Start of Fall CSA Shares!

Fall Shares Start Tomorrow!!

I sent out an email to all members last night with pickup instructions. That email is below. If you did not receive my email, please let me know and I will investigate.

Hello Fall CSA Share members!

Fall share start up this Wednesday, October 5th and will be available in our barn or at one of our four pickup locations in the afternoon.

All Members will receive a basket every Wednesday until the week of Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving week, shares will be packed on Tuesday to accommodate the holiday. We’re looking forward to a bountiful fall, and shares this week should be chock full of veggies and herbs. Most of what we pass out during the fall can be stored for the winter. Typically, storage veggies that do not need to be refrigerated (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash) should be stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Veggies like carrots, beets, and cabbage store well in a bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. Root veggies that are bunched by their tops store longer when the tops are removed before putting them in the refrigerator.

Like I said, we are expecting a full basket this week for shares. All members will receive: Bok Choy, Carrots, Fennel, Garlic, Fresh Ginger, Kale, Leeks, Potatoes, Spicy Salad Mix, Thyme. Monday night or Tuesday morning of each week, I send out a newsletter covering what is in baskets, what’s happening on the farm, and recipes for how to use your produce. If you do not receive our newsletter, please let me know and I will look into why that may be the case. Please check your spam, junk, promotions, social, and bulk mail folders before reaching out.

I always miss something in this email. After 5 years, I’ve come to accept that reality. I’ll be sending out the newsletter tomorrow morning and will cover anything I didn’t get to here. I’m looking forward to shares this week! and for the rest of the fall! Please read on for more details regarding pickup.

ON FARM PICKUP is available anytime after 3:30pm. Baskets are on racks in the barn. All baskets are the same, and members can select whichever basket the like. There is a checklist in alphabetical order for members to check off you received your share. If you are a bread or egg share recipient, please check the small table between the racks for your bread and eggs. There is a check list for those items, as well. When you pick up your share basket, please bring your empty basket with you from the previous week. You can place baskets on the rack where you collected your basket, or in any of the stacks around the barn. The barn is left unlocked on Wednesday night for members than need to come after dark. You are also welcome to pick up your share on Thursday, but greens may be wilted and veggies will not be as fresh. Shares run the risk of freezing later on in the fall if left in the barn overnight. All shares are donated to the Fitzwilliam District Nursing Association on Friday.

OFF FARM PICKUP LOCATIONS
Shares must be picked up day of shares, and all pickup location members must give advanced notice if you are not be able to collect your share in time. We can still send a share if need be, but need to know if you are picking up a day late. When you pick up your share basket, please bring your empty basket with you from the previous week. You can leave it in the location you picked up your share. Drivers will return these baskets to be refilled.

Please note the pickup times for your location. We use members homes, and they request that you follow the times so that they are not disturbed late in the evening. There is a checklist in alphabetical order for members to check off you received your share. If you are a bread or egg share recipient, please check the accompanying basket for bread and eggs. There is a check list for those items, as well.

Swanzey Pickup Location will be at 154 Forest Avenue. Pickup is between 5:30 and 8:00pm. Shares are on a table under the deck.

Peterborough Pickup Location will be at 4 Laurel St. Pickup is between 4:30 and 8:00pm. Shares are in the garage.

Keene Pickup Location will be at 60 Russell St. Pickup is between 5:30 and 8:00pm. Shares are on the 3-season porch.

Nelson/Harrisville Pickup Location 221 Murdough Hill Rd. Pickup is between 5:30 and 8:30pm. Shares will be either on the porch on the right side of the house or just inside the kitchen door on the table, depending on conditions.

On the Farm

Well I planned on writing the newsletter this morning, but pressure to get some cover cropping done before potential rain took priority. It’s late to be putting a cover crop in, but with a little luck and a continuation of the warm weather we’ve had, we could get some growth out of it before the end of the year. The alternative isn’t any better, so might as well since I had the opportunity.

We’re slowing down pretty well on the farm. After the work today, most of the farm is either in production or seeded with a cover crop. That feels pretty good to me. If you’re driving past the farm and see the bright green patches of grass across our fields, that’s the cover crop coming up nicely. It is a mix of annual ryegrass, oats, and crimson clover.

The leaves are turning just in time for the beginning of fall shares. The farm is a dream to work on this time of year surrounded by red and sugar maples. My favorite tree on the farm is in the middle of its annual show. It’s an old, haggard sugar maple, and every year it turns a bright, vibrant red. You’ll notice it on the left hand side of the road at the entrance to one of the fields across the street if you’re coming from the direction of route 12. Last year during an intense downpour it lost a limb in the road. It was a massive limb that held up traffic to the farm on a share day of all days. The timeline of trees is astounding. Nolan, my go to tree encyclopedia, believes that even if it was on its way out, there is still plenty of life in that tree for another couple of decades. Losing that limb was devastating, but the tree still seems happy and the crown may be a little smaller, but the color is on full display.

Fall Shares are below:

FALL SHARES WEEK 1!

Fall shares go out every Wednesday from October 5th until the week of Thanksgiving. On November 22nd shares will be packed on Tuesday.

Woo! More shares are coming! Summer may be done, but the roots are just getting started, and the greens appreciate some cool weather!

Bok Choy is in shares this week. See recipe below. Carrots are super sweet because of the cool weather. Fennel is looking good in the field. Garlic will be a weekly occurrence. GINGER I have been so excited about being able to pass ginger out to shares. We grew it as a trial last year and this year grew enough to pass out to the CSA. It is fresh ginger, so best to keep it in the fridge as it is perishable. We will be including leaves and stems that you can use to make tea! Kale will be in and out of shares throughout the fall. Leeks are typically on an every other week schedule with onions. Peppers narrowly escaped the frost the last few nights, but we’ll see if they have any cold damage on them before definitively saying I can pass them out. Potatoes are going to be a staple throughout the fall. They will switch in and out with sweet potatoes. Salad Greens are looking lush in the field. It will be a spicy salad mix this week. The fresh herb is Thyme, perfect for pairing with potatoes.

Check for recipes below!

Shares Week 1:
Bok Choy
Carrots
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger (!)
Kale
Leeks
Peppers?
Potatoes
Spicy Salad Mix
Thyme

Egg Share: CHECK LIST FOR NAME
Bread Share: Honey Multigrain CHECK LIST FOR NAME

LINK: BABY BOK CHOY SALAD WITH RAMEN

Ingredients

For the sesame dressing:

▢ 1/4 cup light brown sugar

▢ 1/4 cup olive oil

▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

▢ 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (see note 1)

▢ 1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the salad:

▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil

▢ 1 package ramen noodles crumbled, seasoning packet discarded (see note 2)

▢ 1/4 cup sliced almonds (see note 3)

▢ 1 bunch baby bok choy sliced (5 – 6 bulbs, see note 4)

▢ 5 scallions chopped

Instructions
* To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar, sesame seeds, and soy sauce. Allow flavors to blend at room temperature while preparing the rest of the salad.
* In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Reduce heat to low. Add ramen noodles and almonds; sauté until toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
* In a large bowl, combine baby bok choy, scallions, and crunchy mix. Drizzle salad dressing over the top and toss until uniformly combined. Serve at room temperature.

LINK: ROASTED FENNEL WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Edamame is a great side dish for any meal. Similar to shishito peppers, it is easy to prepare and delicious!

Ingredients

Roasted Fennel Beet Salad

▪	2 large bulbs fennel

▪	3 tbsp olive oil

▪	2 cloves garlic minced

▪	3/4 tsp salt

▪	1 tsp black pepper

▪	1 tsp thyme

▪	1/4 cup parmesan (omit if Dairy Free/Paleo/Vegan)

Directions

▪	Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius)

▪	Remove any of the stalks from the fennel bulbs and then cut them in half lengthwise. Cut each halved fennel bulb into 1/2 inch thick slices and arrange the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet ensuring that they are all laid out evenly and do not overlap.

▪	In a bowl combine the olive oil and minced garlic and brush it over the sliced fennel and then sprinkle the thyme, salt and pepper overtop to ensure they are all well seasoned.

▪	Roast the fennel in the oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes if using parmesan, sprinkle it over the fennel and then return the tray to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.

▪	After 35 minutes of baking the fennel should be tender and caramelized on the edges (cook for another 5-8 minutes if its not yet tender). Serve warm.

LINK: STUFFED CABBAGE

Ingredients

▪	1 pound ground beef

▪	1 onion, chopped

▪	2 cloves garlic, minced

▪	1 cup cooked brown rice

▪	1 tablespoon mustard

▪	1 large egg

▪	1/2 teaspoon salt

▪	1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

▪	1 head green cabbage

▪	1 tablespoon olive oil

▪	2 cloves garlic, minced

▪	1 (16-ounce) can tomato puree

▪	1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

▪	2 bay leaves

▪	1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

▪	Gather the ingredients.

▪	In a large saucepan, combine the ground beef with the onion and 2 cloves of the garlic; cook and stir to break up the meat until the beef is browned and the onion and garlic are tender; drain well and set aside.

▪	In a large bowl, mix together the beef mixture, the cooked rice, mustard, egg, and salt and pepper until combined.

▪	Cut out the core end of the cabbage and remove and discard some of the exterior leaves. Then carefully remove 8 whole perfect leaves. Soak the leaves in hot water in a large bowl until they are limp and pliable.

▪	Chop half of the remaining cabbage and add this to the beef and rice mixture. Roll up about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in each cabbage leaf. Reserve any remaining meat mixture. At this point, preheat the oven to 350 F.

▪	Then, in the same large skillet, sauté 2 cloves of garlic in the olive oil until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

▪	Add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer this sauce for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Then remove and discard the bay leaves.

▪	Place the stuffed cabbage rolls in a Dutch oven or large casserole. Top the rolls with any remaining meat mixture. Pour the tomato sauce mixture over all.

▪	Cover the casserole and bake for 80 to 90 minutes or until the cabbage rolls are tender.

▪	Serve the stuffed cabbage with the sauce. Enjoy.