2 October 2008

Arugula, Shell beans, Garlic, Lettuce, Mizuna, Onion, Peppers, Hot peppers, Potatoes, Radicchio or escarole, Shallots, Tomatoes

         I would love to tell you all about how exactly to deal with those odd, seedy red beans or why I have included a couple of bunches of weeds in your share, but I am afraid I just don’t have time for that.  I must instead address an issue of some considerable urgency.  I cannot put it off or another week, but must bring it to your immediate attention.

            I am talking, of course, about the annual pie contest, which as you are all no doubt aware takes place this Sunday on the farm.  Obviously, none of you have actually made a pie yet.  Pies don’t keep well.  You are not going to win with a two day old entry.  But I feel sure that you have been giving your pie considerable thought.  You have been sifting through recipes, contemplating exciting new fruit combinations, going over in your mind just which subtle refinement will create the perfect flaky crust. 

I don’t mean to complicate this creative process, but I thought I should point out that while this is a pie contest, it is not necessarily a dessert pie contest.  Nobody has yet entered anything but a fruit pie (with apple, pumpkin and three berry winning).  But there’s no reason you could not.  For the purposes of the contest, a pie is a filling in a crust.  So you could enter a quiche or a tomato onion tart or even a spicy beef empanada. 

A greater range of pies would certainly provide the judges with a greater challenge.  It is far easier to assess the relative merits of two apple pies than of a lemon meringue pie and bacon leek quiche.  But please don’t limit your pie imagination for our sake.  Trust me, no matter what you bake, we will judge it. 

And oh yes, there’s also a fall open house the same day as the pie contest.  It is a chance for you to look around the fields, help pick potatoes or clean onions, meet the farm crew and other CSA members, share a potluck dinner and eat some pies.  We would love to see lots of you here on what’s forecast to be a lovely autumn day, and not just because we could use some help with the potatoes and onions.  We like to meet the people we grow this food for, to hear about what you do with it, to show you where it comes from, to answer your questions about it, to get your suggestions.  So we hope you will take this chance to visit the farm.  The farm tasks and tours start at 3 pm, with the potluck dinner around 6.  I would recommend warm clothes and sturdy footwear.

For those of you who cannot wait to come out to farm to learn about those beans, they are shell beans, more or less the fresh equivalent of dry beans.  Take the beans out of the pods and boil them for about 30 minutes until soft.  You can eat them hot or cold (they would be excellent in a salad with the weeds—arugula and mizuna—and a lemon garlic dressing, perhaps with a little shaved parmesan).