End of Fall CSA: The Beginning of Winter

11:56 AM Adrian 0 Comments

We send out a very big THANK YOU to all of our Fall CSA participants!  We couldn't have done it without you!  Last week was our last Fall CSA delivery, we wholly hope you enjoyed it.  We also hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving feast, whether it be with family or loved ones!  A handful of our Echollective farmers departed for the holidays to spend with family, but a few of us remained behind to create our own feast: bottom round beef roast, a medley of roasted Echollective veggies, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, apple-cranberry stuffing, light and fluffy biscuits and a homemade chocolate-marble cheesecake dessert.  Needless to say....we were cooking for a long time, and we were STUFFED!  And we haven't really had to prepare lunch for the last couple of days, we have so many leftovers!

On farm-happenings have been spare and steady.  We are still crackin' away at our seed garlic, with a bit left to plant, and all our fields are yet to be mulched.  We already have way more garlic in the ground this fall than we did last year!  Next year's garlic harvest is going to be epic, who knows how much larger our garlic business will expand, but all we know is that it grows slowly bigger and bigger by the season.  We are also implementing a couple new garlic varieties this year!

Fall CSA may be over, but this doesn't mark the end of being able to get some of our produce! Come check us out at the New Bo Market out in Cedar Rapids, where we have been every Saturday all day, and we've even been the "featured" guest vendor for the past couple of weeks!  We also plan on having our market stand at the Trumpet Blossom Cafe every Saturday from 11:00 AM 'til 2:00 PM in Iowa City, please come visit us there!  It's been a bit slow our first few weeks being there but we sure do hope it picks up.   

Now also begins the time for our "Weekly Boxes," our sort of "unofficial" CSA or "Winter CSA."  It's our only CSA option in the wintertime and it works as follows: contact us for a CSA box and we'll make you one up of whatever we have!  We'll send it either to our Trumpet Blossom Market or the NewBo in Cedar Rapids, whichever is most convenient for you, and you will pay us there in exchange for receiving your box.   

You can get a CSA box by getting a hold of Derek Roller, via Email, Phone, or Facebook.  Visit our Contact Us page for contact info on our website; for more CSA Info on our "Winter Weekly Boxes" also visit our website and look at "CSA Info."

Otherwise...we'll see you for our next CSA season, Spring 2013!  Electronic sign-up thru Small Farm Central will open soon.

Stay warm-- don't get too cold!  Hope to see you at market sometime.

Cold, Cold, Cold!

6:44 PM Adrian 0 Comments

Hello everyone!  Not too much to report except that it has been incredibly cold, dipping down into the coldest temps we've seen yet!  From what I've heard, it got down to 16 degrees last night, and it's been pretty brutal other nights this week, too.  We ran out into the fields the day before with our raincoats to pull in as much produce as we could in the middle of that marvelous storm.  The storm was wonderful, but later that night, the plants really felt it.  We never know the extent of the damage until a few days later, when the worst of the bruises and "freezer burn"/frostbite start to appear on leaves and stalks.  For that reason, we are kinda unsure of what this week's CSA will consist of exactly because some stuff may look good and then look incredibly crappy in only a matter of days.  And we can tell you right now.....a lot of our vegetables look really sad, hurt, and unhappy, so we're going to have to give them some time to recuperate, or pronounce them dead.  However, we've fixed up solid list of delicious organic, local fare ready for you to use at your Thanksgiving dinner next week!  That's right: Thanksgiving CSA shares will be this week!  We've still got lots of yummy stuff that we know we can give to our loyal members for sure.

CSA Pickups will be a little different this week than from the previous pickup!  So listen up.  We will still have pickups Friday at Tim's/Kirkwood School for Children, but it will be a bit later.  CSA boxes will be dropped off there around 5:15 or later, but not too much later, and you can head there and pick them up then.  Our Saturday pickup will be at the Trumpet Blossom Cafe in Iowa City at our little market stand we'll have set up there (we were there this last Saturday!) from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM.  Those times may vary.  We will have more official information later in the week, and once again, we will email you with the official news.  Oh yeah...come visit us at the Trumpet Blossom Market this Saturday! 

With that, I will bid you adieu.  Don't forget to check out the following yummy Thanksgiving recipes!  We'll have more for you next week!  Stay warm everybody, and we hope to see you this weekend!


Thanksgiving CSA this week:

• Spinach
• Bok Choi
• Daikon Radishes
• Winter Radishes
• Turnips
• Winter Squash
• Rosemary
• ....doubtlessly more!  It'll be a surprise.

Recipes

Puréed Roasted Squash and Yams With Citrus (www.nytimes.com)

This aromatic dish is inspired by a recipe in Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s wonderful book “The Splendid Table.” The dish was traditional at Yom Kippur among the Italian Jews of Emilia-Romagna. Ms. Kasper says that in Italy the dish is often served with poached turkey, which says to me that it’s perfect for Thanksgiving.

• 1 good-size butternut squash, about 3 pounds
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (or yams, the kind with the dark orange flesh)
• 3 tablespoons mixed finely chopped orange and lemon zest
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

 
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a large baking sheet with foil and brush the foil with olive oil. Cut the squash in half lengthwise (see below) and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Lay on the baking sheet, cut side down. Pierce the sweet potatoes in several places with the tip of a paring knife and place them on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake 1 hour, or until the potatoes and squash are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
2. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a saucepan and add the zests. Boil for 3 minutes and drain.
3. When the squash and sweet potatoes are tender, remove the skins and mash the rest with a fork, potato masher or standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or put it through a food mill. (A food processor makes the mixture too watery, Ms. Kasper says.) Stir in the citrus zest, the cinnamon, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Scrape the mixture into a heavy skillet or saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is thick and steamy. Serve hot.
 
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
 
Advance preparation: You can bake the squash and sweet potatoes up to 2 days ahead and reheat in a medium oven or on top of the stove.
Note: I find that the easiest way to cut a big butternut squash in half is to slice off  the very top and bottom, then stand it on its now-flat bottom and cut down from the top using a sturdy chef’s knife.
Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 170 calories; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 37 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 53 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 3 grams protein.
Nutritional information per serving (8 servings): 128 calories; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 28 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 40 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 2 grams protein.


Creamed Spinach Gratin (www.myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 5 packages (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preparation

1. Butter a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish. Squeeze out as much water as possible from the spinach (use your hands or a clean kitchen towel). Set aside.
2. Heat spinach and cream in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese to melt. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. Transfer spinach mixture to buttered baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Just before serving, place dish in the oven 5 to 6 in. below a broiler set to high; broil until top is golden and crunchy, about 3 minutes.


Rosemary Broasted Turkey (allrecipes.com)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick, being careful not to tear the skin.
4. Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.
5. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

Fall CSA Week 5!

4:29 PM Adrian 0 Comments

Wow, we're already at week 5 of our Fall CSA!  My how time flies.  This means there's only one week left!

Speaking of which, we have some important news in regards to Fall CSA: the fact that it WON'T be happening this week!  Some of you may be like "huh?!" but let me do a bit of explaining.  Since we originally planned on distributing CSA's at the Grant Wood Market, which was to occur every other week until it was abruptly cancelled, we did not originally plan to deliver this week because Grant Wood wouldn't have occurred and we're sticking with that plan.  We would have planned on skipping this week anyway, being that there would be no Grant Wood to drop them off at.  "But why?" you might ask.  Why couldn't we just deliver this week and have Fall CSA end a bit early?

The answer: because next week we will be featuring a Special Thanksgiving Share!  Yep, we'll be giving you some extra goodies that could be of big help or a lovely addition to your holiday dinner!  And if we gave them to you a week early, they wouldn't be as fresh or delightful as when we would give them to you the week of Thanksgiving!  So be prepared....and stay tuned!  Next week we'll give you a list of what to expect and some Thanksgiving-oriented recipes!  Once again CSA pickups may be a bit shifty next week, but we will inform you if there are any big, important changes.

We'll be sad to see Fall CSA come and go so quickly, it seems.  It's been fun tending, handling, and packing all these new fall veggies for you all.  But don't worry- Fall CSA doesn't mean the end of CSA possibilities this year.  We will start our "Weekly Boxes" CSA, which basically means: call us when you want a box at any point, and we will pack one for you!  20$ for a Couple Share, 30$ for Families!  This will be our arrangement until our next official CSA season, which will be our 2013 Spring CSA.

This past weekend was an interesting experiment with the new Saturday farmer's markets we tried out, in absence of our Iowa City Market and the Grant Wood Market we were depending on.  New Bo market was quite a success!  Apparently 10,000 patrons showed up that day?  Wow, that's like a small town right there.  It was also 12 hours long!  Our market worker had to be relieved for at least an hour to make it through.  We brought almost 4 times the usual amount of produce and all in all we thought it was worth it!  Derek was at his house selling veggies that day too, and it seemed to do well.  

Next week we'll be trying out a new market stand place in Iowa City: The Trumpet Blossom Cafe!  That is, we might be there, we'll have to double check and make sure it's ok we're slinging organic food by their place.  We'll find out soon and let you all know!

In other news...yikes, it's been getting dark EARLY now!  Sun down by 5:30?  It gets dark, we stop working, and it'll take a while to get used to the fact that there are still hours yet to do things.  On the other hand, getting up in the morning feels great because you feel like you're getting up super early, when you're really just getting up at the same time you used to!

Besides packing our stuff for CSA, resaurants, Co-ops and markets, we've been prepping, cracking, planting, and obsessing over our garlic!  We're glad to be done with watering, it seems like good ol' Mother Sky has been doing it for us.  This morning was a pleasantly long rain and fortunately we even left some of the plants' covers open.  Oh yeah....that has been another job to take up our time, covering our plants with reemay and plastic on the coldest of nights.  We haven't got plastic up on our cold-frames quite yet, the temps haven't dropped low enough for that to be our biggest priority.  But we're basically set up and ready.

Well...with no CSA this week, we don't have much of a list to offer, of course.  But just for kicks, we'll send a couple recipes your way!

See you at market...wherever that ends up being!


Recipes

Yukina Savoy Quiche with Spicy Pepper, Cherry and Pine Nut Relish (www.fatandhappyblog.com)

Yukina Savoy Quiche:

• 3 eggs
• 3 heaping Tbls of Greek yogurt (plus some for topping)
• 1 large garlic clove, finely diced
• 2 cups of yukina savoy
• 1 Tbls shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil   

Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Chop the stems of the yukina savoy into small pieces, add the stems and the garlic to the saute pan; cook for few minutes. Add the rest of the yukina savoy, toss and cook for a about 4 minutes until the leaves begin to wilt. Remove from heat.

Whisk together the eggs and the Greek yogurt with a pinch of salt and fresh black pepper.  Pour the egg mixture into a small casserole dish.  Add the sauteed yukina savoy and cheese to the eggs, pushing the  savoy into the egg.

Place in a pan in a preheated 400 degree oven until the middle is set. The eggs will become quite puffed up, and if you shake the pan, the eggs will not appear runny.  It's easy to overcook the eggs so check them often or they will become dry.  The eggs will deflate quickly after removing from the oven, serve immediately with the pine nut relish (recipe below) and a scoop of Greek yogurt (optional).


Spicy Pepper, Cherry and Pine Nut Relish:

• 1 heaping tbls dried cherries (or craisins), finely diced
• 1/2 cup finely diced red pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, finely diced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 tbls olive oil
• 1 green onion, diced
• 3 tbls toasted pine nuts, lightly chopped

Place the dried cherries and green onions into a small bowl, set aside.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in saute pan, heat over medium-high heat.  Add the diced red peppers, cook for 1 minute.  Add in the diced garlic and cook for about 3 minutes until the garlic begins to soften and releases its' flavor (toss often).  Pour over the cherries.

In the same pan (do not wipe out) add the red pepper flakes and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Simmer the flakes over medium heat for about 3 minutes to season the oil.  Pour the oil in the peppers and cherry bowl.  Top with the toasted pine nuts, set aside until ready to use. 


Clean Eating Garlic Baby Kale with Crushed Red Peppers (www.thegraciouspantry.com)
(Makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth, no sugar added
• 4 generous cups, tightly packed baby kale
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. garlic powder OR 6 cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

Directions
Step 1 – Sauté the garlic in the olive oil in a large pan.
Step 2 – Pour the chicken broth into the pan and add the kale, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and soy sauce. Cook until kale is wilted and cooked to your liking.

Eat and Enjoy!



Ingredients:

• 2 cups julienne cut daikon radish (I used my food processor to cut it)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp sweet rice wine (mirin)
  OPTIONAL: crushed peanuts

Place the daikon in a colander/mesh strainer over a bowl or the sink and sprinkle with salt. Mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and then rinse well with cold water. Drain.
In a small saucepan, combine the seasoned rice vinegar, sugar and rice wine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves (this will only take a few minutes).
Transfer the daikon to an airtight container and pour the rice vinegar mixture over. Shake or stir well to combine. Chill for 20 minutes before serving.
This can store for up to a few days in the fridge, if it lasts that long. If desired, serve topped with crushed peanuts.

Stuck In A Rut...Season

7:11 PM Adrian 0 Comments

It's that time of year...the leaves are almost gone from all the trees, and our stands of forest out here are thin and bare.  The cold season comes heralding an age of new perspectives.  We're looking at the skeleton of the woods as it returns to dormancy during the coming months.  The corn is cut and threshed from off the ground, and we now see the shape of the land for what it really is.  Bird song is heard less and less, while we see large raptors such as hawks and bald eagles a whole lot more.  And the deer...oh, the deer!  It is time for their rut season.  They pass through much more often nowadays, commonly seen at sunrise and sunset in small groups.  Their increasing presence is breathtaking. 

Their increasing presence is also a big pain in our collective butts.  Ever seen the heart eaten out of a perfectly beautiful head of lettuce?  Damn those deer!  Sometimes we don't care how pretty they are, or  how much we respect them otherwise.  They can be a devastating effect on our crops.  On the plus side of things: deer taste delicious.  Some efforts may be taken here this winter to do some deer hunting when the season opens, and perhaps we can teach them to steer clear of us a bit while also feeding ourselves with local venison.  Right now, our property to them is seen as this idyllic oasis, free of guns and bows, lushly covered with the most delicious and nutritional food a deer can find at this time of year.  They love to munch on our lettuces especially.  If we have lettuce in large amounts, they will practically leave everything else untouched, but we have also found signs of them dining on beet greens, spinach, pea shoots, chard, and even various Brassica/Cruciferous sprouts.  Some mornings we come out and our plants look perfectly cropped, like a lawn mower came through and chopped off all their tops and we think to ourselves "hmmm...only the cold, calculated methods of some white-tailed killer could be responsible for this mess."

But still....I deeply enjoy those quiet times at the crack of dawn, glimpsing them grazing on a foggy morning.  I sure would hate to see them ALL go....

It's not only the deer that are plaguing us.  With Grant Wood Market cancelled, we are still trying to figure out where we are going to sell all this food!  We spent the last few months growing tons and tons of food expecting to sell it all to our faithful Iowa City customer base.  We are officially (kind of?!) going to appear at the New Bo this weekend.  At least we're trying to!  We received a strong invitation from New Bo, then when we gave them the official "yes" we heard no response back.  So it is sort of up in the air, though we think you can expect to see us there (if you're attending, that is.)  We are very interested in the Mt. Vernon market, it sounds as if they'll have us.  We are also still fond of having our classic Farm Stand in front of Derek's house, although we'll be sorely missing having a spot somewhere downtown!  We are looking into that as well.  We've received many suggestions from folks, all of which have been very helpful.

In other news...our Iowa City Farmer's Market downtown CSA pickups, as some of you may know, are ending this week!  As a matter of fact, they end today!  If you are a Fall CSA member please contact us immediately to switch to a new pick up date.  They will be the following:

-Tim's Daycare/Kirkwood School for Children.  Fridays.  1107 Kirkwood Court.  Pickup lasts approx. 4:30 PM-5:30 PM.  Please email us if this pickup works for you.

-Derek's House.  Saturdays.  1003 Ginter Ave.  Pickup at about 2 PM, subject to change throughout season.  Please email us if this pickup works for you.

Note: We may be able to provide a Saturday morning pickup if we have enough people who absolutely need it.  Shares would be dropped off at Tim's Daycare on Friday and stay overnight for you to pickup on Sat. morning. 

Garlic planting has started, and continues!  We're a little late on it, and the rush continues to get it in the ground before the end of November!  We've still got a lot left to go.  If you're interested in helping and learning about garlic planting contact us!  We could use a few volunteers here and there!

Anyways, I should add "sorry" that this newsletter is a day late.  Many of you have already picked up your share today and it'll be a total surprise this week for you Wednesday people.  But don't worry Saturday people (soon to be other-day people), we've got a preview for you!  Either way, we have a LOT of stuff for you this week, along with some new things you didn't see previously!

Enjoy the Fall CSA fare while it lasts.  See you at market!

On the table this week:

• Mixed Baby Kales
• Sweet Peppers
• Hot Peppers
• Garlic
• Spring Radishes
• Potatoes
• Turnips (Red, White, Gold, or Purple Top)
• Winter Radishes
• Daikon Radishes
• Bok Choy
• Beets
• Winter Squash
• Yukina Savoy (Tat Soi)
• Head Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Cilantro

 Recipes

Aztec Couscous (homecooking.about.com)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 to 1-1/4 cups water
• 1-3/4 cups black beans or 1 (15-ounce) can
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 3 Tablespoons roasted garlic olive oil
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

 
Preparation:

Place couscous, cumin, and salt in a large heatproof bowl or storage container and pour 1 cup boiling water on top. Cover tightly and let sit until all the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. If the couscous is not quite tender, add an additional 1/4 cup of boiling water, cover, and let sit for a few minutes longer. Fluff up with a fork.

Toss in the black beans, corn, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Mix in the olive oil and enough lime juice to give the salad a puckery edge. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe Source: Lorna Sass' Short Cut Vegetarian : Great Taste in No Time by Lorna Sass (Wm Morrow)


Beet Risotto  (www.marthastewart.com)

Ingredients

Wet Weeks and Garlic Crackers

7:55 PM Adrian 0 Comments

Looking back at the last couple weeks, it appears as if we're making up for all the rain we've missed during this summer's drastic drought!  The weather has been wet, and it's been more than welcome.  Our water table could use some more soaking to recuperate from this era of general dryness that's plagued us since the winter.  Sure, last winter was mild and nice...and we sure milked it for what it was worth, stretching our season extension all the way up 'til New Years Eve.  But the lack of snow we experienced means depletion of our underground reservoirs; snow melt is a great contributor to these, as well as natural and drilled wells.  We can only ask for a more normal winter with plenty of snow, in spite of warmer weather having its perks.  Colder temperatures and more freezes this winter would be welcome too...hard freezes give us some help keeping bug numbers down for the coming spring!  This spring season was a farm pest extravaganza.  There is more rain to come on Thursday and we hope it continues being wet!  It would also be a great boost for our plants going into the cold season in general.

Fall CSA keeps chugging along!  We are still bringing tables overflowing with produce to our markets, and we still have tons of food we send twice a week to the New Pioneer Co-ops.  This fall has been an amazing harvest, surpassing our rounds earlier in spring.  Last Saturday was our last 8th Ave Cedar Rapids Market, but the Iowa City Downtown market still continues for a couple weeks here.  We also finished up a big Iowa Valley Food Co-op order last week.  We've really been enjoying selling through them to a customer base we normally don't reach, and we will continue doing so through winter...if you're interested, visit www.iowavalleyfood.com  or click the zucchini squash blossom picture under "Iowa Vally Food Co-op."  To buy from the Echollective or anyone else through IVFC, you must become a Co-op Member first.

Grant Wood Farmer's Market starts soon, although we have heard through the grapevine that if they don't get enough vendors, they will not run this winter!  This is a big bummer for us.  We would have to look into a different drop-off site for our Fall CSA shares, which we will be in touch with our Fall CSA members about.  Nothing's decided yet.  Investigation of  the Mt. Vernon Farmer's Market and Tipton Farmer's Market is underway for potential winter vending places.  We are also thinking about selling right in front of Derek's house on Ginter Ave. in Iowa City...and having CSA pickups there.  That way we could still stay very accessible to our Iowa City customer base!

We are also entering Garlic Planting Season!  In past years, this has comprised of our notorious fall Garlic Parties.  All of us (and whoever shows up) get seated in the chilly barn clustered around 6 gallon buckets with open onion bags, cracking open entire bulbs of garlic and throwing fat cloves into them for planting.  For hours.  And days.  It's an arduous process, resulting in tired hands and blisters that serve nothing more than to protect you against yet more garlic cracking.  Then when garlic cracking is over, you just have these useless blisters.  Anyways, we have obtained a contraption that wards against all of that: a garlic cracker!  Grant Schultz, our farming compadre who brought us this impressive apparatus, had only the following comment in regards to how it works: "It's complex, and has lots of moving parts."  Watching it in action, that's practically the exact same conclusion I came to.  It does a lot of stuff and cracks a ton of garlic, way faster than 6 people seated in the barn could, and it's a process I don't understand even when witnessing it.  It is all very voodoo to me.  But oh well, the job get's done, and it gets done faster!

So we are on our way to garlic planting.  A couple of fields have already been furrowed and tilled for garlic next year, where we will lay out each individual clove, give it protective mulch, and let it sleep through winter until spring.  Now that we've got the machine working...we've just gotta get "crackin'!"

We've got a great spread this week!  First time we are featuring a plentiful helping of mizuna.  You've seen it before in braises and salads, we thought the Asian green could stand on its own two legs for once.  It is plenty succulent, mustardy and delicious!  We will also provide mizuna recipes.  We hope you enjoy. 

See you at market!

What to expect:

• Mixed Baby Kales
• Sweet Peppers
• Garlic
• Spring Radishes
• Winter Radishes
• Daikon Radishes
• Turnips
• Head Lettuce
• Bok Choy
• Potatoes
• Broccoli
• Broccoli Raab
• Winter Squash
• Tat Soi Bunch
• Mizuna

Recipes


Mizuna Salad with Aged Gouda & Roasted Portabellas adapted from epicurious.com
 (www.mariquita.com)

• 3/4 pounds sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 10 cups mizuna, (or other spicy green such as arugula or watercress) washed, dried and torn or chopped for a salad
• 1 cup coarsely grated aged Gouda cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
Toss mushrooms with 3 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Roast in 1 layer in a 4-sided sheet pan, turning once, until golden-brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Cool mushrooms.
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 5 tablespoons oil in a bowl until combined. Toss mushrooms, greens, and cheese with enough dressing to coat.
More Mizuna ideas from The Kitchn
I like it all sorts of ways; it's not as peppery as standard mustard greens so it goes into more things and can be used as a garnish/accent as well as a main ingredient.
It's a good soup ingredient: I make a lot of veggie soups using leeks or onions, a green vegetable, and a starchy vegetable. My favorite combination with mizuna is sweet potato (preferably Japanese sweet potato, but anything works) and onion.
It also holds up a better than lettuce so it's good in salads that need to keep for a few hours or even overnight. I sometimes add it or radish greens to pickled cucumbers. It's good in potato salad, too.


Butternut Squash Pizza with Gruyere and Arugula (www.eatliverun.com)
serves 4-6
Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Best Pizza Dough
• 24 oz peeled and cubed butternut squash (from about one 3lb squash), roasted at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until very tender
• 6 oz freshly grated Gruyere cheese
• sea salt
• red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch arugula

Directions:
Prepare dough according to recipe directions.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Take half of the butternut squash cubes and puree them in either a food processor or high speed blender until smooth.
Roll dough out into a large circular or rectangular shape (I always go the rectangular route!). Top dough with pureed squash, then sprinkle on cheese. Top with the remaining butternut squash cubes, a sprinkle of sea salt and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
Bake pizza for 15 minutes until bubbly and crust is done. Immediately top with arugula and another sprinkle of sea salt. Let cool before slicing.

Time:
30 minutes (not including time to make and prepare dough)
  

Open-Face Watercress and Winter Radish Sandwiches with Horseradish Cream (www.organicvalley.coop)

The Gems of Fall: Root Crop Season!

8:36 PM Adrian 0 Comments

 Hello everyone!  For all of you Fall CSA folks, boy, do we have a great CSA line-up for you this week!  Just wait 'til you scroll down to see our list!  We've got for you an earthy selection of root crops, accented by a medley of fresh, leafy greens that we don't typically offer. 

Fall is the time for showcasing an entire range of colors and beauty possible in vegetables that are frequently overlooked at in the store.  For example: the humble turnip.  Turnips come in an array of colors.  There's the standard Purple Top, but we also grow ruby Red turnips, Gold turnips, and even the dainty yet tasty White variety.  Maybe you felt risky one day, ventured to the Co-op and bought yourself a turnip or two, and felt well-versed and worldly after wearily figuring out how to incorporate it into your meal somehow.  Then you forgot about it.  But turnips can be easier to prepare and integrate into meals than you'd imagine.  For all of you, especially those dedicated vegans out there, turnips are one of the highest sources of proteins you can find in a vegetable!  Turnip pastes are pretty delicious and simple to make: pastes are self-explanatory.  Eat the paste on your favorite sandwich!  You can easily find online the most basic turnip roasting recipes which, in my opinion, are the best way to prepare these roots.  Also, check out our scrumptious "Turnip Fries" recipe from an earlier newsletter this season!

We also have our wonderful lineup of radishes, both spring and winter!   In the last newsletter I told you all about winter radishes, the larger, more hefty, down-to-earth version of your light and crisp spring breeds.  Winter radishes come in a startling spread of colors.  Watermelon and Beauty Heart radishes have bright red, succulent-looking insides when you slice them open, looking very much like a cut-open watermelon (hence the names).  The skin on the outsides can range from a palish-green and white to more vivid rosy pinks and purple blushes, making one recall a beautiful fall sunset.  The intense Spanish Black radish, on the other hand, lives up to its name with a remarkably dark skin.  Spanish Blacks are notably more bitter, and this is actually due to this particular kind of radish's high nutritional content.  It is an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C, as well as boasting anti-cancer and anti-toxic properties, especially against hepatic cancers.

Our D'Avignon French Breakfast radishes have long been pulled since the last few times we've added them to your shares, but now we've got our other Spring varieties, the Easter Eggs and Cherry Belles, to follow in.  A hearty bunch of Easter Egg radishes looks simply mouth-watering and could almost be the vegetable equivalent of a gum ball machine!  They are perfectly round, coming in a variety of contrasting colors: purple, white, pink and rose.  Also relating to gum ball machines, sometimes you can't help yourself and it's hard to stop poppin' these radishes in your mouth once you get started.  Cherry Belles are similar, though they are our standard red, round radishes and come in one uniform color.  These two varieties are noticeably less tart and hot than the French Breakfast (which are my favorite!), though from my experience, they can be just as addictive after biting into that first one.

Last but not least, the lean-and-spicy Daikon!  An Asian icicle radish variety that is the biggest, the longest...and the hottest!  We pulled our record largest Daikon out of the ground today, it was at least two feet long!

Find us at the Farmer's Market and you'll get to see the entire spectrum of root crops before you!   We've been filling up baskets with turnips, spring and winter radishes respectively to put on our table, and the result is a quite astonishing display of those root crops the average shopper tends to overlook.  We hope you take a minute to take in an eyeful, and give these delicious and healthy veggies a chance.  Here at Echollective, it's one of the most beautiful things about Fall: all the colors!

Along with beautiful roots, we've got some special greens this week to accompany your vibrant root selection: Broccoli is back on the table after a little vacation!  A little bit of patience and a lot of rain has given us a lot of florettes recently.   You can also get a taste of some Broccoli Raab (a.k.a. Rapini) and we are happy to give to our CSA members, for the first time this year, a generous bunch of Yukina Savoy!  (Yukina Savoy is a larger, denser relative/version of tat soi.)  We'll provide some recipes for you to enjoy with these veggies in the coming week!

We're sure you'll enjoy the selection this week...see you at market!


CSA This Week!:

• Kale
• Sweet Peppers
• Yellow Zephyr Squash
• Garlic
• Spring Radishes
• Winter Radishes
• Red, Purple Top, White, or Gold Turnips
• Daikon Radishes
• Bok Choy
• Arugula
• Head Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Tat-Soi Bunch (Yukina Savoy)
• Broccoli Raab (Rapini)
• Winter Squash

Recipes

Moroccan Yukina Savoy and Red Quinoa Skillet (Gluten-Free!) (www.glutenfreecat.com)


Ingredients:

• 1 lemon – juice and zest
• 1 T paprika
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 ½ c. carrots, chopped
• 2 cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 bunches yukina savoy or 4 c. of another green (bok choi, spinach, kale…)
• 1 c. dried apricots, chopped
• 1 c. red quinoa
• 3 c. gluten-free vegetable stock
• 1 handful of chopped parsley

Directions:

1.  Place the red quinoa in a bowl of water and soak while preparing the next four steps.
2.  Combine the paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
3.  Zest the lemon, juice it, and set them aside separately.
4.  Chop the onion, carrots, yukina savoy, and set them aside separately.
5.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat and sauté the minced garlic until it’s lightly browned.  Add the onions, lemon zest, and apricots and cook until the onions are soft.
6.  Drain and rinse the red quinoa, and add it to the skillet.  Then add the lemon juice, carrots, cannellini beans, spices, and chicken stock.  Raise the heat, bringing the mixture to a boil, and stir for 3-5 minutes.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
7.  Add chopped yukina savoy, or greens of your choice, stir to combine, and cover for 5 minutes or until the greens have softened.
8.  Keep covered, remove from heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes.
9.   Gently stir, serve, and garnish with parsley.

Serves 6


Broccoli Raab & Orzo Salad (www.eatingwell.com)

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orzo, preferably whole-wheat
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), trimmed and chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add broccoli rabe; cook 3 minutes more. Drain in a colander and gently press out as much water as possible.
2. Heat oil in the pot over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add oregano, salt, pepper, the broccoli rabe and orzo. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in feta and lemon juice.

Nutrition

Per serving: 192 calories; 10 g fat ( 2 g sat , 6 g mono ); 8 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 8 g protein; 6 g fiber; 288 mg sodium; 247 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (61% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat

Daikon Radish Stuffed Flatbreat/Mooli Paratha (www.yummly.com)

 Directions:

Pre-Freeze Scramble

8:12 PM Adrian 0 Comments

It's a cold, clammy day today, and we've been staying warm to keep our hands nimble from the numbness as we wash our usual loads of kale, bok choy, and spinach bunches.  But it is surely raining!  A steady yet ample drizzle has been passing over us for the past hour or so, about to end soon.  The ground isn't exactly soaked, but it is definitely wet.  I nice end to the period of dryness we've been enduring.  Not as bad as the full-blown drought of summer.  More rain is on the horizon according to most weather stations, telling us to expect a thunderstorm here Saturday.  It'll be nice to have that boost of water for our veggies as we head on into the colder days!

Speaking of colder days, we are hard at work right now to prepare for them.  Two sets of hoop-house "ribs" are already up in our field, only needing plastic and ties to stretch over them to protect the seedlings there.  Amongst the plants we will be caring for in our season-extension "caterpillars" will be radishes, red choy, bok choy, asian greens; red russian, white russian, and beady's kale varieties; and a whole plethora of other "brassicas", a.k.a. "members of the cabbage family" (also called the "mustard" family).  If you already don't know the extensive list of vegetables which fall into this single family, you would be surprised!  They are: turnips, radishes, broccoli, cabbage, kale, broccoli raab/rapini, arugula, bok choy/napa, most asian greens, mizuna, mustard greens, and collard greens.  In addition to brassicas we may, most likely, cover some lettuces, cilantro, and spinach like we did least year.

This past Saturday was a wild day trying to make do in the face of the low temperatures predicted that night.  We were already wary considering Friday night was forecast to only get down to the 30's in Mechanicsville, but instead it hit way below at 24 degrees!  Most everything seemed fine, though our D'avignon French Breakfast radishes turned to jelly in the ground, our beets looked deflated, and broccoli showed some freeze burns on the leaves.  Minor damage, though unexpected.  The following Saturday night was predicted to be the same: low of 24.  We rushed to pull as many of our huge turnips and storage radishes from the ground, picked four cases of kale bunches, boxed them all up along with our winter squashes, and pulled our biggest and best bok choy heads from the fields (a difficult process, considering most all our bok choy heads by some luck look amazing this year!) stacking everything in the barn and expecting all else to go to hell that night.  We had a very strong epiphany: We have a LOT of food!  We also stayed up 'til past dark getting what we could covered, especially the youngest seedlings we would need to sell through the winter.  Of course, it only got down to 30 that night, and everything was fine.  But hey, now we have quite a bit of food right in our barn, ready to go!  We can now just whip up some turnips or choy for CSA or Co-op orders.  And it's nice to have some cold weather infrastructure set up ahead of time.

The PFI Field Day was a success!  Many people showed up and (I think) were kept entertained and busy.  Everyone sitting in our kitchen and dining area eating a farm meal seemed satisfied and there was a lot of conversation.  Garlic production and season extension was discussed by farmer Derek, the farm-made hoophouses were exhibited, and connections were made in a large farm-wide tour.  Additionally, farmer Will got to showcase his pigs and mushroom structure, and grazed over several topics pertinent to the mushroom growing business as well as explaining how pigs can be helpful to any organic farm.

Fall CSA continues!  We hope you are enjoying it so far, and we have five great weeks to go.  As I said before....we have a LOT of food.  Plenty!  So we think you'll enjoy the selection for the times to come.  New this week are Winter Radishes!  Fresh from the field.  They are the hearty, beefy, more substantial relative to the light tart spring radish.  They are also called "storage" radishes because they are bred more for long-term storage and use throughout the winter. More akin to turnips, these two easily get mixed up; but the winter radish still brings on the heat you know and love in a radish, unlike turnips.

See you all at market!

CSA this week:

• Kale
• Sweet Peppers
• Zucchini
• Garlic
• Spring Radishes (French Breakfast, Easter Egg, or Cherry Belles)
• Potatoes
• Red Turnips
• Purple Top Turnips
• Winter Radishes (Watermelon, Black Spanish, or Beauty Hearts)
• Daikon Radishes
• Bok Choy
• Beets
• Winter Squash

...and possibly more!


Recipes


Winter Radish Slaw (abenakispringsfarm.com)

• 2-3 winter radishes, grated
• 3 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup onions (leeks would work)
• Lemon juice
• 2 tbsp of olive oil 
• Finely chopped herbs of choice (mint, parsley, cilantro)

 In a bowl toss together radishes, cabbage, carrots, onion, lemon juice, oil, herbs, salt and pepper to taste.

• 1 pound bacon, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 cups onion, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 cups potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ inch dice
• 2 cups turnips, peeled, cut into ½ inch dice
• 4-6 sprigs thyme or 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup greens, torn
• 1 cup cream
• salt and pepper

 Texas Caviar (saveur.com)

•  2  15-oz. cans black-eyed peas,
     drained and rinsed
•  1⁄4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1⁄2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded,
     and finely chopped
• 1⁄4 red onion, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,
     to taste

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.
2. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Serve on top of lettuce leaves.

SERVES 6

Fall CSA Begins; PFI Field Day Thursday!

7:37 PM Adrian 1 Comments

Greetings all.  The cold season slowly approaches!  Days are noticeably shorter.  Very soon...winter will be at our door.  Time for sweatpants, gloves, coveralls and sturdy boots.

Fall CSA will have its first pickup tomorrow!  We'll be happy to see some returning faces from Summer CSA, as well as some new folks to join our lineup.  We're excited to continue growing into colder times.  If you still have any questions, see any loose ends, or are mystified by our Fall CSA, please contact us so we can help!

 As warm weather diminishes, and days shorten, this gives some of our member farmers some time to focus on other farm-related projects.  Work has begun anew on a large combo chicken coop/tractor, which will house chickens that can aid with soil amending and pest control, as well as give us some eggs!  Yum.  Farmer Will is turning to focus on the more business aspects of mushroom production, and the possible start of an Eastern Iowa Mushroom Co-op this winter.  And it's been some time since an update on some of the farm's little-known residents, the pigs Merlock and Dr. Caporkian.  They are BIG!  We've been feeding them organic veggies and all sorts of goodies.

Coming up this Thursday is the Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day!  Running from 10 am to 4 pm, and the description is as follows:

"See a wide range of equipment, tools an plant varieties used to harvest food all year, and learn about crop coverings, from simple and homemade to expensive and complex. Hear about plant variety selection and how different growing and handling techniques are used to harvest produce year-round.  Garlic is one of the farm's largest crops; learn about planting preparations, and purchase seed stock.  Several hoophouse pipe-benders will be on display; bring your own pipe to bend into hoops!  A simple farm-fresh lunch of Echollective produce will be available; free-will donations accepted."

To you Fall CSAer's: See you tomorrow for your first veggie box!  Take care!

On the table this week:

• Kale
• Peppers
• Zucchini
• Garlic
• Salad Mix
• Radishes
• Potatoes
• Daikon Radishes
• Bok Choy
• Winter Squash

Recipes

Whole-Grain Spaghetti with Garlicky Kale and Tomatoes (www.realsimple.com)

End of Summer

10:35 PM Adrian 0 Comments

That's right folks!  Summer is at its end, and in many more ways than one.  Our big CSA ends this week, paving the way for our first day of Fall CSA next week!  We've also passed through the Autumnal equinox, the official marker to end summer and lead us toward winter.  We also experienced our first frosts this week.  Say goodbye to our hot weather plants!  They were officially taken by harsh old Mr. Frost.  Zucchinis, squashes, cucumbers, eggplants, basil, tomatoes, and peppers are no more.  But don't worry, we got word of the frost days before, and spent a lot of time picking from them before night fell.  We now have large stores of squashes, basil, tomatoes and tons and tons of peppers and a greenhouse full of winter squash, curing in the sun!  In spite of the loss of our hot crops the chill winds and cold nights have been more than welcome after such a long stretch of brutal heat and drought.  We also have plenty of cool weather crops in the ground to boast of!  In fact, the frost has done an amazing weeding job for some of them, killing warm weather weeds that are taking over.  Especially in our beet fields!

As colder weather nears, we will begin our long preparation for season extension!  This means fixing up our greenhouses and building our high-tunnels, which we call "cats" (short for "caterpillars" since they sort of resemble them).  In fact, a very important date is coming up on our farm where we will be showcasing what we do in regards to season extension here!  PFI (Practical Farmers of Iowa) hosts the event right here on the farm, and us farmers will be involved in showing what we do over the winter, how our high-tunnels are built and what materials we use to make them!  This event will be held on Oct. 4th.  More information on this to be released soon!

A reminder for all of you still interested in veggie boxes to sign-up for Fall CSA!  Yes, we still have memberships available.  We hope to grow for you in the upcoming months!

In the meantime enjoy your last CSA box to all of you Summer participants out there.  See you at market!

Last Summer CSA box includes:

• Potatoes
• Kale
• Peppers
• Zucchini
• Yellow Zephyr squash
• Garlic
• Bok Choi
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Salad Mix
• Turnips
• Daikon Radishes
• Winter Squash

....and possibly more!


Recipes

Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze (featuring mashed Delicatta Winter Squash!) (www.myrecipes.com)

• Rolls:
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 11.9 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 6.47 ounces all-purpose flour, divided (about 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons) $
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1 cup mashed cooked delicata squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash) $
• 1 tablespoon canola oil $
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar $
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons water
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted
• Glaze:
• 1/3 cup water $
• 1/2 cup maple sugar or light brown sugar $
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

1. To prepare rolls, combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon bread flour and 5.63 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine bread flour, 5.63 ounces all-purpose flour, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add yeast mixture, squash, and oil, and stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes), adding enough of the remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If the indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll dough into a 20 x 12-inch rectangle. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; spread mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with nuts. Roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side. Cut roll crosswise into 16 equal slices. Arrange rolls, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 375°.
5. Bake at 375° for 33 minutes or until brown. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack.
6. To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup water and maple sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter, half-and-half, and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes; drizzle over rolls.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Chermoula (featuring Turnips and Winter Squash) (www.eatingwell.com)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons paprika, preferably sweet Hungarian
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 8 ounces peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks (see Shopping Tip)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Place oil, garlic, paprika, cumin and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse or blend until smooth.
3. Place potato, sweet potato, turnip, rutabaga, carrots and squash in a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the pieces in a single layer. Toss with the spiced oil mixture until well combined.
4. Roast the vegetables, stirring once or twice, until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

Daikon Radish Rémoulade (www.epicurious.com) 

Ingredients

• 1 pound daikon radish (available at specialty produce markets and> many supermarkets), peeled
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Preparation

Cut the daikon into 2-inch-long fine julienne strips or grate it coarse. Rinse a large bowl with hot water, dry it, and in it whisk the mustard with 3 tablespoons hot water. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified, and whisk in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the daikon strips and the parsley and toss the mixture well.