Tuesday, October 25

CSA Fall Harvest Week Two

"The scent is that of wood-smoke, of fruit and of some fallen leaves. This is the beginning of the pageant of autumn, of that gradual pompous dying which has no parallel in human life, yet draws us to it with sure bonds. It is a dying of the flesh, and we see it pass through a kind of beauty which we can only call spiritual, of so high and inaccessible a strangeness is it. The sight of such perfection as is many times achieved before the end awakens the never more than lightly sleeping human desire of permanence. Now, now is the hour; let things be thus; thus for ever; there is nothing further to be thought of; let these remain. And yet we have a premonition that remain they must not for more than a little while."

Edward Thomas

We fend off that premonition for a bit under the plastic of the hoophouses, where summer lingers a bit longer, but everywhere else...well, Mr. Thomas, an English poet who died too young in World War I, could have been walking through our fields and woods before writing in his journal of the autumnal truths we cannot long avoid.

In this week's share:

1) half pint of Connecticut maple syrup: produced by Brookside Farm in Litchfield. Maple syrup has many important vitamins - get the farm's handout when you pick up! Brookside Farm II, located in Litchfield CT, is a relatively small and very high quality maple syrup operation. Mark Harran and Kay Carroll, owners of the farm since 1999, make about 150 gallons of maple syrup per year, depending on weather conditions, which dictate the flow and sugar content of the sap. The owners both had careers in the food industry prior to buying the farm. They have applied all their collective knowledge and experience, along with Mark’s childhood experiences on his family’s large sugar bush in upstate New York, to their operation in Connecticut. Brookside Farm’s production process yields 100% pure and basically 100% organic maple syrup. Unlike some older sugaring operations, they do not use equipment that contains lead, solder or galvanized metal. Most of the sap is collected in aluminum buckets and processed in an evaporator and canning equipment that are 100% stainless steel with tig welds.Mark and Kay welcome visitors, just call ahead. They like teaching folks of all ages where maple syrup comes from, how it is made and the differences in the four grades of maple syrup. A tour includes a tasting and recipe suggestions.
2) Three pears--your choice of Yali (a juicy Asian pear), Seckel, or Bosc, grown sustainably by Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, NY.
3) half pound of ground cherries: also known as physalis. Great eaten raw, in a salad, sauce, dipped in chocolate. Read more here.
4) one bag red bok choy: a showy red-leaved type. Bok choy recipes here.
5) One bunch leeks: Please use almost all of the green part--tender all the way up!
6) One head cauliflower: grown by Pedersen Farms in upstate NY. certified organic.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, October 18

CSA Fall Harvest Week One

Fall share is here! We've got a great first share for you. Glad autumn has arrived.

I'm sure you're aware of some of the weather challenges faced by farmers the past few months. We just spoke to a Massachusetts farmer on Saturday who could not dig his 35 acres of potatoes after hurricane flooding and potential contamination from sewage. Throughout the region, there has been a shortage of good winter squash, potatoes, pumpkins. And fall foliage color surely looks to be minimized this year.

But there's lots for which we are thankful. Like wood ducks, the monkshood, the yellow spicebush leaves. And knowing that being small farmers means we can't lose 35 acres of potatoes. While our potato yields were low this year, our tomatoes and beans were prolific. Today, even in the rain, I was delighted to be outdoors packing CSA shares.

Thanks for letting us do this for you!

In this week's share:

1) one bunch celery: we're very proud of this celery. It has proved a challenging crop for us, but this year we got it right. Maybe all this rain helped!
2) one pound potatoes: choose from all blue, prairie blush or cranberry red
3) one bag onions: choose from red, white, or yellow
4) one pound heirloom tomatoes: the tail end of our excellent crop
5) two sweet peppers: one green bell and one corno di Toro (horn of the bull), an excellent Italian heirloom
6) CHOICE: one bag asian braising greens OR two eggplants
7) CHOICE: cilantro OR basil microgreens Wondering what microgreens are? Baby greens that are highly nutritious and also very beautiful.
8) three apples: one Macoun, one Margil, one Honey Crisp. Fun to compare size, shape, color, and taste! All grown sustainably by Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, NY. NOT organic. Swap if this poses a problem.
9) three Bartlett pears: also grown by Red Jacket. This recipe looks good!


Today's NY Times Dining section had some great recipes (see here).

FYI: I'm trying to post preliminary share lists on Mondays for your meal/shopping planning. What to expect in coming weeks: maple syrup, romanesco cauliflower, leeks, garlic, ground cherries

Thursday, October 13

Week off

No csa distribution this week. Fall starts next Thursday, Oct 20th. The farm stand is open if you can't bear a week without our fresh produce.

Monday, October 3

CSA Summer Harvest Week Eighteen

As the cool weather arrives, the summer share comes to an end. Thanks for being a part of it. We hope you've loved the experience. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions for future seasons. If you are also in the fall share, please note there is a week gap (fall begins October 20). As a current shareholder, you will have the first option to sign up for shares in 2012. Watch for info in late November.

We are still busy with autumn chores. Fields to clean up and seed with cover crops, hoop houses to close up for the winter. I heard there was a frost advisory for Litchfield County tonight. We can't be too far behind.

The farm stand remains open through Thanksgiving. Keep coming by!


In this week's share:

1) half gallon apple cider from Red Jacket Orchards, New York state. Delicious and seasonal.
2) one head cauliflower: grown by Pedersen Farms in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Certified organic.
3) one celeriac: why this vegetable is not more widely utilized is a mystery. We love it! Wonderful flavor--kind of a cross between celery and potato. Great cooked & pureed, added to a soup, roasted. Read more.
4) one bunch baby maroon carrots
5) three red noodle beans: We fell in love with these last year. Cut into sections and lightly saute. Delicious! Be adventurous! Here's a couple recipes.
6) one sweet pepper: either bell-type or corno di toro variety
7) two Honey Crisp apples: grown sustainably by Red Jacket Orchard in Geneva, NY. Not certified organic.
8) farm stand item(s) of your choice totaling approximately $4.00. Options include pea shoots, eggplant, tomatoes, ground cherries, additional honey crisp apples, Arethusa milk, beets, kale microgreens, chinese cabbage, buttercup squash. Delivery customers will receive items that do not require refrigeration so that we do not need to leave in insulated bag since this is last delivery week. Email to make alternative arrangements.