Cooking the Box: Week 12

Here we are at Week 12. As I walked out to the packing shed this morning at 2:30am, I quickly turned back around to grab a heavier sweatshirt. Now, I’m definitely not going to complain as cool fall mornings are my favorite times of the year, but it was definitely a little shock to the system. As I walked into the shed, the smell of fennel permeated the entire building, another sign that fall is slowly creeping up on us all. The last sign that fall is arriving is the pile of pumpkin, squash, and straw bale orders that line our office walls at the moment, waiting for the harvest to begin. By the end of the week, our parking lot at the farm will no longer be a parking lot, but the staging ground for pumpkins, squash, and so many other fall items.

 

The share this week is a collision of summer and fall. Summer in the terms of tomatoes, sweet corn, and cantaloupe. Fall with the appearance of leeks, potatoes, and fennel. Let’s dive in and check out a few ideas for the contents in your share this week.

 

Sweet Corn: With the cooler weather, I have become a big fan of cutting the corn off the cob and turning it into a chowder or soup. Potato and Sweet Corn Chowder is a fairly quick and easy way to enjoy this summertime treat on a cool fall day.

 

Potatoes: The opportunities for potatoes are endless. You can use them in a variety of ways, but I’d highly recommend trying this Potato & Leek Soup or this Potato and Sweet Corn Chowder. Both are delicious and can easily be enjoyed throughout the week for lunches or a quick dinner.

 

Leeks: Mild in flavor, leeks are great for adding to soups or stir-fries. Although they have been washed, give them a good wash as they are pulled from the ground and some sand can get stuck between the layers. If soup isn’t on your agenda this week, some sauteed leeks and potatoes is a great side dish for any meal.

 

Fennel: The perfect addition to a pork roast this week! Chop the fennel with some onions and toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook the vegetable mixture at about 425 for 20 minutes or so. Add a pork tenderloin and cook at 375 until the tenderloin is done, about 40 minutes or so depending on the size. Mix a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar together and drizzle over the pork roast, fennel and onions for a fabulous dinner that is super easy to throw together on a busy night.

 

Lettuce: A nice mix of red and green lettuce, perfect for your weekly salads. Remember, fresh lettuce has a much longer shelf life than store bought lettuce, so don’t feel rushed to use it all within a day. Wash, dry, and store in the fridge so you can throw together some fresh salads for lunches or dinners throughout the week.

 

Yellow Tomatoes: A couple of yellow tomatoes for everyone. Some of the tomatoes may need to sit on the counter for a day or two to finish ripening, but these tomatoes are full of flavor, but have less acid than a regular red slicing tomato. Perfect for sandwiches or salads throughout the week.

 

Chesnut Crab Apples: The absolute perfect snack! Sweet and crunchy, these apples are full of flavor for being small in size.

 

Infinite Gold Cantaloupe: Another week, another melon! A great tip to know if the melon is ripe is to smell the end where the melon was connected to the vine. If it smells sweet, it is ready to eat. If it doesn’t smell too much, let it sit on the counter for a day or two to ripen a bit more. I don’t do anything fancy with my melons except cut and serve either alone or with a helping of cottage cheese.

 

Jicama: A great afternoon snack! These are going to be a bit dirty, so just give them a good wash in the sink. You will want to peel these and then slice into pieces. Jicama is slightly sweet and crunchy, making it a great addition to a veggie tray or I like to grab it as an afternoon snack as I’m trying to finish up work for the day.

 

Shallots: Add shallots to anything you might add onions to. Such a mild flavor, but one that is delicious! I added some shallots to the onions and pork tenderloin I made last night and they were fantastic.

 

There you have it, week number 12! 5 weeks to go after today, but so many items left to include. I spent some time yesterday mapping out the upcoming shares and boy do we have some great items left to go.

 

Have a fantastic week,

 

Jenna