The Turning of the Wheel

4:54 PM Unknown 1 Comments

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer."

~ Albert Camus

As Winter Solstice approaches, we are offering a local foods box to our faithful CSA members of summer and fall. Thanks again for a great year with us! This offer is also open to the general public and we expect to have a limited amount so please let us know as soon as you do if you would like one. We are partnering up with our sister farm Muddy Miss, along with Kalona Organic, to put together a hearty arrangement for this coming week and should know what the price will be soon. Pick up will be at Tim's/Kirkwood School for Children on Thursday the 18th, dropped off at 5pm.

As for farm updates, the weather has been warm enough after that early cold snap for us to do some good work on more greenhouse development and we hope to have a greater capacity then for the coming Spring.

Boxes will include:

Red Onions

Yellow Onions

Shallots

Garlic

Potatoes

Diakon Radish

Pie Pumpkin

Kabocha Squash

Turnips

Watermelon Radishes

Black Radishes

Carrots

Beets

Cabbage

Sweet Potatoes

If that sounds like a good haul for your holidays let us know.

Here is a great recipe which requires mostly stuff from your box!

CURRIED SWEET POTATO, CARROT & SQUASH SOUP WITH PINE NUT CREAM

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter or oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium-sized yellow onions, diced

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cup acorn squash, deseeded and cubed

4 cups sweet potatoes, cubed

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup pine nuts (pignolias)

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, heat oil or butter on medium

heat. Add garlic and onions and cook about 5

minutes, until onions are slightly glassy and

softened. Do NOT let the garlic turn brown and

burn- it will taste bitter.

Add in the carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes,

and stir to combine. Follow with the vegetable

broth, curry, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let simmer

on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring

occasionally, until vegetables have become soft

enough to poke through with a wooden spoon.

While soup cooks, combine the pine nuts and

water in a high-speed blender until creamy. Set

aside.

When soup is ready, let cool a bit, then

blend using an immersion blender, or in batches using

a high-speed blender. Blend until completely

puréed. At this point, you can mix the pine nut

cream into the soup OR serve it in bowls,

adding the pine nut cream to each bowl

individually (our preference and how we did it in

the photos). Sprinkle each serving liberally

with cilantro, and enjoy!

Makes 10-12 servings.

Freezes well, and keeps in the fridge, covered,

for about a week. Feel free to half the recipe for

a 4-6 serving portion.

Check this recipe out online, compliments of fettlevegan.com

Sending the warmest of wishes your way and as we are full of thanks for our lovely community.

Blessings,
Your Echo Team

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Gratitude: It Has Been Rad(ish)

10:44 AM Unknown 1 Comments

"Radishes grow just about anywhere. People think, 'Oh it's just a radish.' But radishes are delicious, and people don't think of cooking them."

~ Emeril Lagasse

(Black Spanish Radish)

First this week, we want to thank all our CSA members for putting your faith in us and this Iowa prairie land to feed you and yours. This pick-up will be the final of the fall sequence and we are happy to report that you are still getting greens! We also want to thank Tim Tabor and the Kirkwood School for Children for providing us all with a meeting place in town to exchange with as much ease as possible. It is with deep gratitude that we end out this round of community supported agriculture. We are by no means calling it quits for the year, though, and will be offering boxes on a weekly basis so keep your stoves ready for what that will entail. More info on that to come soon.

So, the Black Spanish Radish. Some of you have asked us what the heck they are and what you should do with these exotic beauties. They are a delicious and easy to use radish, just like any of the others we offer and are great raw or cooked. If you don't want to get too complicated, they are easily diced and added to a potato roast for added interest in flavor and texture or they can be roasted on their own with a little oil and salt/pepper. They can certainly stand on their own as a side dish.

This week you will get black radish, diakon radish, watermelon radish and potatoes so you could easily do a medley roast and keep it simple. If you want something a bit more adventurous we suggest you try healing pickles. It is still fairly easy, fun and healing!

Healing Pickles (Shiver Me Liver Pickles)

3-4 watermelon radishes
2 black radishes
1 daikon
2 inches turmeric root
1 thin burdock root
2 cups of brine (1 tablespoon of salt dissolved in 2 cups of room temperature water)

Slice all veggies to about 1/3 of an inch (~1 cm) thick
layer them into a quart jar until you are just below the shoulders of the jar
Pour brine over and weight your veggies down, using either the ghetto jar method, some jar weights or another method of your choice.
Allow to ferment for 2 weeks. The brine will become gorgeous within a couple hours.
Remove weights once you’re happy with the acidity level, put a lid on it and stick it in the fridge.

For more guidance and inspiration you can check this out at phickle.com.

They also provide detailed info on pickling and fermenting in general with the following link:

http://phickle.com/index.php/getting-started-and-faq/pickles-getting-started-and-troubleshooting/

"Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.

And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.

When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute."

~ Wendell Berry

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Still Going Strong

7:17 PM Unknown 4 Comments

"Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing."

~ Helen Keller

(Sunset on the farm)

This is my first year at the farm and I am many things all at once but you could call it humbled to be succinct. It amazes me to witness and participate in how growing food for locals is this amazing dance of being super present to current conditions and drawing upon past experience while forward thinking at all times. If I were not working with people, especially Derek Roller and Will Lorentzen, who know how to do this, working with all the foreseeable and unexpected together, I would have nothing to share here because I only type that we have LOTS of vegetables to offer our CSA members this week because they are so committed to and good at what they do. I am learning so much.

As the weather turns toward bitter and biting, we still have some great local food to give our community and it is always something I am honored to be a part of but it is during this time especially that I become reflective as we still press on. We could stop now but it is in the extra mile that one can really appreciate endurance.

This week we are finally seeing a a little less greens going into the boxes and for mid-November, that is pretty darn good! We still have greens, lovely spinach and also lots of winter squash, garlic, onions... considering all we faced this year with flooding conditions along with nowhere even close to tomato favoring weather. We even have heirlooms to offer still!

Here you go:

Kale

Red Onions

Yellow Onions

Garlic

Potatoes

Leeks

Diakon Radish

Pie Pumpkin

Butternut Squash

Bunched Spinach

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

Turnips

Watermelon Radishes

Black Radishes

Carrots

*Due to the freezing cold temps, CSA pick up at the Kirkwood School for Children has a slight change to it. You will still pick up there but instead of your goods being on the deck, you can go one step further from the deck and into the mudroom door where your boxes will be.*

Most of our members know and appreciate that they can leave their used boxes at the drop off site for reuse but we would like to remind you all that now we are back to boxes full time, please return them. We make good use of them and you sleep better at night knowing that.

Also of note: You may have two boxes this week since you are getting two winter squashes which take up a lot of space. So please look closely to see if you have a second box with your name on it. It will be with your primary box. Just make sure you are looking for it.

If anyone has troubles or questions let us know!

Otherwise, here is a yummy way to cook some of your goodies:

You can do this with butternut squash or pie pumpkin. The link provided offers this as a pie, which I have adapted and made but used the extra in little ramekins and fell in love with. So I offer this adaptation for ramekins but you can easily make a pie with this filling.

1 large butternut squash or pie pumpkin , cooked and pureed, about 1 1/2 cups pureed squash
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs
3/4 cup evaporated milk or half-and-half
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

I substitute the butter with coconut oil and use whatever milk I have on hand. I also use a thickening rice flour instead of all purpose. AND....

Really importantly, I do not puree anything unless I am making baby food. I enjoy this with a hand beaten texture. Do what you prefer.

To cook squash:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; remove stem and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash, cut side down, on a foil-lined oiled baking pan; add about 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 400° for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Let cool completely then peel and mash or puree the squash or put it through a food mill.

Measure 1 1/2 cups of the squash and set aside.

Reduce oven to 350° F and position an oven rack in the center of the oven. In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the squash with the brown sugar. Add eggs, evaporated milk, spices salt, flour, butter, and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Pour the filling into the chilled pie and place on the center oven rack. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set. Check after about 35 minutes and loosely set a ring of foil or a pie crust protector over the browned crust so it won't get too dark. When the filling is set, transfer the pie to a rack to cool. Serve just warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped topping or whipped cream.

Via: Southernfood.com http://southernfood.about.com/od/pierecipes/r/r71128d.htm

Wishing you all wellness for you and yours this season of giving thanks. We are grateful to be your farmer.

Your Echo Team

"It is simple... go the extra mile and you stand out from the crowd."

~ Robin Crow

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Web of Life

10:55 AM Unknown 1 Comments

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves."

~ Chief Seattle

The days have gotten much shorter out here and we are working hard to get everything out of the ground and properly stored, while putting lots of garlic seed into the ground! We are definitely finishing of the growing season with some fun and appreciation for the working relationships that have developed amongst ourselves and with the land. As a new resident here, I am sensing and finishing the season with gratitude for all I have learned here as well as all I have yet to learn. The challenges of a small, conscious and beyond organic farm are many and I am humbled on a daily basis here. As the season of giving thanks approaches, I have a lot to be giving thanks for. The humans, animals and plants alike out here have given me riches greater than I could have imagined before beginning to work here this year.

Sewing the garlic brings the circle around and as we plant, dance, laugh and sometimes cry I am reminded of what seems just like yesterday when my boys were pulling the first garlic of their life out of this ground with smiles on their faces this spring. Just as we are putting some of it back in for next year's spring and summer.

Oh, how I look forward the next scape flush and bringing them to you all in their full green garlic splendor! But for now, we are winding down. This month, our planet's full moon is known as the Beaver Moon according to the Farmer's Almanac. Native tribes have other variations also, such as Freezing or Frost Moon and Deer Rutting Moon, which we can vouch for out here on the farm after stumbling upon some randy activity in the back woods. Farming this land through the seasons sure does open a new perspective on how to give and take in a respectful way within the web of life.

We still have a some great dividends for our CSA members this week:

Braising Greens

Red Onions

Yellow Onions

Garlic

Potatoes

Sungold Tomatoes

Yukina Savoy Bunches (Asian Greens)

Leeks

Butternut Squash

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

Bok Choi

Carrots

(Element of Surprise)

Here is a DELICIOUS and easy way to use some of the goodies from your box!

GARLIC HASH BROWNS WITH KALE

By Jason Wyrick

Serves 2 Ready In: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, shredded

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 large kale leaves, shredded

Pinch of salt

Option: 2 cups shredded sweet potato instead of Yukon Gold potatoes

Hash browns are a comfort food, and they donʼt have to be heavily fried to be good. The added garlic makes them irresistible.

From 21 Day Weightloss Kickstart

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 375° F. Rinse the shredded potatoes and pat them dry. Toss them with the salt and pepper. Spread the shredded potatoes on a baking sheet lined with a silicon baking mat. Bake the shredded potatoes for 10 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven and toss the potatoes with the minced garlic, then spread them back on the mat. Return them to the oven and bake them 5 more minutes.

While the potatoes are baking, lightly saute the shredded kale over medium heat in a large pan with about ? inch of water and a pinch of salt in it. Do not replenish the water when it evaporates. It is only there to get the kale to quickly wilt. Once the kale has completely softened, about 8 to 10 minutes, set it aside and let it cool until you can comfortably handle it. Squeeze the kale to get rid of excess water, then toss it a bit to separate the cooked shreds.

Plate the crisped potatoes, top it with the kale, and serve.

Compliments of Forks Over Knives.

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Final Market and Finally COLD!

10:22 AM Unknown 1 Comments

“October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces.”

~ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Oh, how the winds have been howling! The past couple of nights I have had whistling and blustering winds outside my bedroom window, fore telling of the cold weather to come. The past couple of weeks have been a dance of covering and uncovering plants as we work to keep them producing. So far, things are still looking really good. We ARE expecting lows in the twenties this weekend, which marks the end of our farmers market season this week and may mark the end of some of our plantings. We will see.

Wednesday is the final market of the year for us and the final four weeks of CSA boxes can now be picked up at Tim's on Thursdays, after 5pm. Again, if you miss your pick up on Thursday your box will sit and you can still get it on Friday. Otherwise, you can always donate it to the Kirkwood School for Children if you miss your box for a week. It will not go to waste!

Boxes will include:

Braising Greens

Parsley

Red Onions

Yellow Onions

Garlic

Leeks

Rosemary

Diakon

Winter Squash

Bunched Spinach

Bok Choi

Turnip

Watermelon Radish

Black Radish

Rapini

Carrots

It has been a surprise this year as a lot of market goers have revealed to me that they had no idea you could cook radishes! Radishes are a smashing hit cooked and here is a recipe with which you can use your radishes/turnips and carrots from your box. The ones in your box will NOT have greens on them but we will be selling some at Wednesday's market so you can grab one with greens if you would like to include them with this recipe. Otherwise, you can easily substitute the braising greens that come in your box for the green tops in the following recipe.

Roasted Radishes and Carrots with Radish Greens and Lime

2 bunches of radishes, cleaned and trimmed
2 cups chopped carrots 1
1/2 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt
handful of cleaned, chopped radish greens
2 teaspoons fresh limes juice

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Clean and cut radishes lengthwise (save some greens for later). In a medium bowl toss radishes, carrots, olive oil and salt. Spread on a sheet pan and roast for 15-20 minutes. Radishes should be tender to the touch. Put vegetables on a serving platter, toss with radish greens and lime juice.

Serves 4

Super easy and compliments of: http://www.theflamingvegan.com/view-post/Roasted-Radishes-and-Carrots-with-Radish-Greens-and-Lime

As always, thank you so much for farming and eating locally grown food with us. Your support and participation is why we do what we do! We look forward to bringing you more goodness from Iowa soil as the holiday season approaches.

Root down,
Your Echo Team

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Solar Eclipse and Recognizable Food

8:11 AM Unknown 4 Comments

"Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."

~ Michael Pollan

The solar eclipse was gorgeous out here on the farm this week. It eluded us all day, as we were surrounded by clouds and rain but at sunset, it peeked out from under the cover and wowed us into the evening. We have been mucking it in the mud to get stuff picked due to to all the rain! And now the fog comes in as a prelude to some supposedly very warm weather for a couple days. We roll with it. The sungolds will be happy and so will pretty much everything else!

We have gotten a good start on planting garlic and look forward to seeing those who show up this week to pitch in and give it a go.

This Saturday market is the last Saturday selling of the season and then Wednesday will be the final market of the year. For those of you who know the drill, it is time to pick up at Tim's again. For those of you who do not, we start doing prepacked boxes that can be picked up at Kirkwood School for Children in Iowa City. They actually use a lot of our produce for the children's meals and will gratefully accept anything you might not want from your box. The pick up is Thursdays but if you cannot make it, your box will still be there on Fridays. It will not be available on Saturdays though, as the school will be closed.

This week, CSA choice is:

Red Onion

Yellow Onion

Garlic

Potatoes

Sungolds

Leeks

Winter Squash

Bunched Spinach

Bok Choy

Rapini

What to do with rapini? Here is a great, simple example:

2 medium garlic cloves
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tbsp butter* (or oil)
2 bunches rapini (broccoli rabe)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Wash the rapini. Peel the stems and discard any bad leaves.

Emince the garlic. Heat a large frying pan that has a lid over medium-high heat and add the water, salt, pepper, sugar, butter and garlic together.

*Note: For plant-based, use a non-dairy butter such as Earth Balance.

Once the water just begins to boil and the butter has melted, add rapini and cover. Let steam for about 2 minutes. Toss the rapini to fully coat it with the butter and garlic. Replace the lid and let steam for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Once the rapini has just cooked through, squeeze the lemon into the pan and toss one final time. Serve immediately.

Compliments of: http://rouxbe.com/recipes/48-lemon-garlic-rapini-broccoli-rabe/preview

The boxes and table have been full this year! Let us keep this going for the next four weeks of CSA. Thank you for farming with us.

Your Echo Team

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Elements and Garlic

11:10 AM Unknown 4 Comments

"There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water and garlic."

~ Louis Diat

Once you have had our fresh local garlic, store bought is simply no longer an option. You just can't go back to bland. We still have plenty for sale at market and are preparing to get cracking on our seed saved for planting. When you folks come out to the farm it makes us smile. We love bridging the gap between farm and fork but we also love connecting farm and folk. Sooo....

We are inviting you to come to the farm on the weekend of October 25th and 26th to celebrate garlic with us, do a little planting and potlucking, talk farm and food and more. Bring kids if you've got them as there will be activities. The campgrounds will be open to any who want to pitch a tent, weather permitting. If you are interested, please let us know. We'd love to have you out.

Garlic is widely known for its amazing flavor and maybe a little bit less known for its amazing healing properties.

Joseph and Amy Alton of Backwoods Home write, "Unlike most herbs, studies have shown garlic to have a direct effectiveness against viruses. There are no known antibiotics that will destroy a viral infection. Colds and influenzas can cause miserable symptoms, and some flu cases can be fatal. Garlic probably works in a two-pronged attack on viruses, both directly and by stimulating your own immune defenses to fight harder. Ingesting fresh garlic may decrease the duration of a viral illness. It is thought that taking garlic before exposure to a virus will lessen your chance of getting the infection in the first place. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

We all have notions of the healing potentials of garlic but may not really know what to do with it, other than cook it. Cooking with it is a great start and regular use is intelligent use. The Altons also recommend a few tips with garlic that are really easy to follow:

"The best garlic remedy uses fresh, uncooked, crushed, organic cloves — used in a warm tea or mixed with raw, unprocessed honey."

I love to do this and also fresh press raw garlic with beets, carrots and lemon for a powerful immune system. The more you play with garlic on a regular basis, the more prevention you put in the bank.

Another recommendation of the topical variety suggests, "For prevention or treatment of wound infections, you can use cool compresses of garlic tea, honey garlic syrup, fresh minced garlic, or garlic oil in place of a triple antibiotic ointment. Cover the wound or laceration with sterile gauze dressing. Change the covering and reapply the garlic remedy once or twice daily."

For more details and recommendations you can access their article with the following link:

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/alton134.html

And for food fun, here is a great way to use it in a recipe!

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 20

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

5 organic eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 whole meal bread slices, processed into breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mild paprika

sea salt flakes to taste

olive oil to pan fry

Method

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Scoop some mixture in the palm of your hands to shape a patties approximately 5cm in diameter and 1cm thick. This size will yield approximately 20 patties with the mixture you have. (You can make them smaller and thicker or large and flatter as per your preference.)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Gently place 4-5 patties in the pan and shallow fry, cooking each side for 2 minutes before gently flipping over with a small spatula to cook the other side. Repeat till all patties are cooked. Use a tablespoon of oil each time you start cooking a new batch of patties.

Serve hot or cold with ketchup and salad greens.

Notes

These are delicate patties and a tad tricky to shape as they may stick to your hands or fall apart in the pan. Gently handling will prevent them from falling apart. once one side is cooked, they become easier to manage and even flatten nicely for even browning.

If you find it impossible to work with them or shape them, try adding 1 tablespoon of plain flour to make them hold their shape.

Via http://www.cookrepublic.com/recipe-archive/garlic-and-thyme-quinoa-patties/

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 20

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

5 organic eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 whole meal bread slices, processed into breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mild paprika

sea salt flakes to taste

olive oil to pan fry

Method

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Serve hot or cold with ketchup and salad greens.

Notes

If you find it impossible to work with them or shape them, try adding 1 tablespoon of plain flour to make them hold their shape.
- See more at: http://www.cookrepublic.com/recipe-archive/garlic-and-thyme-quinoa-patties/#sthash.MNkabByP.dpuf

This week's CSA box will include:

Red and Yellow Onions

Shallots

Garlic

Potatoes

Sungold Tomatoes

Zucchini (last week)

Leeks

Diakon Radish

Winter Squash (acorn, delicata, sunshine, bon bon and butternut options)

Bunched Spinach (recipe: http://echollectivecsa.blogspot.com/2014/10/fall-csa-begins.html)

Green Varietals (still working on just what we will be putting in but we do have a lot of great greens!)

Bok Choy! (recipe: http://echollectivecsa.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-care-of-earth-is-our-most-ancient.html )

Also... the ever present element of surprise. :)

We sure hope to see you out at the farm for the garlic event! More info to come...

Your Echo Team

"No cook who has attained mastery over her craft ever apologizes for the presence of garlic in her productions."

~ Ruth Gottfried: The Questing Cook

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

Preparation Time – 20 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Makes – 20

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

5 organic eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 whole meal bread slices, processed into breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon mild paprika

sea salt flakes to taste

olive oil to pan fry

Method

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a large wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Serve hot or cold with ketchup and salad greens.

Notes

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Hello Frost

9:50 AM Unknown 0 Comments

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.
So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

(!Watermelon Radish!)

This week has been a wacky one, adjusting to the new season and rolling with a powerful full moon eclipse. Cosmic shifts bring adjustments to life here on earth. The deer are chasing the cats and the plants are jousting the frost, with a little human intervention of course. Our root vegetables are looking and tasting great. The spinach took a really strong stand and has been producing beautifully. Although the slugs have been prevailing this year, the bok choy is coming out big and hardy.

And the dish ran away with the spoon.

This week's fall CSA box will include:

Parsley

Red Onion

Shallots

Garlic

Potatoes

Sungold Tomatoes

Zucchini

Winter Squash

Bok Choy

Spinach

(And the element of surprise)

Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze

"You peel, and slice it, then cook it in a skillet with cider and winter herbs. When most of the liquid boils away, the cider forms a tart-sweet glaze around the now-tender squash.

Delicata is a wonderfully firm-textured squash that's not too sweet and almost like a potato. Other varieties like acorn, turban, or kabocha will make good substitutes, but they may not hold their shape quite as well through the braising."

2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef's knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.

2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.

3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.

Compliments of http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Delicata-Squash-with-Rosemary-Sage-and-Cider-Glaze-104125

* Just a friendly reminder that there is no longer a Wednesday CSA pick-up for the remainder of this season. *

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Kindly,
Your Echo Team

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Fall CSA Begins!

11:38 AM Unknown 0 Comments

"I'm strong to the finish, 'cause I eats me Spinach, I'm Popeye the sailor man! (toot, toot)"

~ Popeye (from theme song)

We are having a beautiful start to the fall harvest as we have had a week of nice warm weather and fairly easy patterns to work with. The grasshoppers and slugs have been throwing us some curve balls, as well as neighboring properties who use farming practices that don't exactly meet our preferences or rhythms with the earth. So we are grateful for the shining blessings this week.

For this week's first fall CSA box, you will find:

Spinach!
Salad Greens
Bok Choy
Zucchini
Leeks
Sungold Tomatoes
Kennebec Potatoes
Red Onions
Yellow Onions
Garlic
Shallots
(and some hopefuls)

Here is a great recipe for your fall start:

Fall Harvest Spinach Salad

4 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
1½ cups cooked quinoa (cooked according to package directions)
¾ cup butternut squash, chopped
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
⅓ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3 Tablespoons dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons tahini
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or water)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce would work too)
4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons minced garlic (1 – 2 cloves of garlic)
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Prepare the squash by peeling it, cutting it in half and scraping out the seeds.
Cut the squash into ½ inch cubes, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast at 400° for 30-40 minutes, turning once or twice, until all the pieces are tender and have a few small brown spots.
While roasting the squash, toss together spinach, cooked quinoa, apple, pepitas and cranberries in a large salad bowl.
Prepare dressing by placing all remaining ingredients (tahini through maple syrup) in a blender and blend until smooth.
Once the butternut squash is done roasting, allow it to cool and then place into the salad bowl with the other ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Compliments of: http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/10/fall-harvest-spinach-salad/

Thank you all for farming with us!

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Home Grown Tomatoes

11:05 AM Unknown 6 Comments

"It is difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts

while eating a homegrown tomato."

~ Lewis Grizzard

So far as we know, this has just not been a great year overall for home grown tomatoes with traditional growing methods in the mid-West. Our tomato season has definitely been a trying one. Yet, our Sungold cherry tomatoes are somehow flourishing and we are thrilled to have them for our CSA members! We have rebounded from the early frost temps and this week is to be a warm and fairly dry one, so this translates into lots of cherry tomatoes.

Our winter squash is coming along nicely and the Easter Egg Radishes have been really beautiful and very popular. All leading to the autumn CSA! Next week is the first one of eight so if you have not signed up yet please contact us.

This week's CSA Box:

Potatoes

Red Onions

Shallots

Garlic

Leeks

Diakon Radishes

Zucchini

Bok Choy

Sungold Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Rosemary or Thyme

Spinach

Lettuce Mix

Arugula

A great way to use the potatoes and radishes is in this roasted salad I have adapted from Noble Pig.

Roasted Radish & Potato Salad

1 lb. radishes, trimmed and quartered (reserve greens or use spinach/arugula)

1 lb new potatoes, quartered
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and black pepper to taste
(you can use your herbs from your box just as easily for a slight adjustment)

Preheat oven to 425^oF with a large baking sheet inside.

Toss radishes, potatoes, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl to coat. Transfer mixture to hot baking sheet in oven. Roast until golden, 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting.

In the meantime, wash radish greens in several changes of cold water and spin dry. For the vinaigrette whisk together vinegar, 3 Tablespoons oil, Dijon, parsley and dill in a bowl until combined; season with salt and pepper. Stir radish greens into roasted radishes and potatoes and add vinaigrette.

Via http://noblepig.com/2011/04/roasted-radish-potato-salad/

YUMMA!

Thanks again for farming with us! Keep your eyes open for information coming soon about our fall garlic planting event the weekend of October 25-26! Fun farm times ahead.

"Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes,

what would life be like without

home grown tomatoes?

Only two things money can't buy,

That's true love and home grown tomatoes."

~ John Denver Home Grown Tomatoes

Fortunately, here at Echollective, your money CAN buy home grown tomatoes! Or for CSA membership, we offer a portion to be paid by work trade which gives you the opportunity to connect with the land and the people out at the farm while supporting your local food needs.

Have a great week, folks!

Your Echo Team

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The Care of Earth

9:21 AM Unknown 0 Comments

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."

~ Wendell Berry

As summer winds down, we are excitedly putting together the final two weeks of summer 2014 CSA at Echollective, that is if the grasshoppers do not scarf it all down! They multiplied in droves this week and are really taking a lot of pleasure from the Bok Choy.

These next couple of weeks we are busy tweaking the switch from summer CSA to fall CSA. Many of you have already set up for that and the time is drawing near, like now, to get on the fall list so you don't miss the first week's box. We begin the first week in October and run for 8 weeks.

This week is the last downtown Cedar Rapids market so it would be a great time for you CR folks to submit for yours right when you pick up your box, as next week the pick up will be at Greyhound in NewBo City Market. (Thanks again Greyhound Deli! You people rock.)

If you have not done a CSA membership with us, please contact us for more information on how to get started. It is easy and totally worth it.

Another important mention:

SEED GARLIC! The time is now. If you are interested please contact us at echocsa@gmail.com!

So...

This week's CSA box:

Kale

Potatoes

Red Onions

Shallots

Garlic

Leeks

Diakon Radishes

Summer Squash/Zucchini

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes

Green Beans

Sweet Peppers

Bok Choy

(And we have a few hopeful surprises.)

Here is a really flavorful and easy way to serve bok choy. The sesame oil is a must!

Sautéed Bok Choy Recipe

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (from 1/2-inch piece)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds bok choy (about 2 medium bunches), cleaned, ends trimmed, and cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Salt (optional)

In a large frying pan with a tightfitting lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds.
Add the bok choy and, using tongs, fold it into the garlic-ginger mixture until coated, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and water, cover, and cook until steam accumulates, about 1 minute. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, the stalks are just fork tender but still crisp, and most of the water has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Turn off the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and season with salt if desired.

Via: http://www.chow.com/recipes/28071-sauteed-bok-choy

Thank you for farming with us. We look forward to a beautiful harvest season with all of you and wish you the very best of the coming season.

Kindly,
Your Echo Team

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GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Ingredients

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Method

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GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

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