CSA Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This winter box has squash, onions, shallots, garlic, beets, carrots, celeriac, black radishes, potatoes, and micro greens.

Field Notes.  What do farmers do in winter?  This year we were fortunate enough to find a farm sitter so we did get a break together to go visit my parents.  The day we got back I was in the root cellar and at the computer getting the December boxes out, and  Ken planted the micro greens that are in your box today.  We maintain, catch up on the bookkeeping, plan, organize, order seeds, and start planting late winter.


I have just finished the books for 2011, and will be ordering seeds.  Now is the time to send us your special requests for 2012. 

We are also watching the weather.  As nice as these warm temperatures have been, there is no insulating snow cover so if we get an arctic blast the frost can go deep into the ground and postpone spring.  The other concern is for the perennials.  For example if the strawberries become confused and think spring has arrived, they may grow, bloom, get nipped by frost and there will be no fruit.  Ken mulches all the perennials in fall, but this weather is unusually warm.


From the Kitchen Squash!  This was a good year and we have lots of squash.  In addition to baked squash, we make soups, pies. squash bread, cookies, and numerous side dishes.  Today I toasted some of our hazelnuts in a skillet, chopped, returned to the pan with butter and cooked squash left from yesterday.  Warm the squash and flip onto a plate for squash with a toasty buttery topping.  Pecans and walnuts are just as nice as hazelnuts.

I have been serving carrots and frozen peas together as the colors, flavors and textures pair well.  I cut the carrots in matchsticks, cook and add the frozen peas just long enough to thaw and warm.  Drain the cooking water to use in soups later.  Top the peas and carrots with butter or olive oil, dried thyme, salt and pepper.

Beets are a winter staple.  We boil and slip the skins.  Slice and add to a heavy skillet with herbs and butter or oil.  Ken likes fennel seeds with beets.  We also cut into chunks and roast vegetables with or without meat roasts.  Either toss vegetable chunks in oil and place in hot oven, turn frequently, or add vegetables when meat is partly cooked and use the meat juices. 

Celery root is one of my favorites to add in any soup or stew.  I clean and store in the refrigerator and cut off a piece to dice and add wherever a little celery flavor would be a good addition.

Black radishes are a European favorite.  I usually dice and add to winter slaws with thinly sliced cabbage or sprouts with carrots for color and minced shallots for flavor.  They are nice sliced and salted or grated with a bit of vinegar.  Ken loves to pickle black radishes.  Black radishes are the vegetable highest in alkalinity - important to digestive health.