2020 CSA Share ~ Week #22
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
TOMATO SAUCE AND STRAWBERRY SPREAD are available for purchase! The costs are $8.75/jar and $90/case of 12 for the Tomato Sauce. The Strawberry Spread will be $4.75/jar and $50/case of 12. Please email or call if you would like to have these sent to your delivery location for you next week!
NETTLE EDGE FARM GARLIC AVAILABLE! Keith Walton runs Nettle Edge Farm, along with his wife Rachel. Keith has been a prominent farmer in the community for 50 years, and his family farm has been in operation since 1911! He has worked on Winter Green Farm as our Mechanic guru for many years. One of the main crops they grow is Garlic and he has some to share with our members. His crop is the Chopaka Mountain variety. He says “it’s not the prettiest crop this year, but the bulbs are good sized, and very sound. They will be tasty and good keepers”. If you would like to order some, the cost is $8/lb, and I can send them with your share next week.
WHAT’S IN YOUR SHARE THIS WEEK:
- Brussels Sprouts
- Parsnips
- Leeks
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Red Russian Kale
- Celeriac
- Stir Fry Mix
- Delicata Squash
RECIPES:
Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life!
Roasted Parsnips & Carrots w/Minty Yogurt Sauce
Wild Rice & Lentil Stuffed Delicata Squash
We’ve had a full week on the farm. This time of year, when we move to only one harvest each for the CSA and Farmers’ Markets, we have time to do the fall tasks and prepare for winter. Early in the week we were able to harvest more of our wholesale Burdock crop, despite the digger breaking! She’s all fixed up now, thanks to Chad and Chris, and we’ll be getting the remainder of the crop out of the field when we get a little more dry weather.
We kept busy pulling irrigation pipe and drip tape out of the fields, cleaning and storing it all for next season. The crew waited for the perfect calm day to take the plastic off of the Spanish Tunnels, helping to protect it from the winter elements and windy days, and preserve it another season.
Any spare time was spent preparing crops for the Fill Your Pantry event next weekend. Many folks turned out to reserve crops for this fall event, hoping to have stores of fresh veggies for the winter months.
While so many things in life right now are unsure, one thing you can be sure about is receiving a delicious box of goodies from the farm this week! The shares are becoming increasingly more fall centered and this week will feature one of the best fall delicacies….Brussels Sprouts!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS keep longest if they are left attached to the stalk, but if you are short on refrigerator space, snap off the sprouts and store them unwashed in a closed plastic bag in the veggie bin. Even when they are left on the stalk they should be wrapped in plastic to prevent wilting. Their flavor is sweetest right after harvest, so try to use them within a few days.
Cooking: If you haven’t done so already, snap Brussels sprouts off the stalk and remove any loose or discolored leaves. Trim the base of each sprout and cut a shallow X in the stem end to speed cooking. Rinse the sprouts in cool water.
The key to using Brussels sprouts is cooking them enough, but not too much. As with full-size cabbage, overcooking Brussels sprouts evokes an unpleasant, sulfurous smell that makes people run for cover. Ideally, sprouts should be tender enough to yield when pierced with a fork but not so soft that the fork sinks right in.
- Roasting Brussels Sprouts: first boil the sprouts until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size. Drain, then coat lightly in olive oil, lace in a roasting pan and roast in a 375° F oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Steam and Boil Brussels Sprouts, but maintain a close eye on them and check with a fork often.
- Slice Brussels Sprouts to about 1/3 inch thick and stir-fry them with onions and ginger.
Let us know if you have a favorite way to cook and serve your Brussels Sprouts!
We hope you have a restful weekend and enjoy your CSA Share this week!
Linda and all of your Winter Green Farmers