"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe."
- Carl Sagan

What’s in the standard share:

Fruit:
Warren pears

Veggies and herbs:
Carrots
Chard
Chinese (garlic) chives
Green beans
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustards/stir-fry mix
Onions
Peppers
Potatoes
Purslane
Radishes
Scallions
Tomatoes

... and if you have an extra-fruit option:
Strawberries, bag of pears and/or apples, cherry tomatoes

CALENDAR


Sat. Oct 25 Halloween Pumpkin Palooza
-- all day --
with the Banana Slug String Band!

October is here, which means lots of kids will visit to pick pumpkins and learn about the fall season on the farm. For the longest time I wasn’t sure what would emerge from underneath the pumpkin vines hidden among the lush and competitive weeds. Over the last few weeks I kept surveying the patch, and as if out of nowhere hundreds of orange and red dots have started poking through the green jungle. Thanks to Andy of Mariquita Farm, we also have some giants in our patch.

Now is the time when plants put all their energy into their seeds and roots. It is when we prepare for the winter months as we store and save the promise of future growth, nourishment, and bounty inside a safe and protective shell. Although, I regret not being able to offer a winter share, I hope you understand that a winter rest will help us replenish our energies in order to embrace the fertile promise of spring again next year. October is the month we prepare our fields for the winter by adding compost and other soil amendments such as rock dust and gypsum, and by the end of the month (before the first rains), we will sow winter cover crop seeds and edible fava beans to replenish and rest the soil. This is the time we also prepare the fields for next year’s strawberries, onions and garlic, and for the first time we will grow artichokes for our early spring shares in March. – Tom

Crop Forecast
By the end of the month (for the last 3-4 weeks of the season) you can expect winter squash in the shares. There should be broccoli in 2 weeks, cauliflower in 3 weeks, red and green cabbage in November, as well as sweet turnips. You might have noticed a crash in strawberries recently. Although they do slow down this time of year, the last two almost consecutive heat waves knocked them back considerably. So, we hope you will enjoy the sweetness of our pears and the juicy crisp apples as we enter into fall.

Crop of the Week
Wild and nutritious purslane is back! Not every weed should be looked at as an enemy. Among organic farmers and gardeners alike we use serious battle rhetoric when it come to weeds: "choke ‘em," "burn and eliminate," and "cut their heads off." Even among those of us who like to cultivate and care for the earth, there lurks a shadow side. However, when I see a healthy and lush patch of purslane the "weed terminator" in me has a soft spot. Here is what I admiringly said about purslane 3 months ago (last time I placed this health champion into your share). "Purslane has little succulent, pillow-like leaves, tasty and filled with moisture. Sometimes I'll even eat them in the field to tide me over until lunch! You can add purslane's tender sprig-ends to salads for an interesting crunchy texture, or use the more mature plants in stir-fries. Purslane has been eaten in Europe as a treatment for arthritis and to promote general good health. We all know now that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps lower cholesterol levels and reduce heart problems. Purslane has more omega-3 fatty acids than any other vegetable, and six times the vitamin E content of spinach. In Mexico and among our workers, purslane is eaten in omelets, as a side dish, or in soups and stews. Enjoy and don’t be shy to try! Your kids may find adventure not only by searching for it in their own garden, but also through eating something typically considered a weed." For more creative cooking ideas (pictures too, in case you're wondering what the heck it looks like!) look up the recipe database on our website at www.liveearthfarm.net.

Last Word on National CSA Cookbooks
Those of you who ordered a copy of (what I've been calling) the National CSA cookbook "Recipes from America's Small Farms" should have received them with last week's delivery. But in the event you missed out on this, Tom got a few extra copies, and you could buy one from the farm for $14.00 (if we run out, you can still buy it at the bookstore for $16.95 plus tax). Call us at the farm if you're interested in one. – Debbie

Notes from Debbie’s Kitchen . . . . . . . . Have a recipe you’d like to share? Contact Debbie.

Ah, yes, kohlrabi returns... purslane too. Talk about a wild week – the sputnik veggie, and weeds! Seriously though, both are way more than just edible oddities. See below for recipes for these two items, and more. - Debbie

Purslane and Scrambled Eggs
from Debbie's own kitchen (quantity flexible)

Purslane, washed and chopped
chopped onion or scallions
halved Sungold cherry tomatoes (or diced red tomatoes)
diced peppers (optional)
cheese to melt on top (optional)
salt and pepper
oh yeah... eggs too!

Beat eggs in a small bowl; have at the ready. Heat some oil in a skillet and sauté onions and optional peppers a few minutes, until starting to soften. Toss in purslane and tomatoes, sprinkle all with salt and pepper to taste, and stir/sauté a few minutes more, to heat them. Turn up heat and pour in the beaten eggs and scramble all until eggs are done, scraping up the tasty bits that stick to the pan with a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle with optional cheese, cover, turn off heat and allow cheese to melt. It is just as tasty without cheese though, so don't feel obligated. And it is great served with toast and butter, and a glass of orange juice for breakfast!

The following recipe is from our National CSA cookbook. I like it because the ingredients are very simple, so the flavor of the veggie can come through. Alternatively (for those who haven't heard my spiel before), I also love kohlrabi raw – simply peel it like you would jicama, slice, dice, or cut in wedges... then eat as a crudité or a nice crunchy bit in a salad. And don't forget to wash and save the leaves! Use them anywhere you would chard, beet greens or spinach. - Debbie

Kohlrabi Einbrenn
from "Recipes from America's Small Farms"
makes 3 to 4 side-dish servings

"In German cooking, a light sauce called Einbrenn is often used for simple vegetable dishes. The vegetable cooking liquid, rather than milk or cream, is used as the base of the sauce, which conserves both flavor and vitamins that would otherwise be lost."

4 small kohlrabi, with leaves
1 1/2 C stock or water
1 tbsp. vegetable oil or unsalted butter
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg or 2 tbsp. chopped fresh savory (optional)

Peel the kohlrabi bulbs and cut into 1/4-inch slices; reserve the leaves. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, add the kohlrabi slices, and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until just tender. Remove the slices from the simmering liquid with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the kohlrabi leaves to the pot and simmer, covered, for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Drain the leaves, reserving 1 C of the cooking liquid; keep the liquid hot. Chop the leaves. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Add the reserved hot cooking liquid, whisking to avoid lumps. Simmer, uncovered, for several minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Add the cooked kohlrabi slices and leaves and simmer for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, nutmeg or savory.

Mashed Potato-Stuffed Peppers
from "Your Organic Kitchen" by Jesse Cool
makes 8 servings

4 medium poblano or Anaheim chile peppers (any of Tom's peppers'd be okay)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. potatoes, peeled, cut in large chunks
2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives (go ahead and use some of those Chinese chives!)
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 C milk
1/2 C (2 oz.) Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing seeds and stems and scraping away white membranes. In a medium bowl, combine garlic, vinegar, oil, salt and black pepper. Toss peppers with this to coat. Place, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake 20 – 30 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook potatoes 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with chives. Cut cream cheese in pieces and melt/mash into potatoes, adding enough milk to make 'em smooth and creamy. Turn peppers cut side up on baking sheet. Mound each pepper with mashed potatoes and top with cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

*Click Here* for a link to a comprehensive listing of recipes from Live Earth Farm's newsletters going back as far as our 1998 season! You can search for recipes by key ingredient. Recipe site is updated weekly during the season.