CSA Winter Season - #4
Hey folks! The seasons are colliding this week as we pack up the very last of our storage root veggies for the winter shares and tend to the tiny baby plants just starting their life in the greenhouse. We hope you've enjoyed the roots this winter. We're going to close out the winter share by answering some questions that have been asked over the past few months. We hope it's helpful to hear a little more about what goes on behind the scenes here at the farm... (Scroll down to read.) Hope to see you all in June! -Love, Farmer Matt, Maggie & the crew
What's in the share?
Parsnips - This root vegetable is similar to a carrot, but can also be prepared similar to a potato. No need to peel the skin, just scrub well. Try one of our recipes below.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked. When to use: Within 3 weeks.
Watermelon Radish OR Golden Turnips - These are actually heirloom Chinese radishes! They are super beautiful and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked. When to use: Within 3 weeks.
Parsley OR Cilantro - Add a fresh flavor to soups, salads and super healthy in your juices!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or Cooked. When to use: Within 1 week.
Rainbow Carrots - A beautiful rainbow of colors...and sweet too!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Juiced, Raw or Cooked. When to use: Within 3 weeks.
Red Beets - I love how these brighten up winter dishes!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Juiced, Raw or Cooked. When to use: Within 3 weeks.
Scarlet & Purple Top Turnips - These are delicious roasted or in soups.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked. When to use: Within 3 weeks.
Recipes
Watermelon Radish Salad with Orange & Walnuts
Sauteed Parsnips, Carrots & Watermelon Radish
Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary
Q&A with your farmer
CSA Member: What's up with all the root veggies? Why am I not getting greens in my winter share?
Farmer Matt & Maggie: We "advertise" our Winter CSA as a roots-only share. We harvest the roots through November & December and store them in our coolers to distribute throughout the winter. This is how farmers (and pretty much everyone) used to eat in the "old days". The broccoli, kale, collards, etc. that you receive are bonuses. If the weather cooperates and we have a mild winter, we are able to harvest these for the winter shares. As you know, the first 2 winter shares had fresh greens in them - remember all that amazing broccoli?! Then everything froze in January and we were back to all roots. This week we are including some herbs to brighten things up!
CSA Member: What about potatoes and sweet potatoes?
Farmer Matt & Maggie: We lost a good portion of our potato crop to leaf hoppers (destructive insects) in 2016. Many farms in the Northeast faced similar losses. The ones we did harvest were distributed to our regular season CSA members. The sweet potato crop faced similar insect damage and we did not have a large yield to distribute through the winter. If you would like to share your thoughts and feedback with us, we would love to hear from you! Thank you as always for your membership!