West Hartford CSA Pickup Week 17

October 3, 2013 at 1:33 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The leaves are changing color, the tomatoes are dwindling, and fall roots and leaf veggies are coming in. It must be October despite the eighty degree weather!

Harvest NotesOctober 3^rd2013

Tomatoes This is either the last or second to last tomato delivery of the season. Our high tunnel survivor plants are almost done producing. Enjoy these last rays of summer!

Parsley Don’t forget that you can dry your herbs if you decide not to use them this week.

Dinosaur Kale This kale goes by many names (Toscano, Italian, Lacinato, and Dino are common ones.) Here are a few recipes.

Salad MixOur gourmet mix of tender baby salad greens is back for the cool season! There are baby lettuces and mustards in this mesclun mix.

Hot Peppers Each member can choose from a mix of the following (listed from hottest to least hot) hot paper lanter, cayenne, and jalapeno.

Kohlrabi Choose either green or purple. It may look like an alien but it is delicious! Kohlrabi tastes and crunches a lot like a broccoli stem but it is juicier. You can roast it or sautee it but the simplest use is to simply eat it raw. This vegetable is often a big hit with kids when sliced like carrot sticks. The leaves store about as well as kale does (and taste very similar) but the kohlrabi itself will last for months in the crisper of your fridge.

ScallionsThese classics of Asian cuisine are great for stir-fries or as onion substitutes in many recipes.

Gilfeather Turnip This variety may technically go by the name of turnip but it is the absolute best rutabega I’ve ever had. Gilfeathers are part of the Slow Food Ark of Taste because of their amazing flavor and cultural heritage. The breed was developed in Vermont by John Gilfeather, a farmer who kept his prized variety carefully guarded. He went to the lengths of chopping the top and root off each turnip before sale, so no one could regrow the plant. Thankfully a few seeds snuck out, and we are now able to keep this special type going. It would go well with acorn squash, cubed and roasted. You can try out some of these recipes as well.

Acorn Squash Winter Squash can be as simple to cook as slicing it in half, coating it in oil and salt, and throwing it in the oven to roast for an hour. Or, it can get a whole lot fancier.

GarlicThe garlic is now fully dried out and should store well out of the fridge.

Storage Guide for This Week’s Share

CROP	SHORT STORAGE LIFE (eat first)	MED STORAGE LIFE (4-10 days)	LONG STORAGE LIFE (2-6 wks)	STORE IN FRIDGE IN BAG	STORE ON COUNTER	FREEZES WELL
Tomato (storage life depends on how ripe it is the day you get it)		*			*	*
Gilfeather Turnip			*	*
Kohlrabi			*	*
Parsley	*			*		*
Kale	*			*
Hot Peppers		*		*		*
Salad Mix	*			*
Scallions		*		*		*
Garlic			*		*	*
Acorn Squsash			*		*	*

Sela enjoys the last of the summer tomato harvest.