In the share this week:
1 pie pumpkin or small butternut squash
1.25 lbs tomatoes
1 bunch green onions
1 lb rossa di milano onions
2 sweet red frying peppers
1 bunch sacred basil (aka tulsi or holy basil)
1 bag edamame
Thoughts from Farmer Anna:
We are gearing up for a last (hopefully) blast of heat here this week. It seems like we typically get a few days in the 90s in September. While I much prefer working in 70 degree weather, September 90s are quite different from July or August 90s. The humidity is a little lower and the sun just isn't quite as powerful. Plus, I know that true fall weather is on its way very soon. It has been a bit dry here the last 10 days, so we are needing to keep our fall planting irrigated during the hot weather this week. Our last transplants of the year went in yesterday and we'll be doing a bit more direct seeding of fast crops like radishes, turnips, arugula, and baby kale this week. Those will likely be our last outdoor plantings for the year. Once the tomatoes and peppers are done in the hoophouses next month, we'll get those spaces seeded to spinach and baby kale for winter greens.
The new item in the share this week is sacred basil. This basil is native to India and has many medicinal qualities. People often use the leaves and flowers to make a refreshing tea. Sacred basil (also know as tulsi) can be used fresh in a pesto or dried for later use in teas. Check out this article below for more info:
http://www.mofga.org/Publications/The-Maine-Organic-Farmer-Gardener/Fall-2004/Sacred-Basil
Recipes from Maria:
Lebanese Pumpkin Hummus
Ingredients
1 small pumpkin, peeled and cored, I used butternut squash
2-4 tbsp lemon juice (depending on the sweetness of your pumpkin)
1 garlic clove, pressed
5 tbsp tahini
½ tsp salt, more to taste
¼ tsp hot chilli powder (optional)
olive oil, for roasting
fresh parsley or coriander, to garnish
black and white sesame seeds, to garnish
2 tsp chilli oil or extra virgin olive oil, to garnish
Instructions
Heat up the oven to 425° F and line a baking tray with a piece of parchment paper. Cut your pumpkin into evenly sized pieces and coat in a little olive oil. Bake for about 30 minutes – until soft and lightly caramelised. Alternatively, you can steam your pumpkin instead and scoop out the pulp.
Transfer pumpkin to a food processor (as opposed to the traditional hummus, a food processor works much better here than an upright blender). Add tahini, pressed garlic, salt, chilli, and lemon juice to taste. Whiz until smooth. If the paste is too thick, trickle in 1-2 tbsp of water to thin it out.
Transfer the hummus onto a plate, smooth it with the back of a spoon. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or chilli oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds and fresh herbs. Serve with toasted pita or sourdough bread.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dip
Ingredients
1 cup homemade pumpkin puree
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
apple slices, graham crackers
Instructions
Mix together pumpkin, peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice together. Using a fork to whisk until all ingredients are well combined.
Serve with your choice of fruit or crackers and enjoy!
Twice Baked Butternut Squash
Ingredients
2 medium sized butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1 T. fresh sage, chopped
2 T. plain Greek yogurt
2 ounces goat cheese
2 T. panko breadcrumbs
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
Place the halved butternut squash cut side down on the baking sheet and cover completely with another piece of foil.
Bake the squash for 40-50 minutes or until until a fork inserted into the flesh comes out easily.
Remove squash from the oven, lower the temperature to 425 degrees, and let the squash cool slightly.
Using a spoon, scoop the flesh out and leave a 1/4 inch border around the squash halves so they will hold their shape.
Discard one of the squash skins so that you have a total of 3.
In a large bowl mash together the squash flesh, salt, pepper, sage, Greek yogurt, and goat cheese.
Once everything is combined, spoon the squash mixture back into the 3 skins.
Top the squash with the panko and drizzle with olive oil.
Place the squash back in the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until mixture is heated through.
Note
The size of the butternut squash used will affect the time that it needs to roast. Start checking the squash at 30 minutes and note that it could take up to an hour depending on the squash size and your oven.