Fall CSA Newsletter: Week 4
It’s Week Four
Welcome! We are hope that you had a fantastic third 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
SWEET POTATOES - Keep in a cool, dry place away from light, like a dark corner of the kitchen or in a cabinet. Also keep well ventilated. Do not store in a plastic bag but you can store in a basket or paper bag. $6
SPAGHETTI SQUASH - Winter Squash is best stored between 55-65 degrees, however, Delicata squash does not store quite as well as heartier varieties like Acorn and Butternut. Place in a cool dry room in your house (do not refrigerate) and it should last 2 months. (2lbs) $6
GREEN BEANS - reen beans can store in the bag in your crisper drawer for up to 5-7 days 1lb $6
BEETS - cut off immediately. Store the roots in a bag in your refrigerator. Before use wash your beets., you can peel them with a knife or peeler, or you can roast them in foil or boil them, and the peels will come right off. Turnips do not require you to peel them, but you should use prior to use. $6
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES - The best way to keep summer tomatoes fresh and full of flavor, store them on the kitchen counter at room temperature and turn them shoulders-down. 60 to 65° is an ideal temperature for storing and we recommend placing your tomatoes out of direct sunlight. NOTE: Heirloom tomatoes are not as shelf stable as red slicers. They will be softer, which is okay, but they will go bag quicker than the others. We DO NOT recommend putting them in the refrigerator to try to prolong shelf life, they will lose flavor. 1.5lbs $6.75
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
Veggie of the Week
Spaghetti Squash
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Spaghetti squash… another favorite! In fact, I just ate spaghetti squash for dinner tonight!
Spaghetti squash is a type of winter squash that, when cooked, has a unique texture compared to other winter squash that resembles spaghetti noodles. When you cook spaghetti squash—whether by baking, boiling, or microwaving—the inside becomes tender and can be easily scraped into strands with a fork. Our favorite way to eat is to roast, shred the inside and then top with our favorite homemade spaghetti sauce, YUM!
Photo Credit: Foxes Love Lemons.
Roasted Spaghetti Squash
1 spaghetti squash (or two, dependent on your appetite and size of squash)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line large, rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
Trim stem end from squash, then cut each squash in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard seeds and pulp.
Place squash on baking sheet with parchment paper and equally divide olive oil, salt and pepper between the two halves.
Place squash halves on prepared pan with skin side down. Transfer to oven and roast 30 to 45 minutes or until tender, and the center scrapes away from the skin.
When squash is tender, spoon sauce over squash or you could add a little salted butter and eat without sauce. Serve immediately.
A few notes:
You can scoop the flesh out and place in a separate bowl, or my favorite is to use the skin as a bowl and place the sauce right in.
I prefer to roast with olive oil, salt and pepper. That’s it. I find no reason to add a “sweetener” of any kind. It adds calories that I don’t need, and I find the squash to be delicious as is.
MY FAVORITE way to eat this squash is to load it with a fresh spaghetti sauce. Using San Marzano tomatoes, you can get them canned at Wal-Mart, fresh carrots, onions, garlic, celery and a blend of seasonings makes it a perfect fall dish. We make a large pot of sauce at a time and eat it over several days. I will also use the sauce for lasagna subbing noodles with zucchini or doing a zucchini roll up. If anyone is interested in a sauce recipe send me a message or email and I can get one together for you.
ENJOY!
Additional Recipes
BLT’s - you really shouldn’t need a recipe for this but, get a GOOD BREAD and GOOD BACON. This seasonal treat will end before we know it!
What’s Been Happening Here
We are BUSY. Fall is literally nipping at our heels, the kids fall sports are kicking back up, we have family arriving this Friday and we are trying to get the remaining late fall/winter items in plus get the remaining summer items out while attending two markets a week. We are a bit, hair on fire over here so I won’t be posting a new “whats happening here” post this week. Just know it’s crazy and I’ll post more next week!
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:
There is not a great way to store heirloom or cherry tomatoes that will allow for longer term storage. Make sure you get these Summer treats eaten up!
Winter squash will also store for weeks if not months if kept in a cool, dry space away from direct sunlight.
Greens such as carrot tops, beet tops or other veggie scraps can be saved and used for homemade vegetable broth. Try this recipe: How to Make Vegetable Broth Using Saved Kitchen Scraps ~ Homestead and Chill Beets will store without tops in a crisper drawer for a long time. They may do even better in a light bag covered in the drawer.
Lettuce, spinach will store for at least 7 days. We rinse and spin dry your greens one time. You should rinse and dry again before consumption. The best way is with a hand crank salad spinner. 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. Greens will hold for 9-14 days.
Green beans - just eat them! There aren’t enough to can. You could freeze them but it’s only a pound!
Sweet potatoes will also store for some time in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight.
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
tomatoes (red)
heirloom tomatoes
carrots
lettuce (head or mixed)
sweet potatoes
potatoes (red or white)
bell peppers
Other peppers (poblano, jalapeño, anaheim, banana, etc.)
Fairy Tale Eggplant
Eggplant
zucchini (green or yellow)
herbs (rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley)
celery (maybe, they are sizing up well)
kale (curly or dino)
cauliflower
broccoli
winter squash (butternut, delicata, acorn or spaghetti)
turnips (Scarlett Queen or Hakurai)
beets
green beans
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead, see you next week!