Hello Friends!
Sneak preview … We’re bringing SALAD MIX this week! And now to the conventional blog format, in which I torture you with random person information before letting you in on the veggie news …
I decided to come back to central Illinois after a fabulous time in Madison, Wisconsin. I spent the first 24 hours in Madison talking myself out of looking for a job there! It’s just that kind of place. Of course, as my friend Christina pointed out, I’d be happy to stay in central Illinois once I started inquiring into the price of a house in Madison – apparently it’s pretty pricey!
You probably remember last week’s tale of woe about the “half marathon meets Hurricane Ike” event in St. Charles, Missouri. There was a bit of confusion in that story because I was referring to my unnamed friend Maggie, whose car was nearly submerged in storm water. Some of our CSA members in Eureka thought I was talking about my friend and Eureka native, Lil Hartter. She got many a question about the condition of her car! So here’s what happened to Lil. She ran 10 of the 13 miles with about 2,400 other insane people. Ha ha – not insane, just a very sporting group of runners. It sounds like the biggest problem area was the bridge, where the runners were crossing the raging Missouri River. The gusty wind coupled with Lil’s garbage bag rain gear (compliments of the hotel!) could have resulted in poor Lil meeting her maker. Fortunately, she took off the blasted bag before it parachuted her over the edge.
This week's pictures are the salad mix and Ben. He just ate his first-ever s'more and didn't realize how bad an idea it is to put your marshmallowy hands onto a straw bale. It made us laugh, of course!
This week I want to get right to the food business. It’s going to be an AWESOME WEEK! Why, you may ask? Because we’re bringing SALAD MIX, PARSNIPS, CELERY ROOT, and STIR FRY MIX! This is when the season starts getting exciting again. We’re really past the warm-season crops and into the best of the fall veggies.
Salad Mix
I don’t need to tell you about the salad mix, as you are almost certainly well-acquainted with it. Bill has quite the salad mix following … if you haven’t had it, you’re missing out on the irresistible flavor and texture of fresh mesclun. This week’s mix will have a combination of the following: leaf lettuces, arugula, ruby streaks, and tatsoi. Our sons Ben and Noah just can’t get enough of our salads; it is the first thing they eat at lunch and dinner, and they ask for seconds. That is a pretty serious endorsement!
Parsnips
And parsnips – a true sign of the fall season. Parsnips have been in the ground since April, taking up valuable space and requiring constant weeding. It’s kind of a self-punishing crop for Bill to plant and deal with for months, but you get to benefit from it. Parsnips are not much to look at – kind of a washed out carrot appearance. Their flavor and aroma, on the other hand, is quite remarkable. Elizabeth Schneider describes it as “a relative of carrot, cerleriac, and parsley root, having the sweetness of the first and herbal complexity of the others as well as its own pungency.”
Parsnips must be cooked to achieve its best flavor and sweetness. Parsnips have the same texture and crispiness as a carrot, so you can cook them in a similar way. They’re wonderful with a roast, in soups, or roasted with other vegetables. You can also steam them. If you roast parsnips with other vegetables, you will likely find yourself picking out the parsnips first.
Celery Root
Bill is also bringing celery root, which is also called celeriac. Like the parsnips, the celery root has been growing since April and we are just now getting to enjoy it. This year has been particularly good for the celery root, as it likes cool moist weather. The bulbs are particularly large and mild as a result. It’s truly the ugliest vegetable that we grow – all knobby and straggly looking. But like many things in life, you can’t judge it on appearance. Celery root is eaten both raw and cooked. Tonight, we steamed it in bite-sized chunks along with potato chunks and turned it into a wicked potato salad. The celery root had a wonderful texture and flavor. We actually thought it tasted better than the potatoes! You can also cook it into soups with other earthy root vegetables. You do have to cut off the peel – I just use a knife rather than trying to use a peeler.
Fennel
Unlike celery root, fennel is absolutely beautiful. Fennel has several unusual qualities that combine to make it one of the best vegetables of the fall. Fennel has a crispy, juicy texture akin to celery and a flavor that suggests anise. Overall, it’s very refreshing. We like to add it raw to salads in small slices. I also included recipes in previous blog postings on fennel.
Stir Fry Mix
The stir fry mix was such a hit two weeks ago that we’re bringing it back. If you missed it, be sure to pick up a bag or two this week. The bags of stir fry mix will include a combination of our various fall greens, including tatsoi, bok choy, arugula, mustard greens, and ruby streaks. This diverse mix produces a colorful array of textures, and flavors.
And finally, I am seriously in love with the ruby streaks cut raw into salads. It’s just such a stand-out, mustardy flavor without a hint of bitterness or heat. The boys also love it. You can buy a bunch to mix in with salads if you’d like to branch out a bit.
As for what’s done for the season, let’s play a sad song for the following: summer squash/zucchini and basil. Au revoir until 2009!
Here’s what we’ll be bringing to the market this week:
French Filet Beans
Traditional Green Beans
Eggplant
Beets (Traditional, Golden, and Chioggia)
Kale
Parsley
Swiss Chard
Cucumbers
Garlic
Leeks
Cherry Tomatoes (but very few)
Okra (maybe a little)
Head Lettuce
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Bok Choi
Arugula
Ruby Streaks
Daikon Radish
Japanese Turnips
Fennel
Pears
Grapes
Tatsoi
Stir Fry Greens
Celery Root
Parsnips
Bill’s now delivering to the Garlic Press in Uptown Normal on Thursdays and to Common Ground in downtown Bloomington on Saturday mornings. So if you miss a market or just run out of veggies, head to Common Ground! And if you need the veggies prepared into a fabulous meal, Garlic Press is right down the road.
We’ll see you at the Downtown Bloomington Farmers Market on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – noon. BRING YOUR BAGS!!
Please let your friends know about the blog. Call us at 467-9228 or email us at blueschoolhouse@yahoo.com if you have questions.
Thanks!
Mercy Davison
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