For early October, it has been very warm on the farm! Today the temperatures were nearly 85 degrees with temps in the 80’s all week yet. It’s looking like we’ll be clear of any damaging frost, I mean, freaky weather for yet another week. At this stage, the only crops we stand to loose from frost are sweet peppers and tomatoes. Tomato production is very low now so it wouldn’t be a huge loss at this point-although I am cherishing every tomato I get at this late-stage in the season as I know they will soon be gone. Fingers crossed that Mr. Frost, I mean, Mr. Freaky Weather stays away for awhile yet so we can continue to enjoy the sweet peppers!
We continue to bring in the harvest of our fall crops such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, beets, squash, parsnips, cabbage and more. Crossing these larger harvests for the year off of our list of things to do before winter arrives feels good. We grow many more of these crops in the summer months than are needed to fill Summer CSA Share boxes so that we can offer Fall Shares and also do Farmer’s Markets in the off-season as well as some sales to our local food coops and restaurants.
Once the Summer CSA Share boxes end, there is a week off with no delivery before the Fall CSA Share boxes begin. We like to use this week off with no delivery to get our garlic planted and mulched. The Fall Share CSA boxes are delivered in a much larger CSA box than what the Summer Share boxes were delivered in. The Fall Share boxes are a 1 1/9 bushel box that have larger quantities of produce as well. The boxes contain 5lb bags of carrots for example and 3lb bags of onions and 5lb bags of potatoes plus 3lbs of beets. The Fall Shares also have larger quantities of sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets, garlic, and more. They’re heavy duty folks! Fall Shares are not filled with leafy greens, but dense root veggies!
What goes into a Fall Share box beyond carrots, potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes and winter squash is always somewhat dependent on how our season goes and what storage crops did well for the year. Likely we will have cabbage, Brussels sprouts, 1lb garlic, rutabaga, celeriac root, daikon radish, parsnips and leeks. The boxes are designed to be filled with mostly storage items that will be fine to store in the fridge. Some of the items keep best in your pantry or on the countertop such as the winter squash, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes and garlic.
The Fall Share boxes make you feel like you’re ready for winter. Like you have gathered your nuts and you’re prepared for sub zero temps, snow drifts and high winds. Batton down the hatches and prepare for rough seas, but fear not, with a Small Family Farm CSA Fall Share, you will survive and thrive for many weeks to come.
It Gets Better!
Extend your Season just a wee bit further by signing up for a Thanksgiving Share as well which is just one extra Fall Share box delivered two days before Thanksgiving containing many of the same storage items that the Fall Share boxes have where we are sure to include sweet potatoes and pie pumpkins in every box. On Thanksgiving Day you can eat fresh, local and organic with a little planning ahead.
Just Two More Weeks!
This is Week 18 out of a 20-Week Summer Share season. Next week will be the final delivery for the Odd week members. October 15th is Week 20 out of 20 Weeks and is the final Summer Share delivery of the season! Fall Shares are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 29th! We would love to sign you up for a Fall Share!
What’s in the Box?
Kabocha Squash- One blue or red kabocha Squash which is bright red inside. Kabocha squash have a creamy texture with a nutty flavor when cooked. Did you know that the skins of kabocha squash are edible as well? My personal favorite kind of squash!
Yukon Gold Potatoes- 2.5lbs of potatoes per member this week! We had a pretty high percentage of the golds having little green spots on them this year. We culled out a lot of the potatoes with green, but a few slipped through if the green spots were small enough and the potato was big enough. You can just peel those spots off with a potato peeler.
Green Cabbage- This is a storage variety of cabbage called Buscando. This cabbage will keep terrifically well in your fridge if you need a little time before you get a chance to eat it up. There are a few extra leaves on the outside to help the cabbage keep. Just peel it back and give it a trim when you’re ready to use it.
Broccoli and Cauillfower or 2 Broccoli- Two gorgeous heads of broccoli per member this week or a Broccoli and Cauliflower. Broccoli usually loves the cool weather of the fall but has been tolerating the heat of this fall pretty well, I would say. We’re happy to have it to share with you. Remember that Broc and Cauliflower prefer very cold storage. We keep in on ice in the cooler until packing day.
Green Curly Kale- One nice bunch of cooking greens for your soups, frittatas and casseroles.
Cilantro- I keep telling farmer Adam that the CSA members would really appreciate more cilantro. He obliged me and planted a nice big planting of cilantro for this Fall. We will have it for the Week 19 CSA boxes as well!
Sweet Peppers- About 4 sweet peppers per member this week. They ranged in color and size quite a bit this week. Stores best about 50 degrees. Peppers also freeze very well, just slice them up and stick them in ziplocks. No need to blanche.
Eggplant- There were a lot of eggplants out there on the plants to be picked. Some were very large and others were quite small still. We picked all sizes as we knew this would likely be the final eggplant giving.
Beets– One pound of beets per member. Keeps great in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Tomatoes- 2.4 lbs of tomatoes per member. The tomatoes are smaller and a little more imperfect at this late stage in the season. But I’m imperfect too and they still keep me!
Garlic- Tucked inside your tomato bag. Prefers cold, dark and dry storage.
Red Onion- Yep, that’s definitely a red onion. Prefers cold, dark and dry storage too!
Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper- Tucked inside your tomato bag.
Next Week’s Best Guess: Brussels Sprouts, sweet potatoes, leek, parsnip, rutabaga, cauliflower/broccoli, kohlrabi, cilantro, sweet peppers, diakon radish or beauty heart radish, spinach, acorn squash, garlic
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Olive Oil, Maple Syrup and Tamari
Kale Avocado Dressing with Lemon Dijon Dressing
Minnestrone with Cabbage and Anelli
