We had a wonderful turn out for our Fall Raspberry and Pumpkin Pick and Potluck farm party last Sunday. The weather was perfect and many members of the farm made the trip out to take a look at where their food is coming from and pick a few berries. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the attendance.
If the farm were a plant, it would surely be a perennial. Imagine it as your favorite perennial, perhaps a fruit tree or a lilly or blueberry bush. But surely we are very much so a living entity, not very different from a tree or a plant of any kind. We are tender yet enduring, vulnerable to weather and elements, and we are rooted and growing. We are a twelve year old perennial, so we’ve been through a few winters and we’ve proven that we’re zone hardy. Most importantly, year after year, we keep coming back.
As any perennial plant, we still need sunlight, water and fertility. Sunlight is attained through the space we have created for ourselves. We reach for the light and soak up the rays by spreading our limbs and branches. Water is usually provided by the gods above (at times too much and other’s too little), but a seasoned perennial can usually make it through the tough times. And the fertility is you. You are the nutrients our roots and fruits need to grow. Without your participation in our small family farm, we simply would not be able to grow and share with such abundance.
A community farm can be such a beautiful thing to see. I felt so inspired to see all of the children and parents and neighbors and friends on the farm last Sunday. The wagon rides, pie pumpkins, raspberries and Turtle Stack beer were a draw, sure, but we are the ones who felt the most grateful. Your farmers are thankful for your support and for coming out to the farm to breathe life and identity into our little ridgetop farm. It is an honor to farm and to share the bounty with your appreciative homes.
Sweet Peppers- Four sweet peppers per member this week. As it gets later in the season, we worry a little more about possible frost. So this week we decided to pick peppers with less color. Some have only the first blushes of color. Peppers keep for a couple weeks in the fridge and they will ‘ripen’ a little off the vine if mostly colored. Four peppers could be enough for stuffed peppers?!
Acorn Winter Squash– Acorn are the earliest maturing winter squash variety. They are also possibly one of the best known next to butternuts. Acorns have a sweet, creamy flesh that will caramelize nicely if roasted. Slice your squash in half lengthwise, discard the seeds, and bake face down on a pan with half an inch of water to keep it from drying out for about an hour. Once it is cooked, you and scoop out the cooked flesh easily!
Spaghetti Squash- Spaghetti Squash are all the rage in the gluten free world these days. Like many other kinds of squash, cut them in half lengthwise, discard the seeds, and bake face down on a pan with half an inch of water to keep it from drying out for about an hour. Once it is cooked, you and scoop out the stringy, spaghetti-like squash and serve it with a marinara sauce or make a peanut-noodle dish out it and eat it cold! Possibilities are endless!
Dragon Tongue Beans- .25lbs of dragon tongue beans per member this week. This is likely the final giving of beans as the production is slowing down quite a bit.
Yellow Onion- A nice yellow onion for everyone this week!
Tomatoes- Just a tomato or two per member this week. This is the final giving of tomatoes for the season. We’ve never had a tomato year quite as short as this one, but with all of the rain, the tomato plants melted right along with the water.
Carrots- One pound of carrots per member this week. One crop that seems to be turning out fairly well for us this year is carrots. It’s a good thing too, because everyone loves them!
Kohlrabi- Remember these from the Spring? Kohlrabi love the cool weather of the Spring and Fall! Peel them and enjoy their apple-like texture on the inside with all the flavor of a crispy radish or spring turnip! Either a white or purple kohlrabi this week!
Celeriac Root- Celery’s uglier, grumpier, and older brother. These are specially cultivated plants so that the roots of the plant grow large and not the stalks. In the same family as celery. We left their stalks and greens on them so you can cook with them. The stalks and leaves could be a nice addition to soups or broths. Take advantage of this unique, seasonal offering! Once the tops have been cut off, the celeriac root will keep for months in a plastic bag in the fridge. Celeriac root is wonderful boiled and mashed with potatoes to make a celeriac/potato mash. Celeriac is also nice when peeled, and then diced finely into a soup. Once you have cut into it, the flesh will oxidize and turn a brown-ish color. So we recommend using it up sooner rather than later once you cut into it.
Jalapeno- Yes, this is the first Jalapeno giving of the season. There were some red jalapenos that we picked. They sometimes ripen red which makes them a bit more sweet and flavorful, but not always quite as perfect looking.
Eggplant- Either a standard eggplant or a long and skinney Japanese Eggplant.
Collard Greens- The collards are looking great this time of year! Boil them in broth until they are tender and then fry the with bacon in bacon grease. Check out this recipe and fall in LOVE!
