Tag: beets

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Farmer’s Note — Week 8

Dear CSA Member

Intense heat to intense rain to some really nice weather. The unexpected rainfall was over 6 inches. It has been so hot and dry that most just soaked into the soil. Since then the skies were clear and the temperatures were very pleasant. More rain as we were starting to pick your shares. It seems at times we are in the tropics rather than upstate New York.

The vegetables are moving into their summer stride. Tomatoes are just starting to ripen. What a treat to slice into the first of the season tomato. Eggplant, basil, onions, scallions, parsley. It is a delicious week for the summertime favorites.

The first of Red Ace Beets with their Greens. Take the greens from the beet root and use as a cooking green. A member forwarded a recipe for Chickpea and Greens Patties which can be found on the farm website, Recipe Section, Swiss Chard all the way at the end. Beet Greens would be a great substitute for Swiss Chard in this recipe. The beet root should be cooked separately because of the size and time it will take to cook through. Please send your recipe favorites. The Recipe section of the farm website is filling up with great recipes sent by CSA members.

Marketplace orders will be delivered with your CSA share if you would like Coffee, Honey or Maple Syrup. Mushrooms are also available through the Marketplace.

This week Cremini Mushrooms for the Mushroom Share and Peaches, Nectarines and Sugar Plums for the Fruit Share.

Make a note that the Fall Farm Festival will be September 7. It is a great day to come and visit the farm, meet all of us at Stoneledge Farm, meet other CSA members, walk the fields and see where your vegetables are grown. Heather Ridge Farm www.Heather-ridge-farm.com and Gary Wiltbank Farm with his Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms will have displays and products available. We will have a barbecue and ask members to bring a dish to share and their own place setting. More to come. We hope you will be able to attend.

Enjoy the vegetables.
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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What’s in the Bag — Week 19

Dear CSA Member

This is the 19th CSA week. Hearty vegetables are filling the share. It has been very cold with a killing frost during the evening. The hale and hearty remain. Many of the leafy greens that survive frosts actually taste even better after a cold snap.

Carrots, beets and celeriac are pulled from the ground. Washed, cubed and sprinkled with a little olive oil, the trio make great roasted root vegetables. Cover with a bit of tin foil if you would like to cut down on the roasting time a bit. Remove the foil near the end of the baking.

Garlic again this week. Pulled from the ground in July, hung to cure in the barn and now perfect.

Butternut Winter Squash, probably one of the best tasting Winter Squash varieties. The Butternut will keep if you can not use it right away. Butternut is perfect with a touch of honey or maple from the farm.

If you would like to order Honey, Maple, Coffee from the online Market Place, just log into your account from the farm website home page. Click on Market under the center photo and place the order. Your order will be delivered with the CSA shares. The weeks are slipping by and some sizes are getting in short supply.

The Face Book page was updated late last week and will be updated this Sunday. Take a look.

Enjoy the beautiful fall and the vegetables.
Deborah
for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

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What’s in the Bag — Week 7

Dear CSA Member

The huge storm that rolled through the metropolitan area last week completely missed the farm. We were waiting for rain but all that arrived was more heat and humidity. Friday, without warning, it rained. Finally. A good soaking rain that everyone welcomed. The air has cooled and the temperature is almost 40 degrees cooler than just two days ago. It may seem that farmers are always talking about the weather, but it is what fills our thoughts, our plans and our days.

Slowly the summer vegetables are ripening. A week of Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage and also Scallions. The Lemon Basil is fragrant and the Chiogga Beets sweet with such amazing rings. The Chiogga Beets are an Italian heirloom beet. They have concentric rings of pink and white and are a beauty. The greens are delicious as well.

If you have had your fill of Beet Greens and Bright Lights Swiss Chard, clean, steam and put them in a plastic freezer bag. Pop it in your freezer and it will be an amazing treat during the winter months when the last greens are long gone.

Enjoy the vegetables
Deborah
for everyone at Stoneledge Farm