• Brussels sprouts
• Celeriac
• Parsley
• Pac choi
• Cauliflower
• Apples- Jonagold
• Kale
• Onion
• Butternut squash
• Acorn squash

Special Announcments…

*Since the end of the season is soon approaching, I wanted to remind you that we do have Strawberry Spread and Tomato Sauce to offer…..if you would like to purchase any before we end our deliveries, let Linda know and she can send it to your pick up location for you. Here are the particulars:

Vegetable Handling and Preparation Tips…

BRUSSELS SPROUTS:  Brussles sprouts keep longest if they are left attached to the stalk, but if you are short on refrigerator space, snap off the sprouts and store them unwashed in a closed plastic bag in the veggie bin. Even when they are left on the stalk they should be wrapped in plastic to prevent wilting. Their flavor is sweetest right after harvest, so try to use them within a few days.

Cooking: If you haven’t done so already, snap Brussels sprouts off the stalk and remove any loose or discolored leaves. Trim the base of each sprout and cut a shallow X in the stem end to speed cooking. Rinse the sprouts in cool water.

The key to using Brussels sprouts is cooking them enough, but not too much. As with full-size cabbage, overcooking Brussles sprouts evokes an unpleasant, sulfurous smell that makes people run for cover. Ideally, sprouts should be tender enough to yield when pierced with a fork but not so soft that the fork sinks right in.

Roast Brussles sprouts: first boil the sprouts until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size. Drain, then coat lightly in olive oil, lace in a roasting pan and roast in a 375° F oven until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

Slice Brussels sprouts to about 1/3 inch thick and stir-fry them with onions and ginger. Steam and boil Brussels sprouts, but maintain a close eye on them and check with a fork often.

Recipes!

5 favorite Butternut Squash Recipes from Oh She Glows

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples from 101cookbooks

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Polenta from Naturally Ella

Dutch Apple Pie with Muscovado Toffee Sauce from Not Without Salt

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup from Food52

Views From the Field…

I made it out to the farm this week to take some photos of the harvest, and show you how gorgeous your farm looks this time of year. The crew was harvesting cauliflower, pac choi, and celeriac and in the short time I was there, the weather went from cloudy mist, to raining and windy to a brilliant autumn sunshine. The cauliflower looked beautiful and so big! Steve, Jeremy and Jimmy were doing a great job harvesting…

The pac choi crew stopped for a photo, displaying the fruits of their labor, before heading over to the celeriac.

On my way over to the celeriac I passed the broccoli and kale, collecting raindrops on their dark green leaves, they love this weather…

Celeriac was always one of my favorite crops to harvest. You get to pull the giant roots out of the ground and cut the smaller roots off, making the air smell of sweet, crisp celery. For me there is a definite aromatherapy to farming, not only the smell of celeriac being harvested, but the sweet smell of earth being tilled, the first burdock harvest in the cooler, the hay in the barn, a basil or cilantro harvest following you around for the rest of the day or the musky odor of tomato pruning that coats your hands with green…all the wonderful smells of life on a farm.

It had just stopped raining and the sun began to shine, burning off the fog, illuminating the changing leaves of the maple surrounding the fields.

On my way out of the driveway I took one last photo overlooking the farm as the cloud cover burned off…so pretty!

We have two more weeks of late season vegetables to enjoy! I can’t believe that it is almost over! We have been making some delicious root bakes, baked squash, and some hearty soups to enjoy on these increasingly darker and cold evenings. If you have any favorite recipes you would like to share with your fellow CSA members do send them in! We would love to hear from you.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your share of the harvest this week!

-Sara