It’s Week Two

Welcome! We are hope that you had a good first week and that you were able to use everything in your bag. Did you discover a new recipe? Try something that will be added to your rotation of meals? Try a new to you vegetable that you liked? Let us know and I will share it here with our other members. If you loved it, others will too!

In Your Box This Week and How to Store Them

MIXED LETTUCE - Store in a plastic bag loosely in your refrigerator. The ideal temperature for storing lettuce is at or near 32 degrees. Wash prior to use. Lettuce stores normally for UP to two weeks. $5

ZUCCHINI -Wash, thoroughly dry, then wrap your cucumber in a dish towel or paper towel, place in an unsealed plastic bag to allow some airflow and place them in the crisper drawer. Can store for up to 10 days. Storing zucchini in the fridge is a quick and simple way to keep zucchini fresh. Keep the zucchini whole until you're prepared to use it, avoid washing zucchini prior to storage. $1.50 x 2

CHERRY TOMATOES: Store tomatoes at room temperature for best taste. If tomatoes are refrigerated, remove them from refrigeration about 30 minutes prior to serving to regain some of their original flavor $4

GOLDEN DELICOUS APPLES - I prefer to pick this variety a little early, they are still mildly tart but also sweet, which is perfect. You can display on your countertop, but they'll only last between 1 and 2 weeks, depending on the variety and room temperature. Apples in the fridge last from 2 weeks to several months. $6

BUTTERNUT SQUASH - Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 F) dark cellar or storage area, but only about two weeks in the refrigerator. We keep ours out on the counter out of direct sunlight and haven’t had any issues with it lasting several weeks. 2.50lbs $5.00

CANDY ONIONS - Store in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to one week. You can peel off layers that become dry or slimy if used after one week. (WHITE) $1.00 X 2

HERBS -

SAGE - To store, simply wrap the sage leaves in paper towels and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Make sure to use the leaves within four to five days. Fresh leaves that are covered in olive oil can be stored for much longer in the refrigerator, about three weeks. Use the flavored oil to your advantage to sauté sage with other ingredients. For example, consider a dish like butternut squash with sage leaves (see recipe below). $2.50

ROSEMARY - You have a couple of options to store Rosemary. First, place the rosemary sprigs in a large mason jar or glass of water, just like you would with a bouquet of flowers. You can set this on the counter, and it will last a few days this way. Second, you can take a slightly damp paper towel and wring out any excess water (should be damp but not soaking wet). Wrap the damp paper towels around the rosemary sprigs. Put the paper towel wrapped rosemary sprigs into the ziplock baggie and seal it, ensuring there is no air inside. Store the bag in the refrigerator and it can last for up to two weeks $2.50

Veggie of the Week

Butternut Squash

I’m so excited for fall squash! Butternut squash is such a versatile crop and can store for long periods of time under the right conditions. Butternut is a nutritional powerhouse packed with flavor. Butternut squash is rich in vitamins A and C. These nutrients boost your immune system and promote healthy skin. It’s also high in fiber, aiding digestion and keeping you full longer, plus it’s low in calories. You can roast it, puree it, or add it to soups. Its sweet, nutty flavor pairs well with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Try it in salads, pasta, soup or as a side dish. A great dish to add butternut too is pasta and herbs pair in so well!

Quick side note: It’s going to be warmer this week and our first couple of recipes will reflect lighter meals, but if you want to save your squash, I will add heartier options too.

This recipe will use many options in your bag this week, I apologize that we will not be able to provide the garlic (crop failure this year). It is simply and easy, which is something we love in our household!

Butternut Squash and Pasta With Sage Recipe (thespruceeats.com)

This recipe looks yummy! My mother made something similar not that long ago and it was delicious. Might add a little grilled chicken too. I know it is a more complex, but want to wow dinner guests or your family this week? Try this!

Butternut Squash Salad Recipe - Love and Lemons

. This is going to be something I try in the coming weeks as the cooler weather sets in. Super simple in a blender and then warmed over the stove. Using vegetable broth instead of cream makes it an option for our vegan families. If you have been saving your vegetable scraps or have made homemade vegetable broth from your summer CSA this is the time to put the broth to use. It also uses fresh sage and rosemary. Pair this with fresh crusty loaf of bread or better yet eat in a bread bowl!

Butternut Squash Soup Recipe - Love and Lemons

This is a side dish that incorporates apples, which you also recieved this week. Pairs great with baked or roasted chicken. Want to be fancy, try marinating lamb chops with rosemary, garlic, olive oil…. well I’ll put the reicpe here, Garlic & Rosemary Grilled Lamb Chops - Delish D'Lites (delishdlites.com). Add the squash apple bake as a side or the soup would be delicious paired with a salad…yum!

Butternut Squash and Apples Recipe - Roast 'em up! - Pip and Ebby

Additional Recipes

Cracker Barrel Copycat Skillet Fried Apples - Feels Like Home Blog

Sauteed Zucchini Recipe – WellPlated.com

Air Fryer Zucchini | Air Frying Foodie

Oven "Sun-Dried" Tomatoes - Gimme Some Oven

What’s Been Happening Here

We have completed our fall plantings of radish, spinach and lettuce… finally! Our new misting systems have worked wonders. They ensure even and quick germination, giving our crops the best start possible. In just four short weeks, we hope to include these in your weekly bags. Our brussel sprouts and fall beans are also coming along, although slowly but, nonetheless they are coming. We have cultivated and diligently walked the fields daily scouting for pests to ensure a good crop. Fingers crossed these will also make it into your bags before the end of the fall CSA.

This week we also attended a disease workshop in Jefferson City where we were asked to speak on our experiences with diagnosis and management. It was an informative session, and we were excited to be a part of it.

We’ve also been busy with the start of football, fall soccer sign-ups, FFA sales have begun, and of course farmers markets.

If All Else Fails

If your week has been crazy and you haven’t had time to do a thing with items in your bag, focus on these tasks:

Lettuce will store for at least 7 days. We wash and spin dry your lettuce one time. You should wash and dry again before consumption. Keep in mind moisture leads to spoilage. You can wait to wash your greens until you plan to consumer them. Place greens in an airtight container such as a bag or Tupperware.
You can freeze onions. Simply chop them up and store in freezer bag or containers and pull out as needed to use.
Rosemary can freeze. Wash sprigs thoroughly and dry them well. Leave the leaves on the stem and arrange the sprigs on a baking tray so that the individual stems do not touch − this prevents the stems from freezing together and makes it easier to remove individual sprigs later. Place the baking tray in the freezer for a few hours to freeze the rosemary sprigs. Once frozen, transfer the rosemary sprigs to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. Frozen rosemary can be stored for a year or more. Frozen rosemary sprigs do not need to be defrosted before cooking
Fresh sage must be used quickly. Whether it's homegrown or purchased, oregano should be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. If you place a slightly damp paper towel in the bag with the oregano and leave some air in the bag, it may extend the life up to one week. You may also extend the shelf life of fresh oregano by storing whole stems with leaves in a glass of water with a plastic bag loosely tented over the glass. Fresh oregano can also be frozen. Before doing so, though, wash and dry the fresh oregano sprigs. Strip whole leaves from stems and place in plastic bag loosely without crushing but remove all air.
Zucchini can be shredded and frozen as well.
Apples can store in your crisper for weeks without problem.
Winter squash will also store for weeks if not months if kept in a cool, dry space away from direct sunlight.

Next Week’s Possibility’s

Your bag next week will include 6-7 of the following depending on availability and if it’s ready to harvest.

apples
potatoes
onions
okra
sweet potatoes
patty pan squash
delicata
bell peppers
Other peppers (poblano, jalapeño, anaheim, banana, etc.)
Fairy Tale Eggplant
cherry tomatoes
slicing tomatoes (heirloom type)
butternut squash
spaghetti squash
acorn squash
zucchini
herbs (rosemary, sage, oregano, parsley)
San Marzano tomatoes (roma type)
green beans (BIG MAYBE)

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead, see you next week!

Fall CSA Newsletter: Week 2