We are all happy to be wrapping up this season that includes winding up the irrigation line and storing that away for the season. Our clean-up was delayed last week as we received 5 inches of rain. But when the sun came out, tt was a beautiful evening to be working together.
There is a level of satisfaction of working hard and being able to look to see what has been accomplished. That’s a key driver for us as we wrap up the season.
While Mother Nature sent 5 inches of rain last week and decided that we needed a “break,” we continued to harvest but were unable to do field work. We are hopeful that field work is in our near future.
We are happy that we were able to harvest a variety of produce to conclude the season. Perhaps you feel like Keith, “Super happy it’s done.” After all, we were happy to continue to have a variety of produce especially during the bonus box week. We hope you two have figured out how to clean up the produce and preserve it for seasons to come and to enjoy throughout the year.
The next day however proved quite different from the photo above. The green bean harvest was a little chilly, but we did end up harvesting nearly 60 pounds of green beans.
Garden Math/Science
It’s the end of harvest season which also means large veggie Harvest. Their circumference of these were: kohlrabi 13″ and 16″, beet 15″ and pepper 11 3/4″.
The zucchini measured in at 19″ and 14 1/2″. One zucchini alone reaped 15 cups shredded.
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.
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.
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.
Cilantro – Learn how to preserve your herbs for use later in the year from Martha Stewart.
Cucumbers – Enjoy the end of the season cucumber. We will have more next week.
Radishes – It is a cool season crop which is just starting to produce. Look for more next week.
Carrots – See how carrots are grown in Georgia on America’s Heartland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLSTOjxsmJg
Butternut Squash – Love this squash!
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. Or use the larger ones as decoration for the fall season.
Summer Squash, Golden Egg Hybrid – Are you wondering how to use this summer squash – see how to cut it up here. This squash has truly had staying power this growing season.
Kennebec potatoes – Excellent for baked potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes – Beauregard is the most widely grown commercial cultivar. I know that my friends in North Carolina are far more experienced than I in preparing sweet potatoes. So check out this resource. http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/how-to-cook-sweet-potatoes/
Recipe of the Week
We thought we’d use up a giant zucchini and share the enjoyment with the Chocolate Zucchini Brownies. Try the following recipe to enjoy the squash.
Butternut Squash
My family loves this recipe, and the boys eat it like crazy. I also use the prepared squash in place of pumpkin in many recipes.
*Cut squash in 1/2 add enough water to cover pan (about 1/2 inch up on the side of the pan). Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour.
*Take out of oven. Scoop out seeds. The seeds can be kept and roasted.
*Using a large knife cut off skin and place in another bowl.
Add:
1 stick of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
Using a mixer, blend together until smooth. Serve.
Blend until smooth. To save the extra, place in a cupcake tin and freeze. Place frozen portions in storage containers to be stored in your freezer. Enjoy!
