– Henry David Thoreau
Summer Share Box 15 Crop List
- Acorn squash – all shares
- Sweet Dumpling squash – all shares
- Enterprise apples – all shares
- Green and purple beans – all shares
- Melons – all shares
- Green cabbage – all shares
- Parsley – all shares
- Red potatoes – all shares
- Eggplant – full & half shares
- Kohlrabi – full & single shares
- Tomatoes – single shares
- Broccoli – full shares
- Bell & hot peppers – full shares
- Kale – full shares
Farmer Notes
- Apples will be gnarly and with blemishes, but the taste is good.
- Last of the beans and eggplant – tomatoes, melons, and peppers may hold on for another week for some.
- Tomatoes for singles may need to sit on the counter until orange and softer.
- Final delivery of the Red Norland potatoes – we hope you have enjoyed them!
- Apples are good to eat straight up, in salads, or in desserts.
- The melons are showing some age in the field.
- Winter squashes can store for weeks in a cool, well-ventilated area.
- The forecast calls for a freeze on Friday night – 30 degrees.
- Parsley pairs well with potatoes, in salads, and with many vegetables. It also keeps well in a glass of water or in a bag in the crisper.
- Please think about joining us for our Fall Share season (sign up here).
- Please return our boxes and ice packs.
- Wash all of our produce before you eat it.
Here comes the fall
We are definitely feeling the cooler temperatures falling around us here on the farm. The hats and jackets stay on for the entire day now instead of only for the early mornings. We are noticing how different crops react to the shorter days and the cooler temps … on one extreme is the Genovese basil that turns black and ‘freezes out’ once the thermometer hovers below 50 degrees and on the other extreme are a few crops like Brussels sprouts, kale, and leeks that can take some mid twenties and still thaw out and taste great. Actually, many crops love the colder weather and sweeten up after a few frosts.
As frosts take moisture from the crops the sugars become more concentrated in the fruits. This holds true for all of the brassicas and most of the root vegetables. Curing of crops like winter squashes and potatoes also allows water to evaporate and the sugars to become more prominent. Since we have an expected low of 31 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday night, we will spend the day picking all of the peppers, bringing in most of the winter squash, covering the Swiss chard with row cover, and the like. Most seasons we get a short cold spell where we see frost for a night or three and maybe a freeze, and then a few weeks with warmer temps again. Either way we’ve got you covered and great, tasty crops should be abundant in your boxes for the remaining 3 weeks. I hope that many of you can join us for some or all of the Fall Share season so we can continue to provide you with awesome veg.
~Norm
Crop of the week: Winter squash
Some recipes to try:
| Servings |
|
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2.5 lb winter squash peeled, deseeded, and cut into chunks
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 5 cups chicken stock
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh parsely chopped to serve
Ingredients
|
|
- Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and celery and gently cook until really soft – about 15 minutes.
- Add the squash and cook, stirring for 5 minutes
- Add the honey and chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until the squash is tender.
- Remove from heat and, using a hand blender, purée until smooth, adding a bit more stock or water if the soup is too thick.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat before serving, sprinkled with chopped parsley.
| Servings |
|
- 1 acorn squash cut in half
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- salt & pepper to taste
Ingredients
|
|
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out of the squash and discard. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup, and salt & pepper. Rub the squash cavities and cut sides of the squash with the butter mixture and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
