Autumn Week 6!!!! Thanks!!!!

As we finish up this crazy year, let's look ahead to next: we planted this field of garlic a few weeks ago to be harvested next June and July.  Can't wait!

Thanks for all of your support.  I have a long list of things to do better next year, and am encouraged by our progress this year.  We deer-fenced the two acres we lease down the road, we established a beautiful perennial crop of asparagus at our new field through the woods, and we have nearly a third of that field ready to go for next year.  Over the winter, we will finish deer fencing that field.  We should be able to increase production by a healthy percentage.  I'm already compiling seed lists.

We harvested nearly everything we have left this week.  The stand will remain open after tomorrow until everything is gone.  I should be continuing to cut some spinach, chard, kale and arugula through the next couple of weeks.  I got a new batch of Grass Land chickens in...folks have been very enthusiastic about it, so if you want one, this is your last chance for the year.  This is also the last delivery of milk, cheese, butter, and juices for the year.

Beef delivery is now Saturday.  Thank you for your patience.

Turkey pickup day is Sunday after noon.  If you're getting both, just come on Sunday if you'd like.

In this week's share:

Spinach
Red Ball Radish
Carrots
1 lb chiogga beets
1.5 lb potatoes
Black Seeded Simpson lettuce
3 apples
Choice of green kale, 2 lbs of onions, spicy asian greens, 1 butternut squash, or 2 delicata squash

Autumn(?!) Week 5

Ok.  I get it.  November is now the new January.  May you live in interesting times!  This interesting?

I was harvesting the last cut of the chives when the snow started falling.  Luckily, I harvested the outdoor lettuce and cabbage yesterday.  All the onions, shallots, potatoes, and beets have been pulled, while the carrots, kale, and chard should weather this storm fine.  In the hoops, there is still spinach, lettuce, arugula, and more chard.

Come by and pick up when you can.  I won't be plowed out until tomorrow mid-morning, most likely. 

In this week's share: (A little heavier with 8 items this week--we'll see what holds up for next week!)

1.5  lbs potatoes
1/3 lb garlic--cleaned and sorted for only the best.  This should finish the garlic for the year;
French Sorrel--last cut of the year for this wonderful and versatile perennial crop.;
Black Seeded Simpson--you won't have lettuce this buttery and delicious for the next 5 months!!!
Chives--very strong and tasty this late in the season.  Makes a great pesto!
Napa cabbage or chiogga beets;
Choice of 2 of the following: carrots, squash, Red Russian Kale, spring onions, 3 apples, baby bok choi, watermelon radishes, arugula.

We have fresh chicken from the wonderful Grass Land Farms in the fingerlakes region of New York.
I've heard nothing but raves about these pastured chickens.  I've gotten to know some really fine farmers from the region, and I think some kind of meat share next year is very doable.  Let me know if you have any interest!

Europa and Rotundo cheese from Arethusa.  Last call for cheese this year!!!!!

Red Jacket juices...last call!!!!!!

Fantastic heirloom Margil Apples  from Red Jacket. 

Still waiting to hear from Hans about the beef!!!!

Autumn Week 4: Delay

I hope everyone made it through the storm without too much damage.  Our chickens escaped unharmed from the damage in the photo.

Our power at the farm stand went back on yesterday, and we've been harvesting, so we'll have plenty of food.

Come by when you can on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or even later when you feel ready.  I'm all ready to go, so stop by this evening if you want to. Thanks so much for your patience.

In this week's share:

Choice of 1 delicata or butternut or acorn squash
Carrots
Spring onions
1.5 lbs potatoes
kale or spinach
arugula
black seeded simpson lettuce

We've got fresh Arethusa dairy, some more Appleridge bacon, tasty Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Empire apples, monster kohlrabi and hakurei turnips...

Autumn Week 3

It's been a bit wet to leap into leaf piles this fall...but all the vegetables surely like the warm and gentle rains.

In this weeks' share:

1 bunch spring onions (use the entire onion, even the green parts--these are not your store bought green onions! )

Swiss chard--keep it simple!  We've had a heavy and a light frost so far--leafy greens respond to the frost by getting sweeter!  The chard is delicious.

Arugula--likewise.  Arugula develops a far more complex flavor after frost, more than just the spicy bite in spring.  In salads, we love it tossed with freshly shaved parmesan, olive oil, salt and pepper.  It also makes a zesty pesto!

Pea shoots.  Anyone new to the fall share may be new to these wonderful shoots.  Here's just a sample of what can be done with them: Fun with pea shoots!  Our 7 year old eats them by the handful.  Chop finely, then toss them in risotto near the end of cooking.  Chop and add to salad.  And on it goes...

1 squash--acorn or butternut or spaghetti. 

Carrots--mostly purple, some yellow...delicious!  They respond sweetly to the frost as well, and have been enjoying the rain.

Choice of salad mix, baby spinach, dinosaur kale, or baby bok choi.

People have been enthusing about Appleridge bacon, and we have more at the stand!  We may have more chicken by tomorrow, too.

Of the Arethusa Cheeses, I've got Camembert, Rotondo, and Europa.

I let some of the lovely Harukei turnips get large, and pulled them today.  Great for roasting!

A few bags of giant red mustard are there for any brave souls.

Honeycrisp apples from Red Jacket Orchard!  Fantastic!

Hope to see you tomorrow.

Fall Week 2

The first frost of the season came right on time this year, but it was an especially harsh one, a shade under 27 degrees.  Everything still in the ground came through beautifully, so we live to feed you another week!  The dahlias weren't so lucky.

In this week's share:

2 Delicata or 1 Kabocha squash; scroll down the blog--I've got recipes for each somewhere...they are both fantastic squashes, and these are my last of these squashes for the year.  I've got acorn, butternut, and buttercup coming next.

1 Napa cabbage...my last for the CSA this year...will have a few more at the stand over the next couple of weeks...This cabbage is wonderful, and I hope you agree.  It is versatile and tasty, and we use it 2 or 3 times each week.  I recently bought "The Art of Fermentation", and this cabbage will soon become my first fermented sauerkraut!

Arugula or Beets...frost does magical things to many greens, and arugula is no exception...I find a bit of smokiness in the post-frost flavor.

Salad mix--great fall crop, should have it through the entire fall share. 

1 1/2 pounds potatoes

4 white onions

4 apples (Macoun, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Empire) or pears (Bosc).

Autumn: Week 1

Harvest days are usually Tuesday and Wednesday, and it was not a pleasant task this week!  You may find some mud on some of the produce...This afternoon, however, the sun broke through, and tomorrow looks to be a great day.  Welcome to all the new CSA members, and to all the returning spring and summer members.  It's a good share to start the season, and includes the following:

2 Delicata squash and 1 acorn or butternut squash;
1 bag of Super Salad mix or 1 bag of spinach;
1 bag of arugula or 1 bag of dinosaur kale;
1 bag of French Sorrel;
1 bunch of  French breakfast radishes;
1 head of Napa Cabbage

At the stand, we finally have Appleridge Bacon.  We have visitors from Oregon staying in the Guest House, and they raved about the bacon yesterday.  There are also some roasts and other cuts.

We also have beets, potatoes, quince, apples, garlic, Arethusa dairy, Rotundo and Camembert cheeses, the last of the jalapeno peppers, and tomatillos.  Things are growing well, but frost is lurking...the average first frost date for our part of Connecticut is October 15, and here we are!  Last year we didn't have a frost until Snowtober...let's hope we avoid that this year.

Thanks for all of your support, and welcome to the Autumn CSA.

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Week 18!!!! Last week of summer share!!!

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

   Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

   With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;

To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

   And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

      To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

   With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease,

      For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells. 

 

John Keats

 

 

    The days fly by, don't they?  To all summer share members not joining us in the fall, thank you so much for your support.  We succeeded with many things this year, and failed at a few (uh, anyone notice the lack of carrots???), and are assured of enough profits that we can expand comfortably next year.  We couldn't do it without you.  We hope you return next year.

 

    In the meantime, the final summer share:

 

    4 apples (Gala, Fuji, Cortland, Yellow Delicious) or Bosc pears;

    Bubblegum Swiss Chard (Super easy and delicious and beautiful recipe!)

    Choice of 1 squash (Spaghetti, kobacha, butternut)

    Arugula or Kale 

    Super Salad Mix

    Onions or tomatillos or watermelon radishes

    1 1/2 lbs potatoes (they're getting bigger!)

    Bonus: 4 garlic

    We may have bacon from Hans tomorrow.  Arethusa milk and Rotundo cheese.  A few napa cabbages left! (More in next week's share.)  Eggs back in stock.  The last of the tomatoes and still some green tomatoes. 

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