Fall Crops

Cooler days bring a slower pace to our harvest, which we really look forward to! Here are photos of some of our fall crops, with more to come once our kale, broccoli raab, arugula and other fall greens mature.

Thanks to the rainy summer and improved soil, we have a good crop of Red Fuseau sunchokes, or Jerusalm artichokes, (Helianthus tuberosus) this year (top photo). Red Fuseau is a red- skinned variety that has longer tubers than the more commonly found white or creamy yellow, round "Stampede" sunchoke. We purchased them from Ronnigers Farm http://www.ronnigers.com/

Sunchokes are a perennial member of the sunflower family, with edible tubers that have the crispness of a water chestnut when raw and can be fried, roasted, pureed or pickled. Our favorite way to enjoy them is simply to scrub them well, without peeling, slice them into thin coins and saute them in olive oil until crisp and browned. Drained on paper towels and sprinkled with sea salt, they'll beat any potato chips you've ever had!

This variety will grow to 10 feet tall with multi- branched stems sporting hundreds of small yellow sunflowers in early October. Flocks of goldfinches come to feed on the seeds, and then the plants start to wither, which is the time to dig the roots. Our gaudy patch hides the view of our compost pile from our neighbors, and the plants grow more luxurious every year from the decaying "black gold". One caveat for those who want to grow any sunchokes: make sure that you plant them in a spot that will be permanent, for they are difficult to eradicate once they start growing!

The next photo shows our stinging nettles, (Urtica dioca). This perennial green is considered a spring tonic, but it becomes lush again in the fall with ample rain and cool temperatures. Careful, it really does sting if picked without gloves, due to the tiny, hollow, silica-tipped hairs that cover the leaves and stems. The effect is a numbing sensation that lasts for some time. Once the leaves are plunged in boiling water with tongs they are safe to eat, with a clean, fresh grassy flavor. We first tasted nettles as a filling for ravioli when we visited Italy. Our chefs use them in soups, as a pasta filling and in savory pancakes.

The middle photo shows our native American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana). These majestic trees have attractive glossy leaves in summer, fragrant white flowers and then these lovely small fruits by the hundreds, hanging on naked branches just in time for Halloween each year- our "pumpkin trees". I found out the hard way (as usual!) that these fruits have to go through several frosts to be palatable- if eaten in their fresh state, as shown in this photo, they have the most astringent, unpleasant texture on the tongue. It felt as though I had licked a persimmon carpet! Once they've gone through several frosts the fruit will look wrinkled, shrunken and brown in spots- that's when their texture changes dramatically, with a sweeter, jam- like consistency. Then the challenge is how to harvest them: "Shake them 'simmons down!"

"Cha Cha" Kabocha squash are shown in the fourth photo. These winter squash from Johnny's http://www.johnnyseeds.com/have bright orange flesh, which is flaky and sweet when roasted. We can't wait to try the recipe in the October/ November issue of Flavor magazine http://www.flavormags.com/ for "Ravioli of Kabocha Squash and Yukon Gold Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese Sauce", from Chef/ owner Todd Gray of Equinox Restaurant in Washington, D.C. (While you're enjoying this latest issue of Flavor magazine, be sure to check out Theresa Curry's timely Thanksgiving article, "Graditude and Gravy", which mentions Harvest Thyme Herbs and the herbs we use for our holiday bird.)

The last photo shows our glorious fennel, the best crop we've ever grown. This "Romanesco" fennel came from Seeds From Italy http://www.growitalian.com/ We sowed this from seed in midsummer right in the row. Adequate and regular moisture from drip tape, and several feedings of liquid seaweed made a big difference this year. It did not show the tendency to bolt, or go to seed, that it has in years past. When our fennel does flower we harvest the fully open flowers for our chefs so that they can season their dishes with fennel pollen, a luxe ingredient if purchased in its dried state but so much more flavorful when truly fresh.

One of the many satisfactions of growing food for our creative chefs is dining at their restaurants and tasting firsthand what they do with what we grow. It's one thing to drop off our weekly delivery at the back door of their kitchens. It's quite another to walk in through the front door as a customer and sample their cuisine. We don't get to do it often, but when we do we make an evening of it.

Last night we finally had the opportunity to revisit Zynodoa restaurant http://www.zynodoa.com/ on Beverly Street in downtown Staunton. We had not dined there since Executive Chef Mike Lund had been hired, and we were eager to find out how this alum of The Inn At Little Washington was using our produce. Chef Mike had previously spent 6 years at the highly acclaimed Inn before Zynodoa owners Jeff and Susan Goode hired him to take the helm at the restaurant they had lovingly designed and restored.

Our friend Jaqueline Sugar was our enthusiastic and very knowledgeable server. We had met Jaqui when her friend and our client Lynsie Steele of Perfect Flavor Ice Cream http://www.perfectflavor.com/ was getting married. We knew she was a Cornell University Certified farrier; what we did not know was that her restaurant experience included working for uber- chef Wolfgang Puck in Las Vegas. Knowing that we had been bringing our fennel crop to Zynodoa for weeks, Jaqui recommended a cocktail to start us off that bartender Ashley Strojny had dreamed up. Chef Mike had asked her if she could do anything with the fennel stalks and fronds left from trimming the bulbs, and she came up with an amazing martini. She muddled fennel stalks in Stoli vodka, with a honey liqueur and fresh lemon juice providing a delicious counterpoint to the sweet liquorice of the fennel. A fennel frond topped off each drink and we savored them slowly as we perused the menu. We found out later that Ashley is a music major and talented musician. She named the drink the Eastman, in honor of her favorite conductor Frederick Fennel, who teaches at the Eastman School.

Phil was immediately drawn to the cornmeal dusted Chesapeake oysters for a starter, with black bean and corn salsa, golden watermelon, and cilantro cream. Tequila- spiked oysters on the half shell with marinated English cucumbers provided a bright contrast to the rich but lightly breaded, delectable fried oysters. I couldn't resist another dish made with our fennel; a grilled flatbread pizza with fennel confit, local "surryano" ham, Planet Earth Diversified http://www.planetearthdiversified.com/ arugula, aged cheddar and burgundy shallot puree. The flatbread itself was perfectly crisp and the toppings were an inspired harmony of flavors. We loved every bite, and made a mental note to grow more fennel next year!

Phil chose the grilled Harris Ranch Angus tenderloin for his entree, with a rich and creamy fingerling potato and cauliflower gratin, lightly braised local Swiss chard and red eye "gravy". Tempted by both the many fish dishes offered and the meats, I finally picked the Surf and Turf entree, which paired grilled flat iron steak with perfectly seared jumbo diver scallops, sweet potatoes and Polyface Farm http://www.polyfacefarms.com/ sausage hash. I am not a huge fan of sweet potatoes but these were richly seasoned, and partnered wonderfully with the sweet sausage. Jaqui helped us choose a terrific Tempranillo to drink with our feast.

We finished with a thoughtful selection of Virginia artisan cheeses, and chatted with some visiting bicyclists about the thriving local food scene in Staunton. They vowed to come back to Zynodoa, and so did we.