Week 12 - Feels like Fall

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Whats in the Box?

From The North Farm
​Eggplant
Tomatoes
Russet Potatoes
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumber
Carrots
Head Lettuce
Patty Pan Summer Squash
Ground Cherries or
Edamame (Soy Bean)

From Bean Pole Farm
​Lemon Balm or
Winter Savory

From Treasa's Treasures
Leeks

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Notes From the Field

It is a fun time to be a farmer.

As fall settles in, we start to think about the big harvests. As you can tell, we have spent a lot of the season harvesting to bring you the items in your box each week, but usually these are relatively small harvests. We will bring in a few hundred pounds of produce each week, with each item representing a percentage of that total. However, there are the few items that we wait for all season and then spend much of the fall harvesting, washing, and packing for the upcoming months.

These are my favorite types of crops. Carrots, cabbages, potatoes, Brussels sprouts - these all will be harvested and packed away in our root cellar so that we can continue to offer products throughout the winter. We will haul in thousands of pounds of these items, which can be tiring, but is also incredibly rewarding. There is not much more satisfying than seeing literal tons of carrots stacked on trailers from a day's harvest.

We are also trying a few new items this year, as well. We planted a few new varieties of popcorn, including one with black kernels. We are not yet certain that they will mature in time, given that we have not gotten much heat this year, which is something corn loves. We also planted several varieties of dry beans. These will be harvested, dried (as needed), threshed to remove the pods and stems, and then cleaned for storage. They are gorgeous, and I am sure they will be delicious, though it is still a little early for them to be eaten.

We hope you are enjoying your fall as much as we are, and as always, thank you for your support!

A quick note - some of you are receiving edamame in this week's share, which is a Japanese soy bean. If you have a soy allergy, this should be avoided - it may be obvious, but we wanted to make sure that was noted, in case there was any question.

Collin Thompson
Farm Manager

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​Recipes and Resources

1o Commandments of Perfect Mashed Potatoes

• Everyone loves mashed potatoes. However, there are regular mashed potatoes, then there are mashed potatoes made right with russets from The North Farm!

Oven Roasted Patty Pan Squash

• These cute little flying saucer squashes are delicious when roasted in the oven. They soften when roasted and have a beautiful buttery texture.​

Braised Leeks

• Treasa grows some beautiful leeks. They are delicious, too!. Leeks have a flavor reminiscent of an onion, but much milder. Braising them mellows them out even more, while accentuating their heartiness.

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Featured Item

There are several items that may be new to you in this week's share, so instead of featuring one, we are going to mention a few:


Patty Pan Squash (pictured) - These are a summer squash, similar to a zucchini, and can be used in the same way. They can be small, like those in the picture, or can be larger. Either way, they are delicious sautéed on pasta, roasted on the grill, or sliced thin and put on a sandwich.


Ground Cherries - Only some of you received these this week, but they look like small tomatillos. They have a papery husk around a yellowish berry. The husk can be discarded and the berry can be eaten fresh. They have a very unique flavor, which has been described as a cross between a tomato and a pineapple!


Edamame - This Japanese soybean is becoming more popular and can now be found in most groceries. They are on the stems, so if you received these this week, you will want to strip the pods from the stems before preparing. They are great steamed or boiled for five minutes in the pods, salted, and then eaten as a snack. Simply pop the beans out of the pod and enjoy!

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Winter Savory or Lemon Balm - You received one of these herbs from Landen this week. The winter savory has small leaves on thin, almost woody stems. The lemon balm gets its name from its strong lemony scent. Winter savory has a slight peppery flavor, and is best used with roasted vegetables or meats, or with cooked dry beans. Lemon balm makes a great tea - just steep in it hot water and enjoy the refreshing lemon flavor.

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​Storage Recommendations

In the Fridge:​
Eggplant
Jalapeño Peppers
Cucumber
Carrots - topped, bagged
Head Lettuce - bagged
Patty Pan Summer Squash
Ground Cherries
Edamame (Soy Bean) - strip off stems
Leeks

On the Counter:
Tomatoes
Russet Potatoes - keep in the dark
Herbs - Stems cut in a glass of water

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