Tis the season to eat squash!
We love this time of year at Five Acre Farm and shop. Whilst the season starts to turn and the nights draw in, the sun is often still warm and with it comes a bountiful harvest.
We have so many gorgeous squash coming form the farm this autumn. Varieties include: Uchi Kuri, Green Hokaido, Blaze Pumpkin, Candy Roaster, Festival, Spaghetti, butternut & crown prince & Crown Prince. They have been flying off the shelves, so grab them while you can!
Our Head Grower Jon has made this handy squash guide to the varieties and their culinary uses, see it here.
The end of September will also see the welcome return of our own cultivated mushrooms. Expect to see Shitake, Lion’s Mane and Oyster mushrooms making ther way into the shop over the coming weeks.
An exciting development is that the new Flower Barn has opened down on the farm. This is an upgrade from the veg shed. We will be selling produce from our farm, veg, flowers, honey and eggs, in the Flower Barn, Friday to Monday 8.30am to 3.30pm.
The pick your own flowers will also still be running on Saturdays and Sundays right up until the first frost. There are some gorgeous late summer/autumn blooms coming through, so still well worth a visit! More info on pick your own flowers here.
Down on the farm
The extreme weather over the summer is still having an impact on our crops, with many crops being a lot less productive than we were hoping, and some either arriving early and being cut short, or some delayed.
Fear not, we still have loads of good stuff to come this Autumn and Winter. Along with the mushrooms and squashes we will have a large stock of carving pumpkins for Halloween.
Coming soon over the colder months we will also have: cavolo nero, kale, winter cabbage, brussel sprouts, kalettes, cauliflower, beetroot, carrots, shallots & garlic.
In other good news, the bees have had a super productive year so we have a good stock of honey for the Autumn and Winter.
All this wonderful produce will be available to purchase in both Five Acre Farm Shop on North Street and in the Flower Barn on the farm.
Recipe of the month
The recipe this month is a super seasonal one featuring squash (hopefully from our farm!) It is a lovely one pan tray bake from the rather brilliant Anna Jones. You can buy Anna’s book One Pot One Planet in Five Acre Farm Shop.
MISO ROAST SQUASH + POTATOES WITH ALMONDS AND KALE
This recipe saves a lot of work, as squash, potatoes and greens can be cooked together in one tray. The chilli, miso and lemon combo is a great foil for some of the richer seasonal dishes.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
• 500g small potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 700g Crown Prince, butternut or other squash
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp white miso
• 2 tbsp harissa
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 100g kale, de-stemmed and shredded
• 100g toasted almonds
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters no larger than your thumb.
Cut the squash in half lengthways (no need to peel), use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then cut into 2cm slices.
In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, miso, harissa and lemon juice.
Put the potatoes and squash on to a baking tray with half the harissa mixture. Toss well, using your hands, to make sure everything is coated. Roast for 40-45 minutes until everything is cooked through and browning at the edges. Turn everything once or twice to make sure it browns evenly, and keep a close eye on it as it can burn in a flash.
Add the shredded kale and roast for a final 10 minutes. It should crisp up a little. Transfer to a serving dish and spoon over the remaining dressing and scatter with the toasted almonds.
Our producer of the month, Bath Culture House, make fabulously fermented food products. They hand-make naturally fermented, artisan and raw food & drink, ranging from fresh kimchi and sauerkraut to tangy kombucha and vegan ‘chease’ (without dairy, soy or coconut).
Fermented food is hugely popular at the moment with much research to suggest that it may help to help you fix and maintain your microbiome and overall gut health – which can have huge health benefits, both for your body and your mind.
Bath Culture House was the brainchild of the wonderful Lucie Cousins, former food technologist and dairy specialist. She started the company as a one person operation in 2016 when she switched to a plant based diet, and now employs 8 people, making fermented goodness 6-7 days a week in the Chew Valley.
We love their Kimchi at Five Acre Farm Shop!