Greetings CSA Members!
It seems to be official now, mother nature has rung in the fall! What a drastic change in the weather from last week to now. We have now had several frosty nights here on the farm, however most crops are still hanging in there. We have probably seen the last of the tomato, and bean harvests, aside from a few we have still ripening from harvest time last week. We are hurriedly working on getting in the last of our squash so that they do not sustain frost damage on their skin, which may prevent them from storing optimally.
We picked a few pecks of peppers last week in advance of the cold nights, and due to the sudden ripening of a huge amount of fruit. Just a month or so ago, we weren’t sure if we would have much of a pepper harvest, but this blast of summer surprise has brought on the ripening of the fruit before it was too late. The eggplant are trailing off now, but we have included eggplant in the shares one last time this week-we hope you are able to savour them or share them with friends and family.
Rutabaga aplenty are being harvested now, as our field across the creek is ripe for the picking with root vegetables galore! Carrots from this field are absolutely perfect and each of you can taste for yourselves this week as they continue to sweeten with each subsequent frost. Radicchio and Shallots are coming in the shares this week, as a change from lettuce and onions, to add a little variety to our shares. This roasted balsamic radicchio recipe looks to die for! I may try this myself for dinner this evening: https://www.
Rutabaga is more versatile than some would think. I’ve sought inspiration from Martha Stewart on this one, as I found a good list of 8 radicchio and turnip ideas on her website that really open up the possibilities for utilising this root crop. Most often confused with the turnip, which we provided in earlier shares, the rutabaga is usually larger, has a more distinct flavour, and is superior for storing over the humble turnip. Around here we love them both, and these cousins each have a special place at the dinner table.
Things are beginning to feel as though they are winding down for the season. We have 3 more weeks of share deliveries after this one, and the time will shift to getting the garden put to rest, harvest and prep of storage crops and looking forward to, and planning for our next growing season. Please enjoy your shares this week and we wish you all a pleasant long weekend however you choose to spend it!
-Waratah Downs Organic Farm Team
All Shares this week include:
-Leeks
-Radicchio
-Eggplant
-carrots
-Shallots
-Fennel
-Red Potatoes
-Rutabaga
-Sweet Pepper
Medium Shares only include:
-Cabbage
-Honey Nut Squash
-Tomatoes