Garlic planting
Our next community work day will be our garlic planting, which will be in early October. I will have a date and time as we get closer. Garlic that was harvested in July gets planted in the fall because it needs exposure to cold to form heads the next year. October is the ideal time because the garlic will grow some roots but not sprout much, so that it won’t get damaged by winter cold. A layer of mulch ensures extra protection from heaving.
Poblano & Anaheim peppers
These are mild chili peppers that are typically used in southwestern cuisine. Poblano are dark green with a noticeable burst of heat, and Anaheims (our variety is NuMex Joe E. Parker) are somewhat milder and lighter in color. They can be used interchangeably as far as I can tell. Both benefit from roasting to remove the tough skins.
Fall favorites
As October approaches, cool weather crops begin to show up in the share. Fennel is at its best in the fall, sweet and tender. Try sautéing it with onions and peppers for an easy way to cook it. When grown in the fall, fennel doesn’t put any energy into flowering, so it stays tender and mild. What else is in the pipeline? Napa cabbage, celeriac, cardoon, daikon, and watermelon radishes are more crops that are at their best in the fall. -Aaron
Vegetables
Chard Carrots Fennel, cucumber or eggplant Sweet or Anaheim peppers Lettuce Tomatoes Scallions
Herbs
Upper Garden: Mint, Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Hyssop, Catnip , Winter savory, Lovage, lemon balm
Lower Garden: Parsley, Marjoram, Cilantro, Summer Savory, cutting celery, Borage
Flowers: Nasturtium, Snap Dragon, Shasta Daisy, Dahlia, Sunflower, Amaranth, Dyer’s Coreopsis, Echinacea, Nigella, Zinnia
Slow cooker pork shoulder with tomatoes, fennel, and pasta
6 lb bone in pork shoulder
2 tbsp tomato paste
kosher salt and pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper
1 large carrot, peeled, cut on bias
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp dried sage
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 Parmesan rind
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 lbs cooked pasta
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Season pork with salt and pepper, place in large slow cooker. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high. Add fennel and carrot, cook until they start to brown, 6-10 minutes. Add onion, cook 4 mins longer. Reduce heat, add garlic, cook another 3 minutes. Add wine, bring to boil. Simmer 1 minute, stir in Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, herbs and spices, 1 heaping tsp salt, a scant tsp pepper, and Parmesan rind. Pour over pork in slow cooker. Cook on low 10-12 hours, basting occasionally. When pork is fall apart tender, transfer to bowl, discard herb stems and leaves, and rind. Season to taste. When meat is cool enough to handle, shred with 2 forks, discard bone and unwanted fat. Top pasta with meat, spoon sauce over and garnish with shredded Parmesan. from SeriousEats.com
Oven roasted potatoes with fennel & tarragon
2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 fennel bulb, large, cut into julienne or sliced thin on a mandolin
3 green onions or shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 teaspoons anise seed, toasted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place potatoes on a greased baking sheet and drizzle with one-third of the olive oil. Toss with salt and pepper. Place in the oven to start roasting. In the meantime, in a skillet over medium heat, saute fennel and onions/shallots in another third of the oil until slightly softened but still crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in tarragon and anise seed. Add the fennel mixture to the potatoes in the oven. Toss well and continue roasting, until potatoes are tender but not soft, about 25 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot. from thedailygreen.com
Green chile enchiladas
1 1/2 lbs tomatillos
3 cloves garlic, with peels
2 Jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup cilantro
salt
4 large Anaheim or Poblano chiles
12 yellow corn tortillas
oil for frying
1/2 to 1 lb Monterey jack cheese, grated
Prepare tomatillo sauce: remove husks from tomatillos, rinse. Cut in half, place cut side down on roasting pan with garlic and jalapeños. Broil for 5-10 minutes until tomatillos are lightly charred. Let cool a but, discard garlic skins. Seed the peppers. Blend all together with 1 tsp salt and cilantro until pureed. Roast chiles under broiler, turning until blackened all over. Place in bowl , cover with plate for 5 minutes. Peel off skin. Seed and stem chiles, slice into strips. Heat a few tbsp oil in a frying pan. Once hot, add a tortilla to the pan, turn it over and cook until little bubbles show up. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Cook remaining tortillas this way, separate with paper towels. Preheat oven to 350. Spread a little tomatillo sauce in a 9x13 pan. One by one, place a little cheese and a strip or two of chile in the tortillas, roll up and place seam side down in pan. Once done spread remaining sauce over them and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro. simplyrecipes.com