It’s the end of summer for real now folks, the tomatoes are coming down. After harvesting the good-looking green tomatoes, Matt and Sam removed the plants from the trellis string. After this photo they took down the trellises as well, so the field is looking quite different. Though we could have left them in, tomatoes ripen very poorly in this kind of weather and their flavor is also not very good. However, the green tomatoes are delicious. Stay tuned to the end of this blog post for some green tomato ideas. I haven’t decided whether to leave the tomato plant debris as a mulch on these beds for the winter, or chop them up with the mower, work them into the soil, and seed these beds with cover crop.
In the share this week:
- “Rose Gold” Potatoes
- Green Tomatoes
- Red Tomatoes
- Carrots
- Yellow Onions
- Asian Daikon Radish, with some leaves
- Parsnip
- Green “Nevada” lettuce
- Collard greens
According to Wood Prairie Farm where we bought some of our seed potatoes this year, the “Rose Gold” potato is “the best of the red-skinned golden-fleshed potatoes. A mildly dry potato that is perfect baked, steamed or in creamy soups. Unsurpassed taste.” There is quite a bit of damage on them so you will have to cut out the bad spots.
Green tomatoes: There are a lot of things you can do with these including frying them or making salsa or relish. Recipes at the end of the post.
The red tomatoes are from the hoophouse. This variety “Matina” is small but I think has good flavor and seems really productive.
The “Bora King” radish has a spicy skin but the interior seems mild. This is our first year growing it. Would be good pickled, kim chi, slaw, or salad. The leaves are edible too, though you may want to pickle or cook them as they’re a little hairy!
Parsnips are another first in this share for this season. I love parsnips roasted with other root vegetables. Here are some ideas from Bounty From the Box:
• Parsnips are a delicacy when prepared with cheese, butter, and cream in concoctions like vichyssoise, au gratins, and creamy soups.
• Parsnips make an interesting substitute for potatoes. Try them deep-fried, mashed, or baked; in soups and stews; or on their own as a side dish.
• The light sweetness of parsnips makes them dynamite with fruits like apples, oranges, cranberries, dates, and figs.
• Baking and roasting caramelize the parsnip’s natural sugars, bringing out its delicate flavors gloriously.
• Use parsnips as a filling for pasties and pies, along with other root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes.
• Try parsnips as a surprise vegetable in curries; the mild, sweet flavor is a nice foil for the spice.
• Coconut, ginger, honey, and parsnips are an unexpectedly delicious combination—try them as a cake, as a mashed or whole vegetable side dish, or as a creamy soup.
• Slice crisp, raw, sweet parsnips into long thin strips and serve with dips or dressing for a light snack or appetizer. Good with carrot and celery sticks too! (Note that young, tender, very fresh parsnips are best for eating raw—older, larger ones not so much.)
• Parsnips have an affinity for the sweet spices we associate with fall and winter desserts: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice.
RECIPES:
Green Tomato Salsa Verde: http://montanahomesteader.com/green-tomato-salsa-verde/
Fried Green Tomatoes – This 1 minute video shows you how: http://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/fried-green-tomatoes
Roasted Parsnips (and you can add pretty much any root veggie and winter squash and have a delicious roasted veggie fall festival! I like to cut veggies into ~1/2-3/4″ inch cubes for this. Cooking time may increase with other veggies…):
Like other root vegetables, parsnips are simply divine roasted, which concentrates and caramelizes their natural sugars. Place peeled, cut parsnips in a shallow pan, toss them with oil (try coconut oil for a pleasant change) and seasonings as desired, and bake in a 400°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, turning them at least once or twice during the cooking process. They are done when browned and tender when pierced with a knife; cooking times vary widely, depending on the size and condition of the parsnips. – From Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe
Cully Neighborhood Farm 