We made it! This is the last week of the season and just in time as Saturday morning on my way to the farmers market the thermometer read 34 degrees. Yikes that was cold! We lost most of the solanaceous crops that day, the field tomatoes, basil for sure, lots of the flowers, summer squash… It’s been a good long season; the frost came almost three weeks past our average first frost date. The plants and farmers are getting tired.
Thank you, thank you everyone! It was a great season. Thanks for picking your boxes up every week, thanks for bringing back the boxes (still time for that, even when the seasons over we sometimes find boxes appear out of nowhere on our door stop months after CSA is done) Thanks for trying new veggies you had never seen before ( Wow, we love Kale now! was a comment from a new CSAer this summer), thanks for all you support, thanks for putting up with yet another year of a bumper crop of sweet and hot peppers, thanks for wishing for but not getting again a CSA potluck on the farm (We are so lame but we promise to try again next year, really…),Thanks for supporting local agriculture and this crazy idea of making a living on a small family farm. We are so thankful for your support.
In your boxes this week:
1. Winter Squash: A mix of a few different kinds. I cook them all the same way. Cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds. Bake in a pan with and inch or so of water with the cut side down at 350 degrees for about 45 min until the flesh is soft. Mix with butter and salt. I am freezing some already cooked squash. I haven’t tried it yet but it looks good in the ziplock bag, retained it color nicely.
2. Popcorn: We just picked it today so it must dry for at least a few months. Leave it out in the open air to dry. Remove the kernels from the ears and pop. Try popping a few kernels in December and see if it pops. If it’s too wet, it just won’t pop at all. It is a gourmet variety of popcorn that is hull-less and delicious.
3. Garlic: So good! It will last about 4 months.
4. Sweet peppers:Too many? Of course there are too many: freeze, freeze freeze. Or roast them with potatoes, garlic, onions, cubed winter squash any veggies you have hanging around. It uses up a lot of veggies. Mix in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Spread on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for about 20 min until veggies are fork tender.
5. Hot peppers: pablanos, Serrano and garden salsa.
6. Celery:Strong and aromantic. Be sure to use the leaves too. Put in an air tight bag to last longer.
7. Eggplant: The very last of the season. A beautiful mix.
8. Cabbage: Delicious and crisp. Coleslaw anyone?
9. Tomatoes: Lots of heirlooms of all shapes, colors and sizes.
10. Dried hot peppers: Hot off the dehydrated. These are great for stir fry, in pasta on top of pizzas. Store in glass jar. They keep indefinitely. You recieved some of last years crop eariler in the season.
11. Kale: It gets better with the cooler weather.
“The ground is locked up, the farmer’s exertions must relent, and now for him is the time to indulge in thinking and speculating upon what is passed and what is likely to come.”
J.M. Gourgas, New England Farmer January 25, 1828
I’ll be sending everyone a 2009 brochure in Feburary. Thanks again everyone, it was an honor growing food for you.
Always, Pooh, Richard, Cody and Taylor