notes about October 2008

Start Celebrating Fall

Cooler weather brings on the finest flavours and textures in leafy greens.  This is best exemplified by our famous Baby Salad Greens.  Until the heavy frosts arrive, we will have steady supplies of salad quality Mixed Arugulas, Hot Mizuna, Purple Mizuna and Mixed Asian Greens.  Equally prime, but more suited for cooking are our popular Fordhook Mustard, Mixed Spinaches (Bloomsdale and Bordeaux), creamy rich and visually appealing Rainbow of Chards, and fine sweet Mixed Kales.  Get them on your menus now because after heavy frosts come (usually sometime in November), they are finished.

   In addition to leafy greens, we now have the best tasting and most tender Baby Fennel Bulbs, luscious Baby Summer Leeks, delightfully useful Garlic Scapes, succulent Tulip Chives, refreshing, and spicy green Radish Pods.  Another fall treat are pineapply sweet Husk Cherries, wild blueberry-like Huckleberries, deep burgundy Elderberries.

For the past two years we have been trialing a number of heirloom squash.  These have withstood the test of time.  First they need to taste great which comes from the variety’s own genetics and respond well to our healthy soil.  Then they need to grow quickly enough and be reasonably resistant to pests in our northern climate.  Finally they need to be reasonably productive and have a reasonably long shelf-life in our climate controlled squash storage room.  There are some amazing choices available from Seed Saver organizations.  We have selected some of our favourites to bring to you:

·                Gold Nuggets (½- 1 lb) are charming orange orbs with pleasantly flavoured dry flesh making them perfect for filling with a soup or stuffing; or as a single wedge in a fall presentation.

·                Pottimorron (3-5 lb) are the famous French tear-drop squash meaning “chestnut pumpkin”.  They definitely exhibit a wonderful rich and sweet chestnut flavour and aroma.

·                Baby Hubbard (2-3 lb) with a baby blue skin has all the famous resonant flavour of its behemoth big brother, but in a more convenient size.

·                Galeux d’Eysines (15-20 lb) has a distinctively warty pink skin.  Inside is a semi-moist pale orange flesh with a mild but wonderfully lingering enchanting flavour.

·                Shishigatani (4-6 lb) is a unique treasure from Japan.  The dark green skin looks as though it has a tight belt.  Inside is a nearly white flakey flesh reminiscent of the finest baked potato.

·                Melonette (2-3 lb) has beautiful smooth yellow skin and gorgeous yellow flesh.  Cooked, its flavour is pleasantly creamy, sweet and moist – reminiscent of a summer melon.  This is the one for custardy pies.

·                Sucrene du Berry (2-3 lb) is a green and tan pear shaped squash with moist, somewhat stringy flesh and a tantalizing flavour with agreeable tropical fruit notes.

·                Cinderella (15-20 lb) is the story-book pumpkin which best serves as a delightful long-lasting table decoration.