Last-gasp-of-Summer Recipes from a WWOOFer

I bought these heirloom tomatoes—the very last of the 2013 season—just an hour ago at the mid-week Fulton Farmers’ Market, from Plane View Farm.

That time of year is officially upon us here in mid-Missouri—the end of the summer veggies. If the hard freeze didn’t hit your neighborhood last night, it will surely come tonight or tomorrow, as temps dip into the high twenties, so it’s finally time to bid field-grown tomatoes, squash, peppers, and eggplants farewell. And you may be more than ready to move on to winter squash and pumpkins as you dig out your winter coats and scarves. But if you want to squeeze the last sweet drops out of the summer season, head to your local market this weekend and fill up on tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant while you still can.

Chelsea Reetz Bunetic with son Jude

If you’re feeling low on inspiration, here are a few recipes from Chelsea Reetz Bunetic that are perfect to make on a crisp fall weekend. Chelsea, who knows a thing or two about vegetables and loves to cook, also loves to dig in the dirt, preferably with her 2-year-old son Jude by her side. A few years ago Chelsea began working on a farm to pay for her CSA share, and farming simply got under her skin. As part of the WWOOF network (World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), Chelsea has traveled to six states, working on eight different farms over the past two years, with no plans to stop soon. She spent the 2013 growing season working in mid-Missouri, WWOOFing at Greyson Organics (Montgomery County) as the tomato manager, then moving on to Bluebird Composting in Callaway County for some late-season farming. She hopes to keep working, learning, and traveling for a while to come, relishing the freedom and lifestyle WWOOFing makes possible. 

Chelsea has lots of recipes to share, having learned to be a frugal and creative cook as she traveled, often making meals for the other farm workers. She’s just started a blog where she plans to share recipes and give updates on her wanderings, The Pumpkin Seed Almanac.

When Chelsea’s not farming, cooking, or chasing a lively two-year-old, you might find her at Mexico Music (in Mexico, Missouri), where she currently teaches fiddle, guitar, mandolin, ukelele, piano, and voice. As a child she played and sang with her family bluegrass band, the Reetz Family, and still enjoys playing her fiddle at a farmers’ market now and then. (Here’s a link to Chelsea performing with her father and sister at a reunion gig in 2012.)

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Tomato chickpea soup

Here are four of Chelsea’s favorite ways to use heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, kale, and potatoes. They strike me as weekend recipes, the kind of dishes I’d make on Saturday or Sunday afternoon and have friends over to eat that evening, especially the spiral vegetable ricotta pie, or the savory cheesecake with heirloom tomatoes. As someone who makes a pot of soup practically every weekend and freezes the leftovers for lunches the rest of the week, I have to try Chelsea’s spiced chickpea and heirloom tomato soup with the last of the tomatoes I hope to find at the market this weekend. And I look forward to making a pot or two of her kale white bean potato stew with the hearty kale that will be available in my own garden and in the winter markets throughout the coldest months of the year.

I don’t have any pictures of my own, or of Chelsea’s, to post, but as I make each dish I’ll add photos. Go out and grab a big basket of the last of the field-grown summer veggies this weekend and try one of two of these, then send me some of your own pictures to post!

Julia Calvin's Pumpkin Bread

Julia Calvin’s Pumpkin Bread

An old-fashioned pumpkin bread that's perfect for cool October days.

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups sugar

• 2/3 cup of shortening

• 4 well beaten eggs

• 2 cups of cooked fresh or canned pumpkin (or you can substitute grated carrots)

• 2/3 cup of water

• 3-1/2 cups flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

• Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon nutmeg if you're substituting carrots

• 2/3 cup of nuts, dates or raisins (your choice)

Instructions

1. Cream sugar and shortening together in a large bowl. Add the well-beaten eggs and mix in, them add the pumpkin (or carrot) along with the water and mix well again.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and stir in the rest of the dry ingredients (spices, salt). Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until everything is just combined. Add in the nuts, dates, or raisins if you're using them. (I'd be tempted to use both pecans or walnuts AND chopped dates or raisins!)

3. Bake in 2 single loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check with toothpick.

4. Makes 2 large loaves. Excellent for freezing.

Notes

1. This well-loved hand-written recipe was found tucked away in Julia's Betty Crocker cookbook.

By Julia Calvin