Annie and I spent yesterday going over our plans for the vegetable fields next year, readjusting how much of each crop we will grow and thinking about how best to manage our time and efforts. We map each field, making sure we have space to fit it all. It can feel like a puzzle!
We also got the animals well set up for the coming rain: spreading out new dry straw for the chickens and putting the sheep in the barn. We purchased organic oat hay from a local farm to feed to the sheep and cows as we have already fed all of our own hay. We are hoping to give the grass a rest, to allow it to grow and dry before we graze again. We may decide to increase the amount of hay we harvest this year as well.
This week’s pick list:
Cilantro
Pac choy
Fennel
Onions
Beets
Chard
Cabbage
Radishes
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Frisee, Castelfranco, Escarole, and Radicchio
Garlic
Kale
Turnips
Potatoes
Winter squash
Rutabaga
Parsnip
Kohlrabi
Celeriac
Revolution Bread is available
Savory Bread Pudding With Mushrooms and Brussels Sprouts, from sfchronicle.com
2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus a little extra to grease the baking pan
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion or shallots, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried red chile flakes
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
8 Brussels sprouts, thinly shaved or sliced
3 cups stale bread cut into ½-inch cubes
6 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9-by-5-inch rectangular baking pan with a little butter.
Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat and cook until the solids start to turn reddish brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, then add the olive oil. Add the onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to turn translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the turmeric, cumin, chile flakes and cook for an additional 1 minute. Carefully fold in the mushrooms to coat evenly and cook for 3 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook an additional 5 to 6 minutes until they are tender.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a large mixing bowl with the bread cubes, scraping any leftover bits. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and salt and pour it over the bread mixture in the bowl. Transfer the contents to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and bake for at least 30 minutes or until the egg is fully set and the top is golden-brown and crusty. Remove from heat and serve warm.