foxlinecityfarm

A week of clean up and big harvests from the gardens.  We are still working between the raindrops and crawling in the mud but our days start a bit later and end a bit earlier due to decreasing sunlight.  We pulled out the long johns for chilly mornings and wear our caps until lunchtime. Scott wants to start a fire in the woodstove in the evenings.  Autumn is here and honestly it is my favorite time of year.  I love the produce that comes from the gardens and  love the smell and colors that surround us when we are working.  Such a good life.

We picked the last for the beans for the season…..always a signal to me that “summer” is over.  This final small harvest will  be on the “extra” table today for anyone that needs one last taste of summer….

Scott harvesting the final beans of the season.

The last little guys of summer.

SUMMER SHARE #18

498 pounds this week from the gardens.  All delicious!  Enjoy.

2 shares to go.  Thursday October 13th is the last share pick up.  We are sending the season surveys home this week with your share.  We would love it if you took a few minutes to fill it out and let us know how you felt about the season.  Your thoughts and opinions help us plan out the future of our CSA.  Thank you!

SNACK PACK

Lettuce-Either a juicy head of a variety named “Nancy” or a bag of colorful leaf lettuce.

Leaf lettuce double rinsed and ready for the shares…..

Ginger-Yes!  Ginger.  This was our fun experiment this season.  We are thrilled and plan to plant even more next year.  This is just dug fresh ginger root.  No need to even peel.  Great for a hot tea or added to stir fry.  I made a pot of chicken soup and added some for flavor and it was delicious. Store in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Ginger at harvest. We planted our root stock in February-8 months ago!

just dug ginger root.

Brussels Sprouts-Another crop that we wait a long time to harvest.  Brussels Sprouts are one of the first seed crops we start in the greenhouse in early Spring.  Well worth the wait and a favorite Autumn treat.   This is a first picking of sneaking a few of the bigger ones off the bottom.

Brussels Sprout Harvest.

Squash-Here they come.  The true sign that Autumn has arrived..  This week’s choice it sweet dumpling.  Great oven roasted or as a base for a creamy soup.

Sweet Potato-We are still making our way down the sweet potato rows.  A white skinned/white fleshed variety this week called Boniato.  Not as sweet as the “traditional” orange fleshed sweet potato.    A great harvest!  Enjoy.

Pac Choi-Fantastic added to fresh salads for a bit of crunch and snappy texture, great grilled and delicious in stir fry.

Dew on the Pac Choi in the morning.

Peppers-The crop is still chugging along and we are amazed.  A few beauties in every share.

Mini Sweet Peppers-A nice sized assortment of these sweet little gems.

Sunflower Shoots-We had to add them with the first squash of the season. Their nutty flavor compliments the sweetness of winter squash so well.  Cut and add a few to the top of roasted squash or a creamy squash soup.   Keep in a sunny window and snip as needed.

Radishes-We harvested 2 varieties this week and provided a nice mix of this cool season treat.

Just pulled white icicle radishes.

FULL SHARE

Lettuce-A juicy head lettuce named “Nancy”.

A close up of the pretty head lettuce named “Nancy”.

Ginger-Our experiment this season.  We purchased the root stock from what we believe to be the only organic ginger root source in the U.S.  It shipped from Hawaii in February.  We are thrilled with the yield and the flavor. Store in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer or your refrigerator.  Makes a spicy flavorful hot tea, great added to soups and stews and of course a zippy addition to stir fry.

Cleaning the ginger after harvest.

Brussels Sprouts-A first harvest of this Autumn treat.

Just picked Brussels Sprouts.

Squash-A tasty sweet dumpling to kick off the season.

Sweet Potato-A delicious white variety named Boniato.  Not as sweet as the orange fleshed variety of last week….fluffery too.  Great baked.

Pac Choi-A cool season crop that we enjoy.  Add to salads for a crunch, great grilled or stems and greens are perfect in stir fry.  Long storage life too in a sealed bag in the fridge.

Pac choi and lettuces in the hoop house ready to be harvested.

Bagging up the pac choi.

Sweet Peppers-A few still  in each share.  The best peppers season we have every had.

Mini Sweet Peppers-A nice sized bag of this sweet assortment too.

Jimmy Nardello-Yet another sweet pepper treat.

Radishes-We harvested two varieties this week and a nice mix is in each share.

French breakfast radishes. Looks like christmas peppermint candy!

Sunflower Shoots-We planted these to pair with the 1st squash of the season.  The nutty flavor is fantastic with the sweet flavor of roasted squash or wonderful as a garnish on a creamy soup.  Keep in a sunny windowsill and snap as needed.

Cucumbers-A late season treat.  A few in each share.  The vines are loaded with blossoms-we need some sun!

A late season cucumber from our last planting in the rotation.

Zucchini-Another treat from the last planting in the rotation.

BEST GUESS FOR NEXT WEEK-HONEY, KALE, SWISS CHARD, SWEET POTATOES, BROCCOLI (FINGERS CROSSED-IT IS TAKING IT’S TIME WITH THESE WET, COLD CLOUDY DAYS) AND MORE…..