Category Archives: thanksgiving

In the Share – Week 30

leeks, thanksgiving

LEEKS:  One of the last crops we harvest in the field.  Cold-hardy and so tasty!

HAKUREI TURNIPS:  These are coming out of the high tunnel.  The caterpillars munched on the greens a bit, but they are still very edible.

SPINACH:  More big leaves from the high tunnel spinach.

RADISHES:  Baby red and pink radishes out of the tunnel.  They are amazingly not spicy for a change!

BEETS:  A bag of beets for your culinary adventures.  I made chocolate beet cake awhile back (use a bit of shredded beets in the icing for a pretty pink chemical-free icing).  Yumm!

CARROTS:  More glorious orange roots, now going topless!

GOLD BALL TURNIPS OR BULB FENNEL:  We hope this is a good choice for you all.  Some folks would like both, but I think there are more of you who would be happy with just one or the other.  If you get the fennel, see Tom’s post for a recipe from one of your fellow CSA members.

HERB CHOICE:  Cilantro, dill, sage, thyme or a dried herb.

CAULIFLOWER, CABBAGE OR LETTUCE:  So, don’t get your hopes up for being able to choose among these items.  We have a few of each and will be doling them out by distribution point based on how quickly they need to go.  Wednesday folks will get mainly cauliflower, Saturday folks will most likely only see cabbage or lettuce.

NEXT WEEK:  Don’t forget!  The CSA is on hiatus for the week of Thanksgiving.  Have a great holiday and we will get you all one last share the first week of December:  sweet potatoes, garlic, watermelon radishes, carrots, beets, greens and herbs. 

FARM REPORT: 

The freezing weather last week marked a turning point on the farm from the flurry of fall harvest to a retreat into winter.  A few crops remain outside, some carrots and leeks that we hope to finish digging this week, but the majority of the harvest is either in cold storage, in the high tunnel, or in our collective bellies.  That reminds me of a CSA farm in CA not far from where I use to live called Full Belly Farm. I always thought that was a great name because it makes you smile and maybe think a bit.  CSA is kind of like that.  The bounty of the harvest can make you smile, even giggle when you get that odd-shaped carrot, but it also perhaps opens a door to another way of living on our little planet.   Next week we will all sit down to our family tables and give thanks.  I know Tom and I will be thinking of the soil, the sun and the rain, but we will also be thinking of all of you.  Thank you!!

Thanksgiving Share 2011

cabbage, csa, fair share farm, sustainable agricuture, thanksgiving

The late Fall is here. As I sit writing this on Thursday morning it is 21⁰ F outside and there is a heavy layer of frost in the fields. Through the wonders of modern weather forecasting we were able to anticipate this deep freeze, and have harvested all but the sturdiest of the crops for your Thanksgiving share. We are always happy when we can provide food to the CSA so late in the season—14 items this year.

 With such a large selection of produce, the recipe options are endless. To start with, we suggest perusing the 2009 and 2010 Thanksgiving share recipe suggestions.
We also offer the following suggestions:

Leeks and fennel: Treat leeks like onions and fennel like celery for all of you cooking needs. Use these substitutions in your standard bread stuffing recipe to create a flavorful dish.
Watermelon radish, Hakurei turnip, fennel and broccoli: Start your feast off with this fresh and healthy crudité platter. Cut the radish and turnips into rounds or half rounds. Pull the fennel stalks off the bulb like celery. Cut the broccoli into florets. Make a dip of yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, vinegar and herbs.
Lettuce, spinach, fennel, cabbage and grated beets: Make a nice salad of these oh so fresh vegetables for the dinner table. Or better yet, wait until after Thanksgiving and top the salad with leftover turkey and grated cheese for a hearty chef’s salad.

Beets: Add some color to the normally brown, white and orange of a Thanksgiving plate. Cook your beets whole in boiling water for about 20 to 35 minutes (until just starting to get tender),  cool in cold water and peel. Cut into slices and dress cold with oil and vinegar, or warm in a pan and top with butter, salt and dill.

Sweet potatoes: Good as a savory dish by themselves (mashed or roasted) or in a pie, the options are in your family traditions or on the web.

Cabbage: A fresh cole slaw is always good, especially if you are having smoked turkey or other bbq style meats.

Tomatoes: The tomatoes have been off the vine for over a month, so we don’t expect them to be especially tasty in a salad, but will go well cooked in a stew or curry.

Bok Choy:  We have had these Asian greens under wraps in the field for the last month. It was a pleasant surprise to uncover them and find such large, green plants. They will make for a good stir-fry either side of the Thanksgiving meal, when you need to load up on some green vegetables.

We wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving and hope the you are able to share it with your friends and family.

Tom and Rebecca