Weekly CSA Newsletters for Waltham Fields Community Farm
Community Farms Outreach
Waltham Fields Community Farm
Home Programs Get Involved CSA About Us
 
CSA Overview
How to Join
FAQs
Harvest Schedule
Produce Info and Recipes
Newsletters
Tips for Share Pick-up
  

Weekly CSA Newsletter: September 24-30, 2006(Week #16)

In This Issue:

  1. This week's share may include: ...
  2. Pick-Your-Own Crops and Information
  3. Notes from the Field - Reminders and Frequently Asked Questions
  4. Recipes
  5. Upcoming Events: Third Sunday Gathering October 15th at 4 PM
  6. CFO Contact Information

1. This week's share may include

  • Winter Squash
  • Potatoes
  • Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Tomatoes
  • Kale
  • Spinach
  • Fennel
  • Beets
  • Salad Greens

2. Pick-Your-Own Crops

  • Cilantro / Dill / Basil / Parsley
  • Hot Peppers

All shareholders are invited to pick your own from 9 AM to 7:30 PM on Sundays and from 3 PM to 7:30 PM on Thursdays. Please visit the PYO station near the red shed for locations of crops and all PYO tools and materials.

3. Notes from the Field

A few reminders to help the final weeks of the CSA go smoothly for all.

  • Thanks for handing your share off to friends on days when you can't make it! This is a great way to share the CSA wealth. Please make sure that your friends or family know when pickup hours are, and that they've read the basic instructions for pickup that are available on our website, www.communityfarms.org. If you or they have any questions, please feel free to email us at csainfo@communityfarms.org, or give us a call at (781) 899-2403 x1.
  • Please remember that the farm fields are closed on Fridays and Saturdays. For safety reasons, we prefer that you not pick-your-own outside of posted hours, and we definitely request that you not harvest any crops when farm staff are not on the farm. Feel free to visit the site, walk around, picnic, etc, but please let the fields rest until the next harvest day.
  • Please also remember that our on-farm CSA distributions close at 7:30. We need to send our staff and distribution coordinators home. We know that there are times when you are just running late (we do, too), but please try to plan to arrive at the farm a little before 7:30 rather than right at 7:30 if possible.
  • As always, thank you for your tremendous support this season! It is
truly a pleasure and a privilege to grow food for all of you.

Frequently Asked Questions On the Farm

When does regular distribution end?

We're planning on October 22 and 26 being our last regular distributions for the season. We will keep the same distribution schedule (Sunday and Thursday, 3 PM to 7:30 PM at the farm, Tuesdays from 5-7 in Davis Square) until the last distribution. Pick-your-own hours will continue to be Sundays, 9 AM until dark and Thursdays, 3 PM until dark (unless you bring a headlamp) until PYO crops are finished for the season.

When are winter share pickups?

November 19 and December 17 from 2-6 PM, both under the distribution shelter at the farm.

Can I still buy a winter share?

All our winter shares are sold out for the season, but other local farms might still have winter shares for sale. Check LocalHarvest for more information.

When can I renew my share for next season?

We will send you a sign-up form for 2007, along with a payout summary (our annual "What Your Share was Worth and Why" spreadsheet) in our winter newsletter at the beginning of January.

What do farmers do in the wintertime?

Rest! And eat all the veggies that we (hopefully) put by in the summer. And read, and eat some more. And watch movies. And eat. But seriously - our whole farm staff is putting a lot of time into figuring out their next steps for the 2007 farming season. Meryl, Danny, Nate and Jen are all hoping to find new farming situations that can help them make a living doing what they love and are so good at. Amanda will spend the winter refining her crop plan, hiring staff, ordering supplies and making plans for the 2007 season. We will miss you all, but look forward to seeing some of you at the winter share distributions, harvest potluck, and solstice celebration.

Storing Your CSA Harvest

As many of you know, the first frost and the winding down of the harvest are right around the corner. If it seems like we're trying to overwhelm you with produce right now - we are! We're hoping that you will load up on crops that store well in the next couple of weeks, even if you still have some at home. You can keep these crops into the late fall and winter and eat them when you miss your CSA share - so don't despair if you can't finish it all up in one week!

  • Potatoes are a classic storage crop. We harvest them and distribute them dirty so that they store better for you. Keep them dirty, slightly moist, and around 55-60 degrees Farenheit for best storage - they will last from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on the variety. Ask at the distribution if you have questions about a variety.
  • Sweet potatoes also store very well. We don't cure them for you on the farm, but you can cure them at home by exposing them to sunny, 80-degree conditions for a week and then keeping them cool and dry. Curing also turns the starches into sugars, making the sweet potatoes oh-so-delicious.
  • We try to distribute winter squash in the reverse order of how long it will keep. All winter squash is cured in the greenhouse to dry down the skin and stem and develop the sugars in the flesh. The early acorn, delicata squash and pie pumpkins should be used within a few weeks, then the kabochas and buttercups, but the butternuts and hubbard often stay good until next spring. Store them around 50 degrees (or at room temperature - not in the refrigerator) for best results.
  • Many other crops, including roots and greens, can simply be blanched and frozen to use later in the winter. Don't be shy! Take your whole share and stock up now for the lean days of winter.

How do you store the harvest? Send Saskia your ideas and tips! Enjoy the last weeks of big harvests!

4. Recipes

All recipes this week are from Ann Bonsett

Butternut Squash Casserole

Note: all measurements are estimates. You can adjust to taste and number of guests

  • 2 1/2 butternut squash - skinned and cut into cubes
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 stick margarine/butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 8 oz chopped walnuts/pecans

Boil squash in water, simmer until soft.

Mix in heavy cream and mash.

Fill into casserole dish and set aside.

Melt margarine/butter in frying pan.

Add brown sugar and nuts. Stir until all nuts are coated. Spread over top of squash.

Bake at 350F until bubbling, 40 - 45 min.

Leek, Potato, and Onion Soup

Taken from: Paul James' Home Grown Cooking - Episode 146

  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), sliced
  • 1 ¾ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced -medium
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 ¾ quarts vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks, potatoes, and onion to heated pot. Sauté until onion is just translucent. Add broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree about four or five cups of the soup in a blender. Return puree to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Heat to serving temperature. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Notes:

  1. This soup can be prepared a day or two ahead.
  2. Leeks are a versatile vegetable and can be served many ways; as a salad of steamed baby leeks dressed with an herb vinaigrette; cut into short lengths and added to a vegetable medley; or stir fried whole with beans, peas and carrots.
  3. Used mainly the white part of the leek, but the tops can be used in soups. Carefully clean leeks, as dirt becomes lodged between the leaves. Soaking them for 15 minutes or so will loosen the soil and make the cleaning easier.
  4. Leeks are a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin C and some of the B vitamins.

Leek, Cheddar, and Tomato Sandwich

Taken from: Paul James' Home Grown Cooking - Episode 146

  • 3 Tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature
  • 4 slices sourdough bread (or favorite bread)
  • 3 baby leeks (white and pale green part only), julienned
  • 2/3 cup white cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 slices firm ripe tomato
  • 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Spread butter evenly on one side of each bread slice. Place two bread slices, butter side down, in skillet. Top with leeks, some cheese, then tomato, and then a little more cheese. Spread mayonnaise on other bread slices. Place bread, mayonnaise side down on top. Cook until lightly browned, then flip and brown the other side.

5. Upcoming events

Sunday, October15th, 4:00 pm Third Sunday Gathering

Third Sunday Gatherings: The third Sunday of every month we host an informal gathering of members, shareholders and supporters. This is a chance to connect with other farm-friendly folks. The gatherings are scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. Meet near the distribution shelter. Third Sunday Gatherings begin in May and are held through the third Sunday in October. The Third Sunday of November will be a harvest potluck and CFO's Annual Meeting will now be held in January 2007 (date TBD).

6. Contact Information

To reach us:

Community Farms Outreach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to farmland preservation, hunger relief, and education.