Last CSA Share of the 2015-2016 Season
The time has finally come to finish off the 2015-2016 season. As always it has gone by so fast that it's hard to believe we are in the last week. It's been a challenging year on many levels, but it's also been a very successful year. We tried a bunch of new systems and techniques at the farm that we're excited about and we're really looking forward to next season so we can continue to improve the way we grow food.
As I'm writing this there is a big truck unloading manure onto the farm which we'll use as compost in the Fall. More than half of the fields are already green with a buckwheat cover crop, the tiller is scheduled for a tune up at the local mechanic and our work load is already feeling lighter. All of these are signs that we've completed a full growing season and at this moment it feels AMAZING.
Thank you for being a part of our CSA. It's been so fun seeing all of you at the market every Saturday; this year in particular there were many new pregnancies and babies born within our small group of members and it was cool to see it all happen. Stay tuned for sign-ups for next season at the end of June. We hope you'll join us again!
We've got the following crops ready for this week's share and as a token of appreciation we've got a little surprise for you too.
Small Shares:
Heirloom cherry tomatoes from Verde Farm
Kohlrabi from our fields
Beets from Verde Farm
Patty pan squash from Verde Farm
Kale from Lady Moon Farm
Yucca from LNB Groves
Garlic chives from Verde Farm
Large Shares:
Heirloom cherry tomatoes from Verde Farm
Kohlrabi from our fields
Beets from Verde Farm
Patty pan squash from Verde Farm
Kale from Lady Moon Farm
Yucca from LNB Groves
Garlic chives from Verde Farm
Extra tomatoes
Extra patty pan squash
Extra kohlrabi
Yucca, better known as Cassava, is a tropical root eaten cooked. It is a staple food in Africa and some Asian and South American cultures, but it's pretty much a mystery for most North Americans. In Miami we hear of it often in latin market and cuban cafes. It doesn't have much flavor, but it's texture is something to get used to if you've never had it before. It's a bit thick, gummy and mushy when boiled so it's most often eaten fried. I don't like to fry foods at home so I've perfected a baked yucca recipe that is just as good as fried yucca. First of all, the most important thing to know about the yucca in your share is that it is fresh so it must be stored in the fridge. Yucca at the super market is coated in wax to preserve it's freshness, but your yucca was just dug up today so it will spoil as fast as broccoli if left on the kitchen counter.
To prepare baked yucca fries first peel the roots and cut into finger length pieces. Then boil the cut pieces until you can pinch a fork into it. Be careful here, if it overcooks it will fall apart like potatoes do and you wont be able to do anything with it except yucca mush. After boiling the pieces will naturally fall apart into quarters which you should lay out on generously oiled baking pan. The yucca root has a woody vein running down the middle that you will need to remove while quartering the pieces. As you lay the pieces on the oily pan, turn them a few times to coat every side with oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste and bake on high (or broil) until they sizzle and turn golden. At 400 degrees it usually takes 15 minutes. Serve hot! At Cuban cafes they are often served with a dipping sauce, usually mojo; mojo is basically oil, citrus (sour orange), garlic and cumin. I've never made a true mojo for my yucca fries, but I've made various combinations of the mojo ingredients and it's always been delicious.