CSA 2017 - Week #22
I feel like I keep writing the same thing in this newsletter week after week....feels like summer, tastes like fall! That's certainly the case again this week as the thermometer reads close to 80 degrees and we're harvesting cool fall greens and sweet potatoes for the shares.
We have just 4 remaining weeks of the CSA season, so I thought it would be a good time to go over a few housekeeping items... Final CSA pick-up date, Winter Shares, 2018 CSA Renewals & Christmas Trees...
End of CSA Season...Mark Your Calendars
Our program runs through week #25, which is the week before Thanksgiving. Tuesday Queens groups and Astoria CSA will receive a make-up delivery the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. (Please note that this make-up delivery is for Queens sites only.)
WINTER CSA - Sign-up for Long Island members online NOW!
We're now accepting online applications for our CSA Winter Share. Four monthly deliveries, December through March. Sign up here...
CSA RENEWALS FOR 2018 - Coming in November!
Renewing members receive priority sign-up for our 2018 CSA season. New this year! Online payment with credit card or direct deposit. Save time & hassle! We'll be sending out renewal reminders beginning in November, so stay tuned.
FRASER FIR CHRISTMAS TREES - From our sister farm in Vermont!
We'll be sending out a separate e-mail with more information soon. In short, we will be offering pre-ordered, fresh-cut Fraser Fir Christmas Trees & Wreathes for pick-up at the farm in Jamesport this December. The trees are grown at our sister farm in Springfield, Vermont by our VT farm crew without the use of any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides on land that is currently being transitioned to organic production. Stay tuned for more details!
JOIN THE CSA MEMBER GROUP! Please share your Recipes, Cooking Tips & other ideas for getting the most out of your CSA on our FACEBOOK CSA MEMBERS PAGE! (It's a private group.)
A quick note on dirt...
You know us, we love to wash your veggies so they're squeaky clean when they get to you. BUT, sometimes dirty is better. Why? Take these sweet potatoes, for example. They are freshly dug, not "cured" for storage. This means that the skins are thin and the washing cycle will cut up the skin and make them look pretty rough. The dirt provides a protective coating during transport to you. When you get them home, wash them off gently under running water and they'll look beautiful like the potato on the left in the photo below.
This week in the shares...
Sugarloaf Chicory - This looks like a tall, pointy lettuce. But it's not lettuce, it's a chicory. The link here will take you to the radicchio page, and although it's not radicchio, it's a family relative and much of the info is the same. The take-home here: This is an ever-so-slightly bitter green that works great as a salad cut thinly into ribbons and dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh pressed garlic, salt & pepper to taste and cheese. A hard, nutty cheese (Parmesan works great) shaved on top balances out the bitterness.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked When to use: Within 5 days.
Scallions - What do you think? Did we plant one too many series of scallions this fall, or are you loving their fresh flavor added to all your dishes? They're going into my stir fry tonight!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.
Collards - Just like kale, collards are super versatile and super healthy. On a scale from 1 to 10, collards are off the charts in terms of nutrient content. A cancer-fighting, immune-boosting powerhouse! You can steam it, put it in soups, make a quiche, try one of the recipes below, freeze the leaves to use in smoothies in the winter....
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.
Sweet Potatoes - Dense, sweet, and full of flavor and nutrients. Orange veggies are extremely healthy with their high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene. Super simple to prepare! Wash them and stick them in the oven (350F) in a baking dish until soft. Scoop out and top with a pat of butter (my choice) and salt & pepper to taste. Drizzled with olive oil is good too.
Storage: Don't wash until you're ready to use them. Keep them on your counter in a warm, dry spot. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within a week.
Cilantro - You probably have your own favorite ways with cilantro. I'm craving the sweet potato recipe below.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked. When to use: Within 3 days.
Japanese White Salad Turnips - They're back! Eat the tops too. Don't forget!
Storage: Store the greens and the roots separately in an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked When to use: Within a week.
Baby Arugula - Baby, tender, delicious. Wash gently and don't dress heavily.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw/Cooked When to use: Within 3 days.
FRUIT SHARE
Please remember just one bag per fruit share member.
1 mixed bag of Jonagold & Gala Apples
(for fruit share members ONLY)
Recipes
Shredded Collard Greens with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Collard Greens with Caramelized Onions
Sweet Potatoes with Yogurt and Cilantro-Chile Sauce
Cilantro Chutney
Braised Salad Turnips
Mashed Turnips with Goat Cheese & Leeks