Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Summer CSA Week 14 and Vegetable Fusilli with Beans and Vegan Sausage



Lately my life seems like it could be fodder for a country song. You know- the flat tires on the tractor (and rototiller), the weeds are a growin', and people owe me money.
It's all okay though. I'll get the tires fixed, till through those weeds and ride the tractor to make everything better. The money part- well, we still eat well no matter what.

Funny Mr Eggplant

Right now I am tilling under some of the finished up summer crops. Under goes the winter rye that Maris planted last year, and I'm pretty sure when it goes under with the grains still on the heads, I'll get a great new rye crop which is just a cover/green manure crop for me.
The corn is finished now too and it will go under, complete with weeds between the rows.
Most of the summer crops are still producing very well, and there are lots of fall crops not too far behind.

My biggest priority right now is getting the big hoophouse seeded for the winter. I planted the small one on Saturday in the cooling rain. I seeded lettuces, mustard greens, lots of golden and rhubarb chard. Then in a stroke of brilliance I remembered that I had some small kale plants that had struggled in a low spot this summer with all the rain. I dug out a dozen or so of them with lots of soil around their roots and gently planted them in the hoophouse. I watered them right in the planting hole before filling it in with more soil, to ensure the water got right at the roots.
Even in the extreme heat of today, they look great.

Don't panic-it's organic!

Next week will be the last delivery day for my summer CSA, with the summer beginning right after.
It's been a great season when all is said and done, despite my initial concern about the amount of rain we had in June.
Todays baskets had a lot more fruit in them than my baskets usually do. There were apples, pears and wild plums. I really like the plums, but the skin is pretty tart. The flesh is very fragrant and sweet though and somebody has spent a lot of time under my tree sucking out the flesh and leaving behind the skin. A racoon I bet.


The baskets also contained ground cherries, kale, heirloom tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, eggplants, onions, garlic, chocolate mint, rosemary and basil.


Last night I made a dish that used quite a few of these ingredients. It's simple, quick and good.
Plus Mollie liked it. That was the real bonus.

Vegetable Fusilli with Beans and Vegan Sausage

Fusilli -2 cups dry
2 Tbsp olive oil
Medium size onion, chopped
2 close garlic, chopped
2 peppers, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup cooked romano  beans
1 bunch kale
fresh basil
2 vegan sausages- sliced( I like the tofurky spicy Italian ones)
Salt to taste
Cook pasta according to directions.
Just before pasta is cooked fully, add kale to pasta water to cook it as well.
Saute onions and peppers in olive oil until soft. Add garlic  and saute for about 30 seconds, then add all other ingredients and saute till warmed through.
Drain the pasta and kale, retaining 1 cup or so of the cooking water, and add to vegetables, stirring to mix in.
Voila- dinner is ready!

No comments: