Echollective Farm and CSA

Rain and no frost equals happy farm. Fall cleanup continues. Garlic planting time is nearly here. Salad mix makes its reappearance this week-- yum! Just two weeks left of CSA veggies, information on Fall shares on its way.

Garlic party details:

A work party is slated for October 1-2 and 8-9. All are welcome to join the party as we sit, chat, and break hundreds (dare say thousands?) of carefully cured, whole garlic bulbs into single cloves for planting. Bring warm clothes. If you have work trade you need to finish, garlic planting is the time to get square on that.

On the table this week:

Hurry up, cover those plants! Days are shorter now and nights cooler, and the farm may even feel frost tonight. It's time for picking things up and putting away, putting up and picking away. Rye and vetch cover/green manure crops are going in, and protective coverings are being installed to extend the growing season for baby greens. Basil greenhouses are being transformed to house spinach.

Fall is a busy time for Echo, with garlic planting starting in just a few weeks. A work party is slated for October 1-2 and 8-9. All are welcome to join the party as we sit, chat, and break hundreds (dare say thousands?) of carefully cured, whole garlic bulbs into single cloves for planting. Bring warm clothes. If you have work trade you need to finish, garlic planting is the time to get square on that.

***

Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you!

echocsa@gmail.com
(319)325-3910

***

Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you!

echocsa@gmail.com
(319)325-3910

This week the farm got rain-- 2 inches, hooray! Struggles with our tomatoes continue, so we are not likely to have many for CSA for a while. The hot spell earlier this month suppressed flower production so much that fruit production is way down. Farmer Derek found a neighbor with some organic sweet corn, so look forward to that this week. The farmer warned of ear worms, so watch out and wash well before eating! Seed garlic sales are starting now, as fall approaches.

Excitement is bubbling over the culinary ride to local farms on September 18th. The ride will stop at Echo land for a tour and delicious buffet, so don't miss out! Join the ride in support of community health and the farm-to-school effort in our area. Get info about the ride online here: http://culinaryride.com/. Also, a facebook page has been created for Culinary Ride-- add it to your "likes" and spread the word to your friends! If you are interested in serving the riders out at the farm as they pass through, let Derek know. He is currently looking for a few good volunteers for the event.

On the table this week:

• Leeks
• Potatoes
• Sweet corn
• Pepper
• Hot pepper
• Onion
• Garlic
• Basil
• Zucchini
• Kale

Recipes

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 c chopped scallion (optional)
• 1 Echo leek, chopped (optional) -- use the white to palest green parts
• 1 clove Echo garlic (optional)
  
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp sugar (or honey or agave syrup)
• 1 tsp ground allspice (Jamaican pimento)
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 hot pepper, finely ground (for medium-hot)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 T shoyu
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T apple cider vinegar

Chop the veggies together in a food processor fitted with an S-blade, then add in other ingredients to mix. Choose just one of the optional ingredients for each batch. This recipe makes an excellent medium-spicy marinade for tofu, tempeh, or meats. For a spicier version, use 2 hot peppers. For a saucier jerk treatment, use the marinade before cooking and then brush on barbecue sauce near end of cooking. Yeah mon, yes!

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 c chopped scallion (optional)
• 1 Echo leek, chopped (optional) -- use the white to palest green parts
• 1 clove Echo garlic (optional)
  
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground allspice (Jamaican pimento)
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 hot pepper, finely ground (for medium-hot)
  
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Chop the veggies together in a food processor fitted with an S-blade, then add in other ingredients to mix. Choose just one of the optional ingredients for each batch. This recipe makes a paste for rubbing whatever you are jerking-- tofu, tempeh, meats, fish and so on. Using the rub and letting it set for 15-30 minutes before cooking is the authentic jerk flavoring method. Both recipes here will make a substantial batch of jerk, and leftovers can be stored sealed in the refrigerator for up to a month.

--recipes adapted from Jerk: Barbecue from Jamaica by Helen Willinsky