Big Red Farm Stand, Wednesday November 12, 1-4pm

Same sheep, different sunset

Hello friends,

Can it really be possible that there are only two more farm stands before the end of the season?  Seems like just yesterday that we were anxiously awaiting the first sugar snap peas and spring lettuces, and now there's the possibility of snow showers on Thursday night!  The days are short, we have to wear our jackets and hats to the farm, and the sheep's fleeces are getting very woolly again...

Farm toddler passes the time of day
with Andy the sheep

Speaking of shorter days, we've decided to close the stand at 4:00pm for these last two weeks, rather than staying open until 5:00.  We find that it gets very cold and dark very quickly, and closing at 4:00 allows us to pack up while there's still daylight.  Thanks for your understanding, and we hope this doesn't inconvenience anyone unduly!

A few additions and subtractions to the farm stand table this week.  Beets are done, and this will be positively the last week for carrots.  We are giving red cabbage and Brussels sprouts a break this week, in hopes that we will be able to offer both next week.  However, we do have a small quantity of really beautiful spinach, as well as exciting new winter squash: say hello to the lovely Autumn Crown pumpkin!  See below for more on this tasty and photogenic cucurbit.


ON THE FARM

Off to harvest... something
photo by Kedzie Schuster

We said goodbye this week to our wonderful farm crew.  Ashley, Erin, Hannah-Marie, Jonas and Kedzie did a little bit of everything this fall; planting, weeding, harvesting, washing, spraying, mulching, baby-minding, sheep-wrangling, fetching, carrying, eating, laughing, crying (mostly from laughter -- also from eating hot peppers in the field, which we don't recommend).  Their cheerful attitudes and creative approach to farm work (you haven't lived until you've had a rotten pepper fight!) made it a pleasure to work with them, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for all their help.

Autumn Crown pumpkins

However, we still have a few more weeks until the end of the season, so we'll have to struggle along without them.  New this week are Autumn Crown pumpkins; attractive, delicious, and perfect for stuffing and baking as the centerpiece of your meal.  These are a small "Cinderella"-type pumpkin, with firm, orange flesh and thin buff skin like a butternut squash.  They are quite sweet, and the seed cavity is small, so you get lots of bang for your buck.  This is the first year we've grown this variety, and we would definitely grow it again!


RECIPE

Baked Stuffed Pumpkin leftovers

To my mind, the Autumn Crown pumpkins we have this week are too pretty to peel and hack up for soup or pie (though they will work fine for both).  I wanted to prepare them in such a way that we could enjoy looking at the whole pumpkin in all its November glory.  This recipe, from international celebrity chef Jamie Oliver (who, by the way, does a lot to promote eating organic vegetables!), fits the bill perfectly.  You scoop out the seeds and some flesh, then stuff the flesh back in with some rice, dried fruit, nuts, and spices.  Bake the whole thing and carve it ceremoniously at the table for an unforgettable entree.  {Baked Stuffed Pumpkin}

AT THE FARM STAND

This week we hope to have the following available from 1pm to 4pm under the Pop Hall portico:

Fall lettuces
photo by Kedzie Schuster

• Green Cabbage - $2.00 each
• Carrots special - $2.00 lb (limited quantity, last week for these)
• Celery - $2.50 each
• Rainbow Chard - $2.50 bunch
• Garlic - $1.00 bulb
• Kale - $2.50 bunch
• Lettuce - $2.00 head
• Potatoes - $3.50 quart large, $5.00 quart "fancy"
• Autumn Crown Pumpkins - $2.00 small, $3.50 big(ger)
• Spinach (limited quantity) - $3.00 bag
• Winter Squash (Butternut, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling) -- $1.50 lb

HOW TO FIND US:

The farm stand is located under the front portico of Pop Hall, facing the Bowl.  Enter campus by the main gate on Route 206 (opposite the Lawrenceville Post Office and Craven Lane) and bear right into the circle. Bear right again at the fork in the road and continue straight until you see the Farm Stand signs.