Fall CSA Newsletter ~ Week 4

Fleur enjoying last weeks snow!

This week is the last week of our Fall CSA.  Including the Summer CSA we are about to complete 24 weeks of harvesting and providing our community with seasonal vegetables from our fields to your tables. Thank you to all our members for being part of the first Fall CSA here at Strattons Farm.  But it is not over just yet, we still have vegetables in storage and kale and spinach in the hoop house! We have had an overwhelming response to bulk boxes which will start the second week of December. (Details will be e-mailed out next week).

We have also had lots of our Summer CSA members contact us about registraiton for next years 2015 Summer CSA.  Normally by now we have e-mailed out registration forms for 2015.  We wanted to finish the Fall CSA before we sent out everything for next year.  So you will shortly be receiving renewal e-mails. 

The snow and cold of last week did have a huge impact on the greens that appeared in everyone boxes the first two weeks of the Fall CSA.  Thankfully the kale and spinach are holding on. 

This last weeks weather has gone from feeling like -18 with a good dump of snow to +17 yesterday and gusting winds off up to 86kph!  The wind yesterday evening did loosen some of the rope over the hoop house last night so we spent this morning having to tie down one end of the tunnel so it did not blow away! If we get a break in the wind I think we will need to re-string the whole tunnel again!  We also discovered the turkeys door had rattled open in the wind last night and they where all enjoying a stroll around their paddock first thing!!.

This weeks basket:

Acorn Squash - How about stuffing your squash this week! Stuffed squash with kale and red cabbage.
Garlic
Carrots - Carrots with garlic all I would do is replace the sugar with a small amount of honey instead!
Kalettes - Remember kalettes are a natural crossing between kale and brussels.  You can use them like kale or use them like brussels! This weeks recipe is a brussel one! brussels sprouts with bacon almonds
Watermelon Radish - These can be eaten raw, added to stir fry or even roasted.
Red Cabbage - Why not try this quick-scandi-style-red-cabbage
Beets - How about a beet and carrot burger on a bed of wilted spinach
Kale - Found a callaloo stew for all to try.
Spinach - You could even try a spinach-scramble for lunch!
Leeks - If you do not want to use your leeks straight away, just slice them place in a ziploc bag and use in replacement of onions during winter. Or you could try a carrot and leek cobbler.
Parsnips - We managed to get the last of the parsnips out yesterday after the snow had melted! This weeks recipe is for parmesan-baked-parsnips.