As you can see, we are swiftly shifting into a new season. As lovey as that rain was, it will fast track the demise of tomatoes and peppers. Hopefully we can get a few more weeks out of them. We are now turning our attention to some very important and time sensitive fall tasks. Jim is chomping at the bit to till and disk in expired and retired crops so we can then plant a cover crop. It’s always nice if we can time the cover crop planting right before a rain so we don’t have to irrigate. Other things we need to do before the rains return include planting garlic and harvesting the rest of the potatoes in the field (and there are A LOT left out there!) This time of year it is so hard to know when our last sunny day will be. Every time it rains, part of me worries that it won’t stop until spring. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed and work our little buns off!

WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
carrots
beets or chard
dill or Italian parsley
leeks
peppers
tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
acorn squash
spaghetti squash
French fingerling potatoes
yellow onion
lacinato kale
kohlrabi (half of you, the other half will get it, or a substitute next week.)

ELABORATIONS:
Potatoes: We pride ourselves on providing you with the highest quality produce. This week we had to lower our usual standard for this variety. We are very sad that so many rows look so awful. I think the extreme heat and lack of water for awhile stressed them out. Rather than waste perfectly edible potatoes, we elected to pass them out this week. Believe it or not, you all got the best of the lot. The rest will either feed our soil or the neighbor’s pigs!
Leeks: They are in the onion family and can be used in place of an onion, though the flavor will be more pronounced. Leeks are great in frittatas, stir fry, and of course in soups such as the iconic potato leek soup. Dirt can find its way into the layers of leeks as they grow, so be sure to cut them lengthwise and fan them under running water before using them.
Lacinato Kale: Here I was last week talking about how it is so hard for us to grow, and then I go back out there and it was looking lush as ever. So of course we had to give you some. This kale is best for kale chips, kale Caesar salad, soups, and stir-fries.
Spaghetti squash: Wait a week or so before eating to let it flavor up a bit. (We tried one last night and it was good, but not at it’s peak.) This squash gets its name from the texture of its flesh, which is string (in a good way). The best way to prepare is to cut in half, scoop out seeds, and bake cut side down in a baking dish with a little water until you can easily pierce the flesh. This variety has a very hard shell, so you have to flip it over to check the doneness. They usually take 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, you can steam them (cut side up). It’s faster, for sure. When it is done, drag a fork along the flesh to create spaghetti-like strands to be used instead of pasta. We love it with pesto (last night’s dinner) or a nice home-made red sauce with whatever other veggies you want to toss in there.
Acorn squash: Again, wait a week of so before eating. Acorn is probably one of the better known squash. It is not as sweet as others, so people often doctor it up with butter and honey. We discovered and super yummy acorn squash recipe (see below) that has become a winter staple.

Leeks. Cut in half and run under water to clean the layers

ACORN SQUASH WITH APPLE AND SAUSAGE

INGREDIENTS:

1 LB ground breakfast sausage

2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms

1 large (or 2 small) apple(s), peeled and diced

1 medium onion, chopped

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sweet peppers, chopped

1 large acorn squash, pre-cooked (see notes below)

½ tsp salt (or more to taste) *

Pepper to taste

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

PROCEDURE:

1. Cut acorn into ¼ rings, brush with olive oil and bake at 375 until tender.

2. Cook sausage in a skillet. Make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Food poisoning is no fun, my friend.

3. When squash and sausage are cooked, sauté the onion, garlic, peppers, and apples. Add herbs, salt and pepper in a large skillet. (cast iron is ideal)

4. Add sausage and cubed squash. Stir it all up and pop in the oven for 20 minutes to meld.

*if the sausage is super salty, ½ tsp salt in the overall recipe will do. If it is a milder sausage, go for a full tsp of salt.

That’s all for now. Enjoy!

Jen

CSA Newsletter - Summer - Week 15