November 22, 2022

What’s in this Week’s VEGGIE BOX: Quince, Dwarf Hachiya Persimmons, Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Herb Bundle (Sage, Rosemary) Lemons, Parsley, Romaine, Carrots, Kale, & Peppers

Bread this week: Epi OR Whole Wheat, your choice of one

Winter Quarter Starts today: NEW QUARTER CHECK LIST

Is your name on the list for your order?
If your name is not on the list PLEASE DO NOT PICK UP A BOX- we did not pack one for you.
If you think your name should be on the list and is not, please send an email
Check your name off of each separate list when you pick up your produce, so the drop host knows who forgot their box and can give you a call.

If you see CONT next to your name on the roster, it means we have not received payment from you
If next to your name it says E-MAILED or CALLED, it means we gave you a call or email and have not heard from you, we would like to know your intentions for this quarter - we did make you a box for this week only

Do we have your order correct? If not give us a call
Is your phone number correct? If not give us a call

Are you getting the newsletter via e-mail if not send us your address (humus@cal.net)

REMINDER:

Saturday November 26th Boxes are going to be delivered Tuesday November 22nd to your normal drop site

This week on the farm

Happy Thanksgiving week! I always have so much love for Thanksgiving. It’s the official kick off of the farms winter, and by the time we are thinking of new recipes for sides, or planning which pies to make, the farms is beginning to look rather dormant. The meadow where we gathered for the peach party is filled with the golden leaves from the birch trees, and the apricots and peach leaves have turned and begun to fall. The summer crops have fallen black with the frost, tomato plants just mounds on the ground. We will be discing and cover cropping this week and next to tuck the land in for the winter.

Each year at our thanksgiving dinner, my uncle Martyhas a beautiful tradition of writing a little tidbit on a small piece of paper under our plates. Usually a little bit of inspiration he read somewhere, a quote, or poem that we can look forward to as we sit down to begin our meal. It has become one of my favorite small traditions to look forward to, bringing me up for air from the hubbub of visiting family and preparing copious amounts of food. It brings pause to the moment, to stop and think about our gratitude, intentions, motivations and purpose in the day, week, month….year. So why not bring it to my forefront earlier, why not now!

My gratitude towards the cyclical nature of my life runs deep, I have watched my parents enjoy the seasons, and revel in what each of them brings. My mom canning through the summer, preserving the delicious treats the sunny months bring, or my dad spending the winter month working on projects at the farm and enjoying a warm evening in with the family. I was raised being told about the value of living life connected to our home and land, the connection to place. As I have grown up, I have gone from being told these things to starting to really see and believe in them myself. I can reference my time living in NYC and Boston for the opposite existence, which while having its own allure and appeal most certainly gave me perspective on how much this place means to me.

It will also be no surprise that my gratitude towards good food is adequately developed. I began cooking lunches for the farm in the summers at around 10 I think. My parents didn’t make us do too many chores while school was in session, but over summers we were told we had to work every day until noon. I chose lunch because it sounded a lot more fun than weeding mom’s garden. That is when I believe I began to enjoy cooking - which inevitably leads to ingredient appreciation. Again however, I don’t know that I truly understood how lucky we are here in California until I lived on the east coast, where Food. Is. Not. The. Same.

Most specifically fresh produce has a much harder time. Even the local farms I finally started sourcing from in Boston were pretty limited in what they were able to grow. The first CSA I joined was only 20 weeks long, and I think the first 4 weeks the box was filled with 4 heads of lettuce and a bunch of kale. So now being back, living and working on the farm, growing the produce myself, I find so much happiness when the hard part is over and I can dive into an Heirloom tomato salad, with fresh red burger onion, and cucumber and mozzarella, or when I can bring a box full of veggies to give to a friend and seeing their faces light up. What a treat.

The truth is that when we get the ball rolling on the things to be grateful for, I quickly realize there are so many. Healthy family, incredible nieces and nephews to bring young energy, the wildlife, the doggos, the plants, the rain, the sun….So happiest of holidays to everyone, I hope it is full of cozy goodness. Have a great week~Ali

Homemade Fresh Pumpkin Pie

Source:allrecipes

Pastry Crust:

1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

3 tablespoons cold water or more as needed

Filling:

2 cups mashed, cooked pie pumpkin

1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

2 large eggs, beaten

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or more to taste

½ teaspoon ground ginger, or more to taste

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or more to taste

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make the pastry crust: Mix flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 3 tablespoons water, one at a time, until dough is moist enough to hold together. Add up to 1 more tablespoon water if needed. Shape dough into a ball with lightly floured hands. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Place an 8- or 9-inch pie pan upside-down on the dough; use a sharp knife to cut a circle of dough 1 1/2 inches larger than the pie pan. Remove and discard dough scraps and set pie pan aside. Gently roll circular piece of dough around the rolling pin; transfer it right-side up over the pie pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the pan. Use two hands to flute the dough around the top edges. Make the filling: Beat pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the filling 1 inch from the edge comes out clean, 40 to 60 minutes. Cover the edges with foil if needed to prevent from burning as the filling cooks. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature before serving.

Buttermilk waffles with poached quinces and cinnamon cream

Source: delicious

300ml thickened cream

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted

2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

2 teaspoons caster sugar

2 eggs

90g unsalted butter, melted

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

POACHED QUINCES

1 cup caster sugar

1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

2 cinnamon sticks

2 quinces, peeled, cut into 8 wedges

For quinces, place sugar in a pan over medium heat with vanilla pod and seeds, and cinnamon. Add 3 cups water and stir to dissolve sugar. Add quinces, cover and cook over low heat for 2 1/2-3 hours until fruit is deep red and softened, and liquid is syrupy. Cool. Refrigerate until required. For cinnamon cream, whip cream, then stir through cinnamon and icing sugar. For waffles, sift flour, soda and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add caster sugar, eggs, butter and buttermilk, whisking until smooth, then set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat an electric waffle iron. Pour in enough batter to cover the base of the iron and cook according to manufacturer's directions. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with quinces and cream.

Carrot and Kale Casserole

Source:Food52

2 tablespoons Olive oil

2 Onions, thinly sliced

4 cups Cabbage, thinly sliced

10 cups Kale (from bag or stems removed)

1 cup Carrots, julienned

1/2 cup Water

2 tablespoons Soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Almond meal (for gluten-free) or breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan

1/3 cup Olive oil

2 teaspoons Basil, dried

1.5 teaspoons Oregano, dried

1 teaspoon Paprika

mixture. Stir in peanuts and lime juice. Taste and adjust lime juice and salt, if needed, before serving. Heat oil in a 14" deep sauté pan. Sauté onion until brown. Reduce heat, add cabbage, kale, carrots, water, soy sauce, and salt. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover vegetables and cook 10-15 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a 13 x 9" baking pan. Combine the rest of ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over vegetables. Bake 15-20 minutes. Adapted from Epicurious.com Vegetable Casserole with Tofu Topping from Gourmet