2017 CSA Week 19

Good evening fellow CSA members,

First of all, I want to thank you for sharing your recipes this week. Several of you answered my call for acorn squash recipes. I haven't taken the time to try any yet, but squash keeps AND we're getting more this week. I'm sure I'll find something yummy to make with them. Here's what else is in store:

Produce	Storage	Longevity
beets	unwashed, in fridge, can remove greens	up to two weeks
onion	room temperature	up to a week or longer
tomatoes	room temperature	enjoy as soon as possible
potatoes	Cool, dark place	up to two weeks
acorn squash	room temperature	weeks
butternut squash	room temperature	weeks
bell pepper	washed or unwashed in fridge	up to a week

This share, along with today's cooler fall weather, made me think of potato soup. You probably already have your own recipe, but if not, try one of these! (Or take a look if you're wanting something new.)

I also added some shredded cheddar
from Wildcat Mountain Cheese.

When the weather turns cool I crave soups and stews and, of course, chili. Earlier today I started pondering a pot of chili. The day got away from me though, and I threw some ground beef in a skillet shortly before dinner and started rummaging the pantry. Turns out I didn't have any chili seasoning. I decided to substitute taco seasoning and make chili's delicious cousin: Taco soup. But I couldn't find any corn. I checked my pantry upstairs and my shelves downstairs (a small kitchen equals two storage areas). Looks like I wouldn't have the ingredients for that either.

In a last ditch effort I rifled through the freezer and found a forgotten bag of frozen corn from a previous share. Jackpot! I was excited because (1) I thought I had already eaten it all and (2) this was better than any other corn I could have found in my house! I had already planned to use a jar of tomato juice from a previous share.

As the meal started coming together I could only smile in thankfulness at what a blessing these shares can be. The summer share is a beautiful, fresh bounty week after week after week. But the fall and winter shares are wonderful in their own rite. One of the reasons I love them so much is because they keep blessing you for months and months. (I've also found a few forgotten "surprises" in my crisper from the summer share... Not quite as fun!)

Fall and winter shares include greenhouse veggies, winter squash and potatoes, and "preserved" items, like the tomato juice and corn I used in my soup tonight. I hadn't reserved my spot yet for the upcoming season, but I took care of that this afternoon. And now that I have my food reserved, I'm free to encourage all of you to do the same! If you've loved the summer share, the goodies can continue for a few more months. Even if the summer share wasn't quite what you were expecting, you may still consider a fall or winter share. Many of the items generally last longer and include a different variety. For example, the absolute favorite share item all year at my house is the delicious steaks we get in the winter meat share. There are several different size options. You can find more details and sign up at the SHF website.