Oct 25, 2023

Summer CSA Newsletter Week #22, Oct. 22-28, 2023 “B” week

Bill and Aidan making fence

Newsletter Table of Contents:

This Week’s Shares with Guides & Recipes- VEG, MES, EGG, APPLE
Recipes
Field News & Photos from the Week

VEG SHARES (see FULL and HALF list for which share has what, how much, along with info, guides, recipes)

FULL SHARE:

OVATION GREENS (¼ lb) - We call this “Spicy Greens” this mix includes Arugula, Tatsoi, Red Mustard, Mizuna, and Red Russian Kale and is actually only mildly spicy!. (If you don’t like spicy - braise or saute as that lessens the “heat.” Ideas for using include: in salads, sauted with a little olive oil, garlic, and/or onion, or added to sandwiches, BLT’s, burgers, tacos, pitas, pizza, scrambled eggs, stir fries, etc. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Technically considered a “First Priority Vegetable” like lettuce, Ovation Greens are more hardy than others, and will often keep for a couple of weeks.

YELLOW ONION (1 lb) - Ready to be used now or later, this almost “cured” or dried onion should be stored on your counter or in your pantry out of direct sunlight. If you don’t use it in the next week, it’ll cure more and store longer. (from our farm and Gwenyn Hill)

RED RUSSIAN KALE (1 bunch) - Sweet, tender and mild, Red Russian kale is often liked by those that are averse to the more traditional curly kale varieties. The stem is edible but most discard it as it doesn’t soften much with cooking. Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) and keep it in the fridge. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” to be used in the next week or so. If you can’t use it up by your next share, some good exit strategies are to put it in smoothies, make pesto, or make green cubes! DINOSAUR KALE (1 bunch) - (Also known as Lacinto or Toscano.) Dino kale has an earthy, nutty flavor. It doesn't have the same strong bitterness as other varieties of kale, though it is still there. The sweetness helps offset that and makes it more approachable.This green can be used just like any other kale.Every part of the leaf is edible, though really thick ribs take longer to cook, so they're often discarded. The kale can be cooked whole, cut into thin strips, or chopped, depending on your recipe and use. Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) keep it in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” to be used in the next week. If you can’t use it in the next few days, consider freezing it. Guide & Recipes

SWEET POTATOES (1 lb) - Store them on the counter and use within a couple weeks. (from Gwenyn Hill)

GOLD BEETS (1 lb) - Remove tops from roots and store separately in the crisper drawer of your fridge in plastic bags. Use the tops within a week, (don't waste your beet greens and stems! They taste delicious and can be quickly and easily pan-fried - see recipes below!) but the roots are hardy keepers and will last for months! (from Red Door Farm) Guide & Recipes

GERMAN BUTTERBALL POTATOES (2 lb) With a brown peel and flesh that's a vibrant yellow to gold and is firm, waxy, and dense. German Butterball Potatoes are most commonly used as baking potatoes but can also be fried or roasted. When cooked, they're creamy with a smooth consistency and offer a rich, buttery flavor. (from Mythic Farm) Guide & Recipes

DAIKON RADISH (~ 1 lb) - Daikons are generally milder than regular table radishes. Store dry in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for weeks - these are long keepers!. Radishes are also delicious roasted - our favorite way to eat them - because it takes out their heat and makes them sweeter! Try also sliced in rounds or matchsticks with your favorite dip or hummus. Adds crunch and great flavor to any stir fry recipe. Guide & Recipes

RUTABAGA - Nutritious root vegetable with dense sweet-tasting flesh also known as Swedish turnip or neep. When you buy at the store, rutabagas are often coated in wax so they need to be peeled before cooking. Since these are organic and not waxed, peeling is optional. Can be used in hearty soups like beef barley or chicken noodle, stew, and casseroles, boiled, mashed (with potatoes and/or cauliflower, or on their own), and are excellent roasted, either alone or, with other root veggies like carrots, radishes, turnips, potatoes, onions, etc. This long storing veggie can be stored in the refrigerator, in the crisper drawer. Or if you’ll be using within a week or two, these can be stored like potatoes and onions in a cool, dark place on the counter.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH - Store this winter squash on your counter or in a cool dark place. The longer you store it, the sweeter it gets. Butternut is a long keeper - in the right conditions, it will still be good in 4 to 6 months! Roast it, bake it, or add it to soup. Remove seeds. Eat the pulp. We use butternut to make pie filling or for pumpkin muffins. After roasting, you can freeze for later use. Roast the seeds too! Guide & Recipes

OPTIONAL ITEMS:

TOMATOES, CHERRY TOMATOES

HALF SHARE: (see Full VEG Shares above⬆ for info on each item)

OVATION GREENS (¼ lb)

YELLOW ONION (1 lb)

SWEET POTATOES (1 lb)

KALE (1 bunch)

GERMAN BUTTERBALL POTATOES (2 lb)

GOLD BEETS (1 lb)

BUTTERNUT WINTER SQUASH

MES SHARE

Honey for EOW.

EGG SHARE

Weekly Shares = 1 Dozen Biweekly Shares = 1 Dozen

RECIPES:

Click the link to go to a printable pdf of the recipe.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

Field News & Photos:

As ruminants cows have evolved to grow best and be most healthy eating grasses and hay rather than grains so that's how we've always fed them.

Our herd of cattle has grown big enough that we're needing more pasture to be able to rotate them across the land and still have enough food for them. With vegetable fields slowing down, the guys decided that this weekend there was time to replace the old fences in the pastures where Bill grew up a few miles north of us in anticipation of grazing the cows there.

The changing colors of the leaves made for some gorgeous photos.

Some jobs are just easier with another's help.

Attaching wires.

Wires going up,

Corner posts were much harder to put in the ridge ground than they are in the valley because of its rocky nature so the guys are pretty proud of them.