By Alyssa
Today is beautiful, sunny, and warm. It is hard to believe rains may be coming our way by the end of the week, but we are hard at work in the fields removing all our tomato trellising, irrigation lines, headers, floating row covers, and eventually even the strawberry plants and the plastic mulch around them. Field clean up is a lot of work, but satisfying in its own way; it makes way for Jesse to mow and sow the cover crop before our fields turn into mud and puddles. I love the current tangle of overgrown plants and weeds gone to flower and seed, but the mown fields look so neat and clean, and feel like a real signal that our work is concentrating into the tunnels, into the barns, and into our winter field.
Upcoming Event: Harvest Festival Saturday November 14th 10 am - 3 pm
CSA Barn Hours:
Winter hours start next week: 2:30-6 pm
Pick List:
Eggs
Red Gold, Harvest Moon, Fingerling, and Nicola Potatoes
Yaya Carrots
Merlin Beets
Ailsa Craig Sweet, Red, and Yellow Onions
Leeks
Dragon Fennel
Daikon and Watermelon Radish
Hakurei Turnips
Kossack Kohlrabi
Farao & Caraflex Green and Kilmaro Red Cabbage
Song Cauliflower
Lettuce
Rhubarb Chard
Madeley Kale
Highlander Green Chile Peppers (Last week)
Hot Peppers (Last week)
Radicchio, Sugarloaf, Escarole, and Frisee
Spaghetti, Blue Kuri, Delicata, Butternut, and Acorn Winter Squash
Winter Luxury Pumpkins
Whole Dried Hot Peppers
Pick your own flowers and herbs (We will mow the big flower field on Thursday but there is picking in the herb and perennial gardens all winter.)
Beef Bone Broth (Made by Olla Products)
Apollo Olive Oil
Revolution Bread available
Open Field Farm Swag!
Butternut Squash Sambar, from nytimes.com
1 cup toor dal (dried split pigeon peas), rinsed until the water runs clear, and drained
FOR THE SAMBAR POWDER
2 dried red Kashmiri chiles
1 ½ teaspoons chana dal (dried split chickpeas)
½ teaspoon urad dal (dried husked split black lentils)
1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns (about 20)
5 curry leaves
⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric
FOR THE SAMBAR
½ small butternut squash (from a 2-pound squash)
1 large Yukon Gold or russet potato
1 large carrot
1 large yellow onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Twelve 2 ½-inch-long pieces thawed frozen moringa (a.k.a. drumsticks, optional, see Tip)
5 fresh or thawed frozen okra, chopped (optional)
1 large tomato, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 teaspoon tamarind paste, plus more to taste
½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
FOR THE TADKA (SPICED GHEE OR OIL)
1 tablespoon ghee or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 dried red Kashmiri chiles, broken in half or thirds
10 curry leaves
Place the toor dal and 4 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam as best as you can. Adjust heat to medium low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the toor dal is completely soft and most of the water has been absorbed, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add more water as needed if the dal needs to cook longer. Remove from the heat and use the back of a wooden spoon to mash until creamy. Set aside.
While the toor dal cooks, prepare the sambar powder: In a small dry pan, toast the chiles, chana dal and urad dal over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the dals are golden brown, about 2 minutes; transfer to a small bowl. Add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek and peppercorns to the pan. Toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the curry leaves and toast, stirring frequently, until crisp, about 30 seconds more. Transfer to the bowl, adding the turmeric, and set aside to cool. When completely cool, transfer the mixture to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. (Makes about 2 tablespoons of sambar powder.)
Prepare the sambar: Peel the squash, remove the seeds and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel and chop the potato, carrot and onion into 1-inch pieces.
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Add the butternut squash, potato, carrot and onion; stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the moringa (if using), okra (if using), tomato, chile powder, turmeric and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables (about 4 cups) and bring to a boil. Cover, adjust heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork-tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of sambar powder, the tamarind paste and the mashed toor dal. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Season with more salt, tamarind and chile powder to taste, being mindful you’ll also be adding the tadka. Stir in the cilantro and turn off the heat.
Prepare the tadka: In the same pan you used for the sambar powder, heat the ghee over medium. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stand back and carefully add the curry leaves (they will splatter). Stir until the curry leaves crisp up, about 30 seconds. Pour the hot tadka over the sambar (it will sizzle), stir and serve.