Hello CSA members!
This week we got more of the greenhouse areas cleaned up and prepared for winter. Harvests continued also and we got some fresh greens in along with the other summer crops. Nights are getting much cooler and the first day of fall arrived today signifying this cooler air and shorter days and longer nights are here to stay. Despite the cooler temps it looks like a warm up will come later this week and should keep the cherry tomatoes going strong through the end of the year. Our crop list is looking great for the last couple weeks with some new items and a good mix of fresh greens, flavorful peppers, and savory squash, garlic, and onions. Normally we would have a get together at the farm for CSA members this time of year but because of COVID we will not be doing that this year. This weeks crop list is as follows.
Cherry Tomatoes: These are going strong thanks to the new greenhouse I finished just over a year ago now. In the past our outdoor cherry tomatoes would pitter out in August usually to disease so this give us up to two extra months of cherry tomatoes to enjoy.
Garlic: Our garlic is savory and well cured and good for fighting bad cholesterol and seasonal colds. Last night I grilled some whole on the grill until it got nice and soft with peppers and chicken.
Cabbage: These crunchy green cabbages are great for salads, slaws, and stir fries.
Spaghetti squash: These squash are actually ripe when they turn yellow and will store for several months at room temperature. Simply bake until soft and fork out the inside to serve. A great substitute for noodles dishes without any gluten.
Sweet onion: These candy onions are sweet and well cured making it easy for them to hold at room temperature and tasty weather they are used raw or cooked.
Sunflower shoots: These crunchy shoots are just a perfect batch this week. As the weather cools these get harder to grow well so it could be one of the last batches but going to try doing a few more and see how they go.
Habanero: This week we harvested 4 bushels of habaneros so going to give everyone at least one. Be careful with these as they are very hot. I like to wear protective gloves when cutting peppers this hot but they make a great hot sauce combined with vinegar and stuff.
Jalapeno: These chili peppers are good for adding spice to almost any dish. Be careful cooking with them as the oils can burn fingers and things so again I usually wear a disposable glove when cooking with theses or a separate knife and cutting board can help.
Mesclun salad mix: This salad mix contains arugula, mizuna, mustard greens, lettuce, choi, and baby kale. Its my favorite salad mix because it is so colorful and flavorful but we only produce it in the fall due to the fact that many of these greens bolt easily in the spring.
Tomatillo: These fruits are great for salsa or making a sauce for enchiladas or pork tacos or on pulled pork or chicken.
Shishito pepper: These mild japanese chile peppers are best when they are seared in some oil until they are well browned and add some sea salt to them for a great flavorful side dish. They are good on homemade pizza and tacos too!
Thats our crop list for this week folks! I hope everyone enjoys the shares and stays safe out there. Thanks as always for being CSA members and i’ll see some of you at the drop sites and talk to the rest of you in next weeks newsletter! -Kyle
