This week’s share:

acorn squash

cabbage

daikon radish

kohlrabi

leek

red onions

rutabaga

There really isn’t a downtime when running a CSA.  Right now we are planning what we’re going to grow from seed, how to rotate the crops, which areas need more compost, etc.

So, while today is the last CSA Pickup day of this season, we are not sad that it’s over, because it isn’t over, it is just cycling.  And every stage of this cycle has been completely awesome.  Some of it is stressful, sure, just like in any career.  But it has been the best job we’ve ever had! 

ABOUT THE SURVEY:  It is attached to the email accompanying this newsletter.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it.  We need to know your opinions so we can make improvements.  We appreciate your opinions!

Freezer Coleslaw

1 medium head cabbage

salt

1/2 cup vinegar

1/3 cup cold water

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 small carrot grated

1/2 green pepper, grated

1/2 small onion, grated

Cut cabbage into wedges and sprinkle with salt; let stand for 1 hour.

Combine vinegar, cold water, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, lemon pepper and seasoned salt; bring to a boil. Let cool.

Grate carrot, green pepper, onion, and cabbage. Mix with cooled vinegar mixture, mixing well. Freeze coleslaw in individual containers.

Colcannon

1 pound cabbage

1 pound potatoes

2 leeks

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch ground mace

1/2 cup butter

In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.

Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.

Thank you for the opportunity to grow your food.   It has been a pleasure!

~ Kathy

This week’s share:

acorn squash

celeriac

daikon radish

kohlrabi

leek

storage onions

popcorn

rutabaga

sunflower head

watermelon

This week we put up four more low tunnels (the special blanket that protects from cold).  The spinach, lettuce, and radishes are covered.  They won’t grow much, but they will stay just like they are until it warms up in the spring.  We feel badly that we haven’t had much lettuce to offer.

This past weekend we also put up a type of greenhouse that utilizes the sun’s energy to keep it warm.  It’s called a high tunnel and we hope this helps us offer certain vegetables earlier in the season.  Others who use high tunnels have told us that their tomatoes are phenomenal.  That’s good news, as we know we had a poor offering of tomatoes. 

ABOUT THE SURVEY:  It is still being completed…our apologies for the delay.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it.  We need to know what you liked and didn’t like so we can make improvements.  We appreciate your opinions!

Just a reminder, after today, there is one week left for our full-share CSA members. 

For some of you (the half-share folks) today is your last pickup.  Thank you for entrusting us to grow your food.    It has been a pleasure getting to know you!

Sunflower Seeds

Cover unshelled seeds with salted water, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt per two quarts of water. Soak seeds in the salt solution overnight. Drain off the water the next morning and pat the seeds dry to remove excess moisture. (You can also roast the seeds unsalted, by simply skipping the soaking process).
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the sunflower seeds evenly on a cookie sheet or shallow pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The seeds will often develop a small crack down the center as they roast. Test after each stirring to see if the seeds are completely roasted by tasting. After roasting, remove seeds from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Then store the seeds in an airtight container for future snacking.

Variations call for mixing a teaspoon of melted butter with a cup of seeds while they are still warm from the oven; these are for immediate eating. Some also experiment with different seasonings, such as barbecue, Cajun, and taco.

Have a delicious week! ~ Kathy

This week’s share:

acorn squash

Brussels sprouts

daikon radish

eggplant

green pepper

kohlrabi

Florence long red onion

leek

red cabbage

rutabaga

sunflower head

watermelon

This weather – it’s incredible and we love working in it.  Some of the plants are confused.  Things are a little backwards - The lettuce and Brussels Sprouts are slowing down, and the eggplant and peppers are growing better than they did in August.   

The rutabaga and kohlrabi are on the large side, which means they could be woody.  Usually if you peel away enough of the outer layer, you will find the tender parts worth eating.  We didn’t want to compost them if they still had a good amount of tasty parts.

We put a special blanket over the eggplants and peppers when it got near freezing.  The blankets were left on during this heat wave, and we are so pleased that some of the eggplant blossoms turned into food for you. 

The watermelon is the last of what was taken from the field.  We ate one and it was delicious.  We hope you have the same experience.

SURVEY TIME.  The final touches are being put on the questions for the survey.  It will be emailed to you within the next few days.  Please return it next week when you pickup your produce, or before. We tried to make this as short and

simple as we could, because we know you’re busy and we value your time.  Thank you for taking the time to do this.  We appreciate it, and will let you know the results of the survey.

Just a reminder, after today, there are two weeks left for our CSA.  For some of you (the half-share folks) next week is your last week.

Cranberry Acorn Squash

½ cup raw fresh cranberries

1 small apple, cored, chopped into small pieces

¼ cup currants

½ cup orange juice or apple cider

1 ½ tbs honey or maple syrup

1 tbs melted butter

pinch salt

2 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cranberries, apples, currants, orange juice, honey, butter, and salt in a saucepan.  Heat until berries are just tender.  Place squash in ovenproof dish.  Fill cavities with fruit.  Cover dish and bake until squash is tender, about 35-45 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes
From allrecipes.com 

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and scored

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bunches green onions, chopped

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

4 tablespoons butter

Place the Brussels sprouts, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, or until sprouts are tender but firm.

Over medium low heat in a large saucepan, mix the olive oil, garlic and green onions. Slowly cook and stir 5 minutes, until the green onions are soft. Mix in the Brussels sprouts, grapes and butter. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Hope your week is awesome! ~ Kathy

This week’s share:

acorn squash

blue or yellow potato

corn shocks

daikon radish

Florence long red onion

Yellow of Parma onion

red cabbage

popcorn

pumpkin

sunflower head

watermelon



We need a rating!

Tell everyone how we’ve been doing

at localharvest.org

This week we have been pulling plants out of the field, planting garlic, and spreading compost.
It’s hard to believe this season is winding down. There’s still plenty to do!

Today you have a new item in your bag. Introducing….Daikon Radish. This is the large white root in your bag. According to Wikipedia, it has been known as a Japanese radish, although it originated in Asia. It is typically much milder than a traditional radish. The roots can be stored for some weeks without the leaves if kept in a cool dry place. And good news! Daikon is high in Vitamin C!


Overnight Chinese Daikon Radish Pickles

1 1/2 cups chopped daikon

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

In a mixing bowl, toss daikon with salt. Cover, and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse daikon, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel, and return to bowl. Stir in rice vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Have a splendid week!  ~ Kathy

Pickup Today on the


FRONT PORCH

Be prepared to carry a pumpkin, a watermelon, and your bag of food!

This week’s share:

acorn squash

brussels sprouts

gourds

red, yellow, or bronze onion

popcorn

pumpkin

rutabaga

summer squash

tomato

watermelon

Can you help us out?

Tell everyone how we’ve been doing

at localharvest.org

Have we told you how much we are enjoying growing food for you? We are so thankful that you have entrusted us with the all-important job of feeding you. We hope you have been satisfied, as well! In only five short weeks we will be done for the season. It has gone so fast – we are not ready to be done with 80 degree days.

As we are thinking ahead to next season, we want to know your thoughts and advise on how to make our CSA the best experience you could have. One of the hardest aspects of this profession is knowing that everyone’s tastes and preferences are not all the same. Would you share your thoughts with us? In a few weeks you will receive a survey. You can fill it out anonymously, and please do not worry about hurting our feelings. We are new at this, and we know there are things we can do better. But we need your input in order to improve, so don’t be shy!

In farm-related news, we have picked some of the popcorn for this week’s share. It isn’t ready to pop yet, as it needs more time to dry. Store the ears in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. Once or twice a week, shell a few kernels and try popping them. When the test kernels are popping well and tasting good, shell and store the rest of the kernels. If the popcorn is "chewy" or the popped kernels are jagged, it is too wet and needs to continue drying.

Store the kernels in sealed, airtight containers. If stored properly, popcorn should retain its popping quality for several years. Unshelled corn should be stored at temperatures near 32F and high relative humidity. The storage location should also be rodent proof.

If stored popcorn fails to pop, it may be too dry. Add 1 tablespoon of water to a quart of popcorn. Cover and shake at frequent intervals until the popcorn has absorbed the water. After 3 or 4 days, test pop a few kernels to see if it is ready. Add more water and repeat the process until the popcorn pops well.

Stuffed Acorn Squash Supreme
1 (6 ounce) package broccoli and cheese flavored rice mix
1 pound turkey breakfast sausage
1 med acorn squash, halved and seeded
1/2 cup chopped apple
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Prepare rice mix according to package directions; cover, and set aside.
Place squash halves cut side down onto a plate. Cook the squash in a microwave oven for 5 minutes on High, until tender but firm.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly browned; drain, and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the prepared rice, sausage, apple, and coriander. Stuff each squash half with the mixture.
Cover stuffed squash halves with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave until squash is cooked through and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove plastic, and top stuffed squash with cheese. Continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Jasmine’s Brussels Sprouts

3 cups water
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces bacon, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. They should still be slightly firm. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Slice the sprouts in half, and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and pancetta; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add the remaining olive oil and Brussels sprouts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring until the sprouts are well coated with the flavor. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 more minutes before serving.

Have a super week! ~ Kathy

This week’s share:

acorn squash

green, purple & yellow beans  

broccoli

eggplant

hot pepper

pumpkin

summer squash

tomato

watermelon

This Past Week…      

The watermelons are fashionably late, and they are big and juicy! 

How to Store Watermelon
According to The Old Farmer's Almanac, store an uncut watermelon at room temperature.  It should stay fresh for up to a week if the room is warm, over 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's kept in a room that stays around 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, an uncut watermelon should stay fresh for up to 10 to fourteen days.

How to Freeze Watermelon
Leftover watermelon can be frozen so you can use it for a recipe later. Simply dice it up and spread it out in one layer on a cookie sheet or two. Place the watermelon in the freezer for several hours until it freezes. Then, remove it from the sheet and place the watermelon in
zippered freezer bags. It should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in the freezer. Be warned that the mushy texture may not be appealing to everyone, and may be best suited for smoothies.  Enjoy!

For the past week I put a row cover over the eggplant and peppers to keep them warm so they would grow. There were many blossoms, and I’m pleased that the row covering helped us squeak out a few more.  The delicious heirloom eggplants are smaller than the recommended 4-6”, but they will taste great.

The teeny tiny hot peppers started off as a beautiful purple Christmas bulb.  As they mature, some of them turn yellow, some turn orange, and some turn red.  Don’t let their size fool you – they have a bite to them.

The pumpkins this week came from jack-o-lantern seeds.  In the past I’ve had no problem using this type of pumpkin for pie or bread.  There will be more in the weeks to come.

                Soon we will be digging up potatoes.   The blue potatoes are very small, and we are worried about them.  But the vines on the sweet potatoes are gigantic, which hopefully means the  sweet potatoes are, too.

Watermelon Fire & Ice Salsa

3 cups chopped watermelon

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, green bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno and garlic salt. Mix well and serve.

Watermelon Muffins

From gourmetkitchen.com

1 1/2 c Flour

2 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Baking powder

1 pinch  Salt

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

6 tbs Butter; room temperature

2/3 c Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 c Milk

1/2 c Watermelon juice

1/2 c Watermelon pulp

1/2 c Raisins

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs. Whip in milk, juice, pulp and raisins. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients; blend just to incorporate. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Source: Restaurants & Institutions, June 15, 1993

Watermelon Milkshake

From allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups diced watermelon

2 1/4 cups milk

2 teaspoons white sugar

Process the watermelon and milk together in a blender until smooth. Add the sugar and blend another 10 seconds to incorporate. Serve immediately.

Hope you have a terrific week!  ~ Kathy

Pickup Today on the

FRONT PORCH

Be prepared to carry a pumpkin, a watermelon, and your bag of food!

This week’s share:

acorn squash

brussels sprouts

gourds

red, yellow, or bronze onion

popcorn

pumpkin

rutabaga

summer squash

tomato

watermelon

Can you help us out?

Tell everyone how we’ve been doing

at localharvest.org

H

ave we told you how much we are enjoying growing food for you?  We are so thankful that you have entrusted us with the all-important job of feeding you.  We hope you have been satisfied, as well!  In only five short weeks we will be done for the season.  It seems to have gone so fast.
As we are thinking ahead to next season, we want to know your thoughts and advise on how to make our CSA the best experience you could have.  In a few weeks you will receive a survey, which you can fill out anonymously if you would like.   We are new at this, and we know there are things we can do better.  We need your input in order to improve, so don’t be shy!

In farm-related news, we have picked some of the popcorn for this week’s share.  It isn’t ready to pop yet, as it needs more time to dry. Store the ears in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. Once or twice a week, shell a few kernels and try popping them. When the test kernels are popping well and tasting good, shell and store the rest of the kernels. If the popcorn is "chewy" or the popped kernels are jagged, it is too wet and needs to continue drying.

Store the kernels in sealed, airtight containers. If stored properly, popcorn should retain its popping quality for several years. Unshelled corn should be stored at temperatures near 32F and high relative humidity. The storage location should also be rodent proof.

If stored popcorn fails to pop, it may be too dry. Add 1 tablespoon of water to a quart of popcorn. Cover and shake at frequent intervals until the popcorn has absorbed the water. After 3 or 4 days, test pop a few kernels to see if it is ready. Add more water and repeat the process until the popcorn pops well.

Stuffed Acorn Squash Supreme

1 (6 ounce) package broccoli and cheese flavored rice mix

1 pound turkey breakfast sausage

1 med acorn squash, halved and seeded

1/2 cup chopped apple

2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Prepare rice mix according to package directions; cover, and set aside.

Place squash halves cut side down onto a plate. Cook the squash in a microwave oven for 5 minutes on High, until tender but firm.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly browned; drain, and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the prepared rice, sausage, apple, and coriander. Stuff each squash half with the mixture.

Cover stuffed squash halves with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave until squash is cooked through and soft, about 5 minutes. Remove plastic, and top stuffed squash with cheese. Continue to cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Jasmine’s Brussels Sprouts

3 cups water

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces bacon, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add Brussels sprouts, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. They should still be slightly firm. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Slice the sprouts in half, and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and pancetta; cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Add the remaining olive oil and Brussels sprouts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring until the sprouts are well coated with the flavor. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 more minutes before serving.

Have a super week!  ~ Kathy