butternut squash

Joy of Learning
by

Joy of Learning

Here is a good reminder of the strange growing season and why CSA members will be receiving a bonus box. This picture was taken at the end of July. Not only was it a wet spring which delayed planting, but it was also a very strange summer, not only dry, but we also had some unusual cold spells, followed by the crazy heat at the end of August. We have been blessed with some rains that finally kicked some of the plants into growing and producing.

Here is a good reminder of the strange growing season and why CSA members will be receiving a bonus box. This picture was taken at the end of July. Not only was it a wet spring which delayed planting, but it was also a very strange summer, not only dry, but we also had some unusual cold spells, followed by the crazy heat at the end of August. We have been blessed with some rains that finally kicked some of the plants into growing and producing.

The joy of learning is contagious. It is so fun for us as parents to see our kids learning in the garden, but even more fun to watch the learning that continues with all of the CSA families.

One of our greatest joys this year has been watching all of the kids learn where and how food grows. It is so fun to see the excitement as potatoes are dug, carrots and radishes pulled out of the ground and eaten on the spot, exploring the different types of corn growing and seeing the enthusiasm and anticipation of red, white and blue popcorn. We truly hope this food journey has been fun for all of you. Providing the joys of the garden for you to enjoy is rewarding for all of us. Thank you for allowing us this privilege!

Next week, we will provide a final bonus box of produce. This odd growing season is allowing us to do so. We have a few items that love this type of growing weather so we want to make sure you are able to enjoy them. Thank you for “weathering” this crazy growing season with us. We truly do appreciate it!

Garden Science

Keith and I thinned out the North row earlier this summer. That row did have thicker stalks and fuller heads of broom corn.

Keith and I thinned out the North row earlier this summer. That row did have thicker stalks and fuller heads of broom corn.

Cutting down the broom corn was a family activity. Perhaps Sam was the best prepared for the falling stalks.

Cutting down the broom corn was a family activity. Perhaps Sam was the best prepared for the falling stalks.

The broom corn measured over 14 feet tall.

The broom corn measured over 14 feet tall. We cut it down to 8 feet to make it more manageable for everyone.

Boxes of Produce

Nothing beats the smiles on your faces when you receive your boxes. It is a great reward for us to see them.

Nothing beats the smiles on your faces when you receive your boxes. It is a great reward for us to see them.

Reminder to return any cups or plastic containers in your box each week. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your produce before eating. Look for an end of the year survey in your email this week.

Black Seeded Simpson Elite Lettuce – One of my favorite garden crops.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – reddish lettuce

Prizehead – is the spear like green leaf.

Beet leaves – Some young beets will be available next week.

Tomatoes – Fourth of July (medium size red),  Sunchoola,  Black Krim, Big Boy, Brandywine and super sweet cherry tomatoes 100. Hope you are able to freeze or can for soups or chilli later this winter.

Peppers – They are plentiful this year. We will finish the harvest off next week.

Onions – A few fresh onions to put in a recipe here or there.

Green Beans – Enjoy the Providers.

This week's box contains Yukon Gold, blue potatoes and Norlands (red potato).

This week’s box contains Yukon Gold, blue potatoes and Norlands (red potato).

Potatoes – Yukon Golds, Kennebec potatoes – great for baking; Norland potatoes – great for mashed potatoes; Blue potatoes – try French fries or mashed potatoes – lots of fun!

Butternut or Carnival Squash – Butternut is a favorite for many. Carnival is a decorative, gourd like squash with a nutty flavor. It is a hybrid of Sweet Dumpling and an Acorn squash and has a shelf-life of up to three to four months. Here’s a yummy recipe Pumpkin Donut Holes that I plan to make this weekend.

Herbs – Cilantro, parsley and lemon thyme. Don’t forget to wash and freeze these in ice-cube trays – great for soups later this winter.

Fresh cut arrangement –

  • Broom corn – Here are some ideas I found on Pinterest
  • Ornamental corn – Steve has already put a loop in the string. Simply hang it on a hook or nail. There is some additional left if you would like them for decoration. Check the extras next week.
  • Pumpkins – Enjoy carving one as a family!
We hope you have enjoyed your pumpkins. We certainly had fun growing a variety for all of you this year.

We hope you have enjoyed your pumpkins. We certainly had fun growing a variety for all of you this year.

Recipe of the Week

Homemade Pizza

This has become a family favorite. When Steve and I were first married we tried so many recipes for homemade pizza, and this is definitely our favorite. We usually make it on Friday nights. The crust recipe comes from the Minnesota 4-H Foundation’s Blue Ribbon Favorites recipe book by Jeannie Stangler of Waseca.

Pizza Parlor Crust

1 teaspoon yeast

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoons sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk, scalded, cooled

In a bowl, combine yeast, oil, sugar and 1/4 cup very war water. Let the yeast become active. Scald milk (this means you warm it up so that it forms has a slight skin on the top – I heat mine up for slightly more time then I do hot chocolate in the microwave). After yeast mixture has become “active,” add flour, salt and scalded milk. Mix well. Knead slightly (I do this in the bowl. I spray my hands with cooking spray and add a little more flour on the dough when kneading so that it is not super sticky and forms a nice ball of dough. The boys love to do this as well.) Lift up your ball of dough, spray with cooking spray, place dough back into bowl, spray the top of the dough, cover with a wet towel and let rise for 15 minutes to an hour. We bake ours on a clay pan. Sprinkle the pan with corn meal (or spray the pan with cooking spray). Bake at 375 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the crust just starts to turn a little brown. Take out and put your toppings on. Bake for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!!

Toppings:

  • Homemade tomato sauce – here are a few links Ball Canning and U of M Extension. If you want to learn how to do this and feel overwhelmed, I understand. Steve actually taught me. Let me know and we can plan a day to have you come out for a lesson:)
  • Chop up onions and peppers.
  • I freeze leftover hamburgers. Before freezing, I crumble up the hamburger. Before placing on the pizza, I thaw it out. Super easy!
  • Top with mozzarella cheese and any of your favorites.
  • Place pepperoni on top (I love crispy pepperoni).
  • Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  • Garnish with parsley.
Our homemade tomato sauce begins with washing, cutting out the stems and bad parts and putting them through Steve's Grandparent's juicer. Then canning it. We can only tomato juice and then modify it to whatever we need. I then pull it off the shelf add a can of tomato paste, onions, herbs, garlic if I have some and frozen purred carrots (which have been frozen in an ice cube tray - learned this when making baby food).

Our homemade tomato sauce begins with washing, cutting out the stems and bad parts and putting them through Steve’s Grandparent’s juicer. Then canning it. We can only tomato juice and then modify it to whatever we need. I then pull it off the shelf add a can of tomato paste, onions, herbs, garlic if I have some and frozen purred carrots (which have been frozen in an ice-cube tray – learned this when making baby food).

After I have cooked the crust until it barely starts to show a golden tint, I take it out and put on the toppings.

After I have cooked the crust until it barely starts to show a golden tint, I take it out and put on the toppings.

Toppings include: homemade sauce, hamburger (I freeze extra hamburgers that do not get eaten and pull out for pizza or spaghetti), onions, peppers, mozzarella cheese, sometimes pepperoni, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. Yes, I do make one cheese only pizza as well.

Toppings include: homemade sauce, hamburger (I freeze extra hamburgers that do not get eaten and pull out for pizza or spaghetti), onions, peppers, mozzarella cheese, sometimes pepperoni, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley. Yes, I do make one cheese only pizza as well.

The kids love making their own individual pizzas. I let them have a piece of dough to shape into their own. Lots of fun!

The kids enjoy making their own individual pizzas. I let them have a piece of dough to shape into their own. Lots of fun!

Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is cooked to liking.

Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is cooked to liking.

Countdown
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Countdown

Although they did seem to enjoy the treasurer hunt harvesting the pumpkins and gourds. I think they were ready to be done.

Although they did seem to enjoy the treasurer hunt harvesting the pumpkins and gourds. I think they were ready to finish and move on to more important things like the worms and toads that they had found while in the garden.

We are on the final countdown of the season. Next week will be week 17 which is an additional week due to the challenging growing season. With the beautiful 1 1/10 inch of rain that we received this past week, some of the crops have been reinvigorated. The lettuces and spinach are growing amazingly, and the sugar snap peas and green beans also are producing – finally! With this said, we want to see what the next 7 days do. There may be a bonus box the first week of October.

We spent a lot of time in the garden harvesting the gourds, squash and pumpkins.

We spent a lot of time in the garden harvesting the gourds, squash and pumpkins.

Sam harvesting gourds.

Sam harvesting gourds.

A beautiful deep reddish orange - Rouge Vif d'Etampes. Unfortunately the bugs beat us to the harvest, otherwise we would have had more for everyone! Picture taken by Sam.

A beautiful deep reddish-orange – Rouge Vif d’Etampes. Unfortunately the bugs beat us to the harvest, otherwise we would have had more for everyone! Picture taken by Sam.

Warty pumpkins are one of the boys favorites. Very fun to grow! Picture taken by Sam.

Warty pumpkins are one of the boys favorites. Very fun to grow! Picture taken by Sam.

Man did these white pumpkins ever grow this year. The heaviest one weighted in at 60#. We also had a white and green blended pumpkin weight 50#.

Man did these white pumpkins ever grow this year. The heaviest one weighted in at 60#. We also had a white and green blended pumpkin weight 50#.

Garden Science

Keith enjoyed climbing up the panels to harvest everything.

Keith enjoyed climbing up the panels to harvest everything.

These are the swan gourds that grew on the fences. Funny how they grew straight (a great example of gravity) vs the ones that grew on the ground curled up. The two the boys are holding were 20" and 19".

These are the swan gourds that grew on the fences. Funny how they grew straight (a great example of gravity) vs the ones that grew on the ground curled up. The two the boys are holding were 20″ and 19″. One of them that grew on the ground weighted in at 17#.

Boxes of Produce

Reminder to return any cups or plastic containers in your box each week. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your produce before eating.

Black Seeded Simpson Elite Lettuce – One of my favorite garden crops.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – reddish lettuce

Prizehead – is the spear like green leaf.

Beet leaves – Some young beets will be available next week.

Broccoli – This will be the last few bites of broccoli this year. Enjoy in some fresh salad this week!

Tomatoes – Fourth of July (medium size red), Yellow Girls, Romas (long, narrow), Black Krim, Big Boy and super sweet cherry tomatoes 100. Hope you are able to freeze or can for soups or chilli later this winter.

Peppers – Try some stuffed peppers this week.

Onions – A few fresh onions to put in a recipe here or there.

Green Beans – This type of green beans are Providers.

Keith used a French fry cutter to make homemade French fries this weekend. We used a variety of potatoes.

Keith used a French fry cutter to make homemade French fries this weekend. We used a variety of potatoes.

Their favorite variety to use for French fries and for mashed potatoes are the blue potatoes.

Their favorite variety to use for French fries and for mashed potatoes are the blue potatoes.

Potatoes – Kennebec potatoes – great for baking; Norland potatoes – great for mashed potatoes; Blue potatoes – we made French fries and also mashed potatoes – the boys love the blue potatoes!

Cucumbers – Varieties include Fancipak and Straight Eights. Last of the cucumbers this week. If only we had received this beautiful rain a few weeks earlier, this crop harvest would have been extended.

Carnival Squash – This is a decorative, fun looking squash with a nutty flavor. It is a hybrid of Sweet Dumpling and an Acorn squash and has a shelf-life of up to three to four months. More information here. I make it like I do Butternut Squash – see recipe below.

Herbs – Cilantro, golden oregano, red basil and thyme. Don’t forget to wash and freeze these in ice-cube trays – great for soups later this winter.

Fresh cut arrangement

  • Ornamental corn – Steve has already put a loop in the string. Simply hang it on a hook or nail. There is some additional left if you would like them for decoration. Check the extras next week.
  • Gourds – Great for arrangements or fun fall painting projects with the kids.
  • Pumpkins – Enjoy the variety!
  • Swan Gourds – Here is the information to make them into bird houses later this winter.

  • Ornamental corn - this was the best harvest year for this. What a variety and some beautiful ears of corn. Enjoy your bunches and notice there is already a looped tied on the back so you just need to hang them up.

    Ornamental corn – this was the best harvest year for this crop. What a variety and some beautiful ears of corn. Enjoy your bunches and notice there is already a looped tied on the back so you just need to hang them up.

Recipe of the Week

Butternut Squash/Carnival Squash

Our family loves this recipe, and the boys eat it like crazy. I also use the prepared squash in place of pumpkin in many recipes. Butternut squash was in your boxes last week and this recipe also works well on the Carnival Squash in your boxes this week.

The boys were beyond excited that we were making and freezing squash. They both do a great job with the hand mixer for this recipe.

The boys were beyond excited that we were making and freezing squash. They both do a great job with the hand mixer for this recipe.

*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 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.

Sam couldn't wait to eat the squash. In fact he ate two bowls as soon as he was finished mixing it up. We used ice cream scoops to fill the muffin tins as we prepared them for freezing.

Sam couldn’t wait to eat the squash. In fact he ate two bowls as soon as he was finished mixing it up. We used ice cream scoops to fill the muffin tins as we prepared them for freezing.

To save the extra, place in a cupcake tin and freeze. Place frozen portions in storage containers to be stored in your freezer. Enjoy!

I make the squash and freeze in muffin tins. Once frozen, I store them in a container or Ziploc bag. And simply thaw out a few when I need them for a meal. Works great!

I make the squash and freeze in muffin tins. Once frozen, I remove them from the tin and store them in a container or Ziploc bag. Simply thaw out a few when you need them for a meal. This works great!

Final Stretch
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Final Stretch

We hope you enjoyed your family's pumpkins this week. Next week we will have more fall decorations.

We hope you enjoyed your family’s pumpkins this week. Next week, we will have more fall decorations.

Today, as I flew into Washington, D.C. my prayers were often as I thought of all those who died on this day 12 years ago. My spirit was lifted as we flew into D.C., and I saw huge USA flags draping down on several large buildings. I was reminded, while our country continues to go through many challenges…the constant is our blessings of our Freedoms.

God Bless America and God Bless all who have fought and died to protect them and God bless their families. Our gratitude seems so small compared to their sacrifices. We salute all of you.

We are on our final stretch for the 2013 CSA year. We hope you are enjoying your boxes!

The weather is proving challenging as we are seeing the cucumbers, green beans and sugar snap peas struggle to produce something if anything.

This week, as I mentioned I am in Washington, D.C., and I ran into a farmer from Texas. I asked him how the growing season was going. He was almost brought to tears as he answered me with, “I just spoke to my wife, and we received an inch last night. This is the first rain we have had since May. We are supposed average 48 inches of rain per year. We are simply drying up.”

This conversation serves as a good reminder. We are truly blessed with the harvest we have been receiving. Please let us know if you have any questions about the weather and how it is affecting the crops, or If you want to see how the drought has been stressing the plants out in the garden. We would be happy to show you.

Understanding how your food is grown and how Mother Nature determines the outcomes that are out of our control, really does provide an amazing insight and appreciation for our food.

“Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.” – Chinese Proverb

Science in the Garden

The first science project that we concluded this weekend was harvesting the large zucchini that the boys wanted to grow. This one topped out at 18 1/2 inches.

We harvested the giant zucchini that the boys wanted to grow. This one topped out at 18 1/2 inches.

I also wanted to tell you more of the story behind your personalized pumpkins. This project started in August when we all went into the garden and randomly selected pumpkins for each of your families. We are never quite sure how large they will get in the end and if they will be healthy pumpkins when harvested.

I also wanted to tell you more of the story behind your personalized pumpkins. This project started in August when we all went into the garden and randomly selected pumpkins for each of your families. We are never quite sure how large they will get in the end, and if they will be healthy pumpkins when harvested.

Steve uses some wood carving tools hand tooled by his great-grandpa to accomplish this special task.

Steve uses some wood carving tools hand tooled by his great-grandpa to accomplish this special task. This was not an easy task on a hot and humid weekend day.

After Steve is done etching the name out, this is what a completed pumpkin looks like. Then we simply wait until they are ready to be harvested.

After Steve is done etching the name out, this is what a completed pumpkin looks like. Then we simply wait until they are ready to be harvested.

Boxes of Produce

Reminder to return any cups or plastic containers in your box each week. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your produce before eating.

Black Seeded Simpson Elite Lettuce – One of my favorite garden crops.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – reddish lettuce

Prizehead – is the spear like green leaf.

Beet leaves – Some fun facts about beets.

Picking tomatoes can get a bit tiring and lead to crazy boys.

Picking tomatoes can get a bit tiring and lead to crazy boys.

Tomatoes – Fourth of July (medium size red), Yellow Girls, Romas (long, narrow), Black Krim, Big Boy and super sweet cherry tomatoes 100 . Watch how to can tomatoes from Ball canning (video) and from Colorado Extension and the University of Minnesota Extension.

There are plenty of peppers this week. I preserve them for the winter by cutting them up and freezing them.

There are plenty of peppers this week. I preserve them for the winter by cutting them up and freezing them.

Peppers – Red Beauty, Golden Summer, Orange Blaze and California Wonder peppers. Wondering about freezing your peppers for later? University of Nebraska has information.

Onions – A few fresh onions to put in a recipe here or there.

Green Beans – This type of green beans are Providers. The green beans and sugar snap peas have really ben

Potatoes – Kennebec potatoes – great for baking and Norland potatoes – great for mashed potatoes.

Cucumbers – Varieties include Fancipak and Straight Eights . The heat gotten the best of this crop. This may be the last of the cucumbers.

Sweet Corn – Thank you to our neighbors FarGaze Farms – the Peterson families for this delicious vegetable!

Butternut Squash – Our family loves this vegetable! Here is how we prepare our squash.

Herbs – Cilantro and parsley

Fresh cut arrangement – Sedum, Hosta leaves and Hydrangeas – Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week

Homemade French Fries

I think I will also try this method this Fall as well.

We cut up both a Norland and a Kennebec potato into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices.

We cut up both a Norland and a Kennebec potato into 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick slices.

Then placed them in the deep fat fryer for a few minutes and removed when golden brown. I was quite excited when Sam said he wanted to eat these French fries not the store bought.

Then placed them in the deep fat fryer for a few minutes and removed when golden brown. I was quite excited when Sam said he wanted to eat these French fries not the store bought. I would say this was a success, but I also recognize that Sam loves potatoes as much as I do:)

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Harvest Joys

Sam and Keith take a break after working hard harvesting the broom corn. They also were great help harvesting popcorn and cutting down corn stalks to clean up the garden this weekend.

I have always enjoyed the fall harvest season. To me, the season reminds me of hard work, satisfaction of a job well done and excitement to see how your efforts have been rewarded. This weekend was all of that.

All four of us worked hard harvesting tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers on Saturday before the frost. On Sunday, we headed back out and spent the afternoon cleaning out all of the vines and corn varieties.

Can you believe that this week is our last week. All ready week 18! I find it quite interesting that both boys have on different occasions and more than once indicated an interest to continue to do this and explained what they liked most about the CSA.

As you can see, hard work reaped a lot of tomatoes that are being distributed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Sibley Elementary, Northfield Montessori and the local food shelf. As you can see the boys were both exhausted and a bit goofy from their efforts. Thankfully, the frost did not kill the tomato plants, so we still have plenty to harvest. If you are interested, free will donations are excepted with part of the proceeds going to Gillette Children’s Hospital and the American Red Cross.

Saturday night, we did get a frost. So to protect the plants from the cold, we covered the lettuces, spinach, green beans, Dragon Tongue beans and peas on Saturday afternoon. The late plantings are an experiment to see how late we can plant, and how well these varieties perform during this time of the year. If they produce, we will offer the shareholders a bonus box. You will be notified to see if you are interested.

Sam loved the white pumpkins – both the color and their smooth skin.

Keith’s favorite was this warty pumpkin. Odd how only one grew. But still quite an interesting pumpkin!

Note: If you are interested in being included in next year’s CSA. Please let us know. Some shareholders have indicated an interest, and we have also started a waiting list for additional shareholders. This year’s shareholders do have priority. We would appreciate notice of your interest by January 1.

Look for a year-end survey to come in your email box this month. Your input is greatly appreciated.

BOXES OF PRODUCE

Thank you to all who provide us feedback as to what you enjoy, and how you are using it. It does provide us with renewed energy and motivation.

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 when preparing, always wash your produce before eating.

Lettuce Blend – Blend includes Prizehead, Red Oak Leaf, spinach and Simpson Elite.

Cucumbers – The stragglers.

Carrots – This crop was a challenge this year. The heavy rains and then the dry weather caused this crop to under perform. We were excited to get some nice carrots out of our pallet gardens thought. We thought you would enjoy a small taste.

Peppers – Green peppers

Butternut Squash – One of our families favorite vegetables. Check last week’s post for how I prepare this vegetable or on Martha Stewart for more ideas.

Winter Carnival Squash– This is a new vegetable for us to try as well. But since the boys love squash, I can’t wait to try it. Here are some links for cooking it and some recipes from Taste of Home.

Potatoes – This week we have Norland – great for mashed or boiled potatoes, Yukon Golds – great for baking or cooked and Kennebec – great for baking and blue potatoes – try them mashed or as french fries – very colorful and fun.

We have A LOT of tomatoes. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the tomatoes will be given to Gillette Children’s Hospital and American Red Cross. Free will donations accepted. Those not purchased will be donated to the food shelf.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes in your boxes this week to include Big Boys, Roma, Yellow Girl and cherry tomatoes. Ideas for tomatoes in case you want to purchase an additional for freezing or for canning – fun ideas With the cooler weather, some of you had asked for tomato soup recipes.

Onions

Herbs – Parsley, orange thyme, lemon thyme, cilantro and peppermint. Remember you can dry them or you can freeze.

Both boys were troopers. This pumpkin was heavier than it looked! Our Big Max pumpkins grew but not overly large this year. We need some fertilizer in that area of the garden! This white one is a beauty!

Pumpkin – The shareholder’s kids each received a pumpkin for carving or painting for this fall season. Note: if you were looking for something specific let us know, and we can let you know if we have it. Some of these crops were sporadic and/or quantities limited.
 

As we were harvesting popcorn and discussing how to use it, Steve said that this corn sheller was bought by his Grandpa Gifford for that very process – shelling popcorn. He remembers shelling popcorn when he was a kid…and so the tradition continues. We will pop some of the popcorn by leaving it on the ears, and we will shell some to store in the freezer to use throughout the winter.

Strawberry Popcorn – A surprise in your box this week is Strawberry Popcorn. You can either use it for decoration or to eat! We popped some this weekend for our movie night, and the boys really enjoyed it. We followed these directions. Super easy, and we microwaved it for about as long as we would a bag of microwave popcorn.

So how tall was the broom corn. Taller than Steve, Keith and Sam combined! Some was over 14 feet tall!

Fresh Flowers – Broom corn and gourds.
Recipe of the Week
Pumpkin Chip Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 – 16 oz can pumpkin or squash (I use squash I have frozen.)
1 – 1/2 cups applesauce
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
 
In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin/squash and applesauce until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in miniature chocolate chips. Fill greased  or lined muffin cups 3/4 cups full. Garnish with a few miniature chocolate chips. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 16-20 minutes until they test done. (When you press your finger on the top of the muffin and it pops back up.) Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to cool on wire rack.
 

We sincerely thank all of you for trusting us and taking the leap of faith on our inaugural year. We greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Your feedback and input have been greatly appreciated. We enjoyed the privilege of working with all of you!

 
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Preserving the Bounty

With 56 tomato plants, we have more than enough. Please let us know, if you or anyone you know is interested in buying tomatoes for canning or freezing. We have donated extra tomatoes to the local food shelf and shared with the students and staff at the Northfield Montessori.

Can you believe that there are only two more weeks of the CSA?  This will bring us to week 18. Boy has that flown by! I look out into the garden and am in awe of how fortunate we have been, and the variety of produce that grew during this crazy growing season.With that said, your boxes will be full the next few weeks, as long as we don’t get a hard freeze.

As you may have noticed this week, we did include a few extra vegetables for your family to enjoy. If you are saving them for a later date, you may appreciate looking at Farm Flavor tips on preserving and storing extra garden produce.

Believe it or not we still are irrigating so that we may have one last boost of salad crops. Above Sam is checking to make sure that their handiwork is working.

BOXES OF PRODUCE

Thank you to all who provide us feedback as to what you enjoy, and how you are using it. It does provide us with renewed energy and motivation.

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 when preparing, always wash your produce before eating.

Lettuce Blend – Blend includes Prizehead, Red Oak Leaf, spinach and Simpson Elite.

Cucumbers – We hope you are enjoying this yummy vegetable. We are harvesting fewer and fewer each week.

Peppers – Green, orange and banana peppers. I like to cut them up to 1/4 inch pieces and freeze them for soups and other recipes this fall and winter.

Summer Squash – Zucchini – Nearing the end of this crop. 
Vermicelli “Spaghetti” Squash – I hope you were able to try this vegetable. We were really pleasantly surprised. Still trying to figure out how to prepare it? Here is another link to assist you.

Onions – In your boxes this week were yellow onions. We harvested and dried them and will continue to share with you throughout the remaining weeks.

Digging for potatoes is a lot like digging for gold – just simply exciting!

Potatoes – This week we have Norland – great for mashed or boiled potatoes, Yukon Golds – great for baking or cooked and Kennebec – great for baking. With Patriot Day this week, I thought this red, white and blue potato salad would be fun. This weekend I made homemade fries from these potatoes. The boys really loved the blue potatoes as fries. So much, that Sam asked if we could bring them into school to share with his friends.
Tomatoes – Tomatoes in your boxes this week to include Big Boys, Roma, Yellow Girl and cherry tomatoes. Ideas for tomatoes in case you want to purchase an additional 50# for $28 for canning – fun ideas

Herbs – Parsley, oregano, cilantro, and lemon thyme. Remember you can dry them or you can freeze.

Fresh Flowers – Ornamental Corn for you to put in arrangements of five. I generally tie them together with a piece of twine and hang on either side of the garage and shop.

Starting to pick gourds and pumpkins.

Recipe of the Week
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. Butternut squash will be in your boxes next week.
*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 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.

I have doubled the recipe in this picture:
Add:
1 stick of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
Using a mixer, blend together until smooth. Serve.

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!
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Last Month is Upon Us

With September upon us, the leaves are dying on the vines and some treasures are being unveiled. We look forward to harvesting squash, gourds and pumpkins for all of you.

September upon us, and the excitement and busy work of the last of the harvest is in full gear. This weekend we start the process of harvesting crops that are ready to go. We have 3 weeks left to get a lot of delicious and fun stuff in your hands. The final CSA box of the year will be the last week of September which will bring us to 18 weeks. Enjoy the bounty!

BOXES OF PRODUCE

Thank you to all who provide us feedback as to what you enjoy, and how you are using it. It does provide us with renewed energy and motivation.

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 when preparing, always wash your produce before eating.

Lettuce Blend – Blend includes Prizehead, Red Oak Leaf, spinach and Simpson Elite.

Cucumbers – We hope you are enjoying this yummy vegetable which I think only has a week left.

Peppers – Green, orange and banana peppers. I like to cut them up to 1/4 inch pieces and freeze them for soups and other recipes this fall and winter.

Summer Squash – Zucchini – Nearing the end of this crop. 

Sam helping to harvest the spaghetti squash.

Vermicelli “Spaghetti” Squash – We will have another one for you next week. We ate it tonight like spaghetti, and everyone liked it! I then froze the extra in family sized portions and will get two more meals out of the one squash. I followed these directions to use the squash. Enjoy!

Onions – In your boxes this week were yellow onions. We harvested and dried them and will continue to share with you throughout the remaining weeks.

Potatoes – This week we have Norland – great for mashed or boiled potatoes, Yukon Golds – great for baking or cooked and Kennebec – great for baking. Believe it or not, I baked some of my frozen potato buns on the grill this weekend, and it worked! I placed the frozen dough on aluminum sprayed aluminum foil on the grill for about a 1/2 hour. So I put them on when I put the meat and the sweet corn and in a 1/2 hour all of it was done!
We have plenty of tomatoes for sale $28 for 50# or $14 for 25#.  Let us know if you are interested or please pass our information on to those that are interested in some for canning. The varieties make for delicious sauce, juice, salsa and soup. See the tomato section below for ideas of what to do with extra tomatoes.
Tomatoes – Tomatoes in your boxes this week to include Big Boys, Roma, Yellow Girl and cherry tomatoes. Ideas for tomatoes in case you want to purchase an additional 50# for $28 for canning – fun ideas

Herbs – Parsley, oregano, cilantro, and lemon thyme. Remember you can dry them or you can freeze.

Cilantro – a favorite for homemade salsa.

Lemon Thyme – great for placing on top of meats while cooking on the grill.

Fresh Flowers – Zinnias or sunflowers this week. Place a few hosta leaves in with them when placing in the vase. Also, remember to add about a teaspoon of bleach to help the flowers last longer.
Recipe of the Week
Squash/Pumpkin Donut Drops
 

Combine dry ingredients  1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Mix with a fork.

Combine: 1/2 cup canned pumpkin or squash (I freeze my squash in cupcake tins after I have cooked it and mixed it with butter and brown sugar. This is what I use.), 1/4 cup milk, 2 Tablespoon applesauce,1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 egg.

Kids love to try what they help to make! Sam and Keith are combining the dry and the wet ingredients.

This is what the dough looks like. Drop into hot oil by teaspoonfuls.

Cook in hot oil – 375 degrees – for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown on both sides.

Take out of the oil and place on a couple of paper towels on a plate to drain the oil off the donut holes.

Roll in a combination of 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Squash/Pumpkin Donut Drops
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
 1/2 cup canned pumpkin or squash
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoon oil or applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Topping: 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 
Heat 3-4 inches of oil to 375 degrees F in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan. Combine dry ingredients and blend well. Combine pumpkin, milk, oil, vanilla and egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot oil, a couple at a time. Fry for 1-1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown (They pretty much turn themselves.) Drain on paper towel. Roll warm doughnuts in sugar/cinnamon and enjoy!

This recipe was a hit with the entire family.