2025 CSA Season Week Sixteen

September 23, 2025

Welcome to Week Sixteen! It’s the first week of fall and you can definitely feel that chill! We hope you’re all loving it as much as we are. We’ve started harvesting our autumn crops, and we cannot wait to share them with you!

Just a few pesky account details…

We’re getting close to the end of the season, and we still have a decent amount of members who have not responded to their account statements. We understand life gets busy and it can be easy to forget when you’re making monthly payments. Just let us know and we can see what we can work out! The farm relies on your support to keep the CSA program going. We appreciate all of you!

For SNAP members, I will be finishing the updates on your accounts on our end this week, so I’ll be sending statements out before too long. All SNAP and DUFB payments are taken directly by the state SNAP program, so our records are always delayed. If you have any questions about your account, please email me at folks@wintergreenfarm.com. Thank you!

Come see us at our Harvest Potluck this year!

Come see us on Sunday, October 19th, for a harvest potluck here at the farm! From 12pm to 3pm, we’ll have the farm open to visitors from our CSA program and anybody else who wants to come! We’ll start lunch at noon, so bring your favorite dish, a comfy chair, and whoever you want to spend the day with. We always end up with some delicious food, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

We’ll have great food, a cider press, pumpkins for our CSA members, and farm tours to see what we do out here! We won’t be able to do hay rides this year because the wagon needs some repairs, but we will do walking tours so you can still see everything going on! We would love to see all of you there!

Come glean strawberries at the farm!

Strawberries have been super late this year, and we’ve had to step away from the last of the patches that have berries to get everything else out of the ground. So while we aren’t able to offer strawberry flats to the CSA, we are opening up our remaining strawberry patches for CSA members only who would like to glean the berries!

We’re able to offer this opportunity Monday through Friday during farm hours (8am to 3pm). We don’t have designated times or someone set to show you around, but if you show up during the week during the above window, there is a sign up at the barn (with the silos) with a map to show you to the patch! We do ask that you come with your own supplies and container, as we will not be able to supply any tools or containers you might need.

You can come out to glean berries until the first real rain knocks them out.

Do you have all the peppers you need this season?

We still have sweet peppers by the flat! Winter Green Farm has an abundance of peppers, so we wanted to provide our CSA members with bulk sweet peppers this year! We will have a limited number of flats available on select dates, so order fast! Peppers are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis and delivered to your regular CSA site on the selected date.

These sweet peppers are of the bell and cow-horn variety and we will sell them as a 15-pound flat for $37.50. You can place your order here. (Please use the order form to make your purchase. You can choose the check option if you would rather avoid the online card fee.)

Just to clarify: If you’re in Portland or pick up at one of our markets, you can still get peppers! Tuesdays and Fridays are the days we pack the boxes for delivery, so if you’re a Wednesday delivery normally, choose a Tuesday that works for you, and if you’re a weekend market delivery, choose a Friday. You will still pick up on your regular day.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the farm at 541-935-1920 or email us at folks@wintergreenfarm.com.

We will open orders each week for the following week, for as long as we have pepper flats available. If you aren’t able to purchase flats for this week, keep an eye on your email for when they open up again. Thank you!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Delicata squash
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Leeks
  • Radishes
  • Peppers
  • Kale
  • Eggplant

Some sites only:

  • Lettuce

We did make some changes from yesterday’s estimate. We weren’t able to get any broccoli or cauliflower this time, and we harvested delicata squash instead of acorn squash. But don’t worry! We’ll get you as much as we can of as many vegetables as possible!

Handy Tips:

  • Winter Squash: Store winter squash in a cool, dry, dark place with good ventilation. They should keep for up to a month or more, depending on the variety. You can also incorporate winter quash into a beautiful arrangement for your fall table. They won’t keep quite as long at room temperature, but if they are sitting on your table, you might be inspired to eat them quickly. Once squash has been cut, you can wrap the pieces in plastic and store them in the refrigerator for five to seven days. To bake winter squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and pulp, then place the halves on a baking dish filled with a half-inch of water, cut-side down. You can also bake without the water, just lightly grease a baking sheet or use parchment paper. Bake squash at 350 degrees until halves are completely soft and just starting to collapse. This could take 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes more, depending on the size of the squash. Remove squash from the oven, fill with butter, seasoning, or filling, and serve them in the shell. Winter squash can also be substituted in baked goods. Try using it instead of pumpkin or sweet potatoes in dessert recipes. While the oven is hot, try roasting the seeds after mixing them with a little oil and seasoning of your choice.
  • 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.
  • Leeks: Place dry, unwashed leeks in a plastic bag and store them in a drawer of your refrigerator. Leeks will store well for up to two weeks.To clean leeks for cooking, trim the roots, remove the green tops (which can be used in soup stock) and peel off the outer leaf layer, removing any hidden dirt. Cut leeks in half lengthwise and chop. Most recipes only use the white portion. Leeks can be substituted for any recipe calling for onions. They develop the best flavor when cooked or sautéed slowly.
  • 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.
  • Kale: Wash kale leaves well by dipping them in a sink of cool water several times to flush out soil and garden stowaways. Remove the stems from the leaves by folding leaf in half lengthwise, and stripping or slicing away the thick stems. Baby or tender young leaves may be cooked, stem and all. Steam mature kale leave approximately 4-5 minutes, depending on age, size, and amount in steamer. When it’s limp but still retains texture, it’s ready. Wrap kale in a damp towel or in a plastic bag to refrigerate, preferably in a hydrator drawer, for up to one week. For long-term storage, kale can be frozen. Wash, de-stem, and blanch leaves for two minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain, and pack into airtight containers, and freeze.
  • 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.

What We’re Making This Week:

  • These Roasted Onions are a simple, yet delicious, addition to your table!
  • Looking for a way to use your carrots that’s just a little bit different? This Carrot-Ginger Dressing may just do the trick!
  • Love pizza but don’t want the carbs? This Eggplant Pizza recipe may be the perfect work-around!

No matter what you’re doing to celebrate the beginning of fall, we hope you’re all able to make great memories and good food this week! Thank you for allowing us to tag along on your food journey this season!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers