October 15 or 18 extended CSA

First extended box contains:  1 bunch each of beets, rutabagas, tonda di parigi carrots, dill, radishes; 2 bok choy, 1 head escarole, 1 long island cheese pumpkin, 1 pint of snow peas, 2# mix of red and yellow onions.

The carrots are best for roasting.  Their flavor really comes out when cooked.  The pumpkin will keep for a few months so you don't need to worry about cooking it right away.
I made a good salad the other day of: 
1 pint of snow peas, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 bunch of radishes, ends trimmed and radish cut into thin wedges and greens cut into 1 inch pieces
1 carrot, julienned
1 small red onion cut in thin slices
dressing:
1 T ume plum vinegar
1T red wine vinegar
2 T olive oil
splash of lime juice
splash of tamari
black pepper

PUMPKIN SOUP
6 cups roasted pumpkin (to roast pumpkin, cut into large pieces and bake face down on pan with a little water in 350 degree oven for an hour or until soft)
4 T butter or olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1T smoked paprika
1/2tsp cumin
pinch of cayenne
Melt the butter and saute onions, garlic, and spices until translucent.
To them add:
1 apple chopped
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup water
the pumpkin (I use the skin too in soup)
Let this all cook together for 20 minutes then puree.
Return to a pot and add:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2tsp thyme
1 sprig sage
salt and pepper to taste
Warm to desired temperature and eat!

click on the link below for:
Braised Escarole Recipe

The picture below shows a tool called a "middle-buster" that we use to dig sweet potatoes (among other things).  It pulls most of them to the surface so we can pick them up and see the rest of the clump still in the ground.  We successfully dug the whole crop yesterday and are pleased with the yield and the quality of the roots.  They are now all tucked away in our basement "curing room" where they will sit at 75 degrees for 10 days to toughen their skin so they can be handled without scraping off their skin.  Also during that time the starches will convert to sugars making them sweet.  You'll be seeing some of each variety we grew in your boxes later.

Digging Sweet Potatoes 

October 8 or 11 Box

Danver's Half Long Carrots

Your last regular season CSA box for 2014! small share contains:
2# german butterball potatoes, 1 bunch hakurei turnips, 1 bunch danver's half long carrots, 1 bliss pumpkin, 1 black radish, 1 bulb of garlic and 1 shallot, 1 pint edamame.
Regular shares contain:  4# german butterballs, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 1 pumpkin, 2-3 black radish, 2 garlic bulb, 1 shallot, 1 quart edamame, 1 bunch beets.

Thank you for participating in our farm share this year!  You have helped us get up and going last spring, kept us going thru the summer, and seen us to the fall.  Because of our responsibility to fill your box each week, we stayed motivated to get things seeded, weeded, planted, and watered on time.  I hope you enjoyed it as much as we have!  We love what we're doing and you help make it possible for us to continue on this adventure! Thank you, thank you!

The german butterball potatoes and bliss pumpkin can be kept for a month or more if you so desire.  The potatoes have a yellow flesh and are great mashed (as well as all other ways you like potatoes).  The pumpkin is, in my opinion, DELICIOUS!  I steamed one in a pot on the stove the other night to see how they are because it is a variety I haven't grown before and I was impressed.  So much so I think we'll grow more of them and less of other varieties next year.  It was great plain and would make excellent pie or soup.
The turnips are a mild variety, great eaten raw in a salad or dipped in pesto.  They are also great caramelized.  The greens are good eating too!

Black Radish Salad
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 large or 2 to 3 small black radishes
1 shallot, cut paper thin
1 T olive oil
salt
1. combine lemon juice and mustard and add oil slowly while beating with a whisk until it emulsifies.
2. grate the radish and add radish and shallot to the above.
3. salt to taste, toss, and eat immediately.

Hakurei Turnips

Bliss Pumpkins

october 1 or 4

small boxes:  1# green beans, 1 bunch carrots, 1# red onions, 1 garlic, 2# russet potatoes, 1 mix root bunch, 1 head of bibb lettuce.
regular boxes:  1# beans, 1 bunch carrots, 1 1/2# red onions, 2 garlic, 3# russet tates, 1 mix root bunch, 1 bibb lettuce, 2 fennel, 1 bunch leeks, some sugar snap peas.

The mix root bunch contains a long white daikon radish, 1 beet, 1 rutabega, 1 turnip (small boxes have a pale yellow turnip, regular boxes have a purple top turnip).  You can tell the rutabega from the turnip by the top.  Rutabega tops are smooth and blueish, turnips are green and rough (pokey).  My thought is that you can use the mix roots and carrots and potatoes to make a soup or to roast all together and enjoy the different flavors beside each other.  The tops can be used to make a nice broth or add them chopped in small  pieces to the soup.  The tops should be cut off the roots and stored in a bag if you don't use them right away.  They will not keep as long as the roots will.  The tops are also good for juicing.
The potatoes haven't been washed and they and the on ions and garlic can be kept outside the refrigerator.
A Good Root Soup Recipe

Next week is the last regular season box!  We will put sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, another winter squash and some more perishable foods in it.  Please remember to bring boxes and clothe bags back.  We are terribly low on the bags and didn't have enough to use for this weeks' boxes.  If you have alot of them, please bring them back.  We wash them so do not worry about washing them first!

Hope you have a good week!

Pictured below are Cate and Hayley who have been picking your vegetables all season.