Weekly Weeder

Olin-Fox Farms Volume No. 7 Issue No. 39 December 14, 2006

www.olinfoxfarms.com Fall Season Week 5

STANDARD REMINDER

Please be sure to wash your weekly share thoroughly before serving. To preserve freshness, it is NOT ‘table ready’ (i.e., pre-washed). We deliver your Olin-Fox Farms’ produce right from the fields to ensure highest quality.

This Week's News From the Farms

This is the final week of the Fall Produce Program. 

It is hard enough to believe that winter officially begins in a little over a week, much less that the new year will be here in just 3 weeks.  We hope you have enjoyed your fall produce and look forward to your participation in 2007 programs as we continue planting and harvests for the Winter Program in the coming months.  In addition to bed preparation and mulching, we will be trimming tree limbs and once again clearing the nature trails of fallen trees from this year's storms---plenty of fuel for several festive bonfires we envision for wintry celebrations.  Dates for those will be announced in upcoming newsletters.  Stay tuned!

The Winter Program will commence January 10-13, 2007. For your added convenience, you can now use PayPal from our website (www.olinfoxfarms.com) to pay for your subscriptions.  The All Season 2007 schedule can also be found on our website.

Starting in 2007, we will begin sending out each week’s newsletter by email, at the request of many members.  This measure will not only save us time and resources better spent on farm chores, but it’s also a “green” (environmental) improvement for our CSA.   Of course, members who don’t have email addresses will still receive a hard copy with their shares 

New in 2007: Windows to the Farms.  This added feature will appear in the Media Center of our website, offering pictures and slide shows of the farms, crops, and farm life, to give you, our members, a closer connection to the farms that grow your produce.

As we wrap up the Fall Season, we gratefully acknowledge the members of the Fine Family of Farms, our volunteers and members.  Without you, none of this would be possible.  All of us wish all of you healthy, happy holidays and a great New Year!

Crop Report

As mentioned in last week's newsletter, many of the season’s remaining crops are in the process of either being tucked into their beds for a later harvest or prepared for over-wintering.  In this week's share, we finish up the harvest of some late fall crops, including beets, turnips, horseradish and, hopefully, some green onions.  Also, you’ll find lots of fingerling sweet potatoes that are wonderful roasted (see Recipe) and more free-range eggs to help with your holiday baking.

In Your Produce Basket This Week

Free-Range Eggs, Green Onions, Fingerling Sweet Potatoes, Horseradish, Beets, Cabbage, Turnips, Kale.

Weekly Weeder, December 14, 2006 Page 2

Recipes

 Whole Roasted Fingerling Sweet Potatoes With Honey-Allspice Butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 fingerling sweet potatoes

Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. (Can be made 3 days ahead.  Cover and chill.  Bring to room temperature before using.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly pierce potatoes all over with fork.  Set potatoes directly on oven rack; bake until tender when pierced with skewer( about 1 hour).  Cut cross in top of each potato.  Using oven mitts to protect hands, squeeze potatoes gently in from sides, forcing crosses to open.  Spoon 1 tablespoon butter into each potato.  Serve, passing remaining butter separately.

Makes 4 servings. 

How to Prepare Horseradish:

• The flavor of horseradish diminishes rapidly with time, so it can't be stored very long once processed. After the root is diced or grated, cover it with white vinegar to prevent oxidation of the flavor. Timing is important here, the longer you wait to add the vinegar, the hotter it will be! For less-hot horseradish add the vinegar 1-2 minutes after processing, for more-hot wait up to 6-8 minutes. You will not taste much of the vinegar.

• The whole root can be grated at once and stored in a jar filled with white vinegar but it will not retain full flavor for very long. It is better to grate an inch or two off the bottom of the root as needed. Otherwise prepare as your recipe requires.

• Be sure you stay upwind as you grate, the fumes are quite strong! Try to go outside or work near an open window. You may also want to wear rubber gloves.

• Store any unused portion of root in the fridge in a loose plastic bag, or it will turn green and grow leaves.

Horseradish Uses:

• For a simple cocktail sauce, mix to your taste with chili sauce and serve with seafood. Mix with sour cream for a chip dip; add to any mustard for Dijon style; serve grated with meats, or as your recipe specifies.

• Top hard-boiled eggs with the horseradish/vinegar mix.

• The amount of horseradish in any recipe can be varied to suit your taste. The best thing to do is experiment!

Newsletter and Recipes by Ethan Brent, Official Newsletter Focalizer

Bon Appetit!