Good for the table, good for the ground

Daylight savings time change confirms we are now officially 

on the other side of summer, and even "early"fall. 

It's the time of year we want to burrow into a favorite sweater 

and are happy to have the aroma of a long 
simmering soup or stew throughout the house. 

Our chefs are also tweaking the menu at the girl & the fig.

A new chicken dish on the menu is this 

pan-roasted half chicken, fall panzanella, butternut squash, 
currants, walnuts, pancetta vinaigrette, which certainly makes 
good use of our prolific crop of winter squash at the farm.

.

It seems to fit the feeling of the season that 

much of what we are growing at the farm burrows underground, 

just the way we are inclined to do under a throw blanket with a book by the hearth.

Even though radishes, carrots, onions and leeks are 

part of the spring bounty at the farm, we also grow them at this time of year as well.

"Plants like onions, garlic, and other members of the allium family confuse bugs 

with their strong scent and just encourage them to fly away," 

so having them in our rotation is a core part of our biodynamic farming plan. 

We've talked about "companion planting" here before. 

Here are some other tips on companion planting and 

which good tasting vegetable plants are also good for your soil.

Baby tri-colored carrots a few weeks ago

carrots growing fast

good for the soil

Not only do the alliums replenish the soil and provide nutrients so 

the beds can thrive throughout the year, these vegetables are 

important ingredients for so many of our Chefs' inspirations.

onions cooking at the fig

Alliums appear in almost every recipe since they are so versatile and 

pretty much essential as flavoring component. 

So, of course we would grow them all year round! 

Shallots are considered a "cousin" to onions and garlic, but they have a milder flavor. 

They are just as "flexible" but chefs use them differently 

than they do their stronger cousins. 

Food writer Michele Anna Jordan describes her relationship with shallots this way: 

"A shallot can insinuate itself into a wide variety of dishes 

without overwhelming other ingredients.

It is suave and elegant, with an appealing subtlety. 

When it is used with other alliums, any dish blossoms with a full spectrum of flavors, 

which is why I always add shallots of my French onion soup."

She considers them indispensable for vinaigrettes, as do our chefs at "the fig." 

And a must-have in your kitchen are our "Pickled Shallots," courtesy of

 Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country:

Pickled Shallots
2 cups shallots, sliced
11⁄2 cups red wine vinegar 1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 tablespoon salt
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

In a saucepan, combine the wine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the thyme, bay leaf and shallots and stir to coat evenly. Cook briskly for exactly 1 minute over high heat and remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to stand until it cools to room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Makes 11⁄2 cups 

 How do you like to use alliums?

And what vegetables are simmering 
in that stew on your stovetop these autumn days?

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