Author: Core Group

Dear CSA Member

Perfect fall weather and perfect fall crops this week in the CSA shares. New photos on the farm website, Farm News, https://www.stoneledge.farm/on-the-farm/farm-blog. The daikon patch seemed to be at the edge of the rainbow. Beautiful sun and clouds across the Catskill Mountains with our fields in the foreground. Take a look.

Daikon, Beets with Greens, Butternut Winter Squash, Red Onions, Potatoes, fall Lettuces, Red Cherriette Radishes, Mizuna and Red Mustard. A treat to have a fresh lettuce salad once again. The fall planting of lettuces, Mizuna and Mustard are always milder and sweet tasting. Chop the Mustard and Mizuna and try adding to your salad. The Red Mustard is stunning with the deep purple color on one side of the leaf and green on the other. Amazing. The Red Ace Beets are two vegetables in one bunch. Use the greens separately and then the root.

Daikon recipes have been added to the website Recipe section. If you have a favorite please send it to the farm so we can share your recipe as well.

Many items have been added to the CSA online Marketplace for bulk orders. The beekeeper has just delivered freshly drawn honey in 2 pound jars. He was not sure just how much he would be able to gather but there was a very good supply. The fall honey is dark and rich.

Enjoy the bounty.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

Rain by the bucketful this past week. There was a deficit of rain in the overall rainfall this year to date going into the week and now a surplus. Over 7 inches of rain. The rain gauge records up to 6 inches and the water was pouring over the edges at 6 inches so we do not know exactly how much rain we did receive. The ground was so dry from months of no rain that the water quickly was soaked into the parched soil. Very cool weather after the rain and the fall greens are looking wonderful.

Giant Boc Choi, Deadon Cabbage, Butternut Winter Squash, Potatoes and Onions. Heavy fall vegetables that will fill your CSA shares. Try fresh cabbage sliced thinly on your lunch time sandwich in place of lettuce. Butternut Winter Squash can be used in any recipe calling for Winter Squash or Pumpkin with an even richer flavor. Potatoes are probably filling your vegetable drawer in your refrigerator and will keep into the winter if you do not use them up each week. Try a pinch of freshly ground Nutmeg in your mashed potatoes or Potato Gratin.

The chipmunks are frantic running from Oak tree to Oak tree picking up the acorns that have fallen, storing them away for winter. We are fortunate that we have warm kitchens and full refrigerators going into the cold winter months.

Enjoy the harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member

Butternut Winter Squash was picked a month ago and has been curing in the heat of the greenhouses to develop the deep orange color and sweet, dense flavor. The variety is a smaller Butternut that is a bit easier to handle and has exceptional flavor. Winter Squash differs from Summer Squash in that the squash is mature with a hardened skin. You can use Butternut in any recipe calling for Winter Squash or Pumpkin. All the same family and you will find that the Butternut has a better texture and flavor than most pumpkins.

Lacinato Kale or Tuscano Kale or Dinosaur Kale. All the same kale with many different names. Lacinato Kale is a long, thin leaved kale with a slightly blueish tint to the leaves. A favorite for use fresh in Kale Salad.

The weeks are slipping by and you may like to stock up on honey and maple going into the winter. Both will keep and be a treat during the cold before we start our CSA deliveries once again next June. The Marketplace stock does start to run low toward the end of the season so please place your orders early to make sure you receive the products you would like. This week there are Cortland Apples available through the Bulk Fruit section of the Marketplace. If you like to make applesauce to can or freeze, Cortland Apples make a beautiful pink apple sauce when cooked with the skin on.

Enjoy this beautiful fall and the bountiful harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Dear CSA Member,

Warm and sunny. A welcome week as September moves along. The Farm Visit was such a wonderful gathering of CSA Members and families. Thank you to everyone that made the trip to the farm.

Fall vegetables in abundance: Potatoes, Shallots, Kale, Cabbage and Radish. Shares start to feel heavier as the hearty crops of fall fill the shares. The very last picking of Eggplant, Peppers and Tomatillos. We try to harvest everything we can for your CSA shares.

There are bulk quantities of Gala, Macintosh and Fuji Apples available through the online CSA Marketplace. Fall seems to go hand in hand with delicious Maple Syrup that is available in Grade A Regular and Grade B Dark. The Grade B Dark Syrup is good for cooking or if you like a stronger flavored Maple Syrup. Maple Syrup, Bulk produce, Honey, Coffee and Chocolate are all available for weekly order through the online Marketplace. To order through the Marketplace log into your CSA Member Account from the farm website home page.

Enjoy this beautiful early fall weather and the harvest.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm