Garlic Planting Season!

4:13 PM Adrian 0 Comments

Greetings, all you local farm supporters, CSA members and Echollective blog followers out there!

Fall CSA continues, and although we've seen the coldest days of autumn yet, it looks like we'll be getting a little "hiccup" of warmth here soon!  We are also expecting our first autumn storm to arrive this week, a precursor to that classic wetness that always happens in the fall, long before the temps are low enough for them to turn into flurries or blizzards.

IMPORTANT NEWS/CHANGES!  Yes Fall CSA of course is still happening (we have four weeks or so left) but pickups will be changing.  Please take note!  Iowa City Farmer's Market and NewBo Markets officially ended last weekend, this Wednesday being the last official IC market.  So Wednesday pickup folks, your pickup won't change this week but next week, your pickup will be changing to a new one at a new location!  Saturday folks, you will be picking up this Sat. NOT at the ICFM (nobody will be there, just a bunch of people's parked cars), but at the new pickup.

New pickup: where is it?  Our new market location will be at 1003 Ginter Ave., Iowa City; a.k.a. Farmer Derek's house!  Saturdays from 10 am 'til 12:00 PM, starting this weekend. 

*Please get a hold of us if for some reason the Ginter pickup on Saturday won't work for you!

And hey, if you're not a CSA member, feel free to come over and visit us for chat and some veggies anyway!  Hope to see you there!


What you CSA'ers will find this week:

• Braising Mix
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Onions
• Kale bunch
• Potatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Fall Greens Mix
• Apples
• Daikon Radishes
• Winter Squash (Delicatas and Butternuts)

By the way, this could be one of our last weeks for sweet peppers (yep, we still have them!) so folks, we're serious: grab as many sweet peppers as you can handle!  At this point we are keeping them around for storage and their days are numbered.

Also, another great announcement: the season for Garlic planting is here!  And we could really use the help.  Want to learn all the ins and outs of planting garlic?  Well, you can learn from us for free by coming out and helping us this Sunday!  Contact us if interested, we could use all the help we can get!

With that said....hope to see you at Ginter this weekend, and perhaps even out at the farm for garlic planting!!!



Recipes

Sweet Baked Delicata Squash (www.allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter, or as needed
• 2 large delicata squash - halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4" slices
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously butter a baking dish.
2. Spread squash slices into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Stir brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together in a bowl; drizzle over the squash.
5. Continue baking squash in oven until completely tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Goat Cheese with Bell Pepper Dressing (whatscookingamerica.net)

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup diced orange bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon coarsely-ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt to taste
8 ounces chilled goat cheese (such as Montrachet), cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts*
Baguette bread slices, toasted

* To toast pine nuts, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the nuts in a shallow pan and roast, stirring often for 2 minutes. Do not overcook,for pine nuts burn easily.

Preparation:

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add diced bell peppers and sauté 5 minutes or until tender; reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, rosemary, coriander, fennel, pepper, thyme, bay leaf, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Simmer mixture 5 minutes, to blend flavors. Remove from heat.

Season to taste with coarse salt. Let cool to room temperature.

Arrange goat cheese on platter; spoon prepared dressing over the top of them. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve with baguette slices.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Roasted Daikon Radish and Kale Spring Rolls with Tahini-Honey Dipping Sauce (www.yummly.com)

Autumn Snowfall

6:28 PM Adrian 0 Comments

Perhaps not in Iowa City, but up here at Echollective we experienced our first snow of the year!  It was quite beautiful, thick, and white; the snow clung to the ground for several hours but it has melted since.

Don't worry, we still have vegetables!  Fall CSA continues!  It is becoming time for us to try to cover and protect all our vegetables from the ice and snow, so we will be working hard for you in the upcoming weeks to procure you with as much of the Fall harvest as we can!

This week:

• Garlic
• Leeks
• Onions
• Kale or Collards Bunch
• Potatoes
• Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes or Roma Tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Sweet Peppers
• Jalapenos
• Pears/Apples
• Daikon Radishes
• Winter Squash
• Carrots
  ...and more!

Stay warm as the temps keep dropping!  Hope to see you at market!


Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta (www.cookinglight.com)

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash $
• Cooking spray $
• 6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw) $
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour $
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese $
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
3. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
4. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
5. Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Eggplant and Tofu Stirfry (www.realsimple.com)


Sungold Tomato Pesto Pizza (www.farmfreshfeasts.com)

Ingredients

Sun Gold Tomato Pesto Pizza

• 1/2 recipe above Sun Gold Tomato Pesto
• 1 pound pizza dough of your choice (see my Pizza Primer for a dough recipe, tips, tricks, and hints)
• 3/4 cup sliced fresh mozzarella
• 1/3 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
• Optional toppings:  1/2 cup chopped banana peppers, 1/4 cup sliced pepperoni, as many little fishies as you desire

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you've got a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat as well.  If not, use a cookie sheet.  On an oiled piece of parchment, stretch out your dough into the shape that floats your boat today.  Spread between 2/3 cup and 1 cup (160 ml to 240 ml) of Sun Gold tomato pesto across dough.  Top with sliced mozzarella and any optional toppings you choose.  Scatter shredded cheese over top.  Bake for 5 minutes, then shimmy out the parchment paper from under the crust, and bake an additional 3-8 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly.  Cool on a rack 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

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! 

2nd Week of Fall CSA!

5:38 PM Adrian 0 Comments

We apologize for the hiccup, and thus a lack of an opening newsletter for our first week....but regardless, Echollective's Fall CSA 2013 is underway!  Here comes Week 2...we hope those of you who are participating so far have enjoyed the first week.

The lineup for Fall Week 2:

• Garlic
• Leeks
• Onions
• Kale/Greens Bunch (Choice of Kale variety, Collards, Dandelion Greens, etc.)
• Potatoes
• Heirloom or Roma Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Sweet Peppers
• Mixed Cherry Tomatoes
• Pears or Apples
• Daikon Radishes
• Winter Squash 
• Asian Greens Bunch (Tokyo Napa Cabbage, Bok Choy or Tat Soi)
• Beets

As everything shifts through the changing of the seasons, our lineup of produce remains strong-- but expect it to change soon, just as crisp fall phases closer to the bitterness of winter.  Our first frost arrived merely a few days ago, which marks the end of most of our hot weather crops; field tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants are shriveling as we hurry through to pluck the last of their still-good fruits.  Frost is like a kiss of death to any squash or watermelon plant.  Their leaves will be blackened and drooping, while the weeds and other cold-tolerant plants around them may still be vibrantly green and alive!  Squashes, melons and cucumbers just can't make it in the cold.

With that said, this will be your last chance for getting vegetables unique to the summer heat!  We've picked and stored all that we can handle, we currently have an enormous back-log of peppers and eggplants that will stay fresh for a long time.  Winter Squash will remain plentiful for many weeks to come!  Quite soon we'll be trading in the remnants of our warm-weather veggies back for the cooler tokens of fall and winter....

Hope to see you at market!



Recipes

Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Frittata (www.kitchendaily.com)

Directions

Grilled Pepper Salad (www.kitchendaily.com)

Directions

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos (ohsheglows.com)

These burritos have a kick of heat to them (that you can control yourself) and a light sweetness thanks to the butternut squash. The filling is so good I found myself eating it on its own. Use it to sprinkle on salads or as a dip for crackers in addition to making burritos. You could also try using sweet potato or pumpkin as a way to change up the butternut filling.

Yield: 4 burritos or 3.5 cups of filling

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, cubed, & roasted
• 1/2 cup uncooked short grain brown rice (yields: 1.5 cups cooked)
• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• One 15-oz can black beans (about 1.5-2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup Daiya cheese
• 4 tortilla wraps (large or x-large)
• Toppings of choice: (avocado, salsa, vegan sour cream, spinach/lettuce, cilantro, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a large glass dish with tinfoil. Drizzle olive oil on squash and give a shake of salt and pepper. Coat with hands. Roast chopped butternut squash for 45 mins. or until tender.
2. Cook brown rice (for directions, see here)
3. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add oil, onion, and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Now add in salt and seasonings and stir well.
4.  Add chopped red pepper, black beans, and cooked rice and sauté for another 10 mins. on low.
5. When b’nut squash is tender remove from oven and cool slightly. Add 1.5 cups of the cooked butternut squash to the skillet and stir well. You can mash the squash with a fork if some pieces are too large. Add Daiya cheese and heat another couple minutes.
6. Add bean filling to tortilla along with desired toppings. Wrap and serve. Leftover filling can be reheated the next day for lunch in a wrap or as a salad topper.

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!

Last Week of Summer CSA!

7:26 PM Adrian 0 Comments

And so another great season closes.  We'd like to thank all of you CSA members out there for your dedication....this was a fantastic year!  We had an amazing array of produce and a wonderful collection of committed-to-local-foods folks to share it all with.  Of course we'd also like to send a warm thank you to any regulars we have, folks that visit us at the Farmer's Market regularly!  We couldn't do it without you.

But don't be sad that the season is ending!  Because technically CSA isn't over.....2013 Fall CSA begins immediately next week!  Continue with us to finish out our delicious, fruitful harvest of the year, because we're still pulling in all the good stuff!

Last Summer CSA Box:

• Garlic
• Leeks
• Onions
• Kale (Red Russian, Winterbor, Redbor, or other greens)
• Potatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Roma Tomatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Hot Peppers (e.g. Anaheims, Jalapenos)
• Patty Pan Summer Squash
• Pears
• Daikon Radishes
• Winter Squash or Melon
• Carrots

We'll still be bringing all this tasty, healthy stuff to your table into the Fall hopefully with some added cool-weather additions coming soon!

Like to sign up for Fall CSA?  Click "CSA Signup" above and follow the prompts!  It's easy, and takes only a few minutes!

Soon to come we will be sending out our yearly CSA Member Feedback Survey!  Become a part of making our CSA better!

Without further adieu....enjoy the fall and we shall see you at market!


Recipes

 Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza (www.smittenkitchen.com)
 Adapted from Giada DeLaurentis
Yield: 4 side dish servings

• 1 (1- pound) acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (we used 1/2 tsp. and it had plenty of kick)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 pound pizza dough 
• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
• 1 cup arugula
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the pizza dough. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Peel the skins off the squash. Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Toss with arugula with the squeeze of lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice and serve.


 Melon Salsa (www.sunset.com)

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced orange-fleshed melon, such as Charentais (1/4- to 1/2-in. cubes)
• 1 cup diced cucumber (1/4- to 1/2-in. cubes)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 serrano chile, stemmed, halved, and sliced
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Make ahead: Up to 1 day, covered and chilled.

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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!