local vegetables. And, repeat after me: WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!!