Tomatoes---Weather is getting cooler and tomatoes are slowing down. One of these nights, hopefully not for awhile, we’ll have a freeze and that will be the end of our beautiful tomatoes for another season. Savor each one so you can bring up the memory in mid-winter.
Pumpkin--Cute, edible, may have hull-less seeds. To cook the pumpkin, just cut in half, scoop out seeds and bake, cut side down (a little oil on the cut part) on cookie sheet for about 45 minutes (until tender) at 350,. Then eat with a bit of butter or make cookies, pies bread or other dessert. Roast up the seeds.
Lettuce---Sweet, crunchy. Make some salads.
Fennel---Very mild licorice flavor good for salads or saute. The bulb part is the part for eating/ cooking. The stems are good for broth and the fronds are good for garnish. For salad, shave the bulb and eat raw; for saute, cut in half or quarters, saute for a few minutes, then add water or broth, cover and simmer until very tender. They kind of melt in your mouth like this and I love that. Try the recipe below.
Cabbage--A piece of a very large, sauerkraut type. Make Wayne’s easy salad if you haven’t yet: shred lettuce, Make a dressing with olive oil, garlic and good vinegar of choice. Dress very lightly. Add some shredded carrots if you have any left over from last week. Saute some up: coarsely chop, saute in a little oil (and garlic/ onion) until limp. Easy.
Yellow Onion---I’ve been eating so many red onions, I haven’t had a yellow one yet. I assume they are good for most any cooking and in salads in small amounts.
Kohlrabi---The UFO looking bulb. In German, “kohl” means cabbage and “rabi” means turnip. These are a cross between the two. These are really good eaten raw rather like jicama: slice and eat with a bit of lemon or lime juice and/ or chile powder. Some people peel them, some people don’t. I do. They are sweet and have a mild cabbage flavor; but not overpowering. According to The Victory Garden Cookbook the leaves and stems are also delicious so we are leaving the leaves on. They say to blanch the leaves for about 4 - 5 mins, put under cold water to stop cooking, then saute in some butter for a few minutes. Try it! I’m going to.

Fennel Baked with Parmesan Cheese
from: Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book taken from the Mariquita Farms website.

Jane Grigson's note about this recipe: "My favourite fennel dish, the best one of all by far. The simple additions of butter and parmesan - no other cheese will do - show off the fennel flavour perfectly. The point to watch, when the dish is in the oven, is the browning of the cheese. Do not let it go beyond a rich golden-brown."
Julia (of Mariquita Farms) note: this dish can be halved or made even smaller for just two people with one or two large heads of fennel.
6 heads fennel, trimmed, quartered

butter

pepper

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Cook the fennel in salted water until it is tender. It is important to get this right: the fennel should not still be crisp, on the other hand it should not be floppy either. Drain it well and arrange in a generously buttered gratin dish. Be generous, too, with the pepper mill. Sprinkle on the cheese. Put into the oven at 400 degrees, until the cheese is golden brown and the fennel is bubbling vigorously in buttery juices.

Sautéed Kohlrabi
Adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce

2 Kohlrabi (3 if small), peeled

4 Tbsp. butter or light oil
1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp. fresh herbs (basil, thyme, etc)
1 tsp. salt
Grate( or slice) kohlrabi; place in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. Heat butter or oil over medium heat, add onions and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in kohlrabi, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs. Makes 2 - 4 servings.



Real Deal Meal in the Field: October 7 from 5 - 8. $22/ person includes as many gourmet, straight from the field, tacos, salsas and Agua Fresca(s) prepared by Mateo Granados of Yucatan Tamale fame. Kids 12 and under = $5.00. Please RSVP.

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RECIPES: Please send me any seasonal recipes you may want to see in the Menu!






Gift Certificates/ Other Gifts: We will have Gift Certificates available for both the Farm Stand and CSA if you are interested for all
your gift-giving needs. We also have gorgeous wool scarves and blankets as well as beautiful chile vinegar to name a few items.


Wool Products: We have some gorgeous hand woven scarves and blankets/ throws from the WE Tierra Shetland Sheep. Stop in the Farm Stand for a look-see.









Come visit: Please all of you who pick up at drop off locations, come visit. We are open Saturdays from 11 to 6 and you are all more than welcome to come take a walk in the field and visit with your vegetables/ fruits.

HONEY: We’ve got honey from the field: Tierra Vegetables Estate Honey. It is really sweet and flavorful. Scott, our beekeeper at Nelson Family Apiary, is using it for his honey of the month! We can put it in your box. We’ve got two sizes: 10 oz for $8.50 and 20 oz for $12.00. Let me know.



PLASTIC BAGS; We need lots of CLEAN plastic bags, please. We go through a lot and are not ordering any more until we can get the non-GMO biodegradable ones.










PICK UP POLICY NOTE: We are experiencing an issue with boxes not being picked up at various locations, including the Farm Stand, on a timely manner. We understand that sometimes you forget or something comes up that you can’t get your box of vegetables. If this happens, please call me at 696-8148 and we will bag it up for those picking up at the farm or hold it at the drop off locations. Otherwise, boxes left over 24 hours will be donated or used by our hosts. Thank you.

Reminder: The Farm Stand is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to 6:00.

VISIT THE FARM: Please come on in for a visit whenever you can and bring the kids!


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EGGS---Our chickens are starting to lay their eggs! Hooray. These beautiful and delicious eggs are available at the Farm Stand. Better watch out, though: the customers at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market would take them all if we'd let them. You all get priority! Come check them out and see what a really fresh egg looks and tastes like.




Calling all loyal CSA members. We would love to put your recipes in the Menu. If you have anything that you'd like to share, please e-mail me at evie@tierravegetables.com and most likely your recipe (or comment) will make its way to this little Menu.

Regular Season starts May 29th. If you want to sign up and you haven’t yet, please call or e-mail.

Reminder: The Farm Stand is now open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 to about 5:30. Come on in. Bring the kids!