Share Notes 10-12-17

Share Notes 10-12-17

CSA Share Notes:

Welcome to your FIRST share of the Fall CSA!  Thank you guys so much for partnering with us this growing season.  We have loads of great crops in store for you over the next couple of months.

The first several weeks (until frost, probably) we should be harvesting wonderful strongholds from the summer garden like eggplant, peppers, basil, jalapeños, okra, onions, and possibly even a few straggling tomatoes. Then more and more fall crops will mature as the season continues. Already the very first of the cool weather crops are just beginning to mature (quick growing greens and roots).

The first and last shares of each season are typically a bit smaller than the rest, as crops are coming in and haven’t reached their fullest abundance yet. Expect each week to be a bit different in quantity, and in diversity.

Each week come back to the blog to see that week’s share notes and learn all about the contents of your share.  Should be a great season. We hope you enjoy every bit!

 

Here’s the vegetable line up this week:

  • Arugula—Peppery, tender, and so nutritious.  We like our arugula salad with feta, walnuts, and fruit and a simple drizzle of balsamic and EVOO.
  • Bell Peppers—We grow bell pepper varieties in the most lovely array of colors, and each color has a slightly different flavor. Red and orange will be the sweetest, and the others will taste more like your standard green bell pepper.
  • Italian Peppers—Like a bell pepper, these are another type of sweet pepper, but they grow long, slender, and pointed. That’s how you’ll distinguish them from the bells. These have thinner walled flesh, and a few of them have a very gentle heat.
  • Tender Kale—each share received a nice bunch of super tender, young kale leaves. These are tender enough to eat raw in a salad as in this recipe. As the plants mature over the next two months, the leaves won’t stay this tender, so enjoy them!
  • Onion—Everyone received a couple of red onions, super sweet and flavorful. They’re nearing the end of their season, so some have developed a fine black dust just under the skin. To remove, just peel down one more layer, and they’re fantastic.
  • Radish—Easter Egg variety. This is our multi-colored planting. Try them roasted from this recipe! Did you know radish greens are edible? And right now they’re super tender and delicious.
  • Sweet potatoes—We partner with our friends a few miles up the road at Jose Gomez Sweet Potatoes to bring you these each fall. Though they aren’t exclusively committed to organic growing practices the way we are at Red Moon Farm, we appreciate that Jose grows his sweet potatoes so well in his quality soil that he has no need to use any pesticides or fungicides in his garden. Expect to see these regularly this fall!
  • Cayenne—Large shares received a handful of curly, spicy cayenne peppers. These should be one or two ticks hotter than a jalapeño, but not as hot as habaneros.
  • Jalapeño—Small shares received a handful of jalapeños, some of which are beginning to turn a lovely red. Enjoy!
  • Eggplant—Large shares received Japanese eggplant and we’ll have some for the small shares next week.  Are you new to eggplant?  Here are some tips: The slender Japanese types don’t need to be peeled or sweated like Italian varieties. We like our eggplant roasted in the oven or lightly charred on a hot grill. High heat is wonderful for eggplant, sweetening it without it becoming mushy.  This summer we’ve been enjoying a North Indian eggplant dish, or boosting the nutrition in our pasta sauces with fine diced eggplant and bell peppers. It’s a GREAT way to get your kiddos to consume more veggies.

Veggie Storage tips:

Onions, sweet potatoes, and hot peppers will prefer to stay at room temp. The sweet peppers can also be stored at room temp for a few days, or they’ll last at least a week in the fridge. Eggplant will keep longest stored in the fridge sealed up in a bag. This variety of eggplant doesn’t last long, so plan to use it up soon. Arugula will want that cold storage, and so will the kale. Make sure they’re sealed up so they don’t get wilty.  Radishes should be severed from their tops to keep the roots from getting rubbery, then sealed up in the fridge to stay crisp. The radish tops can be stored like other greens.  Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them to prevent faster spoilage.

We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Send us a note or post a comment of how you’ve used your CSA share.

Your farmers,

Jess & Justin

Large Share


Large Share:  (top left to right)  radishes, bell peppers, bagged arugula, Italian peppers, kale. (From left to right below radishes) cayenne peppers, Japanese eggplant, red onions, and sweet potatoes.

Small Share


Small share: (top left to right) kale, bagged arugula, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, radishes, (bottom row) Italian peppers, jalapeños, red onions.