Kate's Garden & CSA

I guess all good things must come to an end, although I wasn't expecting the season to end so quickly! The weatherman is predicting a freeze this Wednesday evening, so I have been madly trying to get everything I can out of the gardens. This coincides with your last share day this Thursday, so it's okay.

There are bucket-loads of all of the peppers and eggplants for you, so why not take advantage of the bounty and use some of the recipes that I have been posting to preserve the harvest. The roasted pepper ketchup is delicious, and quite easy to make. If you want to make quick work of roasting or blackening all those peppers, just throw them on the grill to char them and then place in a paper bag to steam for a bit. Then just pop them in a freezer bag and freeze for later use. The peels will come off easily when you remove them from the freezer and run under cold water...just like tomatoes do.

Other items in your share are kale, cucumbers, winter squash, carrots, tomatoes and hopefully some herbs, if I can get to them before the freeze.

It is my hope that you have enjoyed eating from my gardens this past season. I am always eager to hear any of your comments or suggestions on possible ways to make next year's CSA and gardens even better. It has been such a rewarding experience for me to visit with you these last 16 weeks.

Barbara and I will be busy over the next month cleaning out the beds, planting green manure crops, and putting the garden to sleep for the winter. Planning crop rotations, studying seed catalogs and seed starting for next years garden will begin in late February. I will also be experimenting with growing a few winter crops in the greenhouse. I will let you know my progress with this new endeavor. It is my hope that sometime down the road I will be able to offer a winter share with greens, herbs, and some root vegetables. Wouldn't that be great? We'll see how it goes.

The information on next years CSA will be sent out sometime after the beginning of the year. Those of you who were members of this years share program will have first dibs on memberships for the new season. I am hoping to increase the number of participants next season.

I wish you all a bountiful winter and holiday season, blessed with good food, a warm cozy home, and wonderful family and friends. See you next year....if not sooner!

Keep in touch...I would love to hear from you.

Garden Blessings,
Kate

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Recipe Corner

Chocolate Lavender Kisses

Meringue is the secret to these sweet fudgy lavender-scented cookies. Easy, quick and delicious, these are a perfect homemade gift for the holiday season. For a festive touch, place kisses in small cellophane bag and tie with a bow. Your friends and family will cherish this sweet expression of your love!

Recipe
4 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup lavender sugar*
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

*Note: To make lavender sugar, combine 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon lavender buds. Place in food processor and blend into a fine powder. Add to 1 3/4 cups of sugar in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Allow it to sit for 3 days to infuse the sugar with the lavender flavor.

Preheat oven to 200F with the rack in the center of the oven.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Beat 4 egg whites in a large mixing bowl with cream of tartar, vanilla and pinch of salt until foamy.
Take 2 tablespoons of the lavender sugar and sift together with cocoa and set aside.
Add remaining lavender sugar - 1 tablespoon at a time- to the egg white mixture. Beat well after each addition making sure the sugar is dissolved. Continue to beat until mixture is glossy and makes stiff peaks.
Sift the cocoa/sugar mixture over the meringue. Using a spatula, fold in the cocoa mixture gently just until it is blended.
Spoon the meringue mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch star tip. Place 1 inch meringue kisses onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. (I use a reclosable storage bag and clip off ½ inch at the corner. Alternatively, drop the meringue by tablespoon on to your baking sheet.)
Bake the meringues for 1 ½ hours. The meringues are done when they are crisp and firm to the touch. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven for another hour to finish drying.
Store lightly covered in a dry place.
Makes 75 meringues.

Spicy Spiked Cocoa

This piquant hot chocolate is bursting with bold flavors to keep you warm on chilly nights.

Serves 4

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped or grated
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tbsp cardamom pods
1 tsp grated ginger
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 egg, beaten
Whipped cream
Splash vanilla vodka, spiced rum, coffee liqueur or bourbon (optional)

Directions:

Heat the chocolate, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder and cayenne in a double boiler. Whisk together until the chocolate has melted, then set aside.

In a separate pan, heat the milk, cream and remaining spices over low heat. Stir until the milk begins to bubble but not boil. Remove from heat and strain out the spices. Whisk the milk mixture into the chocolate.

In a small bowl, whisk a tablespoon of the chocolate-milk mixture into the beaten egg, then slowly stir it into the chocolate (this helps avoid cooking the egg).

Use the double boiler again to heat the combined mixture, whisking briskly, for afew minutes before serving. Stir a little bit of your booze of choice into the whipped cream and a little into the cocoa. Then top each cup of cocoa with the whipped cream, and serve immediately.

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