The Long Hungry Creek Current 9/24/07
Fall is officially here!
Saturday was the fall equinox party up at the farm. It began with a massive pesto making endeavor in the early afternoon. It was about stocking up on pesto for the winter. Anyone who has grown basil knows that it is a very cold intolerant, tender herb. So if you want it in the cold months, you have to either dry it or make pesto. Freeze the pesto in ice cube trays, and once frozen, empty into Ziplocs or plasticware to prevent freezer burn. Then you just toss a cube or two onto a pile of steaming hot pasta, rice, quinoa, or even a freshly bakes winter squash, and enjoy. If you never tried freezing pesto, it works great!
The later afternoon brought a good turnout of folks, ready to celebrate the equinox with walks on the farm, plenty of music, a fire, and as usual, good healthy food. The jam sessions always go late into the night, and the long drive home is not a concern as there is plenty of space to camp out. The number of visible stars is exponentially greater than around Nashville, and there is nothing better than being lulled to sleep by the sound of the creek.
If you get the Sunday Tennessean, look in the life section for an article about Jeff and the crew at the farm. If you don’t get the paper, I included a link below to the article online, which has more photos and features than the print version. If you look on the right side of the page, there is a link to a slide show with the extra photos. I couldn’t help but notice that Brian, my (and Jeff’s) indispensable helper who you all know from the pick-up site, was conspicuously absent from both the article and the photos. This begs the question, “Where’s Brian?”
Annual biodynamic conference will be September 28-30, Women in Agriculture is the theme.
Potlucks will be held on Sunday, October 7th, and Saturday, October 27th. While completely informal, plan to arrive around noon.
Sandor Katz and Laura Button will be giving workshops at the farm on November 3rd. Sandor is a fermentation guru and the author of ‘Wild Fermentation’, and his new book, ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved’. Laura owns ‘Journey to Bliss Raw Foods’, based here in middle TN.
--Alan
Here are a few links that may interest you:
Young people being driven off the farm- http://www.thestar.com/News/article/259460
Discover Rudolph Steiner, father of biodynamics and Waldorf education- http://www.rudolfsteinerweb.com/
Tennessean article about Jeff- http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070923/FEATURES01/709230309/1076/FEATURES
The Harvest
Turnip Greens, Chinese Cabbage, Mizuna, Arugula, Butternut Squash, Yellow Squash, Peppers, Potatoes, Garlic, Parsley, Basil
Winter Squash Soup with Spicy Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
For soup:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 (12-ounce) packages frozen winter squash purée, thawed
3 cups stock
For pumpkin seeds:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
To finish:
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
preparation
Make soup:
In large saucepan over moderately high heat, melt butter. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in squash and stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until soup thickens, about 30 minutes.
While soup simmers, make pumpkin seeds:
In small skillet over moderately high heat, heat oil. Add pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until seeds begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cumin and cayenne pepper and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and season with generous pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt.
Finish and serve:
When soup has thickened, remove from heat and stir in lime zest and juice. Season with kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into bowls, garnish with pumpkin seeds, and serve.
Tip: 1 medium lime should provide about 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice. Be sure to zest the lime before halving and juicing it.
From: epicurious.com
Winter Squash in Coconut Milk
1 1/2 pounds dense-fleshed winter squash, like butternut, peeled, seeded and cut into big chunks
2 tablespoons butter (optional)
3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk
1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1. In a saucepan, combine squash, butter, coconut milk, sugar and salt and bring to a slow boil. Cook, stirring, until squash is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature or refrigerate.
2. Just before serving, stir in vanilla. Purée mixture in a blender or leave it chunky; serve cold or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
From: nytimes.com
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
To clean: Separate the pumpkin seeds from the stringy membrane of a freshly carved pumpkin. Rinse the pumpkin seeds in a colander, until they are free of any membrane matter. Dry with paper towels.
To roast or toast: Coat 1/2 cup of seeds with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon seasoning of your choice. NOTE: You can use any seasoning blend you like. Adjust the amount to your taste buds.
Place in 250 degree F. oven for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. They are done when they are light brown in the toasted.
Additional seasoning ideas:
Try additional seasonings on your pumpkin seeds: Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and garlic salt are some of the many possibilities.
Storing: Store baked pumpkin seeds in an airtight container.
From: whatscookingamerica.net
*Put your basket in your car!
