Farmer’s Note– Week 22

Dear CSA Member,

Wind, rain, falling leaves and it is cold. The fall is coming to a close and the landscape is now moving from bright color to grays. The garden is still producing even as the seasons start another change.

It is the season for root crops. The root crops have been growing underground all throughout the season and now fill the shares. Heavy and hearty: Bolero Carrots, Potatoes, Beets, Purple Globe Turnips. The leafy greens of fall, Flat Leaf Parsley and Red Russian Kale which seem to grow more vibrant in the cold.

Popcorn will be in the share this week. It was picked about 3 weeks ago and has been drying in the greenhouse. It will need to dry another 3 weeks in your home. I did try a cob to see if the kernels would pop and had great success but I think it may be worth letting the corn dry a bit more before trying to pop. The kernels need to be fully dry or they will not pop properly. It will be hard to wait but worth it. When the pop corn is ready to pop take the the kernels from the cob. Once you get a row started it is easy to pick the other rows off the cob. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the bottom of a pan with a lid. Add 1/2 cup of kernels to the pan, put on the lid-very important! Turn to medium high heat and listen for the pop. When the popping slows and then stops take from the heat right away. The yellow of the corn was so bright that the kernels looked like they had butter on them even without. Add salt, butter or let your imagination go. Enjoy.

On the Marketplace are bulk options for Potatoes, Carrots and Beets. Honey is getting low as is the Maple Syrup. This is Week #22 so there are only two more deliveries after this week. The Coffee is perfect for these cold wintry days and you might want to stock up on some of the other products before the season ends.

Enjoy the vegetables
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm