Welcome to the 80 members who already signed up for next season! We're so excited that you'll be joining us for our Early Bird Registration events: Seed planting & onion planting parties, as well as bonus box harvesting... and you'll be receiving your LGF mug, too! We've never done anything like this, so we're really looking forward to it. Thank you for committing already... it really means a lot to us!
This week, we also say "See you later!" to our wonderful Biweekly A members. We can't believe it's your final week already, and we sincerely hope that you enjoyed the program. We loved having you all, we thank you so much, and we hope to see you again soon.
One of our big tasks this past weekend was digging up potatoes. Here, Randy's dad Ed is seen driving the tractor with the potato digger attachment. It sifts the soil away from the potatoes and drops them back down on the ground to be picked up. You'll notice that we leave the soil on the potatoes for the most part, rather than washing them. This is because the soil acts as a natural protectant and increases the shelf life. Wash when you're ready to use them!
We still have gourds, $5 mums, $0.50/lb. pumpkins, and $1/lb. specialty pumpkins (typically ones you can also cook), for sale this week. Our friend Meg took these beautiful shots of her dining room table and front door to give you some display ideas if you haven't already finished decorating for fall.
It's soup season for sure! This week you're receiving a medley that's perfect for minestrone. I made this one with veggie stock and threw in carrots, green beans, potatoes, shredded kohlrabi, and some rotini. Thanks, Nicole, for chatting with me about it and sharing what you were cooking too! We love when you all share your recipes and success stories.
Fall crops are arriving slowly but surely... arugula, radishes, salad greens, cooking greens, and more have been gracing our store. This week we really wanted to make the theme of our box "One Last Hurrah" and make sure you got an allotment of summer items, too. We asked on the Facebook pages, and your votes were heard. We really appreciate your honest feedback whenever we poll you.
Crew member Lauren spent a huge part of the day on Monday sanitizing these transplant trays. After we use them for the season, we put them aside in a big pile in the greenhouse. Before the year is up, we sanitize and store them to get ready for next year. This is a really important step in reducing our chemical inputs as the plants are growing. Sanitizing the trays ensures that no diseases or fungus is spread into the soil, which would compromise the health of the plant. Healthier plants lead to healthier soil, and is better for the environment, too.
A Message from Randy:
The Uncrating:
Contents (In approximate order from shortest shelf life to longest):
Small:
1 head of bok choy (or 2 small heads of bok choy)
1 bunch of Brussels sprouts tops
1/2 lb. of tomatoes
1/4 lb. of Asian mix
1/2 lb. of beans
1/2 lb. of colored peppers
1 lb. of squash or zucchini
1 lb. of potatoes
Large:
2 heads of bok choy
1 bunch of Brussels sprouts tops
1/2 lb. of tomatoes
1/2 lb. of Asian mix
1 kohlrabi
1/2 lb. of beans
1/2 lb. of colored peppers
1 lb. of squash or zucchini
2 lb. of potatoes
* The squash and zucchini may be switched out for another item in case they do not grow in enough abundance.
Caring For Your Share:
Wash all before using:
Store the peppers, squash and zucchini, and bag of beans in the fridge as is. Wash when ready to use.
Keep the tomatoes out of the fridge and store out of direct sunlight, like on a counter.
Store bok choy and Brussels sprout tops in plastic bags in the fridge. Shake out excess moisture first. Use within a few days.
Twist the tops off of the kohlrabi and store them in Ziploc bags. The greens can be eaten.
Store the potatoes in a cool, dark place such as a pantry. Put them in a mesh bag or a location where they will get some air flow. Keep them out of the fridge, and always store them away from onions.
LGF Cooking Club:
I searched for a vegetable soup recipe that would include many of the veggies in the shares this week. Unfortunately, there are no perfect matches. But honestly, that's my favorite thing about vegetable soup - you can add whatever you want. You can follow this recipe as a guide:
Or, this Old-Fashioned Beef Stew Recipe utilizes potatoes and green beans:
Mixed Field Greens, Asian Pears & Pecans Salad:
Teriyaki Salmon with Baby Bok Choy:
Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes, Peppers, and Olives (Mary S. shared something similar in our Facebook group, but using a sheet pan and chicken thighs. We made that this week here and it was amazing. There are so many sheet pan variations - you can even include the potatoes in this, too):
https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/roasted-halibut-with-tomatoes-peppers-and-olives-recipe/
This Potato and Collard Green Hash can be made with the Brussels sprout tops):
Similarly, Crispy Potato & Kale Hash with Eggs and Bell Pepper:
How to Make One-Pot Pasta Primavera (Again - use whatever veggies you'd like!)
Cooking Tip(s) of the Week:
A Cooking Formula for Soup, so you can add literally whatever you want!
Biweekly Catch-Up Time:
This week, we can definitely feel the cooler weather coming in. The end of last week and the weekend brought beautiful sunshine to help ripen our summer crops. Unfortunately the forecast this weeks looks dreary and cool, which can affect our harvest plan. Items that we would need for early in the week, like tomatoes, might be ready for Tuesday's shares. But 4 straight days of clouds and rain mean the rest wouldn't ripen fast enough for Wednesday and Saturday shares. This week, we're bringing you a true taste of fall with greens, with little pops of color here and there.
One of our big tasks last week was harvesting all of the winter squashes: acorn, spaghetti, butternut, and delicata. Check out the video to hear more about it:
A view of the squash and pumpkin patch:
Huge jack-o-lanterns are ripening. My hand for size context.
More fall fun: Mums are here! They're $5 each and you can pick them up at our store until they run out. Randy's cousin Joe loaded them up onto the pallets in front of our store on Saturday morning.
Gourds are also available too! They're $2/lb. because they range in size, and each is typically about $1.
Check out these spooky ones!
I wanted to do a little feature on maple sugar because it's not well-known, but it deserves to be. Maple sugar is made by boiling maple sap for longer than it takes to make maple syrup: there's no sugar added. Chuck from Sugar Maple Farms makes his in Lebanon, CT. He also makes it in granulated and powdered form. Maple sugar is perfect for oatmeal, sprinkled on baked goods, sprinkled on roasted vegetables, and even on roast chicken.
How well do you know your kale varieties? Take a look at the 4 photos below to see the types that we grow. Answers are below the slideshow.
Redbor (Red curly)
White Russian
Toscano (Flat leaf/Dinosaur/Lacinato)
Winterbor (Green curly)
Don't forget that enrollment for 2021 subscriptions opens at 7 a.m. this Sunday, October 4th. I really think that the Extended Season Subscription is going to sell out quickly, so be prepared to log on ASAP. Also, check the 2021 Veggie Subscriptions tab to see the early bird registration perks, which include a few fun events and a keepsake gift. If you sign up before Thanksgiving, you receive them all.
A few more photos from the week:
A Message from Randy (Leaving this for our Biweekly members receiving Brussels sprouts tops for the first time this week!):