By BeeWench Farm

Many farmers are harvesting the last of the summer/fall crops and applying compost and cover crops to give their soil a health boost before it’s planted again next year. If you have a garden at home, planting a cover crop is a great way to get it ready for next year. Not only does it protect your soil from runoff, but you can boost the nutrients in your soil by planting a great diversity. Legumes, like clover or alfalfa, are very great at taking nitrogen from the air and putting it into the soil for future crops to use. If you add some compost, make sure to get the best Black Diamond Worm Compost! Cristy at Black Diamond is so kind and we loved visiting and learning about what they do at their farm here in Paso Robles.

If you don’t have a garden or space for a tree, you can always visit some wonderful farms this time of year. The kids love going to Jack Creek Farm to play in the kid’s area, and we always get an apple cider slushie. We also love the beautiful flowers and u-pick apple orchards at SLO Creek Farm in Avila. Both farms have some beautiful spaces for great family pictures or just to enjoy with your family. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you might need some fun places to take family visiting.

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If you need a super simple dish to share around the holidays, try either of the recipes. Pears are still delicious this time of year, but you can swap them out for apples in both recipes. Salad seems to be something no one seems to bring to potlucks, and they are super simple and popular. You can make this one after Thanksgiving to enjoy the turkey leftovers. It’s also great with chicken or without protein as a side dish. If you need a super easy and delicious dessert to share, the custard pie is so good. It takes about five minutes to prepare and will be gone just as fast.

If you want to make the best Thanksgiving meal, or bring a delicious dish to a celebration, check out the farmer’s market for the best ingredients.

Seasonal fruits and vegetables for this month are:

Fruits:

  • Grapes
  • Pears
  • Pomegranates

Vegetables:

  • Arugula
  • Beets
  • Broccoli 
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Kale
  • Lettuce
  • Sweet potato
  • Winter squash
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Peas
  • Mushrooms
  • Celery

Fall Chopped Salad

Salad Ingredients:

  • About 2 cups of cooked turkey shredded
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, (8 cups chopped) rinsed and dried
  • 2 pears, cored and sliced
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup pecans, lightly toasted on a dry skillet
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese (4 oz), crumbled (Stepladder or Black Market Cheese Co.)

Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Instructions:

  1. In a dry skillet, toast pecans over medium heat for 5 minutes, tossing frequently or until pecans are fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped romaine, sliced pears, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, crumbled cheese, and turkey.
  3. Combine dressing ingredients in a small mason jar. Cover with lid and shake vigorously to combine. If any separation occurs, shake again just before using. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over the salad, adding it to taste then toss to combine.

Pear Custard Pie

Ingredients:

  • 4 firm pears of any variety cored, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup of unsalted butter melted
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (can sub gluten free flour)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar for garnish

Optional: sub vanilla extract with almond and add a pinch of cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round pan with cooking spray or butter.
  2. Arrange the pear slices in the pan. They will rise to the top when it bakes.
  3. Put the butter, eggs, milk, salt, granulated sugar, flour and vanilla into a blender. Blend until smooth.
  4. Pour the batter over the pears. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is golden and firm to the touch. Dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.

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