CSA Week 16: In your share this week

The long-awaited return of Baby Salad Mix! It's been a long time, I know. The mid-season heat discouraged planting for so long, and this recent planting then took a long time to size up, but it is gorgeous and delectable right now, with red and/or green leaf lettuce, tatsoi, choi, baby red russian kale, red mustard, arugula, and possibly a few baby beet greens for extra red. Enjoy!

Winter Squash: you may see green or tan Acorn Squash (tan variety is called Paydon; it's our first year growing it; let us know what you think), Delicata, or Sweet Dumpling

Potatoes: Red Gold or Carola (yellow skin and flesh)

Broccoli! Beautiful fall heads, with tender stalks- peel and use stalk insides along with florets. Yes, even the leaves are edible- chop and toss in with florets.

Beets! Either Red Ace (classic red) or Chioggia (pink, bullseye-patterned inside) with beautiful greens- use greens exactly as you would Swiss chard. (next week: carrots)

Turnip greens! My southern grandmother's favorite way to prepare these is to boil beyond recognition in a pot with a ham bone, but I suggest chopping, then a gentle saute or steam, just enough to cook til tender and bright green, then add an acid like lemon or vinegar (esp. vinegar that's been soaking hot chiles and extracted some spicy goodness)

the last of the Sweet Onions- just enough for one more batch of salsa

Tomatoes- the cold weather is slowing them down, but they'll still produce until frost hits- enjoy these last few weeks!

Peppers- sweet Carmen (long, horn-shaped reds), Pimiento (squat, flattened, ribbed reds- super super sweet), red or orange bells, or sweet yellow peppers
and some hot chiles too!

Basil- either regular Italian, purple, lemon, or Thai
*one more reminder: preserving shares ARE still available - one generous pound of basil for $10, first come, first served.*

Garlic- a heads up: the Garlic Planting Party is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 31 - yes, hallowe'en- come in costume!

One more heads up: the Hoophouse Plastic Pulling Party is scheduled for Sunday Oct. 3. We'll aim for a morning work party, as wind tends to be calmer in the a.m. but the whole thing is weather-dependent. Save the date, and we'll be in touch that week when we'll have a better idea of what the weather may allow us to do.