We sure have been getting some great September weather. Yesterday was a corker of a day and today was beautiful and sunny although a tad bit chilly towards the end of the afternoon and down right cold by the end of the CSA pick-up. They are calling for a chance of frost tonight but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll miss us once again.
This weeks large share has leeks, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, dill, garlic, sweet yellow onions, red onion, arugula, mixed greens (tatsoi, kale, purple mustard, mizuna), winter squash, radishes and some cauliflower. We harvested the last of the cauliflower today so there won't be any for the Thursday crowd. We have more growing in the field so hopefully the nice fall weather will continue and we'll be able to all munch on the yummy white goodness again. The grab box had broccoli florets, parsley, cilantro, leaf celery, hot peppers, a few sweet peppers, beets, spinach, cabbage and more of the above veggies.
I'm having a bit of trouble with my onions. I have them curing up in the barn and yesterday when I went to grab a few bins I noticed that some of them looked to be rotting. So I started to sort through them and I ended up chucking out about 1/3 of them. So, make sure to check your onions and best to store them in the fridge until you get to use them. The red ones seem fine, so far its just the sweet ones (variety name Walla Walla) that seem to be affected. Fingers crossed that the storage onions will be ok.
We are harvesting the last two rows of potatoes. I was so pleased I was able to grow such a great crop and be able to provide spuds mostly through the season. I was really impressed with the reds but wished the whites could have been a bit bigger. We topped the plants back in the middle of August as the threat of blight was just too great. We did follow a strict 7-10 day blight spray schedule with our organic allowable product called Parasol but this seasons weather was just so crazy that we decided better safe than sorry and so the tops had to go. I'm hoping to have potatoes for at least 2 more weeks.
The zucchini have really slowed down. We no longer have bins filled with extras but everyone was able to get at least one in their share. The cucumbers are still going strong so hopefully the frost stays away for a bit yet so they will continue to produce.
A great way to enjoy your radish this week is my new favourite sandwich. "Radish Sandwich" For lunch today we had left over leek and potato soup, fresh sliced tomatoes and an open faced radish sandwich. For those of you who have not had a chance yet to try it its super easy and yummy. Just toast a piece or two of toast, butter, layer with thinly sliced radishes and top with a bit of salt and pepper, then enjoy.
Loving the leeks yet? If you haven't had a chance to make the potato leek soup I posted last week its worth taking the time. Many members commented today how much they enjoyed it and how easy it was. I made a double batch Saturday and we have been enjoying it so much. The boys actually request soup every day when I ask them what they would like for lunch. The leeks are also great sliced into rounds and sautéed with garlic and butter until soft and added to pasta or mixed into mashed potatoes. If you want to wait for a bit to enjoy they freeze really well. Simply slice into 1/4" rounds and put on a cookie sheet or casserole dish and put in the freezer. After a few hours put them into a plastic freezer bag and they are all ready to use when you need them.
I had a variety pack of winter squash at the pick-up today. Members got to pick from spaghetti, acorn, buttercup, butternut, delicata/dumpling, and hubbard (red kuri). I cooked a spaghetti squash on the weekend and I really enjoyed it but unfortunately Ben & Jake did not feel the same way. They are usually pretty good eaters but they were not big fans. I found this website on the weekend which explains pretty well the art of the spaghetti squash http://www.sprinklemassacre.com/2011/09/06/italian-sausage-spaghetti-squash/
I found these websites which help describe the different kinds of winter squashes and a great looking recipe.
Butternut Pudding Cups
Squash Reference
Spaghetti squash
Butternut
Acorn
Buttercup
Delicata
Baby hubbard (Red Kuri)
Winter squash assortment
A few recipies sent by members for everyone to enjoy. Thanks Lori & Marti for passing those along
Carrot Salad
"I roasted Zucc chunks for about 15 minutes in oven after marinating in Greek Dressing. Actually I threaded them on Skewers with red pepper and red onion and meatballs - it's a recipe from the Sobey's magazine, that free seasonal one? The zucchini was AMAZING, so sweet."
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