Hi everyone,
As a reminder:
Your pickups will continue for 6 weeks, with the final week being December 4th. We close for the year on Saturday,December 10th.
If you currently receive a delivery, we switch back to pickups to close the season (Deliveries occurred through the Main Season portion of the program only.)
If you need to switch your pickup day, your options are Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday
We are also changing our hours of operation for the fall beginning on November 1st as follows:
Monday: 10:30 to 6
Tuesday: 10:30 to 6
Wednesday: 10:30 to 6
Thursday: 2:30 to 6
Friday: 10:30 to 4:30
Saturday: 9 to 4
CLOSED Sundays
This week, most of our crew finished up their final days of the season. Laina (second from left) and Eric (second from right) will continue on through November, with Laina finishing out the season in December. Ethan's final day in the store will be this Friday, though you'll continue to see Henry in the afternoons and evenings through November. As for me, I'll be in the store every Saturday from now on.
As we wind down with harvesting and clean up, significantly reduce our washing and packing, and with markets now over for the season, a full crew is no longer needed to accomplish the day to day tasks here. But we will really miss the energy that all of these people bring to each day and our business as a whole. If you couldn't tell from the photo, it's a really tight-knit group and they have truly worked as a team. Working through the hottest August in Connecticut on record was no easy feat! We give them all so much credit and gratitude.
Here are Carly, Laina, and Felicia rolling up drip irrigation. This is a major task that we work on during this time of year, and happens to each and every bed that we plant on before we wrap up the season.
Randy also spent some time mowing down summer crops, like the cucurbits pictured here. They've been touched by a few light frosts, so it was time to say goodbye.
After he does that, he plows under the plants that are left and seeds and disks in winter rye.
The rye will be up in the matter of a week, and it'll restore nutrients into the now-depleted soil and keep the soil securely in place during the winter months. There are still so many fields in use at this time of year, but they'll slowly be disked under during the month ahead.
Remnants of summer in the remaining soil.
On Tuesday, Randy and I went up to Booth Hill so that he could seed some drive roads that keep washing away in the heavy rains. We discovered a pretty sizeable bonus crop of raspberries on the bushes. Randy had planned out which varieties to grow based on when they fruit, so he actually called the company to make sure he hadn't made a mistake. They told him that depending on the year, farmers may actually get a late bonus crop from a few of the varieties. I guess this is one of those years!
My personal favorite are the golden raspberries. They taste like cotton candy to me. We can't wait until you all get a chance to try them in the years ahead.
This week, we're excited to share the honeynut squash with you! We've been saving it for Extended Season members. It's extremely similar to a butternut squash, but dare I say even sweeter and better. It's literally a cross between butternut and buttercup squash, so you can expect to get the same flavor profile. It's not in the Library of Resources this season, but check out the recipe section below for ideas. Since they're so small, you can roast them upside down at 400 for about 45 minutes and just mix in butter, salt, or maple syrup, nutmeg, or cinnamon - whatever flavors you like - to keep it simple and try it at its most basic level. For me, it's a pretty close second to delicata, my favorite of the winter squashes.
We have one more honeynut set aside for you for later this season, but there are a few remaining in the store if you'd like to grab and store a couple for the winter.
All greens and lettuce are still coming from the field. This is the lettuce and escarole tucked under the Reemay cloth to protect it from the frost. We'll continue to harvest from the field for the month ahead.
We are SO excited to share Brussels sprouts with you this week. Thank you for sticking around and participating in the Extended Season!
Here are some miscellaneous shots from the week to close out the newsletter.
Dana's Mother's Day hanging basket is still blooming! How cool is that?
In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 bunch of choy sum
1 head of lettuce
2 kohlrabi
1 stalk of Brussels sprouts
1 head of cabbage
2 lbs. of potatoes
1 honeynut squash
Small:
1 bunch of choy sum
1 kohlrabi
1 stalk of Brussels sprouts
1 head of cabbage
1 lb. of potatoes
1 honeynut squash
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources)
Shake out any excess water in the head of lettuce, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and spin out when ready to use.
Store choy sum in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Or, trim the ends and store it in a glass of water, like a bouquet. Wash when ready to use (within the week).
Keep Brussels sprouts on the stalk in the fridge. Wash when ready to use, which may be in more than a week. They'll keep longer on the stalk, but if you need to take them off of the stalk for space reasons, snap them off and store them in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash when ready to use.
Store honeynut squash in a cool, dark place such as a pantry, cabinet, or cellar where it will get air flow.
Leave the outer leaves on and store the head of cabbage in the fridge. The outer leaves will keep moisture in the head and prevent it from drying out.
Remove the greens from the kohlrabi bulbs and store in separate plastic bags in the fridge. Use the greens within a week; the bulbs can last a couple of weeks if stored properly.
Store potatoes in a mesh bag in a cool, dark place such as a cabinet or pantry, and ensure that they get plenty of air flow. Do not wash until ready to use, but wipe away dense soil, if any. Keep away from onions.
The LGF Cooking Club
30 Minutes or Less:
Large Share Additional Ingredients:
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