Harvest Moon Potatoes

We had this variety of potato back in August, but those were still ‘new potatoes’. Since then, these potatoes have gone through a curing process that improves their storability. They’re still deeply purple on the inside, but as the skin has cured, the outside is a little more brown looking.

Candy Onions

This would be the sixth time that we’ve had onions in the shares, which sounds like a sweet deal to me. Onions being the chief among the allium family (garlic, leek, etc.), they are pretty much foundational to all cuisines and have been prized by humans for thousands of years.

Red Radishes

We grilled some radishes whole the other night. It worked out better than I expected, with the outside taking on a nice char while the inside soften and sweetened without getting mushy.

Supersweet Bolero Carrots

‘Supersweet’ is the descriptor that Nichols attached to these carrots, and they live up to the name. We’ve stopped peeling carrots when we cook with them. I find it doesn’t make much of difference besides taking time, and when roasting the skin tends to crisp up nicely.

Jonagold Apples

Jonagolds are a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon bred at the New York State Experimental Station. A little less tart than the Jonathan, its similarly sweet but comes off a little flatter.

Winecrisp Apples

Winecrisps are typically regarded for their complex flavor. Along with a crisp texture and nice sweet/acid balance, they’re extremly versatile; nice for eating fresh as well as in cooking applications.

Red Kabocha Squash

Kabocha squash are popular in Japan. In Japan though, ‘kabocha’ is used to refer to this squash, pumpkin, and other winter squashes. They’re extremely sweet with a nice firm texture. We have used them in place of pumpkin for pumpkin pies before to great success.

Fall Crop Rainbow Carrots

Fall crop meaning that they have been freshly dug. These ones are a some hunkers, and some are little funny looking (but definitely taste great). They’re pretty different than the ones we had just earlier this week that were skinny ones (still rainbow).

Russian Banana Fingerling Potatoes

We had these back in share 9, but those were still ‘new.’ Since then these potatoes have gone through a curing process that improves their storability. You’ll notice that these have a somewhat thicker skin then before (but not so unpleasant that requires peeling).

Fall Lettuce

With all the greens in the shares this week, salads are definitely in our futures. Use the vinaigrette from this recipe for a quick dressing that would work with this lettuce or the with the arugula (or maybe both mixed?!).

Fall Crop Rainbow Carrots

Fall crop meaning that they have been freshly dug. I’d call these pencil carrots, and think they would be fun roasted whole. I’d do ~420F for ~10mins so you can crisp up the skins a bit without over cooking the carrots; hot and fast.

Italian Garlic

This garlic is not too spicy but has a prominent aroma.

Kale

Sautéing kale is usually our go-to for cooking it (typically along with other veggies) but it can do well as a salad green. Because it can be a little tougher than other greens, ‘massaging’ it beforehand can help soften the bite. Simply chop the kale, add some oil and salt, and get in there with […]

Celery Root

Also called celeriac, celery root is a favorite of ours. It’s from the base of the plant that celery shoots up out of the ground from. We’ve cleaned them up to the point that all they need is a quick easy peel and they’re good to chop. They have a deeply celery flavor but a […]

Honeycrisp Apples

Honeycrisp, a prized apple bred for taste, was developed by the University of Minnesota and released in 1991. They are a mix of green and blush-red and are sweet, tart, and fragrant.

Red of Florence Onions

These are also known as Tropea onions. Another reappearance as we had them in the fourth share of the season. Their long shape makes them pretty easy to cut, and they have a prominent flavor almost similar to shallot.

Red Beets

From On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee: “People have eaten this plant since prehistory, initially its leaves, then the underground part of specialized varieties. In Greek times beet roots were long, either white or red, and sweet; Theophrastus reported around 300 BCE that they were pleasant enough to eat raw. The fat red type is first depicted […]

Bell Peppers

We had bell peppers in the last share, and I mentioned that it would likely be the last of the season. I am much more confidence that these are finally the last. Bell peppers have been the one variety of peppers that Nichols was able to salvage this year as the rest of the varieties […]

Eggplant

Eggplant is part of the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, and even tobacco). Interestingly though, it’s the only nightshade to have been domesticated in the outside of the Americas.

Honeygold Apples

Developed by the University of Minnesota, honeygolds were breed to be an alternative to Golden Delicious that is suitable for colder climates. They have  yellow to golden red skins with creamy flesh that has subtle notes of pear.

Melrose Apples

When writing these blurbs, I usually do a bit of research. One of my favorite resources for apple varieties has become this website, Apple Rankings. Created by comedian, Brian Frange, the reviews are some of the most entertaining out there.

Acorn Squash

Winter squash are members of the squash family (cucumber, melon, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.). They have a tough dry skin, and are more starchy than summer squash or melon making them great a storage crop. They were domesticated in the Americas ~5000 BCE and can be used in a number of sweet or savory applications: custards, […]

Easter Egg Radishes

We love radishes, but know they aren’t for everyone. The french thing to do is to eat them raw with a liberal smear of butter (so tasty). If you don’t like radishes, try roasting or sautéing them until soft and translucent (but not too long). The spiciness mellows and allows their sweetness to shine.

Baby Field-Grown Arugula

The peppery bite of arugula is intoxicating.  We love it in salads with a tart dressing and a little bit of shaved hard cheese. It can be a little strong for some people though. A quick sauté will mellow it out. All you need to add is some onion or garlic.

“Baby” Rainbow Carrots

A mix of different colored carrots. There’s orange, ruby, yellow, and (going from outside in) purple-yellow-orange carrots. All very tasty.

Acorn Squash

Another squash for the centerpiece (or for noshing). 

Honeynut Squash

This variety of winter squash was bred at Cornell University and made famous by Dan Barber (chef/author of Blue Hill and The Third Plate). It’s like a butternut squash, but just concentrated down into a smaller package. Super sweet and with a deep squash flavor, they don’t need much more than a simple roast. And […]

Mutsu and SnowSweet Apples

Mutsu apples are a golden delicious cultivar, first grown in Japan. In Japan, there are three kinds typically available: Sun, Red, and Silver. Each kind differ in color based on how much sunlight they receive. These from Nichols are a pale yellow-green with red blush, almost a mix of three varieties. SnowSweets are a University […]

Russian Blue Potatoes

The same variety of blue potatoes that we saw earlier in the season. A casserole or au gratin with these might make a fun Halloween dish. 

Redbor Dutch Kale

We saw red kale earlier in the season, but that was a different variety. This Redbor kale is thoroughly red (purple) with not even a peek of green.

Brussels Sprouts

The sprouts are starting to get larger further into the season. If you’re looking for something different, try making a slaw, thinly slicing the brussels sprouts in place of cabbage.

Peruvian Yellow Ginger

Fresh ginger isn’t something you’ve likely seen at the grocery store. It doesn’t have the brown papery skin typical to cured ginger. This makes it easy to peel, simply scrap off with a spoon.

Idared

Idareds are a cross between Jonathan and Wagener apples, first grown in 1791. Small in size they have a nice sweet-tart balance and hold up well when baked.

Arkansas Black

With dark crimson-red skin, Arkansas Blacks are rather large apples. They have a thicker skin and are very firm. Through storage, the color will deepen and the flavor sweeten so do not rush to eat these.

Ludacrisp

Bred by the Midwest Apple Improvement Association , Ludacrisps have a medium size with rose gold colored skin. They are tart and their flavor is tropical-fruity, almost reminiscent of Juicy Fruit gum.

Jonathan and Jonagold Apples

Jonathans are an old school apple. The origin story for it is a bit misty, but they’ve been around since at least the early 1800’s. With a relatively thicker skin, Jonathans have a nice sweet tart balance mild aromatics. Jonagolds are a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon bred at the New York State Experimental […]

Beauregard Sweet Potatoes

Beauregards have brick-orange skin with deep orange creamy flesh. Nichols has had one of their best Sweet Potato seasons, harvesting nearly 30,000 lbs. Sweet potatoes are first cured at 85F for 10 days, then they can be held at 60F for nearly the entire winter. The simplest way to enjoy these is by baking whole […]

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Potatoes for potato season. Yukons are a solid all-purpose potato. Use for any of your potato needs.

Red Cabbage

Earlier in the season I mentioned that receiving cabbages in shares is always nice as a rainy-day item. It will keep in the refrigerator for months, and you can always just cut a portion off the head to use, and put the rest back in the refrigerator for later (in a unsealed plastic bag). I’ll […]

Candy Onion

We’re at the point in the season that these onions were just about fully cured to the point that they could have been kept in the pantry…..however I trimmed them a bit. In an effort to trim the roots and remove some of the dirtier outer layers of skin I’ve exposed the less fully cured […]

Astro Arugula

I love how peppery this arugula is. On a sandwich, in an omelet, or as a simple salad, it is delightful. If you don’t like the spicy zesty-ness of raw radish, you might not like raw arugula as much. In that case, try roughly chopping and sautéing it with some leek. I’m a little torn […]

Greenhouse Celery

In the last share you all got celery root, now here is some celery. Greenhouse grown celery is usually a little nicer than field celery for eating as less exposure to sunlight means less chlorophyll development and a less bitter celery.

Leek

Nichols referred to this a ‘Biker’ Leek, and in my due diligence, I typically research any particularly named variety. In that effort, I occasionally come across some pretty fun descriptions/reviews. Here is one from seedway.com on biker leeks: This summer leek features a very straight long shaft and remarkably erect leaves that make it easy to […]

Italian Eggplant

The last eggplant of the season, these are some nice smaller ones.

Honey Crisp and 20 Ounce Apples

We received honey crisps a couple of shares back, but we won’t complain. 20 Ounce Apples are named such because they can grow to be monstrously big. With a nice level of tartness and flavor similar to Granny Smiths, 20 Ounce Apples first appeared in 1843, supposedly discovered natively growing in upstate New York.

Delicata Squash

These are some of the biggest delicatas we’ve ever seen. With a thin edible skin, you often see them sliced and roasted as pretty rings. Being so big, these would do well cubed and roasted (or anyway you’d do any other winter squash).

Bayou Belle and Covington Sweet Potatoes

In order to store well, sweet potatoes are cured after harvest. After spending 10 days at 85-90 degrees, the sweet potatoes will keep at 60 degrees until spring, which is good because Nichols Farm harvested over 30,000lbs (!!) this season. The Bayou Belles are the purplish-red, ones, while the Covingtons have brick orange skin.

Leek

A lot of leek to close out the season, but we like that though. Besides cleaning leeks (but that’s what you have Gard Mo for), they’re easy to use and add a nice mellow oniony-ness to any dish.

Baby Bok Choi

The smaller leaves of baby bok choi makes it nice for use whole, either quickly boiled, steamed, or roasted. Or just chop it and add to a veggie stir fry.

Brussels Sprouts

The sprouts are starting to get larger further into the season. If you’re looking for something different, try making a slaw, thinly slicing the brussels sprouts in place of cabbage.

Greenhouse Celery

Celery is often described as having no flavor, but that’s just not true. It has a very distinctive flavor that most people would recognize as celery, but it’s just subtle. That aroma is due to less common compounds called phthalides in combination with the ever-common terpenes (piney, citrus, etc.).

Red Onion

Similar to last share, I trimmed these a bit to remove the roots and the dirtier outer layers of skin, but that exposed the less fully-cured layers so store these in the crisper box in the refrigerator and they will last quite a while.

Purple Daikon Radish

These are some large radishes. You’ll often see daikons pickled in Korean cuisine, and these would be very pretty prepared that way. Otherwise, they do well roasted or sautéed.

Parsley

Parsley can be polarizing, but I promise this flat leaf Italian parsley is much nicer than the curly parsley that finds its way onto plates. Throw into any dish for a bit of brightness.

Corn Cob Stock

You could call this ‘essence of corn’. As we cut all the corn off the cob for you all throughout the season, we held on to the cobs so that we could make this corn cob stock. The flavor is intense and pretty sweet, so consider diluting with some water to use. Corn Cob Stock […]

Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

These cherry tomatoes actually came from my Dad’s garden in Geneva, IL. He planted some cherry tomatoes a few years back, and now they just come back every year and are without a doubt the most productive tomato plants I’ve ever seen.  We pickled them with sherry vinegar and dill seed. Toss in a salad, […]

Empire and Rome Apples

We’ve got a little bit of theme with the apples this share, so if you haven’t thought about the Roman Empire recently, you’re welcome. Empire Apples are named so because they developed at Cornell University. A cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. Aromatic with nice sweet/tart balance, Empires are great snacking apples. Rome Apples are […]

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti Squash is named such because of the way the the flesh breaks apart when cooked. You’ll often see it in recipes replacing pasta but I think it stands alone pretty well with just some butter. Roasted is a sure-fire way to cook it, but if you’re in a rush microwaving it works as well […]

Leek

We really like leek because of how easy it is to use. We cut it down to manageable size pieces so all that you have to do is give it a quick slice and throw in with whatever other veggies you’re cooking.

Fall Spinach

Spinach in the shares this week was a happy accident of the whacky weather recently. We had initially planed for some bok choi, but the cold weather this week killed off the tender crops at the farm. However, hardy crops like spinach, actually get sweeter as the cold nights set in so we get to […]

Candy Onion

We’re at the point in the season that these onions were just about fully cured to the point that they could have been kept in the pantry…..however I trimmed them a bit. In an effort to trim the roots and remove some of the dirtier outer layers of skin I’ve exposed the less fully cured […]

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are one of the more time consuming things for us to prep. We trim the woody ends, and remove the outer dark green leaves. We do that for two reasons. One is that there is often some bad leaves just under those couple tops leaves, and without going through them all you end […]

Greenhouse Celery

Celery is often described as having no flavor, but that’s just not true. It has a very distinctive flavor that most people would recognize as celery, but it’s just subtle. That aroma is due to less common compounds called phthalides in combination with the ever-common terpenes (piney, citrus, etc.).

Celery Leaf

A while back, we mentioned that we we’re including celery leaves in the share. But I (Ben), in a let’s-get-this-done stupor, put all of those leaves into the freezer forgetting that we promised them to you all. Well here are some from the celery in the share this week. Add as a garnish to about […]

Japanese Sweet Potatoes

Japanese sweet potato from the outside look like the Carolina Rubies that we had a few shares back, but their flesh is a pale white. Fluffy, and sweet these are pretty tasty just baked, or use anywhere you would any other sweet potato.