CSA weeks 19 & 20: sweet potatoes & frost

Greetings CSA Members! We decided to transition our newsletter over to our blog. We have been neglecting this site and it is such a great avenue for sharing. It is also much easier because we don't need extra computer programs to create our newsletter, just the internet. :)

We have entered the final three weeks of our CSA (week 19, week 20, and the BONUS week 21). This is week 20. We are anticipating the first (well, second actually) frost and thinking of all our little baby plants. Our first frost was about a week ago at our McKinley Plot, none of our other plots were hit. Our sweet potatoes frosted so we quickly dug them up. They are so beautiful. So far our fall crops are surviving the cold temps.

Both markets ended last week. We enjoyed the celebration potlucks at both Gifford & Benson markets and look forward to being back next year.

After the CSA ends we will have plenty of greens, so if you'd like please come visit us outside of Jane's Health Market every Saturday morning from 10:00AM to noon. We are also growing fall and winter crops (kale, collards, brussels) in our hoop house. This is its trial run, we are interested to see how things grow in there.

We look forward to seeing you for our very last pick-up next Friday & Saturday! Stay warm.

love BMUF crew,
Ali, Caitie, Matt, James, Tyler, Dan, and Brent


Here's what was in your box this week --

week 20

sweet potatoes

apples

pears

1 pint tomatoes

1 quart peppers

1 quart bintje potatoes

1 eggplant

1 bag mixed greens

recipes:

sweet potato, ginger & carrot soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 C low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp jarred ginger, chopped
• Plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt (optional)

1.

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock plus 2 cups water, then add sweet potato, carrot, and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

2.

Strain out vegetables and put them in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, adding a bit of broth if needed. (If you're using a standard blender, allow the mixture to cool first; hot liquid may cause the blender to squirt out contents. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches.)

3.

Pour vegetable puree back into the saucepan and stir until well blended and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of yogurt on top, if desired.

 

sweet potato cheesecake

• 12 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 15 gingersnap cookies
• 3/4 cup fiber one cereal
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 3 egg whites
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9" springform pan with cooking spray.

2.

Combine the potatoes in a large saucepan over high heat with enough cold water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil; cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and mash; cool. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the apricots and let stand for 10 minutes; drain.

3.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cookies and cereal; process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the butter; mix well. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and 1" up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

4.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the mashed sweet potatoes, cream cheese, and Neufchatel cheese and beat on high speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, egg whites, sugar, ginger, flour, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt and beat well. Sprinkle the apricots over the bottom of the prepared crust. Pour the potato mixture over the apricots. Bake until the cheesecake is almost set, about 42 to 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and let stand for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

 

curried sweet potatoes

• 4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, (8 or 9 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup dried apricots, (3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch slivers
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until tender but not mushy, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, combine apricots, raisins and boiling water in a small bowl; let sit until plumped, about 10 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked sweet potatoes, apricots, raisins and the fruit-soaking liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Stir gently over medium-low heat until warmed through.