Share Notes Dec. 5th, 2024
What a wet weather day for our harvest! We were bone-chilled by the end, but doing this work leaves us tired and sore in the very best way. We couldn’t love what we do more.
More root crops are coming and we’re so thrilled! In addition to the fantastic turnips, radishes, and sweet potatoes we’ve been cranking out, our carrots and beets are coming ready. Add those to all the kholrabi bulbs and assorted brassicas, you’ve got a box chock full of the best roasting veggies and stew veggies ETX can produce!
Here’s your vegetable line-up:
- Beets – For the large shares only (Regular shares, double check your pink, rosy rooted item- it’s NOT BEETS! It’s Scarlet Queen Turnips!) Large shares received a mixed bunch or Chioggia and Bulls Blood beets, excellent roasted. We also have a lovely beet and walnut hummus we love to make when beets are fresh. It turns a gorgeous magenta color and is scrumptious.
- Carrots – For Large and Regular shares. Regular shares received our rainbow mix this week! (BTW, we have LOADS of teeny carrots planted that are still coming in, so Mini shares, don’t worry, your turn is coming soon!)
- Broccoli – Enough for everybody this week, but we’ll have less in the coming weeks. If you got the variety that produces long stems, remember the stems are VERY MUCH edible! They’re truly delicious and sweet.
- Cauliflower – All regular shares are receiving a head of cauliflower. This crop is pretty hard to grow, but this fall it’s doing really well. We should have it for one more time, hopefully enough for the large and mini shares.
- Kohlrabi – a bulb or two for all. This crops is fantastic roasted or in a raw slaw. This is probably the last of this crop.
- Head Lettuce – For the large shares. This is the last of this crop. Quite a few things are winding down, showing us that we are nearing the end of the season!
- Radish – Daikon radishes are super potent and spicy. A little goes a long way! Enjoy them atop a salad or dip slices in melted butter
- Cabbage – Nice dense cabbages for everyone! Time for delicious crunchy salads and slaws. Toss in your radishes, salad turnips, kohlrabi, and broccoli stems!
- Turnips – Large shares and Mini shares received our white Hakurei turnips. These are a Japanese salad turnip and they are very special indeed. Think you don’t like turnips?? Please give these little lovelies a chance! Note: you eat these salad turnips RAW like a radish, but they are 10-fold better than any radish or turnip you’ve ever tried. So just slice and put atop a salad, or dip in melted salted butter, or just chomp right in like my 3 yr old does. She can’t resist the Hakurei turnip. Regular shares received Scarlet Queen a rosy pink turnip. These are most similar to the southern purple top turnips and should be prepared similarly. Great roasted, or even turned into a pureed veggie mash with lots of butter, cream, and salt.
- Kale – Regular shares received Winterbor kale.
- We made a simple and fantastic soup this week with Italian sausage, onion, garlic, and loads and loads of kale, finished with heavy cream and parmesan. It was fast to get on the table, and served with a side salad and crusty bread, it was oh-so-satisfying. Perfect for the chilly days we’ve got ahead.
- Sweet Potatoes — Grown by our friend and neighbor Tony Philips of Grand Saline. Tony rarely uses any chemicals in his production, as the sandy soil out here is perfect to grow sweet potatoes with ease. And no post-harvest chemicals are ever applied to these lovely tubers.
Veggie Storage tips:
- Everything wants to be washed well before cooking, but keep the dirt on till then, to prevent faster spoilage.
- Everything but the sweet potatoes wants to be stored in your fridge. Seal them up in a bag or container to retain moisture for longest storage life.
- Roots will store best when severed from their tops, and stored separately (remember the tops are edible, too!)
We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Tag us on Instagram or Facebook, showing us how you’ve used your CSA share.
Your farmers, Jess & Justin
Regular Share
Regular Share top left to right: Scarlet Queen turnips, broccoli above cabbage, cauliflower and winterbor kale above sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, carrots, and daikon radish.
Large Share
Large Share left to right: Mixed beets, Hakurei turnips, broccoli above cabbage, Red lettuce above sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, carrots, and daikon radish.
Mini Share
