The Finale

This week is Gleaning Week here at the farm and we want to encourage you to come out during normal farm hours (so that one of us is there to assist you) and pick whatever is leftover in the fields.  Most likely there will be herbs, peppers and a few others. If you have decided on a time to come, but the time is a little questionable (like 1 or 2 in the afternoon) give us a call to make sure someone is out there.  

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In the meantime, I want to give you some valuable information on drying peppers to archive so that we can all be vegetable masters!

First, there is some info on everything you need to know about drying peppers.  I stumbled upon a website of a St. Louis chilihead who posted a thorough list of instructions on how to dry peppers.  He has several methods and I just decided to post all of them.  If you have a second, follow the link and check out his Scoville scale chart on all things spicy.  I bit into a habenero pepper for the first time this weekend and thought my face was burning off.  I wouldn't know what to do if anything spicier entered my mouth but there are hot sauces and pepper hybrids out there that are simply insane!

Why Dry Hot Peppers?

The main reason to learn how to dry hot peppers is simply to enable you to keep them for a long time. Peppers can last for several days to a few weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator before they start to rot. Freezing peppers, if done right, can make them last several months, but the thawing process can be a tricky one where often you're left with overly soft and mushy chiles. Dried chiles can last from several months to a few years if store properly.

Removing moisture from peppers will magnify and intensify the heat, flavor, and natural sugars it contains. Dehydrated chiles pack more fiery punch and ferocity in both solid food and hot sauce recipes than fresh peppers. Plus, if you grind or crush dried peppers, you can use it as an all-purpose flavoring and seasoning for any occasion.

Preparing Chile Peppers to Be Dried

Before you start drying peppers please take the following precautions:

If you're drying peppers indoors, keep the area well-ventilated. Warmed peppers will give off pungent fumes that are irritating to the eyes. If you have a ceiling fan, use it; or better yet, open your windows and bring in a portable fan or two to keep the air circulating and minimize the watery eyes and burned nasal passages. Take extra precaution around young children, pets, or anyone who is sensitive to spicy foods.

If possible, always wear gloves when handling hot peppers. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching hot peppers. Do not scratch your eyes, nose, face, or any other sensitive area of your body after handling.

Inspect each pepper before starting the drying process. Discard peppers if they have:

Soft, mushy, or spoiled areas

White, grayish, or diseased-looking spots

Have a questionable or rotten odor 

Wash the peppers with warm water and dry thoroughly with a cloth towel.

Remove the stems from your peppers. If you're drying in them in your oven or food dehydrator you may wish to slice the peppers length-wise (this will allow them to dry faster). If you're drying the peppers indoors you may want to keep them whole as it usually takes a few weeks to dry and not cutting them open help prevent premature spoilage (but you may wish to experiment based on your regional humidity levels and temperature).

Drying in the Oven

You can dry peppers in any regular kitchen oven. It's convenient that this method of drying can be done in just about any kitchen in the western world, but there is one big disadvantage; it may take several hours to a few days for the peppers to fully dry, depending on the size. It can also heat up your kitchen considerably if you're drying on warm spring or hot summer day.

Simply position the peppers on a pan or cookie sheet in a single layer and place it in the oven. Set the oven to its lowest temperature setting, which is usually labeled as "WARM", or just below 150 degrees Fahrenheit (120° to 140° is desirable). To allow moisture to escape, keep the oven door slightly open at least a couple of inches (now you know why it can make your kitchen hot). Every hour, rotate and/or flip the peppers over for even drying.

If you find peppers getting soft, brown/black, or extremely hot on the side where they touch the pan, then they're getting cooked; you certainly don't want this, as you're just trying to dry these to use at a later date. To prevent this, try one of the following:

Turn down the temperature slightly. Not all ovens are calibrated the same - some may be off by 10° or more from the "real" temperature.

Flip the peppers over and move them around more often

Open the oven door wider 

As soon as they're fully dry, remove from the oven and place in an air-tight container. Larger, thicker-skinned peppers will take longer to dry than smaller or thin-skinned chiles.

Drying Hot Peppers Indoors

This is the "easiest" method of drying peppers, yet probably the most time-consuming. Place whole or sliced chile peppers single-layer in a bowl, plate, or sheet and set them in a very dry, warm, and extremely well-ventilated area with loads of sunlight. Rotate the peppers regularly and discard any that show signs of softness or spoilage. If at all possible, place your bowl or sheet outdoors when the forecast calls for hot, sunny, and dry weather (this will speed up the drying process). Within one or two weeks, you should start seeing your beloved chiles get dry and brittle.  Also, there is the classic way of drying peppers indoors by simply knotting them to a string and letting them hang in a sunny window or placing them in a paper bag clipped at the top to get the same dry and brittle results.  Every kitchen is different so try all the methods to see which is best.  

When They're Dry

Properly dried peppers should be devoid of any signs of moisture or soft "fleshiness". Fully dried peppers can still retain a bit of flexibility in their skin - you don't have to dry them until they're brown, crumbling, or hard as a rock. But when in doubt, the pepper should be uniformly dry, slightly brittle, and have a tough skin.

What to do with them you're done? You can:

Separate them by pepper type and store them in high-quality Ziploc-type plastic bags or plastic containers.  This way you'll always have a handy supply of dried peppers to use in sauces, soups, and other dishes.

Crush them in a food processor, blender, or spice mill and create a chile pepper seasoning. Give them to family and friends as unique gifts so that they can spice up their own recipes.

Plant the seeds for a new crop of chile pepper plants.

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What about Storing Root Vegetables?
I also want to add a quick reference on how to store root vegetables.  There are techniques out there that involve digging pits and burying your vegetables in holes but I want to just take a simple approach that is not specific to any particular situation.  Find a cool dry place to store them and stay within the 32 to 38 degree range.  I am going to choose a crawl space under my porch and storing the veggies in a cooler.  You do not want a space that does not get enough circulation either.  Take these factors and find your own space.  It can be a fun experiment but just know that these root veggies have high tolerence to cold but not freezing temps!

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All-Encompassing Vegetable Soup

It is a trick with all of the frugal folks out there to always understand how to make vegetable soup out of whatever is in the fridge or freezer.  Lets focus on DeLaney crops and just see what happens!  

A large pot of soup needs to have a solid foundation.  1 quart of broth to every 6 cups of vegetables can be a start.  Always have ample amounts of garlic, salt, pepper and random herbs available to add to your foundation.  

When preparing your soup, separate the slow-softeners (carrot, onion, potato) and the quick-softeners (tomatoes, corn, squash).

Using a deep heavy-bottomed stockpot, saute garlic and slow-softeners for 4-6 minutes in oil with a pinch or two of salt.  

Add broth and bring to a simmer.  Add everything else and reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Whatever you have and come up with, its going to be great when everything is put together.  

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It was a pleasure to be a part of DeLaney and to have the opportunity to relay information from the farm to the community through this blog every week!  Hope it was a good read and that you continue with another author at the beginning of the season next year!  Take care and happy gardening!

Stephen

Cucurbita Crazy

Important Dates and Announcements:

October 6th is our last Harvest and Pick-up day for our shareholders.  

Gleaning Week is the second full week of October.  It is the last week that our remaining vegetable plants will be in the field. After the 14th, it will all be turned in and prepped for the winter.  Come and take what you can find (encouraged to come during normal farm hours) before its all gone!  

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The Spring Institute came out to catch a tour and to help out around the farm last Thursday.  They may not share a common language, but they worked beautifully together in clearing out all unwanted plants from our raspberry patch.  They are a true pleasure to have at DeLaney and we always learn something about a different culture each time they visit! More on the Institute:

Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning is a nonprofit, training and consulting organization with a focus on language and culture. We work with people and organizations all over the world, enabling communication and increasing cross-cultural understanding.

For 30 years the Spring Institute has provided language training, direct services, technical assistance, training, and consulting services for individuals, communities, organizations, and corporations regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Photos taken by The Spring Institute's ESL Teacher/Photographer Lena Karabushin.
It is easy to smile when there are hundreds of raspberries to pick around you!

They got an A+ on herb identification! I got a B-

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Many winter squashes have been harvested and their distribution began last week.  I have been making suggestions for cooking these giants the past few posts so if you get stumped, reference those to start!  Today I found a super tasty pumpkin seed recipe and also a quick idea to prepare those unique deligata squashes.

Taco Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

1 Cup seeds from freshly cut pumpkin, washed and dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 

Preparation:

In a skillet, saute pumpkin seeds in oil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer seeds to an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and garlic salt; stir to coat. Spread into a single layer. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crisp. Remove to paper towels to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Garlic Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

3 delicata squash
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Peel delicata squash, slice in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in baking dish, and toss with olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Balsamic Roasted Harvest Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Happy Gardening!

DeLaney

The Pumpkins are Ready (not for launching!)

Important Dates and Announcements:

October 1st is DeLaney's last WIC and shareholder workday.  Shareholders, that means you have just a few days left to add to your work hours.  We would love to see you out there!

October 6th is our last Harvest and Pick-up day for our shareholders.  It will be a nice and strong finish!

Gleaning Week is the second full week of October.  It is the last week that our remaining vegetable plants will be in the field. After the 14th, it will all be turned in and prepped for the winter.  Come and take what you can find (encouraged to come during normal farm hours) before its all gone!  

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Farm News:  So we are taking steps at the farm in order to get it straightened out for winter.  Fields are being cleared and prepped for their cover crop.  We have had tasks like pulling up the irrigation line and chopping down corn fields with machetes (safety first!).  Garlic will be planted soon and more chilly afternoons will settle in.  It has been exciting to see a farm rise and fall right along with the seasons!

Athough the weather is still hanging in the 80's, there will be some great fall vegetables coming your way! I have posted some great pumpkin-related recipes for you to try out!  Also, revert back to last week for a recipe on Butternut & Acorn Squash Soup.  If you are not ready to for the cold weather to come, keep these recipes for later in the year.  

Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage

Ingredients:

1 medium sugar pumpkin (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 shallots (or small red onions), peeled and quartered lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preparation:

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide pumpkin, shallots, oil, and sage between two large rimmed baking sheets; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Roast until pumpkin is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once and rotating sheets halfway through.

This next recipe sounds like a real fun one.  Looks a bit challenging, so get the family and friends involved!  I like it because it looks amazing and uses a fine array of this week's harvest.

Smoky Braised Mexican Pumpkin

Ingredients:

Three to six 1/4-to-1/2- ounce stemmed, dried chipotle chiles, or canned chipotle chiles en adobo
3 large cloves garlic

5 medium (about 8 ounces) tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
2 medium round, or 4 to 5 plum, ripe tomatoes, or one 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound lean, boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (optional)

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sliced Swiss chard
1 teaspoon coarse salt
4 cups peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes fresh pumpkin, preferably from a 1 1/2-pound wedge cut from a tan or green Mexican pumpkin or a 2-pound pie pumpkin

Preparation:

Make the salsa: If using dried chiles, preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chiles and toast, turning frequently and pressing down with a flat spatula, until very aromatic, about 30 seconds. Transfer chiles to a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit until chiles are rehydrated, for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking.

Place garlic and tomatillos in the skillet. Toast, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in some spots, 3 to 4 minutes for the tomatillos and about 5 minutes for the garlic. Transfer garlic, tomatillos, and their juices to the bowl of a food processor or jar of a blender.

Drain chiles, either from the soaking water or their canning liquid, and discard liquid. Add chiles to the tomatillos and process to a fine-textured puree. Set aside.

 
If using fresh tomatoes, place tomatoes on a baking sheet and place baking sheet 4 inches below the preheated broiler. Roast until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes. Turn tomatoes over and roast on the other side, an additional 6 minutes. Let cool, then peel and roughly chop. Transfer tomatoes and any juices to a small bowl; set aside.

In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, if using, and onions; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits of meat with a wooden spoon, until pork is nicely golden, about 10 minutes.

Add reserved salsa, tomatoes, and 3 to 4 tablespoons water; stir to combine. Add Swiss chard and season with salt. To make this dish ahead of time, cover and refrigerate sauce for up to 2 days, then continue cooking as follows.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin evenly in a 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Pour over pork mixture. Cover baking dish with foil and bake until pumpkin is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Dish can be cooled and refrigerated at this point, if desired, then continue cooking as followed when ready to serve.

To continue cooking, uncover dish and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Continue baking until sauce has reduced slightly and top becomes crusty, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

 Pear and Autumn-Vegetable Soup

• Ingredients:
• 2 medium Bartlett pears (8 to 10 ounces each) and 4 small Bartlett pears (about 6 ounces each)
• 1 sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 turnip (about 3 ounces), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• Preparation:
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut 2 medium pears lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pears are dry, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, peel remaining 4 pears; halve lengthwise, and core. Place pears, pumpkin, turnip, sage, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart stockpot. Cover with water (at least 4 cups). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl, reserving broth and discarding sage. Puree solids in a food processor or blender, adding up to 1/2 cup reserved broth as needed.
• Return puree to the pot. Stir in 3 to 4 cups reserved broth to achieve desired consistency. Bring soup to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Serve garnished with dried pears.

Farm-to-table Brunch Recap

Important Dates and Announcements:

October 1st is DeLaney's last WIC and shareholder workday.  That means if you are waiting until the last minute to fulfill your work hours, its on October 1st!

October 6th is our last Harvest and Pick-up day for our shareholders.  Don't put away your canner and preserving kits away just yet.  

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DeLaney Community Farm had quite a wonderful event this past Sunday.  Our first farm to table meal was served on site and catered by Snooze Eatery using all that they could from the fields.  With breakfast tacos on the brain, the Snooze boys used our veggies for salsa, diced up taco filling, an eggplant spread, two different salads and a side of grilled potatoes.   

There was much prep to serve upwards to 70 hungry folks.  A fellow farmer and I had to step up and fill in as sous chefs in order to accommodate the growing crowd!

Green onion for garnish.

Almost ready for the line to be served.

Fresh garden salsa, yum! 

 Folks are showing up to see where the smell is coming from.

 Guests waiting in line to get served a plate full.

Loading those plates up!

Although the eggs were not from the farm, the chives were!

 Looks too good to eat.

 Aaron from Snooze in the zone!

 Admiring the artform.

Could not have been a more beautiful day on the farm.  Folks sat in our picnic benches or...

 ...brought blankets to perch on!

Thanks to everyone who made this event possible and to all of those who showed up and had a great time!

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Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients: 

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 quart chicken broth
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
ground cinnamon to taste (optional)
fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. This may be done in several batches.
Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley, and serve warm.

Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound daikon
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Using a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove outer skin of the daikon and discard. Continue peeling down the length of the daikon, creating long ribbons that look like fettucine noodles. Place daikon noodles in a large bowl and cover with salted water; let soak 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving half the juice in a medium bowl. Squeeze tomatoes with your hands into the bowl of reserved juice; mash to combine. You should have about 2 cups.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain daikon noodles and dry them using a kitchen towel. Gently add noodles to sauce; reduce heat to medium. Cook until noodles are just heated through, about 1 minute. Divide among 3 or 4 serving plates; serve immediately, with cheese, if desired.

DeLaney

A September to Remember

Important Dates and Announcements:

Brunch in the Field at DeLaney Community Farm
Sunday, September 18th, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Join the farmers at Denver Urban Gardens’ DeLaney Community Farm on September 18th, 2011 for Sunday Brunch in the Field, a farm-to-table event featuring food fresh from DeLaney and their Colorado partner farmers. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, will be preparing a delicious breakfast taco bar along with fresh fruit and beverages. Seating is picnic style, so please bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, or whatever you need to be comfortable in the grass. A suggested donation of $30 (per family) secures your spot, but there are only 100 available, so move quickly! Kids are FREE!   

Please spread the word!
Click here to RSVP for Brunch in the Field!  

Hey, our Film on the Farm events are not just for STAFF!  Grab the fam, bring some comforts (food, drink, blankets, frisbee) and have a blast watching "The Never-Ending Story" on the side of the barn!  The last show is September 30th at 6:30pm. 

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Although some fields at DeLaney are being cleared for the winter season, the other fields are still thriving and I poked around the farm the other day with my camera and took some fun pictures:
 Our pumpkins are looking absolutely beautiful and were harvested the other day.  
Sweet corn plants towering 8 feet in the air
Cherry Tomatoes of several varieties, ready to be snacked on
Tiger Tomatoes fresh off the vine
Raspberries are ready to be picked and eaten in mass quanitities
Wildflowers and fresh mountain tree fruit.  A unique and stunning combination
Mobile cabbages ready for shareholder pick-up
The shareholder info board providing imperative information
We have so many tomatoes that we misplace them all of the time...

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Tomorrow's harvest includes beets, carrots, red storage onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, green onion, mizuna asian greens, chard, eggplant, tomatoes (roma, heirloom and cherry), cabbage, parsley, sage and pick your own raspberry, mint, thyme, lavender and stevia!  

Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
until combined and thickened. Add tomatoes, red onion, and parsley; toss to combine all ingredients.

Bugarian Eggplant and Pepper Spread (Kiopoolu)
 
Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb. eggplant
2 md. sized green peppers, roasted, peeled and de-ribbed
1 md. sized firm ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped*
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds, then peel off the skin. Cut out the stems and cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Squeeze the halves to remove the juice and seeds, then coarsely chop the pulp.

Roast the eggplant in the following fashion: Prick it in 3 or 4 places, then impale it on a long handled fork and turn it over a flame until the skin chars and cracks. Or, pierce the eggplant, place it on a baking sheet, and broil it 4 inches from the heat for about 20 minutes, turning it so that it chars on all sides. Wrap the eggplant in a damp towel for 5 minutes, then peel off and discard the skin. Cut the eggplant in half, chop it fine, and mash the pulp to a smooth puree. Similarly, mash the skinned and de-ribbed green peppers.

Combine the eggplant and pepper puree in a deep bowl. Stir in the oil and vinegar a tablespoon at a time, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. Add the chopped tomato, parsley, garlic, salt and a liberal grinding of pepper, and continue to beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate until chilled. 

Happy Gardening!

DeLaney