CSA Members 2004: Newsletter Archive

Dear CSA Members,

This week is the 19th delivery of 20. The final delivery of the season will be next Thursday, October 21, 2004. After that you are on your own. You may find yourself craving green beans in the afternoon on some Thursday in February, staring bleary eyed into the gray distance with an unexplainable urge to sauteé something in a heavy pan over medium heat. Or you may wake with a start some Friday frantically wondering if you picked up your box, and if you did do you have enough goat cheese and pine nuts to eat like Liz Taylor would if she were here. We feel for you, and we can help, we can remind you of our extended season winter deliveries: Nov. 9th, Nov. 23, and Dec.14. These deliveries will be brimming with savory winter vegetables, hardy greens, herbs, and dried flowers. They will also supply you with a winter's supply of storage onions, garlic and shallots. Cost of these three deliveries is $150. We ask that you please email or call with your interest prior to November 1, so we can plan accordingly.

Store this week's garlic in a bowl in an upper cabinet in the kitchen. If you go through garlic like we do it will be fine on the counter top. All of our storage crops are also available bulk. We have wholesale quantities of garlic, shallots, onions and all the varieties of winter squash. Call or email with your order and we will deliver along with the weekly delivery next week.

A quick note on boxes; we will return to the drop sites November 9th for our first winter delivery. Please return all your old boxes to the drops before then so we can retrieve as many as possible. After this date, please keep them, so we can keep the drops clean and uncluttered. Thanks.

BAKED SPICED WINTER SQUASH WITH APPLES AND MAPLE SYRUP

This sweetly spiced dish is a nice substitute for sweet potatoes.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 small squashes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
• 4 apples, peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Stir butter, maple syrup and apple juice in small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Increase heat and boil until mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in cinnamon, allspice and salt.

Arrange 1/3 of squash slices in prepared dish. Top with half of apple slices, then 1/3 of squash slices. Arrange remaining slices of squash and apple atop, alternating squash and apple slices and overlapping slightly. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pour maple syrup mixture over. Cover baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake casserole until squash is almost tender, about 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until squash is tender, basting occasionally with syrup, about 20 minutes longer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Rewarm, covered, in 350°F oven about 25 minutes, or microwave on high about 8 minutes.) Spoon syrup from dish over vegetables and serve.

BROWN SUGAR BAKED APPLES

• 8 apples
• 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup water
• Chilled whipping cream (optional)

Peel skin off top quarter of each apple. Using melon baller, scoop out core, leaving bottom intact. Stand apples in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Mix sugar and spices in bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons mixture. Fill apple cavities with remaining sugar mixture. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup into each cavity. Scatter 3 tablespoons butter pieces over apples. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan with apples. Bake apples 35 minutes. Add reserved 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 cup water to pan. Bake until apples are tender when pierced with skewer, about 25 minutes longer. Transfer apples to 8 bowls. Place baking pan atop 2 burners; boil over medium-high heat until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over apples. Serve with whipping cream, if desired.

Boistfort Valley Farm
426 Boistfort Road
Curtis, WA 98538
(360) 245-3796

website: BoistfortValleyFarm.com
email: please use our forms