The weather right now is windy and drizzly, but up until this very day we have had a series of incredible fall days. I suppose if you thought about it, the temperatures have been a bit on the warm side, but nothing stopped ole Farmer Paul and I from planting our garlic crop this week! It is always a celebration when the garlic is in, and this year was no different. Our last big field task of the season is getting the 6000 cloves planted. It is early on harvest morning as I write this we are readying ourselves for the first brisk harvest of the season. We don another layer, wear our rubber boots, start with a good hot tea and off we head into the dawn. I have spent the evening hours over the past week preparing for back to back fiber festivals. The first one, where I will be as you read this, is in Murfreesobro. A new to me show, everyone claims it is really the best local show, so we shall see. I have tagged and twisted and packed all of our yarn, roving, lambskins and weaving over the past days in an effort to create a fabulous display of Hill and Hollow Farm’s Wool Products. Next week we will take the show on the road to Asheville for a huge regional fiber show, SAFF. This is the first of many reminders that there will be no CSA share next week as we take the days off to travel as a family to North Carolina . I hope you are all cozyng up to this first cool weather and find the time to roast some of these radishes, make a heart soup from the winter squash and in general enjoy this transition to cooler temperatures. I feel so lucky that I can actually wear my hand made woolen items to this fiber show, perfect!! with thanks, enjoy.
Watermelon Radish, you are so beautiful!!
Watermelon Radish Salad with Citrus and Goat Cheese
From alexandracooks.com
1 shallot or half of a small red onion
2 to 3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
2 to 3 watermelon radishes
2 to 3 oranges, clementines, grapefruit, etc.
a handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped
goat cheese to taste
chives, minced, optional, but they add some nice color
olive oil to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Mince shallot. Place in small bowl. Cover with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vinegar depending on how big of a salad you are making. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Cut off one end of the radish. Leave the other intact so you have a handle when you run the radish down your mandoline. Peel the radishes if you wish, though it is by no means necessary. Thinly slice on a mandoline. Arrange radish slices on a platter. Season all over with salt.
Cut off each end of each orange. Squeeze each end over the radishes, then discard. Use a sharp knife to remove the skin from the orange. Cut in between membranes to remove each slice. Squeeze remaining membrane all over the radishes to extract any juice. Scatter oranges over the radishes.
Scatter walnuts and goat cheese to taste over the radishes and oranges. Pour macerated shallots and vinegar over top. Drizzle olive oil to taste (one to two tablespoons) over top. Scatter chives over top if using.
Let sit a few minutes (or longer — it benefits from a brief rest) before serving.
Roasted Watermelon Radishes
1 pound watermelon radishes, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Preheat oven to 375°. Cut radishes into wedges. Mix with 2 tbsp. oil and put in a 2-qt. baking dish. Roast radishes, stirring occasionally, until fork tender, about 1 hour. Drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp. oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
fall week 4 in your basket:
winter squash
misato rose radish
arugula
kale
peppers sweet and hot
garlic
Hill & Hollow CSA 