Garden Happenings: Fall Planting, Cider Mills, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts
#30: Fall Happenings @ Featherstone Garden
Welcome to Vol. #4 of Featherstone’s Fall Happenings Newsletter. Each week we will share a rotating variety of garden updates: from heirloom seasonal produce features, to veg-ed(ucation) content, farm stand news, plant-centered recipes, community partners, and more. As a subscriber, you will be the first to know all about our Garden Happenings. If you’re not a newsletter subscriber but would like to be, click below to sign up.
Fall Crop Transitions and Cider Mills
By Annie Hakim
This time of year of most annual plants are starting to die back in our outdoor garden beds, and we are getting ready to take our peppers, tomatoes and eggplants out of our greenhouse beds. We will replace them with winter root veggies: candy stripe and golden beets, purple snap peas, watermelon radishes, redsun and deep purple carrots - all of which will be featured in our winter salad kit subscription, stating mid-November.
This time of year we wish we had some apple trees in our garden, but since we don’t we will live vicariously through some other growers at a few of our favorite Michigan Cider Mills. If you haven’t already, we hope you make time to visit an orchard for some Michigan apples, hot cider and cider slushies, and of course, cider donuts.
Jessi’s Pick:
Yates: Located in Rochester Hills and Lake Orion, Michigan; take in the views of this historical cider mill, and after enjoying a hot cider and spiced doughnuts, be sure to stock up on apples and homemade fudge.
Annie’s pick:
Blakes: Located in Armada, Michigan. Ok, so I when was growing up, Blake’s only had a you-pick orchard, pumpkin patch and some really amazing donuts, but since then it has expanded to offer spooky Halloween attractions, a tap room, and a bakery full of seasonal goodies and preserved goods (made with local ingredients). The owners of Blake’s are family friends and incredibly hardworking and creative entrepreneurs.
Renee’s Pick:
Franklin: Located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Growing up west of Detroit, my family made our annual trip to Franklin Cider Mill for their hot cider (or slushees depending on the weather) and spiced doughnuts. You can find tons of small batch foods in their outdoor tent, such as homemade jams, apple and pumpkin butters, cheese spreads (my personal favorite), maple syrup, & more. You can also catch a live jazz set on the weekends.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Rosemary White Bean Spread on Toast
By Renee Sandoval
As a child, you couldn’t pay me to eat brussels sprouts. They were one of my least favorite vegetables, but have since become one of my favorites, especially during the autumn months. For brussels (and many other vegetables), it’s all about the preparation. A serving of properly seasoned, crispy oven roasted brussels far outshine the steamed version I was expected to eat as a kid.
Below, I’m splitting this up into two separate recipes (1. spread; 2. brussels). To make it easier on yourself, I recommend making the spread in advance. What I love about this dish is that the combination of flavors reminds me of autumn on toast—layering the creamy fresh rosemary & white bean spread with warm crisp honey glazed brussels on thick cut sourdough, garnished with walnuts and dried cherries.
Recipe: Rosemary White Bean Spread
Yields: about 1½ cups
Ingredients:
1 can (15oz) white beans
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (must be fresh!)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp course ground kosher salt (or 1/4 tsp fine ground salt)
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated with a microplane
Directions:
Add all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste; add more salt and pepper as needed.
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Recipe: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Yields: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb brussels sprouts, cut in half
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey (plus more as needed)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Garnish for toast:
dried cherries or cranberries
walnuts (or other nuts/seeds of choice)
Directions:
Step 1
Place a baking pan on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat to 450°F. (This step allows you to heat up the pan so the brussels sprouts start to cook immediately when placed on the pan, resulting in crispier sprouts).
Step 2
In a large bowl, toss together the brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the hot baking sheet and place the brussels cut-side down, being careful not to overcrowd. Roast on the bottom rack until crisp and browned, about 20-25 minutes, or more if needed.
Step 3
Transfer the roasted brussels into a large heatproof (preferably glass) bowl; toss with grated lemon zest, red wine vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. Taste, add more salt & pepper as needed.
Toast Assembly
To make the brussels & white bean toast: Slather thick cut sourdough (or toast of choice) with a generous layer of white bean spread, add your choice of salad greens, then roasted brussels sprouts on top. Garnish with walnuts & dried cherries, or other nuts/seeds/dried fruits of choice.
Cut in half & enjoy.
Support local!
We suggest buying your bread local from a Detroit staple, such as Avalon Bakery in Downtown or Midtown Detroit. Another favorite for artisan bread is Ochre Bakery located in Corktown.
Stir Fry / Microgreens / Bread & Spread Subscribers:
This week, our Culinary Subscribers will be receiving one (or all) of the yummy goods below. Signup for the final 2-weeks of our subscription kits—details below!
Signup for our Culinary Subscriptions
It’s not too late! If you would like to sign up for the remaining 2-weeks of either of our subscriptions (Stir Fry / Bread & Spread / Microgreens), we will continue offering member signups on a rolling basis throughout the duration of our subscription timeline. Head to the link below to sign up.
Worthwhile reads
For your reading pleasure, the team members at Featherstone will occasionally share an article or link we found to be a worthwhile read. We hope you enjoy our pick of the week.
Annie’s Pick: Britney Spears's Conservatorship Nightmare, via The New Yorker
Warning: this pick is completely unrelated to food and farming! Growing up Britney was always one of my faves and to this day the rockin’ Britney concert I saw in middle school from nose-bleed seats (literally the last row of the upper bowl) remains one of my all-time favorites. The recent spotlight on the #freebritney movement has brought awareness to challenges and abuse that can arise from court ordered conservatorships. Two New York Times documentaries streaming on Hulu: Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Britney Spears in tandem with this recent New Yorker article by Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino serve as a window into the living hell Britney has been through in the past decade, as well as what could be a light at the end of the tunnel for her.
Renee’s Pick: A recipe for Vegan Oyster Mushroom Caesar Salad w/ Crispy Chickpeas, via Green Kitchen Stories
A vegan, gluten-free take on a classic caesar salad. The umami-rich oyster mushroom marinade is incredibly delicious and simple to make, and the double cast iron skillet trick they use to achieve crisp meaty mushrooms is ingenious (highly recommended!). The dressing is made with vegan mayo and capers instead of anchovies (I like to mince the caper for a more distinct flavor profile, then sprinkle extra whole capers on top), and the substitute for croutons is crispy chickpeas. Add sliced avocado for a heartier salad. You can also watch GKS make this dish in their IG Highlights, here.
Thanks for reading!
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Have a great week,
Annie, Aaron, Renee, Jessi, Phoebe + Chili, Pepper & Bean (our farm cats)
