Fall CSA Newsletter: Week 2
It’s Week Two
Welcome! We are hope that you had a good first week and that you were able to use everything in your bag. Did you discover a new recipe? Try something that will be added to your rotation of meals? Try a new to you vegetable that you liked? Let us know and I will share it here with our other members. If you loved it, others will too!
In Your Box This Week and How to Store Them
MIXED LETTUCE - Store in a plastic bag loosely in your refrigerator. The ideal temperature for storing lettuce is at or near 32 degrees. Wash prior to use. Lettuce stores normally for UP to two weeks. $5
ZUCCHINI -Wash, thoroughly dry, then wrap your cucumber in a dish towel or paper towel, place in an unsealed plastic bag to allow some airflow and place them in the crisper drawer. Can store for up to 10 days. Storing zucchini in the fridge is a quick and simple way to keep zucchini fresh. Keep the zucchini whole until you're prepared to use it, avoid washing zucchini prior to storage. $1.00 x 2
GOLDEN DELICOUS APPLES - I prefer to pick this variety a little early, they are still mildly tart but also sweet, which is perfect. You can display on your countertop, but they'll only last between 1 and 2 weeks, depending on the variety and room temperature. Apples in the fridge last from 2 weeks to several months. $6
BUTTERNUT SQUASH - Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 F) dark cellar or storage area, but only about two weeks in the refrigerator. We keep ours out on the counter out of direct sunlight and haven’t had any issues with it lasting several weeks. 2.50lbs $5.00
EGGPLANT - store away from direct sunlight and use it as soon as possible after harvesting or buying. You can place it in a vented bowl, but avoid sealing it in a plastic bag, which can increase decay. Eggplant is not a cold loving vegetable but, if you want to keep it in the refrigerator do so in the warmest place in the refrigerator and keep lightly covered. Eggplant will remain fresh for 2-4 days. 1.5# x $3.50lb $5
RADISH - Remove the greens from the root. If you choose to keep the greens, wash them and then store wrapped in a damp paper towel in a bag. Place in the crisper of the refrigerator. The root can store up to two weeks in the fridge in a plastic bag. Wash before use. $5
HERBS - Rosemary - You have a couple of options to store Rosemary. First, place the rosemary sprigs in a large mason jar or glass of water, just like you would with a bouquet of flowers. You can set this on the counter, and it will last a few days this way. Second, you can take a slightly damp paper towel and wring out any excess water (should be damp but not soaking wet). Wrap the damp paper towels around the rosemary sprigs. Put the paper towel wrapped rosemary sprigs into the ziplock baggie and seal it, ensuring there is no air inside. Store the bag in the refrigerator and it can last for up to two weeks $2.50
Veggie of the Week
Butternut Squash
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Photo Credit: Johnny Seeds
I’m so excited for fall squash! Butternut squash is such a versatile crop and can store for long periods of time under the right conditions. Butternut is a nutritional powerhouse packed with flavor. Butternut squash is rich in vitamins A and C. These nutrients boost your immune system and promote healthy skin. It’s also high in fiber, aiding digestion and keeping you full longer, plus it’s low in calories. You can roast it, puree it, or add it to soups. Its sweet, nutty flavor pairs well with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Try it in salads, pasta, soup or as a side dish. A great dish to add butternut too is pasta and herbs pair in so well! Butternut will store for sometime out of direct light on your counter. You can save it for a cooler day.
Photo Credit: The Spruce Eats
This recipe will use many options in your bag this week, I apologize that we will not be able to provide the garlic (crop failure this year). It is simply and easy, which is something we love in our household!
Butternut Squash and Pasta With Sage Recipe (thespruceeats.com)
Photo Credit: Love and Lemons
This recipe looks yummy! My mother made something similar not that long ago and it was delicious. Might add a little grilled chicken too. I know it is a more complex, but want to wow dinner guests or your family this week? Try this!
Photo Credit: Love and Lemons
. This is going to be something I try in the coming weeks as the cooler weather sets in. Super simple in a blender and then warmed over the stove. Using vegetable broth instead of cream makes it an option for our vegan families. If you have been saving your vegetable scraps or have made homemade vegetable broth from your summer CSA this is the time to put the broth to use. It also uses fresh sage and rosemary. Pair this with fresh crusty loaf of bread or better yet eat in a bread bowl!
Butternut Squash Soup Recipe - Love and Lemons
This is a side dish that incorporates apples, which you also received this week. Pairs great with baked or roasted chicken. Want to be fancy, try marinating lamb chops with rosemary, garlic, olive oil…. well I’ll put the recipe here, Garlic & Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops - Delish D'Lites (delishdlites.com). Add the squash apple bake as a side or the soup would be delicious paired with a salad…yum!
Butternut Squash and Apples Recipe - Roast 'em up! - Pip and Ebby
Additional Recipes
Cracker Barrel Copycat Skillet Fried Apples - Feels Like Home Blog
Sauteed Zucchini Recipe – WellPlated.com
Air Fryer Zucchini | Air Frying Foodie
Quark and Eggplant Dip - this recipe is delicious! We found quark cheese at Hemme Cheese. I would check the cheese store in Sweet Springs. We got ours from Hemme at the market in Columbia. I’m telling you, you wont regret this dip and a nice bread to go with it.
What’s Been Happening Here
We are still taking our final steps to prepare for fall/winter. All of our strawberry plugs have been in for a couple of weeks. We have had minimal die back and are hoping for a full house of strawberries next April. Our first fall brassicas are slowly starting to produce. Curly and Dinosaur Kale is ready for harvest and broccoli should be soon behind. This week we are hoping to get our, almost one acre patch of winter squash picked and put up to cure for the next couple of weeks. Sweet Potatoes are so close to harvest and we will start pulling them nest week to also cure and put up. We will then place them in a root cellar type cooler to stay until we pull them out through out the winter to sell. We are also seeding our arugula, spinach, second round of turnips and our continual supply of lettuce transplants to keep up through the final summer markets and into the winter market. I know we are “slowing down” but it hasn't totally felt like it so far!
We are still in the final stages of preparing for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. Our strawberry plugs have been planted for a couple of weeks now, and luckily, we’ve experienced minimal dieback. We’re hopeful for a great harvest of strawberries next April. This fall, our first batches of brassicas are gradually beginning to produce; both Curly and Dinosaur Kale are ready for harvest, with broccoli following closely behind.
This week, our goal is to harvest nearly an acre of winter squash and cure it over the next few weeks. Our sweet potatoes are also very close to being ready; we plan to start harvesting them next week, cure, and store them for later. Once cured, they’ll be kept in a root cellar-like cooler, allowing us to sell them throughout the winter season.
Meanwhile, we’ve been planting new crops such as arugula, spinach, a second round of turnips, and maintaining a steady supply of lettuce transplants. This ongoing effort ensures we have fresh greens to support both our late summer and winter markets.
Although it may seem like we’re starting to wind down, honestly, it doesn’t quite feel that way just yet!
If All Else Fails
If your week has been crazy and you haven’t had time to do a thing with items in your bag, focus on these tasks:
Lettuce will store for at least 7 days. We wash and spin dry your lettuce one time. You should wash and dry again before consumption. Keep in mind moisture leads to spoilage. You can wait to wash your greens until you plan to consumer them. Place greens in an airtight container such as a bag or Tupperware.
Rosemary can freeze. Wash sprigs thoroughly and dry them well. Leave the leaves on the stem and arrange the sprigs on a baking tray so that the individual stems do not touch − this prevents the stems from freezing together and makes it easier to remove individual sprigs later. Place the baking tray in the freezer for a few hours to freeze the rosemary sprigs. Once frozen, transfer the rosemary sprigs to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. Frozen rosemary can be stored for a year or more. Frozen rosemary sprigs do not need to be defrosted before cooking
Store Rosemary in a plastic sandwich bag with a little it of water in the bottom.
Zucchini can be shredded and frozen as well.
Apples can store in your crisper for weeks without problem.
Winter squash will also store for weeks if not months if kept in a cool, dry space away from direct sunlight.
Keep eggplant out at room temperature and try to use them soon after, as eggplants don’t do well in the cold. If you do need to store them for longer, place in an unsealed bag or container, and then keep in the crisper drawer
Next Week’s Possibility’s
Your bag next week will include 6-7 of the following depending on availability and if it’s ready to harvest.
apples
potatoes
onions
sweet potatoes
delicata squash
bell peppers
Other peppers (poblano, jalapeño, anaheim, banana, etc.)
Fairy Tale Eggplant
traditional eggplant
cherry tomatoes
slicing tomatoes (heirloom or red slicing type)
butternut squash
spaghetti squash
acorn squash
zucchini
yellow squash
herbs (rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley)
green beans (BIG MAYBE)
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead, see you next week!