Days have really gotten shorter, and all of a sudden, it's dark at 7! When did that happen? The lack of daylight affects many things in nature, not just us humans. The hens don't lay as many eggs this time of year, the birds are not chirping at 5 in the morning, and the vegetables on the plants don't seem to grow as fast.
We have a smaller bag this week as we patiently wait for things to come along in the garden. Even crops like kale and swiss chard seem to need an extra week to grow large enough leaves since last picking.
Our first round of fall spinach is almost ready to pick. We are hoping next week. Brussel sprouts are starting to form on their tall stalks but are still too small to pick. A couple other new items may show up, but we basically are in for the home stretch here. With 5 more weeks of CSA, there will not be as much of a variety. After the first frost (which we didn't get last week and there is no threat this week), we won't have any tomatoes or summer squashes. Cukes are already gone, and I have resorted to opening pickles to serve with dinner. It is definitely fall, and time to "remember our roots". That is root vegetables :-) A lot of your items in fall will be in that form, especially after a frost. Root vegetables can be used in so many different ways. They are great mashed or pureed, boiled in chunks and buttered, also great roasted.....the list goes on. But if you can't use them right away, they store great too.
This is the first week we haven't been able to give different items to our full size share either. So the lists are pretty much identical, but again, full shares pay more, so they do get larger amounts.
1/2 size:
Acorn Squash
Cantaloupe
Cabbage
Beets
Jerusalem Artichokes (mom wrapped these in bacon, dolloped with a bbq sauce and baked them this weekend, and they were very good)
Turnip (this variety is not very bitter at all)
Celery (remember the whole stalk is edible - I just chop it all up, leaves and all, and use in soups)
Zucchini - long or round
Patty Pan Squash - use like a summer squash
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Cherry Tomatoes
Full size:
Acorn Squash
Cantaloupe
Cabbage
Beets
Jerusalem Artichokes (mom wrapped these in bacon, dolloped with a bbq sauce and baked them this weekend, and they were very good)
Turnip (this variety is not very bitter at all)
Celery (remember the whole stalk is edible - I just chop it all up, leaves and all, and use in soups)
Zucchini
Summer Squash
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Cherry Tomatoes
With the rain and and the sun expected this week, should be ideal growing conditions and maybe next week will see more variety. Have a good one!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
CSA Wk. 16, Sept. 20
We have our first threat of a frost this week. With the full moon coming, the temps are expected to drop Tuesday night, and old bed sheets and blankets will dot the landscape trying to save peoples precious plants. I'm not ready to let my stuff die, but since I don't have old sheets, will raid my sewing material bin and see what I can find. Should look interesting out there if nothing else :-)
Half shares received tomatillos this week. They were written about maybe a month ago when full shares received some. I mainly use them in Mexican cooking. They do make a great green salsa, but can be sliced on burgers or sandwiches. I made yummy soft tacos with them a week or so ago, using shredded chicken, cabbage, onion and feta along with the tangy tomatillos diced up. I can't forget the chipotle hot sauce I doused on either :-)
The knobby white & purple things you'll all see in your bag this week are called Jerusalem Artichokes, or sunchokes. They are not in the artichoke family at all, but actually the sunflower family. They were found to be growing in Native American gardens in the early 1600's, and were brought back to Europe by the explorers. If you look out towards my garden you will see very tall plants with small yellow blossoms. Go about 8-10ft. down, under the ground, and the roots are what you see in your bags. They are similar in taste to a water chestnut and can be used like one. They can be eaten raw, in salads, and are described as "nutty". They can also be cooked, and used like a potato in recipes and soups. They can also be pickled. It is best not to peel them but to just scrub them to clean them, as most of the nutrients are directly under the skin. Also, if you plan to cook them, the skins may darken due to the high iron content. They are also high in potassium. There are lots of recipes on the internet for them. Pick your favorite.
Everything else should be familiar to you.
1/2 Size:
Carrots
Jerusalem Artichokes
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Chinese Greens
Chard
Kale
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash or Zucchini
Tomatillos (Green tomato looking, with husks)
Cantaloupe
Basil
Garlic
Full Size:
Carrots
Jerusalem Artichokes
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Mesculen
Spinach
Green Beans (the last of them for the year)
Eggplant
Chinese Greens
Chard
Kale
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash Medley
Cantaloupe
Basil
Garlic
Until next time!
Half shares received tomatillos this week. They were written about maybe a month ago when full shares received some. I mainly use them in Mexican cooking. They do make a great green salsa, but can be sliced on burgers or sandwiches. I made yummy soft tacos with them a week or so ago, using shredded chicken, cabbage, onion and feta along with the tangy tomatillos diced up. I can't forget the chipotle hot sauce I doused on either :-)
The knobby white & purple things you'll all see in your bag this week are called Jerusalem Artichokes, or sunchokes. They are not in the artichoke family at all, but actually the sunflower family. They were found to be growing in Native American gardens in the early 1600's, and were brought back to Europe by the explorers. If you look out towards my garden you will see very tall plants with small yellow blossoms. Go about 8-10ft. down, under the ground, and the roots are what you see in your bags. They are similar in taste to a water chestnut and can be used like one. They can be eaten raw, in salads, and are described as "nutty". They can also be cooked, and used like a potato in recipes and soups. They can also be pickled. It is best not to peel them but to just scrub them to clean them, as most of the nutrients are directly under the skin. Also, if you plan to cook them, the skins may darken due to the high iron content. They are also high in potassium. There are lots of recipes on the internet for them. Pick your favorite.
Everything else should be familiar to you.
1/2 Size:
Carrots
Jerusalem Artichokes
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Chinese Greens
Chard
Kale
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash or Zucchini
Tomatillos (Green tomato looking, with husks)
Cantaloupe
Basil
Garlic
Full Size:
Carrots
Jerusalem Artichokes
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Mesculen
Spinach
Green Beans (the last of them for the year)
Eggplant
Chinese Greens
Chard
Kale
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash Medley
Cantaloupe
Basil
Garlic
Until next time!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
CSA Wk 15, Sept 13
Although the calender still says it's summer, it felt an awfully lot like fall to me this week, and I love it! It is so much easier to work out in the garden in this type of weather. This time of year there is still plenty to be done out there. Of course there is the constant harvesting, but there is still even weeding (don't want those weeds to go to seed). Some plants need to be pulled and dragged to the compost pile. Some crops need an extra dose of fertilizer (manure), and some things still need to be planted.
Fall spinach is coming along nicely, though not ready for picking. The second broccoli crop is thriving, and set out some beautiful heads this week. The vines on the pumpkins and squashes are starting to wither, and those will continue to ripen until bright orange. Summer squash is coming to end, as well as cucumbers. The cold nights really do them in, regardless of no frost. But it is September, and that is a thing we must face, that soon we will loose many things to a frost. Tomatoes being the hardest to let go of. Let's glory in them while they are still here. Everyone got a large container of cherries this week, and bag with many tomatoes too. Eat up!
With seven weeks left to go in our CSA, we start to worry that maybe we won't have anything to put in your bags. But then we are reminded that brussel sprouts are still growing, as well as root crops. But if you see your bag start getting smaller, remember that we had the summer of glut with fresh veggies :-)
I want to include a recipe this week for a Greek coleslaw that I must say is one of my favorite salads. It uses many items in your CSA this week, though one important one we have bad news about. Peppers. Though we set out over 30 plants, and they look lush and beautiful, they didn't blossom until recently, and the fruits will more than likely not have time to grow. The same thing happened with our eggplants. It's always something! We may try and put a hoop house or some ground cover over them as it gets colder, hoping to extend the season, but we shall see. So many things to do, so little time!
I come and go a lot these days. With boy kids in different sports, I'm not sure to be here when you come to pick up. Sorry I haven't seen some of you in a couple weeks. I hope you are well.
Enjoy this weeks share.
1/2 size:
Russet Potatoes
Sweet lightning squash
Red cabbage
Cukes
Beans
Romenesco Broccoli
Chard
Kale
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Chives
Full size:
Round White Potatoes
Sweet lightning squash
Red cabbage
Cukes
Green Beans
Broccoli
Chard
Kale
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Chives
A variety of a Summer squash variety
Pole beans
Greek Coleslaw
( a recipe by Tammy Locke, "copied" from a salad Wild Oats used to sell in their deli..just experiment with amounts on things, 1/2 it...whatever...it's the flavors together that are great regardless of the amounts..used dried herbs instead of fresh)
1 red cabbage
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 cuke
cherry tomatoes
kalamata olives
feta cheese
basil
oregano
dill
red wine vinegar
olive oil
lemon juice
garlic
Fall spinach is coming along nicely, though not ready for picking. The second broccoli crop is thriving, and set out some beautiful heads this week. The vines on the pumpkins and squashes are starting to wither, and those will continue to ripen until bright orange. Summer squash is coming to end, as well as cucumbers. The cold nights really do them in, regardless of no frost. But it is September, and that is a thing we must face, that soon we will loose many things to a frost. Tomatoes being the hardest to let go of. Let's glory in them while they are still here. Everyone got a large container of cherries this week, and bag with many tomatoes too. Eat up!
With seven weeks left to go in our CSA, we start to worry that maybe we won't have anything to put in your bags. But then we are reminded that brussel sprouts are still growing, as well as root crops. But if you see your bag start getting smaller, remember that we had the summer of glut with fresh veggies :-)
I want to include a recipe this week for a Greek coleslaw that I must say is one of my favorite salads. It uses many items in your CSA this week, though one important one we have bad news about. Peppers. Though we set out over 30 plants, and they look lush and beautiful, they didn't blossom until recently, and the fruits will more than likely not have time to grow. The same thing happened with our eggplants. It's always something! We may try and put a hoop house or some ground cover over them as it gets colder, hoping to extend the season, but we shall see. So many things to do, so little time!
I come and go a lot these days. With boy kids in different sports, I'm not sure to be here when you come to pick up. Sorry I haven't seen some of you in a couple weeks. I hope you are well.
Enjoy this weeks share.
1/2 size:
Russet Potatoes
Sweet lightning squash
Red cabbage
Cukes
Beans
Romenesco Broccoli
Chard
Kale
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Chives
Full size:
Round White Potatoes
Sweet lightning squash
Red cabbage
Cukes
Green Beans
Broccoli
Chard
Kale
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Chives
A variety of a Summer squash variety
Pole beans
Greek Coleslaw
( a recipe by Tammy Locke, "copied" from a salad Wild Oats used to sell in their deli..just experiment with amounts on things, 1/2 it...whatever...it's the flavors together that are great regardless of the amounts..used dried herbs instead of fresh)
1 red cabbage
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 cuke
cherry tomatoes
kalamata olives
feta cheese
basil
oregano
dill
red wine vinegar
olive oil
lemon juice
garlic
Sunday, September 5, 2010
CSA Wk 14, September 6
Well, I don't know about you, but I hope we never have to repeat a week of heat like last week. It was unbearable in my opinion, and in the tomatoes opinion too. A lot of them actually blistered in the heat...like the juices on the inside got too hot, and thinned the skin and enlarged. I suppose it will probably burst or scab over at some point, but they will not be pretty tomatoes at that point. But you just cut that part off, and they are still good for making sauce or salsa. I have frozen 25 quarts of sauce this past week! On to making salsa this week. I hope I am an inspiration that you too can store up for the winter as I've mentioned several times :-)
There are a couple new items this week. It's nice that just as the cool fall air hits us, we are greeted by cauliflower in the garden, as well as cantaloupe and turnips. Unfortunately, there is not enough cauliflower to go around, so full shares got that, but everyone got the other two items. We've started to harvest a small amount of mesculen, and we hope that we will have more of that soon. You never can tell with fall. The shorter days, cooler nights definitely have an effect on slowing down of crops, but some things do really well. We have put in lots more spinach and carrot and hope for another round of those.
You may have noticed that I have some large trees to the right of the farmstand. That is an old orchard that would have been used here on the farm, probably 100 years ago. The house is dated to be almost 200 years old, but the trees don't seem that old. Anyway, one of the biggest trees out there grows a pear that tastes like an Asian pear that I've seen in the markets. They are crunchy, have a different texture than a smooth pear, and are a little more tart. I've included a dozen in everyones share for you to try. They may not all be at their prime ripeness (the winds have blown them off the tree) but the ones that are a little hint of yellow are best. You can eat them plain, but can also use them in recipes like scones or muffins. I make a pear/crystallized ginger scone; that is an awesome combo, and I've made pear danish with pears out there too!
Here's to cooler weather!!!
1/2 size:
Garlic
Gillfeather Turnip
Gold Nugget Squash
Cantaloupe
Cucumbers
Beets
Cherry Tomatoes
Beans - either green string, purple string, or yellow romano
Squash - either a green zucchini, striped zucchini, round zucchini, or yellow summer squash
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Asian Pear
Rosemary
Full Size:
Garlic
Gillfeather Turnip
Golden Hubbard Squash
Cantaloupe
Cucumbers
Beets
Cherry Tomatoes
Beans - either green string, purple string, or yellow romano
Squash - either a green zucchini, striped zucchini, round zucchini, or yellow summer squash
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Mesculen Lettuce Mix
Tomatoes
Cheddar Cauliflower
Asian Pears
Rosemary
Happy Labor Day!
See you next week!
There are a couple new items this week. It's nice that just as the cool fall air hits us, we are greeted by cauliflower in the garden, as well as cantaloupe and turnips. Unfortunately, there is not enough cauliflower to go around, so full shares got that, but everyone got the other two items. We've started to harvest a small amount of mesculen, and we hope that we will have more of that soon. You never can tell with fall. The shorter days, cooler nights definitely have an effect on slowing down of crops, but some things do really well. We have put in lots more spinach and carrot and hope for another round of those.
You may have noticed that I have some large trees to the right of the farmstand. That is an old orchard that would have been used here on the farm, probably 100 years ago. The house is dated to be almost 200 years old, but the trees don't seem that old. Anyway, one of the biggest trees out there grows a pear that tastes like an Asian pear that I've seen in the markets. They are crunchy, have a different texture than a smooth pear, and are a little more tart. I've included a dozen in everyones share for you to try. They may not all be at their prime ripeness (the winds have blown them off the tree) but the ones that are a little hint of yellow are best. You can eat them plain, but can also use them in recipes like scones or muffins. I make a pear/crystallized ginger scone; that is an awesome combo, and I've made pear danish with pears out there too!
Here's to cooler weather!!!
1/2 size:
Garlic
Gillfeather Turnip
Gold Nugget Squash
Cantaloupe
Cucumbers
Beets
Cherry Tomatoes
Beans - either green string, purple string, or yellow romano
Squash - either a green zucchini, striped zucchini, round zucchini, or yellow summer squash
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Asian Pear
Rosemary
Full Size:
Garlic
Gillfeather Turnip
Golden Hubbard Squash
Cantaloupe
Cucumbers
Beets
Cherry Tomatoes
Beans - either green string, purple string, or yellow romano
Squash - either a green zucchini, striped zucchini, round zucchini, or yellow summer squash
Broccoli or Romanesco Broccoli
Mesculen Lettuce Mix
Tomatoes
Cheddar Cauliflower
Asian Pears
Rosemary
Happy Labor Day!
See you next week!
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