Watching things grow and seeing the cycle of life seems to be a regular occurrence at our house. So here we go with a new puppy. Please join us in welcoming Jake.

We certainly miss our dog that we lost this past winter as he was our steady companion and predator control for 14 years.

So as in dogs, goes the seasons what seems to be new again in the Spring, ages out in the Fall. Look for at least two more weeks of produce as we complete harvesting of all the produce, and we see that cycle of life come to a close.

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – The last crop of lettuce is coming in. It should love this cold weather. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating. A new crop should be in next week.

Red Salad Bowl Lettuce – New crop – Beautiful color.

Spinach – New crop – Mix together with the above lettuces for a beautiful colored salad.

Swiss Chard – Here is more information on how to use Swiss Chard.

Green Beans – If you are looking for canning quantities, we have plenty. Did you know that green beans are more nutritious for you eaten raw?

Purple Vienna Kohlrabi – Try these ideas from Martha Stewart.

Detroit Dark Red Beets – Some of our shareholders enjoy eating them raw in their salads.

Cabbage – purple and green cabbage. Some beautiful heads of cabbages will taste wonderful in these recipes or try freezing it.

Green Bell Peppers – Learn how to make stuffed peppers here.

Banana Pepper – I have been cutting up and freezing the peppers with the intent to use them for recipes throughout the season.

Cherry Stuffer Hybrid sweet peppers – These are the small, round red peppers.

Onion – Wondering what to do with all of your onions? I cut mine up using my Pampered Chef chopper, place in Ziploc bags and place in the freezer. That way, my onions are always handy for recipes throughout the year.

Tomatoes – If you are considering canning quantities or wanting to freeze some for this winter, let us know. For the record we harvest 245 pounds this week.

Cucumbers – A new crop of a smaller variety of cucumbers is coming in. Maybe you want to can some or are interested in refrigerator pickles. 

Carrots – See how carrots are grown in Georgia on America’s Heartland.

Sweet Potatoes Dusky red-skinned Beauregard is the most widely grown commercial cultivar. This versatile variety lends itself to baking, boiling, mashing, or frying. Once you have harvested all your sweet potatoes, it is time to cure them. Store your sweet potatoes in a dry and cool environment (such as a garage or basement). Letting them cure for two months is said to enhance their flavor, but it can be hard to wait that amount of time especially if you love sweet potatoes.

Acorn Squash – With its ridged, dark-green skin, sweet yellow-orange flesh, and handy size, acorn squash is one of the most popular winter squashes. Check out these recipes from Martha Stewart.

Peter Pan, Scallop Squash – This squash is a circular scalloped summer squash. Distinctive, delicious, and sweet flavor. It is not necessary to peel this squash before eating it. Cut it up like you would zucchini to grill it.

Summer Squash, Golden Egg Hybrid – Are you wondering how to use this summer squash – see how to cut it up here. Golden Egg’s a picture-perfect gourmet sensation-with succulent flavor and texture.

Zucchini – This crop is coming to an end. Shred and mix up your favorite zucchini bread recipe – freeze the dough, and you are ready for a quick breakfast treat on a chilly Fall day.

Masquerade potatoes – The skin is bicolor of purple and white biomorphic shapes. Perfect for baking, mashing and roasting. The potatoes are roughly the size of a Yukon Gold or new potato, with firm, dense flesh and creamy, buttery flavor. A little history on this potato when yellow/purple skinned potatoes were first introduced to the market around 2010, Weiser Family Farms of Bakersfield, California were among the first in their cultivation. They were first called Zebra potatoes and then pomme de terre “Laker Baker” the following year, and later renamed Pinto potatoes the season after that. The history of colorful marketing has seemingly ended on the name Masquerade. Learn more here. http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Masquerade_Potatoes_7084.php

Viking potatoes– Excellent for cooked potatoes. Viking is one of the progeny of a cross between Nordak and Redskin.

Flowers – Sunflowers, Zinnias, Sedum and Hydrangeas

Recipe of the Week

Baked Parmesan Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes coated with parmesan cheese and all kinds of spices. It’s a new favorite side dish that is quick and delicious.

• 2 sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 TB olive oil
• 2 TB butter (melted)
• 4 TB grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ tsp. garlic salt
• ½ tsp. Italian Seasoning
• dried parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel and cube sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes.
3. Place garlic, oil, butter, salt, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in a Ziploc bag and mix well.
4. Throw in sweet potatoes and shake until well coated.
5. Place aluminum foil on cookie sheet and lightly spray.
6. Place coated sweet potatoes onto cookie sheet and spread out evenly.
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes.
8. Serve warm and sprinkle with dried parsley if desired.

Recipe by Lil’ Luna here.