TOMTEN FARM

Frisee
Bibb Lettuce
Red Potatoes
Sweet Peppers & Eggplant
Cushaw Squash
Swiss Chard

We are welcoming in the Fall with these cooler nights and shorter days and turning towards making soups and warm dishes once again. Also we are so happy to have all sorts of greens back in the mix. This past week we had our first radicchio and frisee salad of the Fall, always a happy time for us as we miss the hearty but succulent leaves with a bit of flavor. This was a green salad with tuna, chickpea, tomato, cheese, and a salty mustardy vinaigrette. A full meal salad that definitely hit the spot. We have concluded our outdoor planting for the season except for our annual garlic and fava plantings in early November. We have now moved to planting successions of carrots, spinach, bunching greens, and salad things in our high tunnels to carry us from December through the Spring. In addition, October is lots of hoeing and weeding to keep crops growing strong as we have temperate cooler and often wet conditions. A great growing month, as long as the rain is not too extreme.
This week’s share includes a piece of Cushaw winter squash, likely not a whole squash as they are massive. We encourage you to use it within 10 days, an easy way to process is to boil or roast and then freeze in smaller portions for later use. We make an effort to have these heirloom squash in the CSA shares each year, as they have an extremely rich history in our growing region. They can grow very large and tend to do very well in our climate, as they grow quickly and are less susceptible to bug damage. In modern culture people shy away from large squash, as they are seen as inconvenient; but historically one of these squash plants could produce 50-60lbs of food. Whereas with our other squash plants we are looking at 10-15lb under great conditions. They were domesticated between 7000 & 3000 BC in Mesoamerica and have deep roots throughout Appalachia, Louisiana, and the Southwestern US.
“The flesh is light-yellow; it is mild and slightly sweet in flavor; meaty in texture and fibrous. It is sometimes called cushaw pumpkin and is often substituted for the standard, orange, jack-o-lantern pumpkin in pie-making. The cushaw has a green summer squash flavor and scent to it. It has a smoky-ness in taste and is moist without being wet. It is used for both savory and sweet dishes and is great for northern climates because it provides vitamin C for the winter and stores very well. In some Native cultures, the seeds are toasted for snacks or ground and made into sauces and moles. The flowers are stuffed and/or fried. Sometimes the flesh of the fruit is used for livestock feed”. –  Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity
Cushaw makes a wonderful base for a soup or coffeecake plus we have added recipes below. The squash pie made with Cushaw is one of the best pies we have ever made. Enjoy the share…..Autumn & Brian

Lyonnaise Salad

Eggplant, Chickpea, & Chard Shakshuka

Cozy Swiss Chard Soup with Potatoes

Eggplant & Potato Gratin

Grilled Eggplant and Greens with Spiced Yogurt

Fall Harvest Salad with Frisee, Squash, & Bacon

Moroccan Cushaw Salad
(grab some sweet potatoes from Amy’s Organic Garden)

Rich Squash Pie – The Fannie Farmer Cookbook
Basic Pastry Dough for a 9” pie shell
1 cup pureed cooked winter squash
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3 Tbls brandy
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp powdered ginger
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp mace
Preheat the oven to 425. Line a 9” pie pan with pastry dough. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth and well blended. Pour into the lined pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 and bake for 45-60 minutes more or until the filling is firm.