Helsing Junction Farm Newsletter Archive

Greetings from Helsing Junction Farm!

It’s hard to believe September has almost already come and gone. With only 3 weeks of CSA delivery left after this week, we realize that we have a ton of food out there that needs to go in your boxes in the next few weeks. There won’t be any flowers included in the deliveries from here on out, so it will be all food with some items in bulk quantity like carrots and potatoes. We finished harvesting most of the potatoes last week before it rained again, so now we need to pick up the shallots and onions we have curing out in the field and then we’ll harvest the winter squash and pumpkins. We have a mountain of potatoes stacked up in the barn, almost 15,000 pounds and they all look beautiful for once! It’s been such a funny year, the hot weather caused record early yields, but actually cut down on yields later in the season. Our best guess after comparing notes with some other local farmers is that the heat forced open a lot of flowers at once, and then shriveled them up quickly too, thus both lessening the chance that they would be pollinated properly and stay viable long enough to produce fruit. So there is this weird blank space in our harvest with heavy early fruit set, then nothing, then a whole other set of fruit coming on that will probably never ripen before the first frost sets in. Because there were fewer winter squash per plant each squash really weighs up, some of them are almost double the size that they normally are. We have 3 varieties this year, though we have more Delicata, which we grew a ton of because even though we love to experiment with other squash Delicata remains our go to variety for any squash recipe. We also have Carnival, a brilliantly colored sweet dumpling squash and a pretty deep green kabocha squash as well. For some reason the pumpkin blossoms were not affected by the heat and have produced thousands of pumpkins, many of which have been orange since August! Winter squash and pumpkins have to cure for three weeks to a month before you eat them, after which time they will be noticeably sweeter.

How to keep long term storage items:
The winter squash, pumpkins, shallots, onions and garlic should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. The optimum temperature would be 45-50 degrees, with low humidity and some air circulation. Good long term storage spots for potatoes which need complete darkness are a dark cupboard in your kitchen that isn’t too warm or in a garage or basement, covered by a thick layer of blanket or tarp. Garlic and onions/shallots should be kept apart from each other for long term storage. You need to sort through anything you have in long term storage about twice a month, be it onions, shallots, garlic, potatoes or winter squash and remove any that start to rot, as they will eventually spread mold to all your storage items. A good rule of thumb is that any vegetable that has a scratch or nick in it will mold most quickly, so use those up first, especially in the case of winter squash.

Bulk Share Potato Delivery:
The 10 pounds of Maris Piper potato that come with your Bulk Shares are being delivered this week to all drop sites. The 10 pound bags of potatoes will be packed in boxes. Please take one 10 pound bag of potatoes per Bulk Share (some of you have 2 Bulk Shares).

We will have storage quantities of potatoes for sale for the rest of the season:
Maris Piper: Creamed colored flesh, known for making the best mashed potatoes and French fries. 10#/for $10 or 25#/for $22
German Butterball: A good keeper with yellow flesh and award winning taste. 10#/for $10 or 25#/for $22
All-Purple: Higher in anti-oxidants then blueberries! 10#/for $15 or 25#/ for $34
Ozette Fingerling Potatoes: Introduced by Spanish explorers in the 1700’s to Northwest Costal Tribes. 10#/for $15 or 25#/ for $34

We will have honey for sale for the rest of the season:
In plastic containers we have: 1 pound for $8 and
2.5 pounds for $17.
In glass containers we have: .75 pound for $5,
1.5 pounds for $12 and
3 pounds for $22.

To order potatoes, honey or tee shirts please call us at (360) 273-2033 or e-mail us at helsngfarm@msn.com and let us know the amount you want and the date you want it delivered. The honey you order will be packed in your regular CSA box which will be pulled aside and have your name on it. The potatoes will be packed separately from your regular CSA share in a box with your name on it. You can pay for the potatoes or honey via our web site/credit card or via snail mail/check. If you use the web site, please use the “other” payment button to type in the amount you are paying. Use the “for” box and type in the name of the item you want and the date you want it delivered.

We have Helsing Junction Farm Organic Tee-shirts for sale:
Women's: X-S, S, M, L & X-L in Ocean (dusty blue), Mulberry (dusty purple) and Chili (dusty red).
Men's/unisex: M, L & X-L in Ocean (dusty blue) and brown.
Kid's: 2T, 3T & 4T in Ocean (dusty blue), Mulberry (dusty purple) and Chili (dusty red).



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This Week's Shares

Tuesday’s small boxes contain:
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2# slicing tomatoes
2# fingerling potatoes (Austrian Crescent)
1 rutabaga
1 fennel bulb
1 head broccoli
1 bunch pink beauty radishes
1 bunch carrots
1 shallot
1 bunch spinach
1 bunch arugula
Liberty apples
Asian pears
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)

Wednesday’s small boxes may contain:
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2# slicing tomatoes
2# fingerling potatoes (Austrian Crescent)
1 rutabaga
1 fennel bulb
1 head broccoli
1 bunch pink beauty radishes
1 bunch carrots
1 shallot
1 bunch rainbow chard
1 bunch arugula
Liberty apples
Asian pears
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)

Thursday’s small boxes may contain:
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2# slicing tomatoes
2# fingerling potatoes (Austrian Crescent)
1 rutabaga
1 head broccoli
1 bunch pink beauty radishes
1 bunch carrots
2 shallots
1 bunch rainbow chard
1 bunch arugula
Liberty apples
Asian pears

Tuesday’s large boxes contain:
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2# slicing tomatoes
2# fingerling potatoes (Austrian Crescent)
1 rutabaga
2 fennel bulbs
1 head broccoli
1 red cabbage
1 bunch pink beauty radishes
1 bunch carrots
3 peppers (2 sweet green and 1 spicy yellow)
2 shallots
1 bunch rainbow chard
2 bunches arugula
Liberty apples
Asian pears
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)

Wednesday’s large boxes may contain:
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2# slicing tomatoes
2# fingerling potatoes (Austrian Crescent)
1 rutabaga
2 fennel bulbs
1 head broccoli
1 red cabbage
1 bunch pink beauty radishes
1 bunch carrots
3 peppers (2 sweet green and 1 spicy yellow)
2 shallots
1 bunch rainbow chard
2 bunches arugula
Liberty apples
Asian pears
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)

Thursday’s large boxes may contain:
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2# slicing tomatoes
2# fingerling potatoes (Austrian Crescent)
1 rutabaga
1-2 fennel bulbs
1 head broccoli
1 red cabbage
1 bunch pink beauty radishes
1 bunch carrots
3 peppers (2 sweet green and 1 spicy yellow)
2 shallots
1 bunch rainbow chard
2 bunches arugula
1 bunch dill
Liberty apples
Asian pears


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Recipes

About Rutabagas:
Rutabagas originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. Its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable. Rutabagas were an important nutritional source for many Finno-Ugric tribes before the introduction of potatoes. Some claim the vegetable is native to Sweden, but others think it was introduced to Sweden, possibly from Finland or Siberia, in the early 17th century. In continental Europe, it acquired a bad reputation during World War I, when it became a food of last resort. In the German Steckrübenwinter (rutabaga winter) of 1916–17, large parts of the population ate a diet consisting of rutabagas and little else, after grain and potato crop failures had combined with wartime effects. After the war, most people were so tired of rutabagas that they came to be considered "famine food," and they have retained this reputation to the present day. Though perhaps in need of a makeover (what’s with that name?) rutabagas are great roasted or in mashed potatoes.

Orrechiette Carbonara:
-Dice up 4 pieces of thick cut bacon and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7-8 minutes.
-Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and transfer to a paper towel to drain.
-Pour off all but 2 TBS of fat from the skillet.
-Chop up 1 shallot, 1 fennel bulb (optional) and 3-5 cloves of garlic.
-Wash and chop up 1 bunch of spinach or 1 bunch of rainbow chard, stems and all.
-Add the onions, spinach/chard and garlic to the bacon fat and sauté until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Set pan aside.
-Cook 10 ounces of orecchiette pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just tender, about 6-8 minutes.
-Drain pasta reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
-Whisk 2 room temperature eggs and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl until blended.
-Gradually whisk in ¼ cup of the pasta water.
-Add cooked pasta to onion spinach/chard mixture and stir to heat. Remove pan from heat.
-Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are slightly cooked, about 2 minutes.
-Add some more of the remaining pasta water if necessary.
-Stir in some halved Sungold cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes. Serve pasta with additional Parmesan.

Potato Fennel Gratin:
-In a small saucepan combine 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup heavy cream, 4 cloves chopped garlic and 1 bay leaf.
-Bring to a boil and then remove from heat and set aside to infuse.
-Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Slice 2# of potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices. Chop up 1 shallot and 1 fennel bulb.
-Then chop about 4 oz. (1 cup) thinly sliced ham (optional).
To assemble: In a large 2-qt. gratin dish or heavy baking dish spread about 1/3 of the potato slices.
-Season with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.
-Then overtop of the potatoes, layer half of the shallots/fennel and half of the ham.
-Top with another 1/3 of the potatoes and some more salt, pepper and nutmeg.
-Then spread the other half of the shallots/fennel and the other half of the ham.
-Top with the remaining potatoes and more salt, pepper and nutmeg.
-Put the gratin on a baking sheet to catch drips and pour the cream mixture over top, discarding the bay leaf.
-Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
-Remove the foil sprinkle the gratin with 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese and baste with the liquid in the dish until the potatoes are very tender and the top is brown, another 30-45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Rutabaga Mashed Potatoes:
-Cut 8 medium potatoes into cubes. Peel and cube half a rutabaga.
-Peel 2-3 cloves of garlic, leaving them whole.
-Boil potatoes, rutabaga and garlic in salted water until tender about 10-15 minutes. Then drain and return to the pan.
-Mash with a potato masher, adding about ¼- ½ cup cream or milk, 1-2 TBS of butter and a big pinch of sea salt.

Rutabaga Fries:
-Peel 1 rutabaga with a vegetable peeler.
-Cut the rutabaga into steak-fry size pieces and then toss with a few TBS of olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
-Bake at 375 degrees for about 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until nicely browned. Taste for salt and serve hot.

Broccoli with Feta Cheese, Pine Nuts, Kalamata Olives and Lemon:
-Trim 1 bunch of broccoli into florets.
-Rinse under cold water and then add them to a large skillet with a lid while still wet.
-Drizzle with olive oil, cover and cook over medium heat until just tender (5-7 minutes max), adding water if necessary.
-Put the broccoli in a medium sized bowl.
-Add some crumbled feta, the juice of 1 lemon, a handful of pine nuts, 10-15 pitted and halved Kalamata olives and some sea salt.
-Toss and serve warm, though this dish is also good as a cold salad.

Sautéed Broccoli with Brown Butter:
-Trim 1 bunch of broccoli into florets.
-Rinse the broccoli and add it to a hot pan while still wet.
-Drizzle with a little olive oil, cover and cook on medium heat until lightly tender (no longer then 7 minutes), adding a little water if necessary.
-Heat 3-5 TBS butter in a pan. Cook the butter until it becomes a nutty brown color
-When the broccoli is done toss it with the butter, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Carrot Radish Salad:
-Combine 1 bunch of grated radishes with ½ tsp salt, tossing well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rinse and drain.
-Grate 4 carrots. Combine radish and carrots.
-Mix together 1 TBS rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp mirin (sweet rice wine), stirring until sugar dissolves.
-Drizzle over radish and carrot mixture; toss to combine. Cover and chill.

Ginger, Radish and Carrot Salad:
-In a large bowl, whisk together 2 TBS minced fresh ginger, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 tsp canola oil, 1 TBS rice wine vinegar and 1 TBS soy sauce.
-Grate 1 bunch of carrots and 1 bunch of radishes.
-Toss the vegetables in the bowl with the vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Warm Red Cabbage Salad with Gorgonzola and Walnuts:
-Toast ½ cup of walnut halves in a small skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until nicely browned.
-Slice 1 red cabbage into thin strips.
-In a large sauté pan, add 2½ TBS olive oil and 2 TBS Balsamic vinegar.
-Then add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, being careful not to overcook the cabbage.
-Turn into a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper.
-Sprinkle with 3-4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and the toasted walnuts. Serve warm.

Soft Fish Tacos:
For batter and fish:
-In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 tsp sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper.
-Pour in 1 cup dark beer at room temperature.
-Whisk until batter is smooth and let stand 15 minutes.
-Cut 2# halibut into ¾ inch strips.
-Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and squeeze some limejuice over each strip.
-Let stand 15 minutes and then mix fish into batter.
For the tortillas:
-Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
-Heat a skillet over medium heat.
-Stack 2 white corn tortillas and sprinkle top with water (you will need 12 tortillas in all).
-Place in skillet wet side down, heat 1 minute.
-Sprinkle top with water and turn stack over, heat 1 minute.
-Transfer stack to a large sheet of foil. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
-Enclose tortillas in foil and place in oven.
To fry the fish:
-Pour vegetable oil into a medium skillet to reach a depth of 1 inch.
-Attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 350 degrees.
-Slide 4 fish strips into the oil and fry until golden, about 4 minutes.
-Transfer fish to paper towel-lined baking sheet and place in oven. Repeat.
To assemble:
-Thinly slice 1½ cups red cabbage.
-Fill each warm tortilla with 2 fish strips.
-Top with red cabbage, sour cream, salsa, a squeeze of fresh lime and a dash of hot pepper sauce.

Oly’s Swedish Apple Pie:
Delicious and extra easy.
-Peel, core and slice 5-6 Liberty apples into a pie pan until the pan is a little over half full.
-Mix together 1 TBS sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon and some freshly ground nutmeg.
-Sprinkle half over the apples and toss. (Save the other half to sprinkle over the top of the pie.)
-Melt 1 stick of butter in a small saucepan and then add 1 cup of flour, the zest of 1 lemon and ¾ cup of white or brown sugar. Gently mix together and then add 2 beaten eggs.
-Fold the mixture together and then pour it over the top of the apples. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

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Helsing Junction Farm
12013 Independence Road, Rochester, WA 98579 | (360)273-2033
helsingfarm@msn.com | www.helsingfarmcsa.com

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