2016 CSA Week 20

Hello fellow CSA members,

I can hardly believe this is our final share of the season. Before I start reminiscing, let me go ahead and tell you what you have to look forward to this week:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
butternut squash	room temperature	months
red and white potatoes	room temperature	weeks
tomato juice	shelf stable	months
watermelon*	in fridge	enjoy as soon as possible
eggplant*	unwashed, in fridge, wrapped in a paper towel in crisper	5-7 days
mixed salad greens*	in fridge	1 week
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
garlic	unwashed in fridge	1 week
basil	store in an unclosed container in fridge or snip off bottom of stems and immerse in water	1-2 weeks

*Tuesday deliveries will include watermelon. All other deliveries will have either watermelon, eggplant or mixed salad greens.

Potatoes are a new item in our shares this week. You are most likely already very familiar with potato recipes. We had potatoes so often in our home growing up, we would jokingly ask, "how are we having the potatoes tonight?" Instead of "what's for supper?" Mashed, fried, baked, boiled, grilled, shredded, made into chips. There are so many delicious options.

 

This time of year, my mind always turns toward soups and stews. There are many potato soup recipes out there. I saw this Loaded Potato Soup recipe that leads a list of 25 different soups, many of which include our share ingredients. I hope you find one you enjoy!

I was reminded how beautiful our shares are when I was fighting a migraine last week. My mom came over to help with the baby and after the headache started to ease she offered to still stay and make dinner. I probably would have thrown a frozen pizza in the oven to get us through the night. I knew my mom would make something delicious, so I took her up on her gracious offer. She went through my fridge and pantry and began putting items on the counter to make a meal. When I walked into the kitchen, this is what I saw:

 



As you can see, many of the items came from our shares. My mom put together a meal of eggplant parmesan, a tomato, pepper and cucumber salad, as well as fried potatoes and corn on the cob. It was comforting and filling and I could also feel good about it because so many of the ingredients were local and fresh. (Bonus: It was even meatless.)

 

I hope that you can look back over these twenty weeks and feel good about the choice you made to include Sustainable Harvest Farm's fresh organic produce in your meal plans each week. I hope the CSA has helped your diet, your lifestyle, your palate and your recipe repertoire. I know Ford and Amanda are deeply grateful for your support. And while I hope you join us again soon, even if not I hope you carry benefits with you well beyond this season.

Myself, I feel as though I've gained some confidence in the kitchen and learned some new tricks to help my family make better food choices and eat healthier meals. The season didn't go exactly as I had hoped. I wish I could have done even more, tried even more recipes, been even more creative with my share. But I am encouraged to see growth as I am expanding how I have used my shares over the years. I hope all of you can look back and feel encouraged by the progress you have made. And if you see areas you wish were better, maybe go ahead and start making a plan. I am already looking forward to the fall and winter shares, and next year's shares as well. I hope I -- and you -- will only continue to move forward in our journeys for health and the support of local, sustainable farming.

Thanks for sharing this CSA experience with me. Feel free to keep in touch. And happy eating and many blessings to all of you!

 

2016 CSA Week 19

Hi fellow CSA members!

I hope you all were able to enjoy a wonderful Labor Day weekend. The weather definitely cooperated providing a perfect backdrop to the unofficial start of fall. I just got in from a low-key cookout hosted by some of our friends where they grilled up some SHF steaks and brats. My steaks have been only a memory for more than a month now, so this was a welcome treat.

Our shares this week mirror the fast-approaching season, and signal the end of our CSA season together. This share will include the final harvest of some of our produce, while next week is our final summer share. I can't be too sad about this, though, because I am already looking forward to the fall and winter meat and veggie shares!

Up this week:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
tomatoes*	room temperature	about a week
sweet corn*	shucked or with husks on in coldest part of fridge	enjoy as soon as possible
butternut squash	Room temperature	months
cornmeal	Sealed in bag or container in fridge	weeks
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
cucumber	washed or unwashed in fridge	1-2 weeks
garlic	unwashed in fridge	1 week
watermelon*	unwashed in fridge	enjoy as soon as possible

*Final harvest of the season

This season has my mind turning toward soups, stews and chilis. So as an homage to fall and our beautiful share, I offer you this Roasted Corn, Pepper and Tomato Chowder.

Its been a few weeks since I've taken the time to write an "in the kitchen" post. BUT, I have been casually searching for spaghetti squash recipes that my husband may like and I found one I got super excited about. Spaghetti squash hash browns!!! I typed this up as an "in the kitchen" post, but never actually published it, so I'm tacking it on here in case any of you have some unused spaghetti squash.

I actually don't love spaghetti squash the way some people do (cough*my mom*cough). I mean, it's alright, but I always feel like I'm eating healthy - like I'm missing a better taste/texture. I've only ever used it as a pasta substitute, so I knew there had to be some more creative things out there. I love potatoes, Johnie loves potatoes and I LOVE crunchy/crispy food. So I was pumped to try this one.

I just saw a quick blurb about this recipe and didn't actually look at it or follow it when I made them. I think that was my fatal flaw. The "squash browns" browned, but never actually got crispy. My mom and I even had the idea to make squash patties out of some of them and add egg.

The verdict: Johnie gave the squash patties with egg three and a half broccoli stalks. (Major victory. He has never liked any spaghetti squash dish at all.) The squash browns got two and a half broccoli stalks. My mom liked both, but preferred the squash patties. I and another friend who was eating with us preferred the squash browns.

Actually, I didn't think they tasted like hash browns at all, but I did like the flavor. I was looking for more with the texture, though. And I discovered my mistake: The squash was too moist to get crispy. One site I read suggested squeezing the excess water out. If you try them, let me know how they turn out for you! I'll definitely be giving them another shot!