WAITING FOR THE FROST

 

FARM NEWS

FROM THE FARMERS

Japanese Millet

We spent the majority of last week getting ready for an expected frost.  Every fall we think, “if it would just hold off another two weeks…..” Saturday, everyone took a turn picking peppers and packing them away in the cooler.  Stephen and Ariel harvested all the ripe field tomatoes and stacked them in trays in the barn, and it’s been all hands on deck for the sweet potato harvest.

Even though they are underground, sweet potatoes are particularly sensitive to frost damage.  If the vines get frosted and you don’t take action, the damage travels quickly down the vine into the potato and the crop ruins.  I mowed the vines off after a light frost last week to prevent any damage, and we finally finished pulling the last roots out of the ground Monday morning.  As challenging as this year’s weather has been for our crops, we’ve got a bumper crop of sweet potatoes!  After we harvest the potatoes, we store them away at 80 degrees for several days to cure, which turns the starches into sugars and allows the harvest wounds to heal so they keep all winter.

-Bryce

Frosty Tractor

Community Farm Alliance – FARM NIGHT OUT

Sunday night, Lazy Eight hosted “Farm Night Out”, a fundraiser for Community Farm Alliance.  We enjoyed delicious local food and nourishing conversation, and screened ‘Coming to Ground‘, a documentary about Kentucky agriculture after the tobacco buy-outs. Many thanks to the Black Feather for catering, to Mark Walden of Blizzard Hill Farm for organizing the meal, Phil Willet for making scarecrows with the kids, Martin Richards and Alexa Arnold of CFA for organizing the event, and all our volunteers!

There were some talented scarecrow makers at FARM NIGHT OUT!

 

CSA SEASON-END SURVEY

Keep an eye out for our season-end survey, coming to you soon via email. By completing the (anonymous) survey, you will help us assess how we’ve done this year, and plan for a better CSA next year. To thank you for sharing your thoughts, we will have free, fresh baked treats at next week’s market/CSA pick up (Tuesday, October 16).

WEEK #23 – CSA Share Contents

  • LETTUCE
  • TOMATOES
  • SWEET POTATOES
  • RADISHES
  • PEPPERS
  • BIG JOHN POLE BEANS
  • ACORN SQUASH
  • PARSLEY
Sorting peppers

FARM NOTES & EVENTS

  • Please complete our season end survey, October 16
  • Pick up a homebaked treat at the market as thanks for completing our season-end survey, October 16
  • CSA Member Potluck, October 28
  • Last regular CSA delivery, October 30
  • 2012 FALL CSA starts, November 6
  • Order your Thanksgiving Turkey, pick-up @ farm November 18

RECIPES

Recipe Exchange

Whether you’ve never cooked with turnips before, or are just plain tired of the same old okra dish you’ve been making all season, sometimes you need inspiration to cook with the contents of your CSA box…Check out our new Recipe Exchange where all chefs are invited to share favorite recipes and fresh ideas. We will post recipes in the newsletters so you can access them quickly.

Anna’s thoughts on sweet potatoes and dressings…

There are a few different varieties of orange, white, and purple potatoes. To prepare for good eating, all week long, bake or steam a bunch at one time and refrigerate. For an easy breakfast, heat one up in the microwave, then drizzle with olive oil, add a dash of salt, and top with walnuts. Or heat, then drizzle with honey and tahini for a delicious, hearty meal any time of the day.

This week’s harvest also includes lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and peppers – perfect for a salad. But instead of the vinaigrettes I favor in warmer weather, this time of year, I’m in the mood for creamy dressings. Try this satisfying combination: mix tahini, lemon juice, soy sauce, and finely minced (or pressed) garlic. If you like a little sweetness, a bit of honey. Add water until you reach your desired consistency.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash
1 onion (chopped)
1/2 cup mushrooms (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon each sage and salt
dash pepper

– Gluten free? Substitute a cup of any cooked grain for breadcrumbs, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
– CSA member? Add 1/4 cup seeded, diced jimmy nardello peppers and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Cut squash in half, remove seeds and strings. Place cut side down on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F until almost soft but not mushy, 40-50 minutes.

While squash is baking, in a large frypan, saute onion, mushrooms, (jimmy nardello peppers) and garlic until soft. Add breadcrumbs, sage, (parsley), salt and pepper. Stuff squash with mixture and bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

From “Simply in Season”

freshly cultivated and frosted asparagus