Big Red Farm Share, October 16

HARVEST


Full Share:

• 2 lbs potatoes
• 4 Acorn squash
• 4 bell peppers
• 1/2 lb summer squash
• 1 bunch broccoli florets or broccolini (we'll choose for you)
• 1 bunch chard
• 1 head lettuce

Half Share:

• 1 lb potatoes
• 2 Acorn squash
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 bunch chard
• 1 head lettuce

Extra:

• 2nd quality peppers
• pick-your-own herbs -- rosemary and sage still look great (sage is delicious with winter squash!); parsley, thyme & lavender look OK.  Young dill and cilantro are still small, but could be harvested sparingly.  You might find the odd flower here and there too!
• possibly a few Jalapenos and Napa cabbages...

RECIPES

Has anyone else noticed how many acorns are falling from our local oak trees right now?  My very anecdotal and unscientific study of the situation leads me to believe that this is an unusually heavy production year.  They're carpeting our barnyard, which has a couple of five-storey oaks nearby, and the farm kid is enjoying gathering them up and throwing them into the pig-pen (some of the finest pork in the world is finished on acorns...).  We have to watch out, too, because when those little guys fall from such a great height, they are really moving by the time they hit the ground (or the barn roof, or the tractor hood, or every now and again a living creature -- ouch!).  

photo by Deb Perelman

You all are getting acorns in your shares this week, too -- not the oak kind, but the delicious and seasonal squash kind!  The weather looks to be deepening into fall over the weekend, which, as I'm sure you know, means conditions should be excellent for roasting winter squash.  Here's a great way to prepare Acorns -- simple in execution yet complex in flavor.  Unlike their forest namesakes, these Acorns won't hold up to being dropped from a great height; try turning them into Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette instead.

Also, while you're roasting, my favorite thing to do with extra bell peppers (including seconds) is roast them and freeze them for later use.  Our recipe for Roasted Peppers and Roasted Pepper Soup tells you just what to do, and if you want to continue on and make soup, the choice is yours.


PICK-UP LOCATION AND DETAILS

Share pick-up takes place at the farm, on FRIDAYS between 3:00 and 6:00pm. Pull into the Lawrence Township community gardens and follow the gravel road uphill to the left. Please remember to return last week's bags and/or containers, and sign in when you take your share. Any payment can be placed in the envelope next to the sign-in sheet. See you at the farm!