1st week of November 2008
The greenhouse put on it's plastic "pajamas" for the winter this week and other cold frames are being put into place. My collection of white plastic barrels increased and some are still waiting to be cut in half to cover short rows of spinach and other greens. I sprinkled lettuce seed in a few empty corners of the greenhouse to hopefully get started for next spring's early crop. Celery is being harvested and chopped for the freezer for a convenient addition to winter soups. Cabbages are being made into sauerkraut that will lacto ferment at room temperature for three days before being stored in the fridge. I also tried a new concoction this year - Dr. Shultz's anti-plague remedy. I chopped up equal parts of garlic, onions, chili peppers, horseradish, and ginger root and filled the jar with raw vinegar. It is supposed to infuse for two weeks with daily shaking before being strained and then can be used to knock out any cold, flu, cough, etc. My children are quite determined that none of them will be getting sick this winter so they won't have to experience mom's new tonic!
Another fall crop we have in abundance is Jerusalem artichokes. Unfortunately, my family is not crazy over them. I tried cooking them with potatoes but their strong flavor makes them stand out a bit too much. This week I found a way to serve them that everyone liked and they were even taking seconds. I chopped up Chinese cabbage, shredded the Jerusalem artichokes raw, added some purple cabbage and carrots for color and tossed it with a vinagrette to make a unique cole slaw that we named Jersusalem slaw. I can keep them in the ground over the winter and dig them as I need them. They are an easy perennial crop that I remember my grandma growing and I hope to find more ways to fix them that find approval.
Last week I had the opportunity to talk about local foods and farming to an environmental science class at Wooster High School. I took along a basket full of fall crops and made sure I included plenty of unique items like blue potatoes, mouse melons and purple carrots. Plus I gave them a fun quiz seeing if they could identify a praying mantis egg case, know if brown eggs are healthier than white eggs and identify the ingredients of margarine. The class of twenty-two students was very attentive and asked some good questions - from whether I spent my whole day cooking to the details about how we butcher chickens. Most of the students were seniors and hopefully the unit they are studying on agriculture will give them good food for thought as they prepare to make food choices on their own.
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