Share Notes 10-29-15
CSA Share Notes:
Welcome to the first fall CSA share! We are so excited to get started with this season. We’ve got some great crops and I hope you savor each one.
Here’s your vegetable line up:
- Daikon Radish—This crisp and spicy tap-root really brightens up your meal. These are wonderful grated into a slaw or raw in a salad, or just sliced with lemon and salt. And the tops are edible too! They’re a bit like turnip greens. If you aren’t a fan of the radish spice, try roasting them. Chop off the tops and store separately in bags in the fridge.
- Asian Field Greens—This beautiful bag of goodness is our own custom mix of frost tolerant and tender greens. The mix includes 6 gorgeous varieties including green frills and scarlet frills mustard, Asian mustard varieties Mizuna, and minutina, and two mild Asian greens, Hon Tsai tai and Komatsuna, which are a bit like broccoli raab or boc choi. These combine into an eye catching and delicious mix of different flavors and textures on the plate and are suitable for using in salads or for braising or roasting. Enjoy!
- Arugula—A peppery green that is tender and delicious in a fresh salad. Mix with mild greens like lettuce, baby kale, or spinach. Store sealed in a bag in the fridge.
- Kale—Large shares received Red Russian, the smooth leaved, ultra tender variety. Small shares received winterbor- the curly leaved classic. Try either variety in one of our many kale recipes found in our kitchen.
- Sweet Potato—These sweet potatoes were grown by our friend Jose Gomez in some amazingly sandy soil just a few miles from Red Moon Farm. He’s the best sweet potato farmer around. They’re a little small this year from the lack of rain all summer, bit they are every bit as tasty as last year. Try this excellent recipe with local honey and chipotle peppers. Store at room temperature in a dry place.
- Hot Peppers—jalapeno and serrano. Peppers don’t mind being stored at room temp or refrigerated, though they will start to get a little dried out and wrinkly in the fridge.
- Sweet Peppers—Colorful bells of a wide variety. Our color variations range quite literally across the whole spectrum, from red, to orange, yellow, green, and purple! Some of these are really small, but still loaded with flavor.
Veggie Storage tips:
Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them. As a general rule, wait to wash any veggies until you’re ready to use them to help retain nutrients and prevent spoilage from excess moisture. Any bruised or nicked produce should be eaten quickly as it will begin to spoil faster. Peppers can be stored in the fridge or on the counter. Sweet potatoes, at room temperature, and everything else prefers to be sealed up and in the fridge.
We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Post a comment of how you’ve used your CSA share, or tag us in your facebook and instagram posts! Show us how you’re using your share of the harvest.
Your farmers,
Jess & Justin
Large Share
Large,from top, clockwise: Sweet bell peppers, Asian field greens, arugula, jalepenos, sweet potatoes, Daikon radishes, Red Russian kale.
Small Share
Small share from left: Sweet potatoes, Asian field greens, jalepenos and sweet bell peppers, arugula, daikon radish, and winterbor kale.