2024 CSA Season Week Thirteen

September 3, 2024

Welcome to September! We hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day, and ended your summer with something fun and good food. For those with kiddos going back to school (like me!), we wish you the best getting back into the swing of the school year, and we have a great, end-of-summer box for you this week!

Don’t forget your September payments!

September is here, and with it comes the due date for monthly payments. Last week slipped away from me, so I’m sending out overdue invoices today, but you can always access them by logging into your account and going to your “Orders” tab. If you have an issue logging in, please let me know!

While keeping payments up to date may seem like a little thing, every dollar received for your shares helps us run the farm. We are still considered a small business, so we rely on the income from the CSA to keep it going. Thank you all so much for your continued support and generosity. We couldn’t do it without you!

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.

Who’s Your Farmer: Meet Jack!

Jack comes to us from one of the local farming programs, Rogue Farm Corp., and he’s been a wonderful asset to our crew! He works as part of our harvest crew, gathering all the delicious veggies you see in your boxes each week. This introduction is a little bittersweet, as this is Jack’s last week. Next week, he’s off to Paraguay! Jack is kind and hardworking, and we’re so pleased to have been able to work with him this summer. He will be missed!

Fun Facts About Jack:

  • Season on the Farm: 1st!
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Favorite Vegetable: Beets
  • What he hopes to learn at the farm: he hopes to learn to build soil health

For fun, Jack likes to go backpacking and trail running. He enjoys learning about new cultures and practicing new languages, and the coolest place he’s ever been to is Patagonia!

An update on strawberry flats

A few weeks ago, when the weather was hot, we asked for interest in strawberry flats, and quite a few of you responded. At that point, we were hoping to harvest them in the next week or so. But Mother Nature had other plans! The weather turned cooler, the strawberry patches slowed way down, and all our plans for strawberry flats were put on hold.

But don’t lose hope yet! We’re still not sure we’ll be able to harvest enough for flats this year, but the days are supposed to heat up soon, and that might just be the boost those berries need to start producing in abundance again!

I still have my list, so I will be reaching out if and when we know if full flats will be an option. Thank you all so much for your patience and continued support of the farm!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Sweet peppers
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Onions
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Tomatoes
  • Corn

Some sites only:

  • Cherry tomatoes

Unfortunately, the cherry tomatoes are suffering from the same issues as the strawberries, and we tried to get them to as many sites as we could this week. But don’t worry! We’re keeping excellent notes. If you don’t get any in your box this week, you’ll be first on our list next time we have them.

Handy Tips:

  • Peppers: Peppers will stay fresh in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. For the highest nutrition, eat peppers raw. Slice or dice them for pasta or green salads, thinly slice them for sandwiches, or cut them lengthwise for dipping. Add peppers to omelets, stir-fries, quiches, sauces, curries, and stews. Peppers taste great in Indian, Italian, Mexican, or Thai food, as well as any other ethnic dishes. Roasted peppers are especially tasty. Place peppers under the broiler until the skins have evenly blackened. Place the peppers in a brown bag, fold the top, and allow the peppers to steam for 10 to 15 minutes. When they’re cool, peel off the skins and add them to your recipe.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Corn: Eat your fresh corn as soon as possible. Natural sugars begin to break down soon after harvesting, so the sooner the better. Corn can keep for a few days if you keep it refrigerated with the husks on. Corn-on-the-cob is the favorite way to enjoy fresh-picked corn. To cook, steam in 2 inches of water for 6 to 10 minutes, or drop it into boiling water and cook for 4 to 7 minutes. Older or over-mature corn is great when added to corn bread, soups, stews, chili, casseroles, stir-fries, quiches, salads, or bean dishes.
  • 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.

What we’re making this week:

  • Yes, we live in the Pacific Northwest, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a taste of the South! This Blend of the Bayou is a great way to use your celery and add a touch of Louisiana to your table.
  • This Tomato Chicken recipe is sure to please your tomato-loving family!
  • It wouldn’t be summer without corn-on-the-cob, but this Mexican Street Corn (also called Elote) is a delicious twist on an old favorite!

Summer may be coming to a close, and the days might be getting cooler, but that just means we have a whole new round of crops getting ready to be harvested, and we can’t wait to share them with you! We’re wishing you all a wonderful week!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers