CSA For September 23rd!

Goldie the Goat is eating her carrot tops - are you?

Winter squash everything, all day long.  Breakfast could be this yummy-sounding Honey Maple Pumpkin Cake.  Or Pumpkin Spice Pancakes.  We've made the pancake recipe with Acorn, Kabocha and Hubbard - all yummy!  For lunch, this recipe sounds fascinating: Pumpkin Ravioli using wonton wrappers! Maybe for dinner another great pasta: Bacony Butternut Bowties.   For dessert try Pumpkin Brownie Pizza, except roast a winter squash and use the flesh rather than opening a can of pumpkin puree.  And we don't really use any cake or brownie mixes around here...we'd use this recipe for Brownies!  I know this recipe calls for Sweet Potato, but winter squash would be fabulous in these healthy little cakes!  And how about Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Beer Bread?  I know Winnipeg's Fort Garry Brewery is making a pumpkin spice beer called 'Happy Jack'!

Sneak some veggies into classic comfort food!  Check out this Mac 'n Cheese recipe - use beet greens or chard for your greens!  Fall is certainly a good time for stew and this Moroccan Vegetable Stew sounds delicious - and exotic!  Try this Smoky Black Bean and Squash Ragout!

We've gotten the first decent pick on tomatillos today.  They are a tomato relative, with a papery covering.  They are like dry, tart tomatoes so you can fry them up like green tomatoes!  They are the main ingredient in fresh Salsa Verde, which you may have had while on vacation in Mexico or Central America.  We've also picked tomatoes today - we just can't wait any longer.  The forecast is fantastic for the next five days and we'd rather they ripen on the vine but we've taken what we can!  None are really fully ripe, but should ripen in a few days on your kitchen counter.  Remember to turn them every day, so that soft spots don't start where they have contact with the counter!  These are heirloom tomatoes, mostly Pink Brandywine and Black Krim.  The first will ripen pink, the latter will ripen a dark rusty red.  There are a couple of Aunt Ruby's German Green - which stays green with a gold flush and is ready when it softens up - very tasty.  They are not pretty: weather fluctuations have caused cracking around the stem but it is cosmetic!  A heartbreaking amount have gone straight to the garbage can because they were too cracked, too soft or leaking.  It's hard to throw something out when you've been babying it since February! On the 'upside', we've ripened a few on the counter and they are soooooo tasty!

We're also going to be doing bigger bundles of carrots this week and next!  Eat the smaller ones now, and prepare the bigger carrots for storage!  Here's a great link for storing carrots!  Properly prepared, fresh carrots will store in the refrigerator for three to four months, but bigger sizes are best!  The same can be said for beets, and you'll all get some good bundles next week!  And don't forget to eat your carrot tops!  We've posted before about this but here's another link with some recipes for carrot greens!

Today, for the FULL SHARES:  Spaghetti squash, Acorn squash, Lemon Ball cucumber, carrots, onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes.

PART SHARES:  Spaghetti squash, either an orange Kabocha or Hubbard squash, carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes.

SINGLE SHARES:  Spaghetti squash, blue Kabocha squash, carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes.