Final Market and Finally COLD!

10:22 AM Unknown 1 Comments

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. 

• 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

Solar Eclipse and Recognizable Food

8:11 AM Unknown 4 Comments

Elements and Garlic

11:10 AM Unknown 4 Comments

GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES

Ingredients

 

Method  

 

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. 

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

Hello Frost

9:50 AM Unknown 0 Comments

Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze

 
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

Fall CSA Begins!

11:38 AM Unknown 0 Comments

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

1. Prepare the squash by peeling it, cutting it in half and scraping out the seeds.
2. 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.
3. While roasting the squash, toss together spinach, cooked quinoa, apple, pepitas and cranberries in a large salad bowl.
4. Prepare dressing by placing all remaining ingredients (tahini through maple syrup) in a blender and blend until smooth.
5. 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!