2024 CSA Season Week Eleven

August 20, 2024

Welcome to Week Eleven of the CSA season! The last few weeks of summer are upon us, and while the weather is a little bit cooler this week, we still have a bunch of summer crops to include in your shares this season! We hope you’re as excited for the farm’s bounty as we are.

A quick reminder about vacation requests!

Summers are busy here at the farm, and we know firsthand how the days can get away from you. With that comes impromptu trips, or scheduled vacations that may have slipped your mind, especially when they conflict with your delivery schedule. We get it! We are more than happy to make changes to your delivery schedule to accommodate vacations, so don’t forget to let us know!

We do plan for the harvest in advance and pull the lists early to avoid as many mistakes as we can, most of which come up with last-minute changes. To keep everything going as smoothly as possible, we do require at least seven days’ notice to make any changes to your delivery schedule. This deadline is for the earliest day of change (for example, if you’re a Friday delivery moving it to Tuesday earlier in the same week, we would need to know seven days before that Tuesday to make the change).

If you aren’t able to let us know within that time period, you still have a couple options. First, you can ask a friend or family member to pick up and enjoy that share for you. Just make sure they know the CSA protocols for picking up your share and you’re good to go! Or second, you can allow your site host to donate your share after that 7pm deadline has passed. They’re all really good about making sure those leftover veggies make it to someone who can use them! Either way, your share will not go to waste.

Have you checked out our markets recently?

As the season goes on, the veggies in your share will change, and you may find that you’re not getting everything you want for your kitchen as we fulfill the projected numbers. But don’t worry! We still offer as many of those veggies as we can at our farmers’ markets! If you’re in Eugene, come check out the Eugene Farm Stand on Wednesdays at 18th and Polk, and say hi to Chris and Shannon! Or swing by the Lane County Farmers’ Market and chat with Kate and her market crew on Saturdays! If you’re in the Portland area, you can head over to the King Farmers’ Market on Sundays and say hello to Sam and his market crew, as he has recently come back to the fold to help us with our market! We would love to see all of you, and help you get as much food as your hearts desire for your table this season.

Crew harvesting in the field houses
Shannon, Nathan, and AC packing today’s boxes

What’s going on at the farm?

The days are pushing on, and with that comes the last big seeding of the year! This week, turnips and winter radishes are going in the ground, and we can’t wait to see how they’ll turn out for our winter crop. But we’re not quite done with summer yet! The corn is almost ready and you should be seeing it in your boxes and at our markets before too long!

The cooler weather has slowed the growth of both strawberries and tomatoes at the moment, but once it warms up again, everything should get back on track. It is August, after all! Because of the colder evenings the last week or so, the tomatoes in your share might be a little bit underripe. But don’t worry! Just set them out on the counter for a couple days and they’ll ripen right up. You should be able to enjoy them before the week is out!

Hub in the veggie bag
Hub and Garth
Hub in the carrot tops
Garth in the lettuce

Say hello to Hub and Garth!

These two little cuties belong to long-time members of the farm, Lisa and John, and they seem to be enjoying the veggies as much as all of you! These two orange balls of fur are Hub and Garth, and they love to lounge in the carrot tops and lettuce. Every week, they eagerly await the moment the veggie bag is set down and have to inspect it all. They are especially partial to eating greens like lettuce, kale, and turnip greens! Recently, Hub was completely put out that Lisa wouldn’t share a green onion, and one day when she was in a hurry, she set the veggies down, and when she came back, she found Hub had made himself at home! We love that these two well-loved and beautiful cats (and their owners!) are part of our Winter Green family, and we’re thrilled to share their silly stories with all of you!

What’s going on in your home? We would love to share how your family (and your pets!) are enjoying the bounty from the farm. Send us a picture at [email protected], and tell us what you do with your veggies each week! We would love to hear from you!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Carrots
  • Lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Onion
  • Summer squash
  • Cucumbers
  • Eggplant
  • Cherry tomatoes

Some sites only:

  • Cauliflower

We aren’t always able to harvest our veggies in equal share, but we always do our best. The cooler weather has affected what we’re able to put in your shares this week, so there are some changes from the estimate email sent out Monday afternoon for the Tuesday/Wednesday deliveries. For example, there are no peppers this week like we’d hoped, and we’re only able to offer cauliflower to some sites. That list will also be a little different for the Friday/weekend deliveries, so keep an eye out for that Thursday estimate email.

The estimate emails we send out on Mondays and Thursdays are just that–estimates–and we usually get the list in the morning of the harvest day, so sometimes we have to make changes to the box. I know this can be frustrating, especially to half-share members, as we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to get all the projected veggies in your box, but we are doing our very best to get you as many as possible. But don’t worry! We’re keeping excellent notes. If we aren’t able to get you something this time, we’ll do our best to get you next time. Thank you all so much for your kindness and understanding!

Our crew harvesting in the green beans last week!

Handy Tips:

  • Carrots: Cut or twist carrot tops off before storing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks. Clean the carrots well before eating by scrubbing with a vegetable brush under running water. Do not peel unless the carrots are damaged, as much of the nutrients are very close to the skin. Eat carrots raw in sticks, rounds, julienned, or grated. You can also add slices or chunks to soups, stews, or casseroles. Carrots are also delicious lightly steamed or sautéed, and garnished with butter or olive oil and fresh herbs. Try them grated with oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.
  • Tomatoes: Do not refrigerate tomatoes! You can place them out of the sun at room temperature. Some of our tomatoes are a day or two from being fully ripe, but will be perfect with a little patience. To remove tomato skins, place the whole tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon, dip in cold water, and remove skins. Tomatoes can be frozen whole. Core tomatoes, then place them on a cookie sheet, and freeze them. When they’re solid, place them in a freezer bag and replace them in the freezer. Remove as many tomatoes as you need at the time. Thawed tomatoes are good for cooking and pureed dishes. Salsas, sauces, and purees also freeze well.
  • Summer Squash: To clean summer squash (zucchini), rinse or wipe with a damp cloth (peeling is not necessary). Store in the refrigerator in a closed plastic bag to prevent dehydration. Use within a few days of harvest. Summer squash is very versatile. Try it raw, steamed, baked, broiled, fried, grilled, sautéed, or stir-fried. Slice it thinly for a great pizza topping, oven fry in sticks, or try in quiche or omelets. It also works great as a substitute for noodles or pasta. Grated squash mixes beautifully into your favorite chocolate cake or muffin recipe. A simple way to prepare squash is to half it, then top with minced garlic, herbs, and olive oil. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top, and bake until tender.
  • Cucumber: Cucumbers are best when eaten fresh, but they will keep for up to a week in a drawer of your refrigerator. Cut or peeled cucumbers will stay fresh for only a few days. Wash your cucumbers well before using. Peeling is optional for organic cucumbers. Try peeling the skins in alternating strips for a decorative effect. You can cut them into spears and serve them with dip, put the slices on sandwiches, or marinate the slices for cold cucumber salad.
  • Eggplant: Eggplant is best when it’s fresh. Store it unrefrigerated at a cool room temperature, or in a hydrator drawer of the fridge for up to one week. Eggplant can be peeled, but it’s not essential. To remove any acrid flavors and excess moisture, lightly salt the slices and allow the to sit in a colander for 10 to 15 minutes. Gently squeeze out any liquid. Eggplant should always be cooked to eliminate solanine, a naturally occurring toxic substance.
  • Cauliflower: Cauliflower is best eaten soon after it’s harvested, but it will keep for one to two weeks in the refrigerator if you wrap it loosely in plastic. Remove the outer leaves, rinse, and trim off any blemishes or brown spots. To cook florets, steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Overcooking will result in a strong odor and flavor. Stir-fry the florets with other veggies, add to Indian or Asian curries, top steamed heads with lemon and butter or parmesan cheese, or serve raw with dip.

What We’re Making this Week:

  • Sweet onions are an excellent garnish for flavor, and this Texas Sweet Onion Pudding is a tasty way to get a bit of southern comfort!
  • This Sauteed Eggplant is an oldie but a goodie, and would make an excellent side for your table!

As much as I love the cooler weather (autumn is my favorite season), I’m looking forward to the warmer days of late summer because of our summer crops! We hope you’re all enjoying the reprieve from the heat and enjoy the veggies your share this week!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers