Week 13: Thanks Belinda!

Belinda Mattfolk does many awesome things. Like making music and happy ponies.

She also trades art for vegetables.

You may have seen some of the photos she took of us at the farm earlier this summer when I posted them on facebook. If not, here is a peek:

My favorite from the summer shoot. When I have some time this winter
I plan to get this one all over the website.

Seda can't stay away from the lens. Really. My daughter is a diva.

We are missing Hailey the intern's hands now that she is back at school
for the year! We also miss the tender greens of early summer.

Walking the pea line.

She was back last Friday to do a bit of documenting while we dug potatoes (and to attempt to get a picture of me with my eyes open). I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

Even more exciting is the logo she is designing for Wintergreen Foods. She has been most patient with my vaguely specific requests (I'm pretty sure I asked her to create something with crayola jewel tones and a line engraving kind of feel. What does that even mean?) and the image she is putting together is beautiful. When you notice our products pop up in stores around town this fall, you can thank Belinda that they caught your eye.

Until then, enjoy your CSA share. It will include: Tomatoes, Potatoes, Spaghetti Squash, Apples, Carrots, Kale or Chard or Collards, Kohlrabi or Savoy Cabbage, and Watermelon or Muskmelon.

The melons made a valiant effort this cold year, and we made a valiant effort to harvest them at their peak. However, the muskmelons never actually seemed to peak this year. Like the watermelons, they are good, but not perfection. Perhaps next year will offer one of those elusive perfect U.P. melon years. 

I can't complain too much though. What the U.P. lacks in melon weather is made up sixfold in apple bounty.

I believe I have mentioned before that kohlrabi loves apples. As in this kohlrabi apple salad recipe I posted last year during summer kohlrabi season. But right now we are talking fall kohlrabi. It can be eaten raw (especially this year, the cold wet weather is kind to kohlrabi) but it really shines when it is cooked. Even in desserts.

Kohlrabi Apple Crisp

• 6 small to medium apples, or 4 large apples
• 1 large kohlrabi (or half of a truly gigantic one)
• 1 Tablespoon sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 cup salted butter (or unsalted butter plus a pinch salt), melted
• 1/4 maple syrup
• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Core the apples and slice them thinly (1/4 inch or less). Peel the kohlrabi (I never recommend peeling things, so you know you should definitely peel this.) and slice it slightly thinner than the apple. 

Place a single layer of kohlrabi slices in a large baking dish. Cover that with a layer of apple slices. Sprinkle about a third of the cinnamon and sugar over the apples. Continue making layers, sprinkling 1/3 of the cinnamon and sugar over the apples, until you have three layers. Be sure to have an apple layer on top, the kohlrabi will dry out too much if it is on top during baking.

Combine the melted butter and maple syrup. Add the oats and stir until they are moist. Stir in the flour, adding it in portions until the mixture has just become dry and crumbly (This might take slightly more or less than 3/4 of a cup of flour for you. Don't worry, it's pretty hard to get crumb topping wrong).

Sprinkle the topping over the final layer of apples, so things look like this:

Bake for 50 minutes, or until the kohlrabi and apple are tender.