CSA For September 13th!

Left, common red, Lemon Boy, Husky Gold, below
that a Pink Brandywine, big monster is Aunt Ruby's Green
and an unripe Aunt Ruby.

First morning that I've reached for my little down vest.  We love our down vests:  Spring, Fall or Winter they are that perfect little extra warmth without adding bulk or weight.  This is the first day since, oh, April maybe, that I've reached for it!

It's a tomato-tasting kind of a day.  You all have some variety in your baskets!  Everyone got an heirloom 'Aunty Ruby's German Green' - a tomato that is ripe when it is green with a yellow/orange tint and somewhat soft to the touch.  It is not sour like an unripe tomato - it is juicy and sweet and delightful!  You mostly all got one unripe - let it sit on the counter for a few days!  There's a mix of the yellow, low-acid tomatoes.  The warm yellow is 'Husky Gold', the paler yellow is 'Lemon Boy'.  Both very tasty without the bite of red tomatoes.  The Full Shares also got a pink Brandywine - perhaps the best known of the heirlooms for outstanding flavor!  Brandywine is rarely pretty - but always tasty.  Everyone has a basket with mixed grape/cherry tomatoes.  The red cherry and yellow and red grapes you've had before.  Also in there is the heirloom pink/brown 'Chocolate Cherry', a juicy burst of flavor.  And everyone will get 'Indigo Rose', although not all are ripe.  It is ready to eat when it is purple/black with a distinct Rosy pink end!  If you get an unripe one, leave it on the counter for a few days.

Spaghetti squash is very unique in that it's the only one that comes out of the shell in pasta-like threads. Pretty much all the rest of the Winter Squash come out with a texture like mashed potatoes.  We love spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce, or just butter and brown sugar or maple syrup.  Here's a great recipe we shared on our Facebook page for a spicy spaghetti squash with black beans!  So cute, served using the skin like a bowl!

From left: yellow grape, red grape, Chocolate Cherry,
cherry tomato, Indigo Rose.

The Winter Squash are sooo awesome for baking.  A pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin is the best!  If you're roasting up a squash for dinner, sneak out a cup of the cooked flesh for baking with later.  We use most of the Winter Squash interchangeably in baking recipes; we'd have trouble going back to using the canned stuff.  Our go-to recipe is here for muffins.  We've made the muffins with the 'Sugar Pie' pumpkins, Hubbard, Kabocha and Butternut squashes!  All great, all different in small ways!  Don't forget that a lot of canned mixes have the spices included, so if you're substituting in a recipe, you may need to add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice or clove, and nutmeg.  You can make up your own little jar of 'pumpkin pie spice' to have on hand: here's a good mix here!  You've all got the classic 'Sugar Pie' pumpkin today  - the best for pies and baking because of it's smooth texture and sweeter flavor!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  4 lbs. Roko red potatoes, 4 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, mix of slicing tomatoes, pint of cherry and grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, Sugar Pie pumpkin, cucumber, a dozen corn on the cob, zucchini.

For the PART SHARES:  3 lbs. Roko red potatoes, 3 lbs. Island Sunshine potatoes, assorted slicing tomatoes, pint of cherry/grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, Sugar Pie pumpkin, cucumber 9 corn on the cob, zucchini.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Roko red potatoes, 2 lbs, Island Sunshine potatoes, assorted slicing tomatoes, pint of cherry/grape tomatoes, garlic, onions, Sugar Pie pumpkin, cucumber, six corn on the cob, zucchini.