It took most of our time and every bin we have to harvest and pack the cooler last week in preparation for the Ag Day Farmers' Market as well as our regular Farm Store and CSA pick-up on Saturday! It turned out to be beautiful fall weather, perfect for a busy market and for our members out in the pick-your-own fields enjoying the cherry tomatoes and sunflowers. By the end of the day on Saturday it was like the flurry of activity had never happened - the cooler was close to empty and the bins were clean and stacked in the wash area ready for the regular harvest this week! Much of our week will be devoted to keeping up with the farm store and CSA harvest list which still includes summer crops like eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. We will also bring in the remaining winter squash from the field for later this fall. Lise's dad made us some new bulk bins so now we have somewhere to store it all! While we wish we had more red kuri and buttercup squash this year, the quantity of pie pumpkins, acorn, delicata, gourds and butternut squash is looking good. Two of our few remaining planting projects will also take place this week- the last of the lettuce as well as our fall planted strawberries which arrived today from Illinois.
In the CSA:
- Garlic- we will continue to distribute cured garlic. They are ready to eat now but will also keep well if stored in a dry, dark place.
- Tendersweet Cabbage - This cabbage is aptly named as it is very sweet and tender making it great for shredding raw in coleslaws and other salads.
- Salanova Lettuce mix
- Nicola Potatoes- yellow outside and inside. Great for roasting!
- Leeks
- Mustard Greens- These spicy greens are more mild after cooking.
- Baby bok choi
- Peppers - green, purple, red, yellow and orange
- Eggplant
- Tomatoes - mostly red and orange slicers but there may be a few heirlooms.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Lettuce
- Curly Kale
- Toscano Kale - also called dinosaur kale
CSA PYO:
- Cherry Tomatoes and cocktail tomatoes - Sungold, jasper, black cherry, yellow mini, cherry bomb, red grape, Juane Flamme, pink boar, bumblebee, and Wapsipinicon peach!
- Hot peppers - serrano, jalapeño and ancho. Some cayenne are also starting to turn red!
- Purple tomatillos - pick when husks are filled out.
- Husk cherries- Pick dry husks that have fallen on the ground under the plants. To eat, remove the husk and eat the yellow fruit inside.
- Sunflowers
- Green and Yellow Beans
- Herbs: Basil, parsley, dill flowers, sage, thyme, mint, oregano, chives
In the store:
In addition to the items also available in the CSA, we will have radishes, escarole, yukina savoy, paste tomatoes, spaghetti squash, some zucchini, and beets in the store. We will also continue to have Verrill Farm corn, Fat Moon mushrooms, and Pete and Jen's eggs.
PYO Flower CSA:
Flowers available for picking this week include zinnias, bachelors button, celosia, scabiosa, verbena, amaranth, cosmos, strawflower, snapdragons, gomphrena, sunflowers and more.
Kale, Cabbage & Carrot Salad With Creamy Caper Dressing
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon caper pickling liquid
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed to a paste
• ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives (optional)
• ¼ head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 1½ large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced or torn into bite-size pieces
• ½ yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives or dill (optional)
In medium bowl, whisk egg yolk with mustard. While whisking constantly, slowly dribble in oils. Continue whisking until oil is fully incorporated and mixture is thick and pale in color. Whisk in capers, pickling liquid, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and snipped chives, if using. In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and herbs, if using. Add dressing and toss, using both hands to mix until dressing coats all ingredients. Allow salad to marinate until vegetables soften, at least 10 minutes.