The Threat of Frost

We still have a lot growing in the garden but it is becoming evident that the end of the season is coming around. The mornings and evenings are pretty chilly and although the first frost typically isn't until mid-October, it always threatens to come sooner. This planting of green beans is coming along and will not survive a good frost so hopefully it will hold out for the harvest. 

The carrots should last us through a good part of the winter and we will cover them in a bed of leaves to keep some of the cold shock out of the ground. Hopefully the parsley and kale will last through the beginning of winter as the frost doesn't harm them. 

Lettuce is still growing strong in the garden and is fresh and sweet and although the frost would wipe it out, we luckily have some planted in the cold frame so that we can have fresh salads even when winter is here. 

The swiss chard didn't do that well this year and we think that is because the plants were planted too close together and it was planted on the shady side of the garden. The far end of the garden near the row of trees makes it shady for a good part of the day and after a few years of having many different crops not do so well there, we might just abandon that part next year and plant grass. It also tends to stay pretty wet since the sun doesn't dry it out as well.

We don't have a lot of acorn squash as the plants take up so much room in the garden but here are a few that are looking ready to harvest. 

We're hoping that by the end of the market season our kraut cabbages and red cabbages will be ready to harvest. If they're not and we don't sell them then I guess I'll be making a lot of sauerkraut!

As crops are winding down, Terry is weeding the beds and tilling them and leveling them out getting them ready for their long winter nap. This process is still a lot of work and but luckily we can take our time with that as crops are one by one ending for the season. The last day of the market is October 12th so please come out and get some of the last fresh veggies of the season!

Fall Recipe

I realize it's been a while since I posted a recipe and last night I made a dinner that used so many fall farm fresh ingredients that I had to make a point to take pictures and share it with you. I made squash soup and I made up the recipe so will try to recount it for you. There are so many variations of squash soup and I wanted one that wasn't too sweet and had bright flavors so I added ginger and cardamom and fenugreek.  I had some leftover chorizo in the freezer and took it out of the casing and cooked it up so it was crispy and crumbly.  The spice really balanced the sweetness of the squash and I always love topping this soup off with some caramelized apples which were windfalls from a neighbor.  If I didn't have chorizo I would have also added bacon and/or blue cheese. I feel that squash soup always deserves some toppings to spice it up a little bit.

Although the soup could have been a meal on it's own, I also made a meatloaf and tomato salad. Maybe the combination of the meatloaf and the squash soup is a bit heavy but it was a great meal to eat out on the porch on a cool fall night!

Squash Soup

2 butternut squash

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1/4 cup minced fresh ginger

2 carrots, roughly chopped

1 potato, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup plain greek yogurt

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 tsp fenugreek

1/4 tsp cardamom

Peel, seed, and cube the squash into rough pieces and roast in the oven at 400 for about 30 minutes or until soft. Sautee onions and carrots and potato in your soup pot on the stove top in some olive oil until just starting to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Add the squash and the chicken stock. You can add as much stock as you like depending on how big your squash are and how thick you like the soup. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables and let simmer for a few minutes. Once everything seems soft, immersion blend the soup. I like to leave it with some texture so that it's not a smooth puree. Add salt and pepper and the spices and the greek yogurt at the end. Top with your choice of toppings: apple, bacon, chorizo, blue cheese, or croutons.

Fall

I have really been enjoying these cooler mornings and evenings and we are beginning to smell fall in the air. Some leaves are falling and with the cooler weather, our crops are evolving too. We are able to have beautiful heads of lettuce again and the cilantro and parsley love the lower temperatures.

Below is the kraut cabbage and I'm hoping it does well because it's been a while since I've had a batch of kraut fermenting in my house! 

The napa cabbage is coming along beautifully and we just hope the slugs stay away. In the past we've had great luck with this and I think it makes a great slaw. It is more delicate than regular green cabbage and I enjoy how tender the leaves are when you finely chop them. It is great to throw in a stirfry at the end for a little more crunch and texture.

Although the leaves of the kale have been smaller this year, it has been consistent and we've managed to keep the bugs away. The leaves are virtually hole-less and this is a great crop that can keep producing through the much cooler temperatures. 

The garlic is now finally cured and it has been selling great at the market. Now I just hope we have enough leftover to get us through the winter! Terry always pulls the best heads for seed garlic for next year first so that we can grow our crop from our own heads. Garlic is so cool in that way that it keeps on giving because we don't have to buy seed each year. 

The flowers are just beginning to slow down. Some of the zinnias are looking like they're on their way out and we are having fewer sunflowers each week. We'll still have enough to make arrangements through the market, but their colors might be more uniform. This week it was apparent that the bouquets were generally more red and a lot of the yellows and greens are done flowering. 

Bev's Angel Trumpet has finally flowered which was later than it was last year due to the wet and cool summer. We can enjoy it just long enough before Terry has to dig it up and put it in a pot in the basement for winter storage.