Though you'd never know it by the weather, we are almost into September! That means that our daily tasks are shifting slightly. While we still have plenty of weeding to keep us busy, it does feel like the end is in sight. Shorter days will bring slower plant growth, which means that when we weed next year's strawberries or finish weeding fall cabbage, it will likely be the for the last time this season!
Transplanting and seeding have also become rare activities on the farm these days. In fact we seeded our last lettuce planting in the greenhouse two weeks ago. Aside from the two lettuce successions remaining to be transplanted, we still have some spinach and strawberry plugs to go out into the field, but soon the greenhouse will be empty and Sunday greenhouse watering will be a distant memory.
Other signs that we have shifted gears into fall include the completion of our onion and shallot harvest, the start of our winter squash harvest, and the continued tilling in of crops that have well passed their prime production period. (Farmers take a particular joy in mowing and tilling under old weedy crops - we really love to see clean fields seeded in cover crop!).
Though fall is ever present in our minds, this week's harvest for the store and CSA still reflects the late summer bounty, with a few additional items like carrots and napa cabbage that typically go hand in hand with cooler weather.
In the CSA:
- Carrots - they're back for the fall! We mostly grow a variety called Bolero (though we are also trying out another variety called Miami this year too). The later carrot plantings will get really sweet after a few frosts later this fall.
- Napa cabbage
- Bok Choi
- Watermelon
- Tomatoes
- Beets
- Green and purple peppers
- Sweet Red, Yellow, Orange peppers - some of the peppers are bell peppers and others are the sweet Italian variety (also known as "Bull's horn" because of their pointy shape). We get a lot of questions about whether or not these peppers are hot; All the peppers we harvest for the CSA distribution area are sweet - the hot peppers are all in the PYO area!
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Summer Squash
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce
- Arugula
- Chard
- Kale
CSA PYO:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Tomatillos
- Husk Cherries
- Hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano and ancho
- Chocolate, Green Burst and Procut Orange sunflowers
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Dill flowers
In the store: Everything available in the CSA will also be available in the store. In addition, we will have mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm and sweet corn from Verrill Farm.
Farm store hours:
- Tuesdays & Thursdays 11am - 6pm*
- Wednesdays and Fridays 2pm - 6pm
- Saturdays 10am - 3pm*
*Hours in bold with an asterix are also CSA pick-up hours.
Vegetable Potstickers
adapted from the Uncommon Gourmet
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- pepper to taste
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped bok choi or napa cabbage
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 medium sized carrot, grated
- ¼ cup diced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 ½ tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 package wonton wrappers
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, pepper, sugar and sesame oil. Mix and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add bok choi/napa cabbage, scallions, carrots, mushrooms and ginger and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and stir fry for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a large baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the middle of a wonton skin. Fold over to form a triangle. Slightly dampen the outer edges with water and press the edges with a fork to seal. Place the potsticker on the baking sheet and repeat with remaining wonton skins. Brush the tops of the potstickers with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and crisp around edges. Serve immediately with soy sauce on the side for dipping.