2019 CSA Share ~ Week #19 Final Standard Season Share…Late Shares begin next week!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
This week is the last week of the 19 week Standard Season…..if you are continuing on into the Late Season, the first share will be on Friday, October 25th for the Eugene/Springfield, Fern Ridge and Coast members. Portland members shares will begin on Saturday, October 26th at PSU or Hollywood Farmers Markets or Sunday, October 27th at the King Farmers Market.
HARVEST CELEBRATION!
Please join us for our end of season Harvest Celebration! Saturday, October 19th Noon to 3pm ~ Potluck will begin about Noon…please bring a dish to share if you would like to participate. We will begin hayrides after the potluck, and there will be face painting, cider pressing, and activities for the kids!
ORGANIC GRASS FED BEEF AND LAMB STILL AVAILABLE!
Please let us know if you would like to receive more information or reserve a share.
WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:
- Fennel
- Swiss Chard or Curly Kale
- Purple Topped Turnips
- Leeks
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Parsnips
- Onion
- Pie Pumpkin
- Delicata Squash
- Apples ~ Gala
RECIPES:
Pumpkin Pot Pie w/Sausage & Kale
Skillet Roast Chicken w/Fennel, Parsnips & Scallions
The final week of the Standard Season! We made it! It’s been a great year, albeit with some ups and downs, but for the most part, awesome! Not too hot, not too wet (okay, it was pretty wet at times), and all of the crops grew so well. As farmers, we just have to take the “downs” in stride because each year, we know there will be some. Truck and equipment breakdowns, cows escaping fences and devouring lettuce crops, tools disappearing, crew departing unexpectedly, and weather…always the changes in weather. We learn to deal with the “downs” but try hard to focus on the “ups”… working outside in the beautiful coastal foothills, the fresh breeze blowing on our perspiration, creating individual “air conditioning”. We relish in all of the amazing fresh, organic food that we are blessed to eat each and every day. We enjoy new friendships forged with other like minded, hardworking farmers, creating a new community every new season, and deepening bonds with those that choose to stay on year after year. We feel so grateful for all of you who have placed your trust in us to grow, harvest, process and send your food to you each week. We couldn’t do this gratifying work without your support, and we know you have many options….we hope that you can feel the love come through in your veggies and boxes each week. We hope you will offer us the privilege of being your farmers again next season…together we can explore the unknown new season!
This week your box is bursting! We’re hoping we can close the lid. You will find a Pie Pumpkin and a Delicata Squash, and I’ve included some recipes I hope you will like. Both should keep for a good while if kept in a cool, dry space. You can also bake them in the oven, cut side down (remove the seeds first), in a baking dish with a little water in the bottom.
The Purple Topped Turnips will store well if you place them unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper bin of your fridge. Due to high water content, turnips may deteriorate quickly, but most should keep for a week or two.
Those long, off white, carroty looking roots are Parsnips. Parsnips will store well for several weeks unwashed in a plastic bag in your refrigerator. When ready to use, scrub under running water (no need to peel). Parsnips have a naturally sweet flavor that is brought out by roasting.
Parsnips taste wonderful in curries with ginger or try them in soups and stew with squash. Try adding sage, leeks, onions, or greens to your dish to accent the sugars. Grate raw into salads or mix with potatoes for pancakes or hash browns.
For a delicious snack, try parsnips cut into sticks and then fried like French fires in olive oil until golden. Add a pinch of salt or soy sauce for flavor on size. Or you can bake the sticks at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet until tender-firm.
Parsnips are delicious cut into chunks and baked with other root vegetables, or basted around a roast. Boil or steam, then top with butter or mash like potatoes.
I wasn’t sure we would have fennel for your last box, and not only do we have them, but they are beautiful….this lovely veggie is so versatile….eat it raw, grate it into salads, even tuna fish! Slice it into soups and stews, add to tomato sauce….the possibilities are endless. I remember as a youngster, eating Sunday dinner at my Italian Grandmother’s house. It would be an all day affair, and would always begin with the Antipasto, a centerpiece dish that was overflowing with cured meats, cheeses, olives, roasted peppers, and fennel. Grandma would always let me help and would slip me pieces of the licorice flavored root (licorice was my favorite treat at the time) , saying, Shhh….don’t tell anyone! Eating Fennel now in adulthood, with Grandma long gone, always brings back fond memories.
We hope you enjoy this bountiful box of veggies this week, and if you’re leaving us, we hope you have a wonderful winter, and joyful holidays. We hope to see you next season! For the rest of you, see you next week!
Linda and all of your Winter Green Farmers