Seasons come, Seasons go...

Farmer's Markets are wrapping up for the year, furnaces have been turned on for the first time this fall, and winter is threatening to take over soon. This means the end of our season here at Kelso Acres.

We wanted to take some time to thank all of you that have stopped by our tables throughout this past year for all of  your support. Especially those who had CSA shares when it was our first year, and you had no idea what to expect. Also those of you that we have come to know as our "regulars," those smiling faces that would appear week after week to buy items to fill your fridge or freezer every week. Thank you just doesn't seem to cut it!

Ed and I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who took time out of your busy schedules to help us in the garden. Whether it was time spent weeding, getting a sore back harvesting beans, washing our produce or loading it in the coolers so it would be ready for market. THANK YOU so much for all the time you spent helping us, even when we didn't ask for help you did anyways. It is much appreciated, more than you know.

As we look forward toward next year and the next season of markets, you can find the Hohenstein family (Ed and Des) at Back40Acres. Please visit us at www.back40acres.com to see our progress and get updates (even during the cold, blustery winter months). Rumor has it that Ed has made improvements to the greenhouse and has already planted garlic! You can also reach us at back40acres@live.com or check us out on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Back40Acres.

Ed and Des (Pepper and Zero too!)

Recipe of the week: Make-Ahead Vegetarian Moroccan Stew

I absoluetly love sweet potatoes, so when Ed mentioned them to me last week I knew I had to use a recipe for them. (Something other than the typical Thanksgiving side dishes.) I found this wonderful website that I couldn't resist sharing that has all kinds of recipes and ideas for sweet potatoes (among other vegetables)!

http://www.sweetpotatorecipes.net/index.htm

With the cold and blustery day we've had and the leaves starting to turn shades of yellow, red and orange I have begun to crave chili and curry dishes. I know that normally people think of soup and stews, but generally I don't like soup unless it's my Aunt Nancy's split pea or navy bean soup. With that in mind I came across this wonderful recipe for a nice hearty stew using all sorts of fall veggies and unique spices...

MAKE-AHEAD VEGETARIAN MOROCCAN STEW

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cups finely shredded kale
4 (14 ounce) cans organic vegetable broth
2-3 diced fresh tomatoes or 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon honey
4 large carrots, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1 tablespoon water (optional)

Directions

1. Combine cinnamon, cumin, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, turmeric, curry powder, and salt in a large bowl, reserve.
2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion in the butter until soft and just beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the shredded kale and reserved spice mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until kale begins to wilt and spices are fragrant.
3. Pour the vegetable broth into the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, garbanzo beans, dried apricots, and lentils. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer stew for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and lentils are cooked and tender. Season with black pepper to taste. If desired, combine optional cornstarch and water; stir into stew. Simmer until stew has thickened, about 5 minutes.  

Make-Ahead Tip:

If making ahead or freezing, prepare stew through Step 3. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat; remove from heat and cool in the pot or in freezer-safe container. Transfer to the fridge (store for up to 3 days) or freezer. The vegetables store better if not fully-cooked prior to refrigeration or freezing. When ready to eat, (if frozen) thaw in refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, then pour stew into a pot, bring just to a boil, and simmer until heated through

Recipe of the week: Pumpkin Ravioli and Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

With the rapid change in weather and frost on the ground it is beginning to feel more and more like fall which leaves me craving all sorts of yummy baked goods. When I think of fall recipes I think of homemade chili and cornbread, apple pie, chai tea lattes and of course pumpkin anything. Below are two different pumpkin recipes I hope you enjoy.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI

For the Dough:
4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
6 whole eggs
4 tablespoons water
2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

For the Filling:
1 small pumpkin (about 4 pounds), or 2- 15 ounce cans of pumpkin puree*
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cloves
Cinnamon, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste
About 1 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs

For the Sauce:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced
about 10 whole sage leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
grated parmesan, to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or large bowl.
2. Puree the ingredients together until a solid mass is formed, about 1 minute. The dough should not be wet and should be dry enough that it does not stick to the bowl. If it is too wet add some flour.
3. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerator. Let rest for at least one hour.
4. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Rub the cavity with salt and pepper and oil. Place flesh side down on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 1 hour, or until it is soft when punctured with a knife or fork.
5. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and scoop the soft pumpkin meat into a bender or food processor. Puree until no chunks remain. Let cool to room temperature or refrigerate until cold.
6. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree with the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Stir together.
7. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to your liking.
8. Add enough breadcrumbs so that the mixture will hold its shape when scooped onto a flat surface. You may need more breadcrumbs if you made the puree from scratch.
9. Add the eggs and stir well until they are fully incorporated.
10. The filling mixture can now be set aside until you are ready to fill the raviolis. It can also be frozen at this time. It can be help in the freezer for up to 6 months.
11. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pasta dough until it is very thin so that you can almost see through it. Use plenty of flour so it does not stick.
12. Cut the dough into one long rectangle that is about eight inches thick and however long you can make it.
13. Using a one ounce portion scoop or a large spoon, scoop about 1/8 cup onto one side of the strip of dough.
14. Repeat this all the way down the dough placing each scoop about 2 inches apart form each other.
15. Fold the other side of the dough, that does not have filling on it, over the filling. Then using your fingers press around each of the raviolis moving the air out away from the filling.
16. Cut in between each of the lumps of filling creating many squares. Crimp the edges of each ravioli with a fork.
17. At this point the raviolis can be frozen on a cookie sheet. When completely frozen they can be bagged for future use. They will hold about 6 months.
18. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water enough so that it tastes like ocean water.
19. In a saute pan melt the butter with the garlic over medium heat until it is foamy and has a nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Add the sage leaves and let them cook until they are crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat. Be careful not to burn the butter or the garlic.
20. Turn the hot water down to a simmer. Place the raviolis into the salted water and let them cook for about 4 minutes or until the float to the top. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter.
21. Once all the raviolis are cooked top with the butter sauce, garnish with fresh sage and grated parmesan, and serve.

*If using canned pumpkin puree, skip the filling steps 1 & 2. Make sure to purchase pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Then your raviolis would be very sweet! 

GLAZED PUMPKIN COOKIES

For the Cookies:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup pureed cooked pumpkin
1 medium egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Icing:
1/2 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare the cookies: Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add pumpkin and egg and beat well.
3. In a separate large bowl, sift together remaining dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin mixture, beating to blend.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and flatten into cookie shapes. Place on parchment-covered backing sheet and bake until light golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove and cool.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the icing: Combine brown sugar, milk, and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and vanilla until smooth.
6. When cookies are slightly cooled, generously glaze the icing over the tops and allow to cool completely before serving.

Is it fall already?!?

Where did summer go? That is always the first question I ask myself during this time of the year. The nights are getting colder and we are starting to leave windows open; once again feeling that crisp fall air first thing in the morning when I wake up. It is also the time of year when we wonder when the first frost will come and when the harvest season will come to a close. It is the time of year when wonderful scents waft through the house as Ed cans all sorts of salsa, hot sauce, sauerkraut and more! All to be brought with him to the New Ulm Farmer's Market. The best part is being his taste tester!

Since the weather has begun to change, I have been able to see him more at home as things out in the field slow down. It is going to be interesting this winter when I see him all day, everyday instead of maybe for a brief stint in the morning and dinner at night. Harvest still takes us most, if not all day to complete and will begin to come to a close after our first frost...whenever that may be. We are hoping that we can stretch the season into the first part of October, but only Mother Nature knows how long it (harvest) will last. I don't even want to think about how cold it's going to get in just a few short months, so although fall is my favorite time of year it also is the saddest knowing winter is just around the corner.

Recipe of the week: Edamame Lo Mein & Edamame Sautee

Being that this is the first week we have harvested edamame I thought that it would be nice to post some recipes featuring this protein-packed bean. For those who aren't as familar with this vegetable, edamame is a soybean served green and can be eaten whole or separate from the pod. Traditionally it is boiled in water with sea salt (about 2-3 mins), then shucked from the pod and tossed with olive oil.

EDAMAME SAUTEE

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
large bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups shelled edamame
1 can artichoke hearts,sliced
1/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped cured olives

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel and cook, stirring, until starting to soften and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and herbes de Provence; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil until the wine is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in edamame, artichoke hearts and broth; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Serve sprinkled with feta and olives.

EDAMAME LO MEIN

8 ounces spaghetti
2 cups edamame, shelled
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup oyster sauce, or vegetarian “oyster” sauce
1/4 cup rice-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 small red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and edamame and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, whisk scallions, oyster sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add carrots and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pasta and edamame. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is crispy in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sauce and stir to combine.

Preserving the harvest

Things here at Kelso Acres continue to move forward at a rapid pace. This week we have seen an abundance of produce, so I thought it might be time to give out some information on preserving the harvest. One of the things I loved about having such a large garden before we started this business was having fresh (well preserved) vegetables all year without purchasing them from a store. Our freezers would be full of peas, beans, broccoli, corn and the pantry full of tomato sauce, homemade pizza sauce, dehydrated carrots, salsa, dehydrated eggplants and more! One of our favorite resources for finding ways to keep all the wonderful goodies fresh from the garden is a book called Preserving the Harvest. Another great resource is a book on dehydration techniques called Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook. Hopefully you can find some interesting and new ways to stretch the summer harvest throughout our blustery winter here in Minnesota.

Links to both books:
http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Bells-Complete-Dehydrator-Cookbook/dp/0688130240

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=preserving+the+harvest&x=0&y=0

I (Des) have been and will continue to be out of commission for a while so updates on the blog will be fewer and less frequent, but we will continue to try and update everyone with stories from the farm as often as possible.

Grateful for every experience

Wow, this has been a very busy spring and summer, but I decided it is time to take some time out and write a little about our farming adventure so far and to let you all know that the Wiest Family still exists.

Our adventure started last fall when Ed came to us wondering if we knew anyone nearby that could rent some land to him for a farmers market produce business. As Ed told us more about what he wanted to do and how it would work, we began to catch his vision and enthusiasm. We had been praying for God to show us how we could better utilize the resources that we have to provide a larger income for our family and this seemed to be an answer to prayer. So, offering land, equipment, water, customer service, and labor, I joined Ed in this business partnership.

The planting began in February as you've seen earlier in the blog, when we, like Ed, had to build shelves for our living room windows to get the onions started and baby them with sun and water. The kids enjoyed watering and watching the little onions grow into trays of onion smelling grass. Truly, it was very delightful watching all our indoor crops grow and then really take off once they were moved to the greenhouse. Even the cold wet spring with all its challenges didn't dampen our spirits too much as we were finally able to plant and transplant into the soil of our 3 acre gardens. However, the weather did start taking its toll on us as it was the prime cause of the weed take over. As we were battling the weeds and sometimes feeling like we were catching up on it, the harvest and markets began, so in some areas, the weed battle was lost.

Going to market is the highlight of this whole experience for me. I really enjoy displaying our beautiful produce and serving all the wonderful people that come to our tables. Meeting and talking to the other vendors and all the customers at the Farmers Markets has been a great blessing to me and our family. I give a big thank you to all our customers and new friends for all your support and encouragement.

As with most new businesses, this has been more work than we anticipated and has become all consuming this summer. Even with Ed's expertise, we have not been able to keep up with all that needs to be done. My children, Matthew, Luke, Jonathan, Courtney, and Gabrielle, have had to put in many more hours of work each week than I ever wanted them to do, and Ed and I have as well. At this point, harvesting is in full force and we can hardly keep up with it all. Beans are the biggest time gulper. Luke told me the other day, as we were yet again picking beans, that he wished it would hail right over all the bean plants so we wouldn't have to pick anymore.

As the months have progressed, I have seen a wonderful work ethic developing in our children. I am so very proud of them. They have pushed through in cold, rain, bugs galore, heat, sunburn, and humidity to help everyday out in the gardens or pick up the slack around the house when Lyle and I can't. Even the youngest at seven years old has been a big help. They are also a huge help with the markets, helping with the loading and unloading, setting up and selling, giving change, and interacting delightfully with all our customers.

I have to give a great big Thank You to Ed's parents, Bill and Joanne, for all their help with weeding and harvesting. We are truly grateful. We have enjoyed getting to know them and spending time with them out in the gardens or washing produce at the house. Thank you Des, for helping with the recipes and pictures, and of course the New Ulm Farmers Market.

I have gained an incredible wealth of information and experience throughout this journey and it has been a great character building adventure for our whole family.

May God Bless you all,
Valerie