This weekend fall officially arrived and made its presence known with a light frost on the farm Friday night. Most of our crops that are still in the ground are hardy enough to survive a frost but basil is sensitive to the cold and is done for the season. We did have some other damaged plants including green beans, husk cherries and peppers. There are still viable vegetables to harvest from the impacted plants this week but for the green beans and some varieties of peppers it will be the last picking. However, despite its frosty edges the red butterhead lettuce pictured above was harvested late Saturday morning with little to no damage evident so don't put those salad dressings away yet! Not only do most of our crops survive cold temperatures, some are even better for it! Frost is particularly great for changing starches to sugar in the bolero carrots that are in the CSA and Farm Store this week. We likely have a few more weeks before cool temperatures do come to stay but when they do we will be ready for the extra sweet kale, carrots, and parsnips that follow!
In the CSA:- Red Kuri Squash- This squash has a thin skin making it easy to peel. The middle is bright orange and creamy, making it great for pureed soups.
- Leeks- We will have our later varieties of leeks in the CSA and store this week including tadorna and megaton. These store better than our early variety and tend to be a bit larger.
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Purple Viking Potatoes
- Keuka Gold Potatoes
- Delicata Squash
- Acorn Squash
- Celery- Good for cooking, a particularly nice addition to fall soups.
- Eggplant- It has been a tough eggplant year for us and the frost this weekend was the last straw. We plan to rotate our eggplant next year in search of a field with less soil borne disease pressure. We will have the last of our eggplant available in the CSA this week.
- Scallions
- Broccoli
- Spaghetti Squash
- Bolero Carrots
- Red Ace Beets
- Lettuce
- Baby Bok Choi
- Kale
- Sweet colored peppers
- Sunflowers
- Beans- The green beans on the plants were not harmed however, there will not be new growth due to plant damage so this will be the last week of picking.
- Husk Cherries- The plants were damaged by the frost but the ripe fruit on the ground seem to have fared well.
- Tomatillos - Look low on the plant.
- Hot Peppers - The hot pepper plants were damaged by the frost but many of the peppers still look good, particularly the cayenne.
- Cilantro and Dill- Looking great!
- Parsley- A new planting just past the sunflowers along with a new planting of cilantro.
- Oregano
- Thyme
In the store:
Most of what is available in the CSA will be available in the store. In addition we will have tendersweet cabbage, escarole and chard.
Autumn Minestrone
Epicurious | October 1999
The Moosewood Collective
Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
yield: Makes 12 cups; serves 6 to 8
ingredients
Epicurious | October 1999
The Moosewood Collective
Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
yield: Makes 12 cups; serves 6 to 8
ingredients
2 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions (I replace the onions with leeks)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 1/2 cups peeled and cubed winter squash*
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots
2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups water
4 cups chopped kale
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans (15-ounce can, drained)
*We recommend a firm, rich winter squash, such as acorn, delicata, or buttercup.
Warm the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the squash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and water and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost done. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot.
1 cup chopped onions (I replace the onions with leeks)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 1/2 cups peeled and cubed winter squash*
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots
2 1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups water
4 cups chopped kale
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans (15-ounce can, drained)
*We recommend a firm, rich winter squash, such as acorn, delicata, or buttercup.
Warm the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the squash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, and water and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost done. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot.
Serve immediately.