These golden September days seem to be going by too fast. Autumn is officially here and the days are starting to feel a bit shorter, the mornings a little chillier. This week we were the lucky recipients of a homemade lunch and we were able to enjoy an outdoor picnic, savoring the beauty of a perfect September day here at the farm. Thank you Marty Turner for this incredible treat!

Look for butternut squash in your farm share this week, one of our favorite fall vegetables. We will also have some new tasty greens available that are great for salads and for cooking.

 

We are patiently awaiting the return of our favorite farmer, as Scott is enjoying a well deserved vacation with his family. Thank you to Scott for all he has done to make this a wonderful season, from carefully selecting our seed varieties, to driving Big Orange so we can transplant the delicate seedlings, to making us his famous Farm Fries. We hope he has gotten in lots of mushroom hunting and is having a joyful time with his family.

 

Ever wonder what our days are like out at the farm?
No day is ever the same, but for our farm crew it goes something like this...

 

8 am work starts. Gear up with rubber shoecovers to protect your feet from the morning dew and a sweatshirt to keep off the chill. Head to the fields with the rest of the farm crew for the winter squash harvest.

 

9 am you’re just getting your stride. You’re on your second load for the day of butternut squash. The morning chill has burned off, and your sweatshirt is tied around your waist. You see lots of squash strewn through the field waiting for you and your trusty pruners.

 

10 am everyone heads up to the stone barn for coffee and conversation. Catch up on the latest news from Farmer Scott and report in on conditions out in the fields.

 

11 am unload the last of the winter squash from the gator into the greenhouse to cure. Compliment your coworkers on a job well done.

 

12 pm Lunch time! Kick back and unwind, knowing the bulk of the day's work is done.

 

1 pm back to work. Finish the day by hoeing in the newly planted kale crop to keep the weeds at bay.

 

2 pm Hang up your gloves and call it a day. Leave with a hand shake from Farmer Scott and a promise to come back and do it all again next week.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

Karen Levin, Cooking Light
MARCH 2004

INGREDIENTS

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash

Cooking spray

6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw)

1 cup thinly sliced shallots

8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.

Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.

Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
 

Massaged Dark Leafy Greens Salad

From EatingWell: September/October 2012

A few minutes of judicious massaging will transform bitter greens into a mellow, well-balanced salad spiked with hints of lemon, garlic and Parmesan. Matt Thompson says "The secret is in the squeezing: by doing so you actually start to break down the cell walls, releasing enzymes that split apart the bitter tasting compounds." 

INGREDIENTS

2 bunches dark leafy greens, such as mustard greens, kale, mizuna, tatsoi, chard, senposai, or turnip greens

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 minced anchovy fillet or 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

Strip leaves from the stems (discard stems). Wash and dry the leaves. Tear the leaves into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Add Parmesan, oil, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, anchovy (if using), pepper and salt. With clean hands, firmly massage and crush the greens to work in the flavoring. Stop when the volume of greens is reduced by about half. The greens should look a little darker and somewhat shiny. Taste and adjust seasoning with more Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce and/or pepper, if desired.
 

 The Farm Fall Potluck--Saturday October 6th, 5 pm to 8 pm

Join us for our Fall Potluck around the fire circle.

What to bring?
Family of 1 or 2:@one dish to share
Family of 3 or more: one hot dish and one cold dish to share
Outdoor chairs or a picnic blanket
A flashlight, especially if you are staying for the campfire
Dress for the weather
Please bring family and friends, but leave pets at home

What the farm provides?
Paper supplies and drinks
After dinner campfire and marshmallows for toasting

Foul Weather Policy: check outwww.goodwillathomefieldsfarm.blogspot.com@for the latest updates on a cancellation due to weather
Questions: Contact Elizabeth at 871-3110 or eswope@yourgoodwill.org
 

Suggestions for the harvest

Arugula: a peppery salad green that is complimented well by fruit and goat cheese in a salad.

Mustard Greens: known for their pungent flavor, these greens can be added to a salad for a mustardy hot punch, or can be added to soups or stir frys. Flavor mellows when cooked.

Tatsoi: a mild green that is great raw in salad or cooked. We think of it as fall spinach.

Purple Mizuna: a unique mustard green from Japan that has mild flavor and is great in salad for color and flavor.

Senposai: has a sweet and tender cabbage like flavor. Makes a great outer wrap for veggie wraps. Use raw or cooked.

Butternut squash: use for soup, an entrée or use in any recipe calling for "pumpkin." Makes fantastic pumpkin bread, cookies and pumpkin pie.

Radish: Shunkyo radishes are sweet and hot, and visually striking. Greens are edible.

"Dessert Turnips:" also known as White Lady, Hakurei, or Salad Turnips, this white, mild and sweet turnip is a great snack. Best eaten raw, but of course, you could cook them as well. Greens are edible.

Sweet Peppers: The long red Carmen peppers are outstanding--sweet and flavorful. great for salads or fried with onions and garlic. The peppers have topped out and are winding down.

Potatoes: We have many different varieties. Yukon Golds make the best fries according to your farmers.

 

Enjoy the harvest!

Elizabeth

A crisp cool morning hello to you from the farm!

This week, we managed to get a lot of cover crops planted ahead of the rain, and felt pretty good about the rain on Tuesday watering in the newly pressed seeds.  One of our favorite cover crops is the daikon, or tillage radish.  Daikon is Japanese for the big one and it lives up to its name, sending a large taproot down thirty inches or so to bring subsoil nutrients up to the surface and creating biomass (compost) when it then dies during the winter.

Fall crops are in their glory, and we are featuring what we sometimes call "dessert turnips" this week. These Japanese turnips are white and sweet, and are best enjoyed raw. They are a whole different creature compared to the old warhorse mr. purpletop, the traditional turnip that is often cooked.  I grew up eating turnips sticks at most family get-togethers, so traditional turnips are good raw as well, just much stronger flavored and firmer.  We are also harvesting Shunkyo radishes today.  These are beautiful red radishes that hail from China and are long, tapered, sweet and hot.

                         Sweet Mild Hakurei Turnips.  Go by name "dessert turnips" around here.



Spotlight on Mike H.

Position at the farm: Farm Crew
Number of years working for Goodwill: 3 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: tomatoes
Favorite kind of music: rock
What he wanted to be when he grew up: a football player
Favorite place: his uncle’s dairy farm where Mike stayed busy milking cows twice a day
Mike’s family includes: his three brothers, 2 sisters, and his 15-year-old daughter
Language he speaks: a little  German
A pet Mike had in the past: a Quarterhorse
Advice from Mike:  Give it your all
What he brings to the farm: relentless teasing about Elizabeth's food, Law Reh's food and my food... :-)




The Farm Fall Potluck--Saturday October 6th

Join us for our Fall Potluck around the fire circle.  

Saturday October 6

5 pm to 8 ish

What to bring?        

            *Family of 1 or 2: one dish to share

            *Family of 3 or more: one hot dish and one cold dish to share

            *Outdoor chairs or a picnic blanket

            *A flashlight, especially if you are staying for the campfire

            *Dress for the weather

            *Please bring family and friends, but leave pets at home

What the farm provides?

            *Paper supplies and drinks

            *After dinner campfire and marshmallows for toasting

Foul Weather Policy:  check out www.goodwillathomefieldsfarm.blogspot.com for the latest updates on a cancellation due to weather

Questions: Contact Elizabeth at 871-3110 or eswope@yourgoodwill.org

The striking Shunkyo radish

Suggestions for the harvest:

Radish:  Shunkyo radishes are sweet and hot, and visually striking. Greens are edible.
"Dessert Turnips:"  also known as White Lady, Hakurei,  or Salad Turnips, this white, mild and sweet turnip is a great snack.  Best eaten raw, but of course, you could cook them as well.  Greens are edible.
Green beans: and yellow and purple, and flat Roma beans as well.  These are all tasty and nice to have in the fall as well as the summer.  The purple ones turn green when boiled. If used raw in salad they stay purple.
Edamame: waiting to see if this batch develops pods
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  Great for burgers or whatever.
Sweet Peppers: The long red Carmen peppers are outstanding--sweet and flavorful.  great for salads or fried with onions and garlic. The peppers have topped out and are winding down.
Potatoes: We have many different varieties. Yukon Golds make the best fries according to your farmers.
Carrots: done for the season.
Eggplant: many colors--pink, purple and blanks. There are even green eggplants, but we are not growing them this year. coat with oil and soy sauce and grill, or bread them and fry. Coming to and end soon.
Chard: use in lieu of spinach in babaganoush, salads.

Enjoy!  Thank you for being a part of the farm.

Scott

Hello from the fields,

It's fall at the farm, and we are pleased to see the fall crops and greens growing with gusto.  The first cover crop was seeded yesterday, the tomato stakes are being taken down, we are bringing up the Delicata squash and Pumpkins from the field, and we have green, yellow, and purple beans once again this week. The radishes are reaching maturity, so we are harvesting them once again and the arugula is ready.  Ahh, the flavors of fall.

We have a second planting of edamame that we thought would be ready for harvest this week, but upon further inspection, the pods are empty--casualties of the high temperatures during pollination apparently.  This has never happened before, so we can empathize with the Midwest farmers whose corn has no ears on it.  We hope to find some stalks with filled pods.

There are many good things in the works as we keep marching on to mid-November's final harvest, there will be butternut squash and Long Island Cheese squash in the near future as well as sweet turnips, aka dessert turnips :-) and plenty of fall greens, and yes, the much anticipated cilantro--all right!


Spotlight on John O.

Position at the farm: Farm Crew
Number of years working for Goodwill: 15 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: cantaloupe
The animal he most connects with is: the tiger
Favorite kind of music: oldies
What he wanted to be when he grew up: a policeman
Favorite thing about the farm: cucumber planting
One of John’s favorite places in Lancaster is: Long’s Park
Favorite sport to watch: football
John’s family includes: his mom, dad, brother and sister
Something John can’t live without is:  friends
John enjoys: collecting music, birthday parties and grocery shopping
What John adds to the farm crew: always helpful and pleasant

Spotted this week: As the saying goes:  there are bold mushroom foragers, and there are old mushroom foragers, but no bold and old mushroom foragers.  These are pretty, but poisonous.

Suggestions for the harvest:

Pumpkins: despite common perception, jack-o-lanterns and all pumpkins and their seeds are edible. See pumpkin seed roasting instructions below--applies to squash seed also.
Arugula: this piquant green is a great addition to salads. A little goes a long way.
Radish:  this Easter-egg radish mix has great colors and taste.
Delicata Squash: these petite squash have a rich sweet potato-like flavor.
Spaghetti Squash:   A pasta crop.  Basically cook, then flake out the "noodles" with a fork, and top with your favorite sauce and cheese.
Green beans: and yellow and purple, and flat Roma beans as well.  These are all tasty and nice to have in the fall as well as the summer.  The purple ones turn green when boiled. If used raw in salad they stay purple.
Edamame: waiting to see if this batch develops pods
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  Great for burgers or whatever.
Sweet Peppers: The long red Carmen peppers are outstanding--sweet and flavorful.  great for salads or fried with onions and garlic. The peppers have topped out and are winding down.
Potatoes: We have many different varieties. Yukon Golds make the best fries according to your farmers.
Carrots: done for the season.
Eggplant: many colors--pink, purple and blanks. There are even green eggplants, but we are not growing them this year. coat with oil and soy sauce and grill, or bread them and fry. Coming to and end soon.
Chard: use in lieu of spinach in babaganoush, salads.


Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

I enjoyed these as a child and still do--they're even good for you :-)

•  wash the seeds and pick out as much pulp as is practical 
• place on baking tray and coat with your favorite oil and some salt 
• bake at 325 for about 30 minutes, stirring at least after 10 minutes. 
• Enjoy, store extras, (if any) when cool, in an airtight container. 

Enjoy!  Thanks for being a part of the farm!  

 Quick and nice format on the blog at:  goodwillathomefieldsfarm.blogspot.com


Hello from rain-soaked fields at the farm,

Well it's a whole different story than last week when we were coaxing seeds and seedling along with water from a tank. There is nothing like the sound of rain to put joy in a farmer's heart when seeds have been planted.  The beauty of  growing many different crops is that, pretty much whatever the weather does it is helpful to some crops.  Dry weather limits plant diseases and stops weed seeds from sprouting prolifically, while wet weather gets seeds and young seedlings and transplants established.  So we are grateful for it all, although something like a tornado would not be beneficial in any foreseeable way.

Your farmers are happy to be harvesting spaghetti squash, signaling the coming of autumn even if it doesn't feel like it quite yet.  We will also have fall beans this week, these beans take a lot of time to pick, but they are worth it for sure.  The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants have all peaked and are trailing off and fading away.  We're looking forward to arugula, butternuts and other fall crops before long.

Goodwill at Homefields Farm Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions take a tour of the Adirondacks with Elizabeth Swope.  She didn't bring any back...

Farmer Profile: Spotlight on Glenn W.

Position at the farm: Farm Crew
Number of years working for Goodwill: over 20 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: cucumbers
Favorite thing about the farm: seeing God’s creation, learning from Farmer Scott,
 having the opportunity to talk with shareholders and hear their gratitude
One of Glenn’s favorite places is: the Smokey Mountains
Glenn’s family includes: 5 brothers and sisters
Glenn enjoys collecting:  soda tabs to use to help others
If he could spend a day in someone else’s shoes, it would be: Daniel  Boone
Wisdom from Glenn: “Life has taught me to have character, to be truthful and honest.”
Foreign Language he speaks: a little Pennsylvania  Dutch

What Glenn adds to the farm: big-hearted enthusiasm and gratitude in all things

Suggestions for the harvest:

Spaghetti Squash: the spaghetti squash are ready!  A pasta crop.  Basically cook, then flake out the "noodles" with a fork, and top with your favorite sauce and cheese.  Mmm....good.  More info about using spaghetti squash and a recipe down below.
Green beans: and yellow and purple, and flat Roma beans as well.  These are all tasty and nice to have in the fall as well as the summer.  The purple ones turn green when boiled. If used raw in salad they stay purple.
Edamame: The first planting is finished--no harvest this week.  We will have another crop perhaps next week.  this tasty and nutritious to boot. Boil in salted water for about 7 minutes in the pod.  Drain, salt lightly, and eat by squeezing the beans into your moth.
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  Great for burgers or whatever.
Sweet Peppers: The long red Carmen peppers are outstanding--sweet and flavorful.  great for salads or fried with onions and garlic.
Potatoes: We have many different varieties. Yukon Golds make the best fries according to your farmers.
Carrots: may be the last week.
Eggplant: many colors--pink, purple and blanks. There are even green eggplants, but we are not growing them this year. coat with oil and soy sauce and grill, or bread them and fry.
Tomatoes: these have peaked and are probably almost finished, we'll see if they stage a comeback as the cooler weather comes. Chard: use in lieu of spinach in babaganoush, salads,
Scallions: these are finished.
Cucumber and Zucchini: all done for the season

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

• Bake It -- Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer and place in baking dish. Cook squash in preheated 375?F oven approximately 1 hour or until flesh is tender.
• Boil It -- Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done.
• Microwave It -- Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork "comb" out the strands.
• Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot - Choose a smaller spaghetti squash (unless you have an extra large slow cooker) so that it will fit. Add 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer, add to Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Once the squash is cooked, let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes so it will be easier to handle, before cutting in half (if it wasn't already) and removing the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands. (See photos.) You can do these steps ahead of time, then prepare spaghetti squash recipes whenever the mood strikes.

from:  http://www.fabulousfoods.com/articles/19943/discovering-spaghetti-squash

Spaghetti Squash with Vegetables and Mozzarella 

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands (click here for instructions)
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Mix the cheeses together, set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion, pepper and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Mix squash well with the cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of a large (13 x 9 inch) baking dish. Top with half the cheese mixture, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Hope you are enjoying the summer's end vegetables as we look forward to fall. Don't forget we go all the way to the second week of November with harvests. 

Your farmers