People and Planet CSA - September 22, 2011

What's in the box?
Melons or Asian Pears, Cucumbers,  Sweet Corn,Onions, Romano Beans, peppers - the round are sweet, the pointed ones are hot,  Eggplant, Onion,  Kakai Pumpkins, Basil & Heirloom Tomatoes. 

This week's special gift:  Green Salsa and Eggs

2 Kakai Pumpkins and One Little Green Seed

 

Kakai Pumpkins

Grilling up Green Salsa

This is your designated Halloween Pumpkin.  The flesh is NOT edible.  However, the naked green seeds inside are fabulous.  For those of you who don't remember, scoop out the seeds, and put give them a quick rinse to separate them from the placenta.  Give them a quick stir fry in a dry frying pan until they pop, or toss them on a sheet in the toaster oven and bake at 350 degrees until you hear popping.   The Little Green Seed is the newest in this development, a pie pumpkin with naked seeds.  I just love it.  Hey, but don't worry, I'll send out pie pumpkins pretty soon, and of course every other squash I've picked. 

Green Salsa
This is not very hot, and it makes a great guacamole.  We like it with Shrimp, and chips and sour cream and....

Melons
Well that's it for melon season.  There's one watermelon left, so, I guess I'll have to eat it.

Drying corn

Corn and Beans
I've been picking dry corn and beans like a wild woman.  Lots of work here.  My neighbor is going to come and help me next week.  The shelling of the beans takes a lot of time, so it will be weeks before they are all shelled. This week the first beans went out.  Everyone will get to try one kind and give me your opinion on them.  Each week I will send out a small bag of dry beans and I'd like you to make them your favorite way and tell me how they compare with what you buy and whether you think I should grow them again.  I'm trying to narrow down the 20 kinds of beans into 5 varieties for the farm.  So this week one of you got to trial Insuk's Wang Kong, a beautiful runner bean from Korea.  Coming soon, Painted Lady Beans, and Spagna Blanca.    In the coming weeks you will receive your first ever corn flour from Foothill Farm.  Once my dear neighbor helps me get it off the stalk, I have to hull it and take it to an organic mill.  If we all like having flour and polenta, I will see about getting a farm mill and putting in more corn. Every year is an experiment in what I can grow and what you like.  We learn; we grow.  As the price of food in the markets is rising, I'm trying to keep things level and add items that will help us be more independent.  This year's experiment may become future year's staples with your help and support.

Have a good week. Eat your veges.