Saturday, October 6, 2012

CSA BOX 18

Hi CSA members!!

Welcome to box 18!  There are many highlights to this box.  Remember to get your box as the season is not over yet.  The last week of box delivery is the week of Oct 15.

Starting at the bottom of the box are the three kinds of squash.  Squash will keep a long time so you don't have to eat these all this week.  The acorn type squash that is very colorful is Celebration.  I like it much better than the traditional green acorn for its looks and flavor.  I think you will like Celebration.

Delicata is back.  We gathered from many last year that this was their favorite.  It is the long green striped squash with the cylinder shape.   Buttercup has always been a favorite of mine.  It is the dark green squash.  In all types of squash you got this week, one easy way to fix the squash is to cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.  You can have the cut side up or down.  If you choose the cut side up, brown sugar and butter are great companions to fill the seed cavity.  If you have the cut side up, you might want to cover the squash with a cover or foil to keep it from drying out.

So it is snuggle up by the stove and have squash week.

It is also stir fry week.  Bok choy is in this box.  This white stalked bok choy is especially juicy in the long stalk.  It's bulk makes a wonderful stir fry from top to bottom.  Some of you got radish in the box, either the Easter Egg or the long white radish.  They are great in stir fry.  The cucumber and tomato can also be great in stir fry along with the onion.  All members today received cauliflower or broccoli that will also add to the stir fry.  Our ugly carrots this year are in the box.  Their flavor is great anyway.  Enjoy them as much as you enjoyed the framed picture of me last week!

As we work our way to the top of the box, I think the best highlight of the box is the Sierra lettuce.  That's where I would put the tomato, cucumber, carrots and bok choy.  There is also a small bag of greens in your box.  It is sorrel.  Become adventurous and chop it up and add it to your salad for a tangy surprise.  It can be used in soups and on fish as well.(Although you can have both the salad and the stir fry!)

As you know, we have some chilly weather moving in.  I was counting on the warmer than normal in the extended a week ago to actually happen.  We toyed with the idea of starting the fall harvest events early.  But I realize people have made plans to come this weekend so we will stick with the original plan of Oct 6 through the 19 for the fall harvest events.  Squash can freeze some and it actually makes the sweetness better.  Squash always gets so much better deeper into fall.  The pumpkins will be fine as well.  They will discolor from freezing momentarily but it always disappears in a few days.  I will be sending an email of complete and easy directions for the fall harvest events.  It will also be on the website.  I am guessing afternoon harvesting will be better than early morning on these cold days.  I won't dig potatoes until if is above freezing.

Have a great week!!

From your farm!!

Mark

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