- Radicchio
- Leeks
- Potatoes
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
- Green peppers
- Stuffing peppers
- Hot peppers
- Herb (parsley,cilantro,thyme)
- Winter squash
- Fennel
- Cauliflower or cabbage
- Onions
Welcome to the first winter harvest of 2022. We are excited that there is still so much variety for you to enjoy. I will likely write less and include more recipes as the season wears on. We have a lot of veggies these first few weeks so look at the recipes below and use them up as they will keep coming for the first three weeks and then spread out. Use the tender things first and know that the onions, leeks, cabbage, radicchio and winter squash will all hang out at your house much longer. The winter squash can last months!
Here is the harvest schedule again:
12 harvests
October 30
November: 6, 13
December: 4, 18
January: 8, 22
February: 5, 19
March: 5, 19, 26
It is a great time for brassicas. They are enjoying the cooling weather and will get sweeter as the temperature drops. We are still harvesting the majority of our crops from the field. As the season progresses we will move inside the hoop houses. Some of you may be sad (I know I am) that there are very few radishes this season. I did not get them planted on time, and those that I did stayed small and got lanky and did not produce good roots. I will aim to get some quick radishes into the next beds that become available, but the beautiful daikon of the past and the watermelon radishes will not be had this season. I may try some yummy spring turnips. Our problem with these types of crops are the pests. The root maggot loves them and to keep them off we have to use row cover (remay). It is an agricultural fabric and has to be thin enough to let the light in and heavy enough to keep the pests out. As with everything farming it takes a lot of trial and error for each crop.
We made delicious stuffed peppers. I charred the peppers and then put them in a brown paper bag. Later I peeled and seeded them. I stuffed them with sauteed corn off the cob and onions and a cheese mix. I pan fried them without batter or much oil and they were YUM.
Our broccoli is huge and has some insect friends . We recommend you wash it well and consider lightly boiling it to encourage the remaining insects to come off. I plunged the broccoli into salted boiling water for 3-5 minutes and then just enjoyed it. You could finish it with sauteed garlic and tamari if you wanted. This looked like a great way to eat up all that broccoli: (it uses you potato, leek and onion!) https://www.alphafoodie.com/vegetarian-broccoli-cheddar-soup/
The parsley seems huge and it is time to make prezzemolo (Italian parsley pesto with some lemon – so good!) try this recipe: https://www.insidetherustickitchen.com/parsley-pesto-recipe-fresh-and-easy/
Or this version – do not skip the lemon juice! https://www.thelastfoodblog.com/parsley-pesto/
Radicchio is an acquired taste. It is sometimes bitter. I always soak mine in an ice water bath for at least 15 minutes and sometimes longer when I can plan. Juvencio and I attended the Sagra del Radicchio https://www.culinarybreedingnetwork.com/events/2022/10/28/sagra-del-radicchio
On Friday, it was so fun. We tasted 15 different dishes with wonderful winter vegetables and got inspired for later in the season and next year! We learned about different winter squash varieties, dry farming tomatoes and a way to preserve those tomatoes through the winter. I will promote this event and more next year so that more of our subscribers show up.
Best radicchio salad recipe per the NYT:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018662-radicchio-salad-with-anchovy-vinaigrette
Other radicchio recipes:
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/radicchio-pear-and-arugula-salad-recipe-2125979
- https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chopped-romaine-and-radicchio-salad-3549237
- Ottolenghi’s radicchio salad: https://www.delicious.com.au/recipes/three-citrus-salad-green-chilli-stem-ginger-crunchy-salsa-del-sunday/lBUfdWKo
I will sign off for now.