October 18, 2012
The frost arrived right on schedule last Friday night, laying to rest the end of the summer crops like peppers and eggplants.  It also did an amazing job of knocking out all the annual weeds that have taken hold.   We still have plenty of frost hardy crops, and the greens may taste even sweeter this week now that they are frost kissed.
The bok choy is back!   Or as we like to call it, the bob choy, named for one of our retired farmers, Bob P.  We still remember his legacy and celebrate him this week with the beautiful purple bob choy.
Thank you to Butch for his work getting electricity out to the farm center this week.  Now we'll really be able to light up the farm for a special occasion!  And thank you to Bob M. for his on-the-fly rigging that allowed us to roll up miles of fabric row cover to be reused for next year.


A big thank you to Kim Stoltzfus for making this a great season!

   


It’s hard to express our gratitude for all Kim does here at the farm.  In the spring, she’s busy planting the herb beds and caring for the greenhouse.   Come summer and fall she is here every week making sure our shareholders have a great experience at the farm.  She adds her fantastic style to all she touches, has a contagious enthusiasm for the farm, and she excels at making sure every child leaves the farm with a smile on their face.
Kim’s last Saturday at the farm (for this season) will be Sat Oct 27
Kim will be teaching a series of children’s pottery classes at Lancaster Clay Studios, beginning Saturdays in November. We are excited that she will be able to put her artistic and teaching talents to such great use. We have brochures available at the farm for anyone who is interested in more information.

We’ll still see Farmer Kim on Thursday and Friday evenings until the end of the farm season, but her last Saturday with us for this season will be Saturday October 27.  Look for the return of a special guest farmer in November.


Regular Harvest Season Ends November 7, 8, 9
(self-harvest to follow)

Roasted  Bok Choy
From Eating Well August/ September 2006
4 heads small bok choy, trimmed, leaves separated
4 tsps canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tsp chopped fresh tarragon, or ¾ tsp dried
1 tsp mirin (or substitute 1 tsp sherry or white wine with a pinch of sugar)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
 Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss bok choy, oil, garlic and salt in roasting plan.  Roast on lowest rack, stirring twice, until wilted and tender-crisp, about 6 minutes.  Whisk lemon zest and juice, tarragon, mirin and pepper in a small bowl.  Drizzle over the roasted bok choy.

Suggestions for the harvest
Scarlet Queen Turnip: amazing scarlet color outside, white inside. Eat raw as turnip sticks or cooked.
Long Island Cheese squash: shaped like a round of cheese, this is a great-keeping squash with excellent decorating properties. Can roast in the oven to prepare
Kale: my favorite of the greens. It is said that if you could only eat one vegetable, kale would be the one that would do you the most good, as it is a nutrition powerhouse.
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.
Watermelon Radish: These are mild for a radish and have a striking pink interior. Greens 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.

Enjoy the harvest!


Scott, Law Reh, Kim and Elizabeth