Winter Squash

Hello Friends!  In case any of you still have winter squash left over from the fall CSA, here is a fantastic recipe for my very favorite winter squash soup.  Also, once made, it is easy to freeze- i load up old yogurt containers with the stuff to enjoy all year long... DELISH!

Stone Wall Kitchen Harvest:  Celebrating the Bounty of the Seasons  (p.150)

PUMPKIN SOUP WITH FRIED SAGE LEAVES  serves 10-12
for the soup:
2 lbs pumpkin or winter squash
1 tblsp. olive oil
1 teasp. butter
3 leeks (white part only) cut in half lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 tblsp. chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teasp. dried
1 tblsp. chopped fresh sage (key ingredient)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 7 cups homemade chicken or veggie broth ( i am guilty of using the canned stuff)

for the garnish:   ...optional
about 1 cup heavy cream (macnamara dairy :)
2 cups Garlic croutes
fried sage leaves

Using a large, sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in half, and remove the seeds and stringy sections and discard; or save the seeds for roasting.  Cut the pumpkin into 2-3 inch chunks.  Carefull cut the rind off the pumpkin chunks and cut the flesh into 1-2 inch pieces.  You chould have about 8 cups.
In a large soup pot, heat the oil and butter ove medium-low heat.  Add the leeks and saute, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes.  Add the pumpkin chunks, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove the cover, add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, working in batches.  Taste for seasoning, return the pureed soup to the pot, and warm over low heat.  Drizzle cream into the soup, or swirl into each bowl (optional).  Top with a few croutons and fried sage leaves.  ENJOY!

White Fields Warm Boots, and Cut Flowers!

Hello Dear Friends!!
Greetings from a very white Edgewater Farm.  With the perennial crops tucked away beneath a blanket of snow, and the other berry bushes looking more like twigs, it is amazing to believe how much will change between now and June.  I look forward to the heat and the harvest, but right now we are all enjoying the quiet winter...  well, everyone aside from Ray, Mike, Eric, Leo, and all the other Carpentry masters hammering away on the new Farmstand (complete with a kitchen- yesss!). 

With the slow of Winter, now is the time to start thinking ahead to the Summer CSA season. Thank you so much to all of those who responded to the survey- we are taking all your opinions into account to better next season's CSA.  Also, we've added a few new options: 
A.  Cut flower share- imagine, a beautiful bouquet a week filled with edgewater's finest cut flowers!!
B.  The Donation Box- a simple way to give food to those in need of fresh produce. 

For this year's 2011 Information- description and pricing- head to our website: Edgewaterfarm.com for the most up-to-date pricing information.  I look forward to hearing from each of you, as I've enjoyed getting to know all of y'all throughout the summer. 

Happy Winter and Stay toasty!
-Jenny