Feel the fall bounty! The harvest has been so plentiful that we were able to send a lot of vegetables to the food pantries this week. Thanks to the coordination of Healthy Communities of the Capital Area and the Chewonki semester program, we sent hundreds of pounds of winter squash, onions, kale, Swiss chard and garlic to regional food pantry locations.
There are so many end-of-season tasks on the farm, but the pleasure of fall is that we’re able to do them at a slightly slower pace than in mid-summer. When there’s a hard frost at night, we’re even able to start our harvests a little later in the morning. If we were to harvest kale and other greens when frozen, they’d wilt immediately. If we wait for the hearty greens to thaw out while they’re still attached to the plant, though, they’ll perk right up. Not only that, but they’ll be that much sweeter for having gone through the cold temperatures.
The Daikon radish in this week’s share is commonly used in many Asian food traditions. Make your own kimchi or simple quick pickles with the recipe below! This week’s Butternut squash will continue to sweeten with time, so if you still have other varieties of squash floating around your kitchen, cook with them first. If any of your squash starts to go soft or get spotty, just cut off the bad spots and cook the rest as usual.
We will be bringing yellow and red onions and a variety of winter squash to all the CSA pick-ups this week and next. The 25 lb bags of storage onions cost $35. The squash are $2 each or three for $5. Both should store well into the winter, though you should periodically look through your onions for those that are softening. Ideal onion storage conditions are very cool (and non-variable) temperatures, dry and dark. If your onions start to sprout or soften, you can always slice them up, caramelize them, and put them into baggies for the freezer.
Looking for a delicious Sunday afternoon outing? The Maine Cheese Festival is taking place on Sunday, October 16th at Savage Oaks Winery in Union. Our own Appleton Creamery will be there with samples, demos and more.
Remember that next Saturday, October 22nd, is our annual farm potluck/cider-pressing/garlic-prepping gathering. Starting at noon we welcome all to the farm. Bring food to share, a chair or blanket to sit on, apples if you want to press cider, and plates and cutlery to eat (though we will have plastic available for those who forget!). At 2:30 Bill will give a tour of the farm for anyone who is interested.
Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the fall flavors!
Reba and the HCF crew
Fall CSA Week 3 of 6: Salad Mix, Red Onions, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale, Butternut Winter Squash, Savoy or Red Cabbage, Garlic, Daikon Radish, Cherry or Slicing Tomatoes
Fall Week Three Add-ons: Grain, Eggs, Mushrooms, Cheese, Milk, Fiore, Bread, Tofu
This week’s recipes: Roasted Cabbage Rounds, Overnight Daikon Radish Pickles, Roasted Vegetable Orzo
HATCHET COVE FARM 