Hello Farm-ily!
What a beautiful week we're having, cooler temps, a bit of rain...no complaints here.
What an incredible harvest week we've had at Oak Spring too.
We've harvested thousands of pounds of food this week (not exaggerating) to include our first big haul of spaghetti squash, gorgeous red and yellow onions, more red Astrix and fingerling potatoes, celery, peppers, and yes-
Tomatoes- Our heirlooms are coming in strong from the field and I must say they are absolutely gorgeous and delicious. German Johnson, one of my favorites is a pink Brandywine type with a sweet, mild flavor, Striped German are those huge yellow with red striped heirlooms (see the picture on Yun Yuns farm fact Friday post on the Farm-ily page today), Valencia the low acid, low seed high flavor orange heirloom, Clementines, the cocktail tomato and of course a Slow Food Favorite the Cherokee Purple and it's cousin in color the Black Krim.
Celery. If you want robust, flavorful, nutrient dense celery get a bunch this week! As a member of the parsley family, celery is loaded with water while still being full of vitamins. Some that top the list include vitamins A, C and K, folate and phytonutrients (a plant substance that fights disease). Here are some health benefits of celery. 1. low in calories. 2. it fights inflammation. 3. It reduces bloating 4. It helps fight infections and able to reduce uric acid. 5. It beautifies skin by helping to flush out body toxins. Celery may even help remove fat from your liver. 6. It's a sleep agent due to it's high magnesium content. Get extra and freeze some for your soups and stews this winter. This stuff is serious celery flavor. No bland grocery store celery here.
Poblanos are coming in nicely-one of the most popular chili peppers used in Mexican cooking. They're mild and add great flavor without the spice. These are the nicest Poblanos we've grown! This family friendly pepper can be eaten any kind of way but it's best roasted as the skin is a bit tough to chew. Roasting brings out their fruity flavor and makes it easy to peel the skin. This pepper is famous for Chile rellenos but can also be used as a substitute for bell peppers if you don't mind a touch of heat. They are great roasted, cut in half and stuffed too.
There are several easy ways to roast them. No matter which method you choose, allow your pepper skins to blacken.
- Gas stove – place the peppers right over the flame of your gas stove
- Broiler – using tongs to turn them, broil each side of the peppers
- Skillet – char them over high heat
- Grill – roasting peppers over charcoal creates a wonderful smoky flavor.
Watch the Farm-ily page for some Lisa Spaghetti Squash videos coming soon too. Such a versatile vegetable and great way to lower your pasta intake, increase your Vitamin C and fiber intake. Spaghetti Squash will be available for many weeks to come.
Fruit share: Looks like more peaches from Shaw orchard this week-they get better every week.
Bread share: Simple Country (with multiseed as an extra)
cheese share: horseradish
Storage tip of the week: If you want to save your Poblano peppers (or any kind of pepper) for winter chili one way to freeze them easily is to place your sliced poblanos onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Place them in the freezer for about an hour, or until the peppers are stiff. This process helps to prevent the pepper slices from sticking to each other during long term freezing. Pack the slices into freezer bags. Be sure to use freezer bags, not sandwich baggies.
Recipe of the week:
This recipe can use 3-5 items in your share this week!
3-4 fresh poblano peppers
3/4# tomatillos, diced
1 onion, chopped
2/3 c diced sweet red pepper
4 scallions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 c chicken broth
3 Tbls vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 c flour
1 Tbls dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black & cayenne pepper
2/3 c fresh cilantro, chopped
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Roast peppers for about 25 minutes, until the skins can easily be removed. Remove skins, and chop peppers.
In a medium saucepan, combine chopped peppers with tomatillos, onion, red pepper, green onion, and garlic. Stir in chicken broth. Heat to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour, then saute briefly. Pour tomatillo mixture over chicken. Season with oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the cilantro just before serving.
Seems to me you could use veggie broth to replace the chicken broth and use legumes or tofu to replace the chicken and make this a vegetarian entree.
Let me know how it goes with your poblanos!
Bon Appetit!
