Tag: Iowa Sustainable Farm

Dried Shiitakes | Iowa Herbalist

Jupiter Ridge 2019 CSA | Week 18

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Greetings CSA Members! Hope you are all doing a good job staying warm!

We’ll get right to it. Here’s what you can expect in your CSA delivery this week:

  • Dried Shiitake Mushrooms New!
  • Fingerling Potatoes
  • Bonbon Buttercup Squash New!
  • White Daikon Radishes New!
  • Parsnips
  • Baby Orange Carrots
  • Rutabagas
  • Garlic
  • Parsley
  • Yellow Storage Onion
  • Red Onions
  • Dried Basil New!

Again, a bit of a wintry lineup with plenty of roasty, toasty, tasty root vegetables!

And, since we have them on hand, we couldn’t resist getting our members one last taste of shiitakes before the end of the CSA season (and to your benefit: since they’re dehydrated, you can hang onto them for as long as you like, even for a special occasion later in winter!)

Dried Shiitakes | Jupiter Ridge Farm

We’re also excited to share a delicious new squash variety with you this week: a bonbon buttercup squash. This type has very smooth, fine-grained yellow flesh, quite a bit like a paler butternut, and is quite sweet. We hope you enjoy it.

And we’ll also be getting you a little taste of the summer we’ve preserved over the past couple months: dried basil! Make it last over the winter on pastas, on pizzas, or anything else you may want to try it with over the cold months!

And we have another new item for you…

White Daikon Radishes | Explanation and Tips

You’ve gotten purple daikons in your CSA so far this year…but you have yet to experience our white (or icicle type) daikon radishes!

White Daikon Radish | Jupiter Ridge Farm

Not all of them are nearly as large as the one pictured, but this can give you a good idea of how large these root vegetables can get.

So, how do you use them? You can use them a lot like all the other winter radishes and similar root vegetables you’ve received in past shares. These have a slightly lighter and crunchier texture than purple daikons, and for that reason, these guys are a great addition to short-term frying preparations: like Asian stir fries for example, a a popular dish that you’ll find these daikons in.

Again, like our other winter radish crops, slicing them raw for salads adds a bit of interesting spice, while roasting them up makes them as mild and tame as a turnip. As you can probably tell, the name “icicle” for these types of radishes refers to their very long and pointed shape. When eaten raw, their flavor is anything but cold or cool…these daikons can be spicy!

Over the years working at various organic farms around the country and growing these, they seem to be a popular addition to homemade juices (you know, of the ilk for “juice fasts” and that require a juicer). They’re crispy flesh and spiciness is a great addition to fruit and vegetable blends; some have claimed daikon radishes are great for the liver, though I don’t have any knowledge or sources to personally back that up. (They’re probably mildly detoxifying to some extent, at least, like a lot of veggies…)

Are you familiar with white daikons and have recipes to share? We’d love to hear them!

Feel free to email us your own recipes and ideas – we’ll happily credit you and share them. | jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com

Dehydrated Shiitakes | Jupiter Ridge Farm

That about wraps it up for the second to last week of CSA, leading up to Thanksgiving! It seems like our CSA season really has gone by fast.

It’s our pleasure to bring you these goodies leading up to the holiday. And don’t forget: on the very last CSA delivery next weekend, we’ll be delivering you a DOUBLE share, straight to your doorstep, and with tons of good stuff!

Until next time!

Warmest Regards,
Adrian & Will | Jupiter Ridge Farm

Parsnips | Iowa Herbalist

Jupiter Ridge 2019 CSA | Week 16

Adrian WhiteLeave a comment
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Hello CSA Members!

This recent cold and snow (and even the colder temps in this week’s forecast) have got us thinking that winter’s here a little early! Wouldn’t you agree?

Though fall always feels like it goes by too quickly, we look forward to the rest and recuperation that the snowy winter affords us…even when it comes a little sooner than we think.

Here’s to a few more warmer days before winter hits us in full swing, and to lots more delicious vegetables to enjoy for the last few weeks of CSA. Cold or not, we’ve still got plenty in store for you….

Here’s what to expect this week:

  • Parsnips New!
  • Purple Daikon Radishes
  • Mushrooms (Shiitakes, Oysters, or Mix of Both – May Included Dehydrated Shiitakes)
  • Kale
  • Carrots
  • Carnival Squash
  • Green Peppers
  • Parsley
  • Red Onion
  • Sweet Onion
  • Garlic
About New CSA Item This Week: Parsnips!

We’re sure you’re probably at least a little familiar with parsnips, so we won’t spend too much time talking about them…but they’re sure worth touching on at least just a little bit.

Sliced Parsnips | Jupiter Ridge Farm

Clearly reminiscent relatives of carrots at first glance, you’ll have the opportunity to compare and contrast carrots with parsnips, since you’ll be getting both in your share.

Carrots are crisper, crunchier, and sweeter (especially the ones we’re sending out to CSA this time of year!). That’s not to say that parsnips aren’t also sweet, they’re just heartier in texture and more “aromatic” in taste.

Carrots can be an enjoyable snack raw, parsnips not so much (though to each their own, of course – I don’t mind munching in a raw parsnip, it’s pretty good). But still, parsnips love to be cooked. They’re right at home in most fall or winter soups or stews that would call for carrots, and could even replace carrots in most of these (though they would go great together in these dishes, too).

In my opinion (and from our collective experience, both Will and I, with cooking parsnips over the years), parsnips don’t just love being cooked – they also love seasonings and spice. If you taste a parsnip for that matter, you’ll notice how they have a low-key aromatic flavor that’s almost built right into them.

Parsnips | Jupiter Ridge Farm
This year’s parsnip harvest.

For this reason, spice them up! Especially for this time of year, parsnips go extremely well with classic fall seasonings. According to the Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, parsnips go great with chives, cream, garlic, ginger, maple syrup, nutmeg, parsley, sage, thyme, and many other ingredients. One of our farmer friends once prepared a pureed parsnip soup that featured cardamom – it was absolutely delicious, and I recommend using the spice with parsnip all the time.

Other great pairings with parsnips: butter, other root vegetables (especially turnips!), and apples. Yum…just, yum.

So, if you have any further questions about parsnips and what you can do with them, please let us know. Likewise, don’t be shy to share your recipes with us! | jupiterridgefarm@gmail.com

We hope you enjoy what this week’s delivery brings, parsnips and all.

Yours,
Adrian & Will | Jupiter Ridge Farm