Fall CSA #29

Fall CSA #29

Good morning

It looks like cooler temperatures have arrived, crops like Kale and Mustards don't mind so we aren't too stressed about getting them all harvested, they will, in fact sweeten up a little as the temps dip. Other crops will tolerate some frost with a little protection such as celery, Asian Greens and Swiss Chard so we worry about harvesting them first.  This explains two similar itens in your baskets this week- Swiss Chard and Bok Choy. We do our best to vary items as much as possible but thought they both needed a good harvest.


In your baskets this week:

1 Chez Nous Mix
1 Rainbow Swiss Chard
1 Bok Choy
leeks
Rainbow Heirloom Carrots
Green Tomato Ketchup ( a french tradition made with green tomatoes- goes well with meat dishes (such as tourtière or stew, eggs, pasta)

This week we had an Organic inspection and it took a good part of the day, setting us a little behind. As we toured the grounds, I heard my husband tell the inspector how it was unfortunate that we would not be able to move our Move-able hoop house.  It was the first time i heard this news and i was a little devastated as we have some beautiful crops there that i wanted to protect.  So, after the inspection and my obvious disappointment, my husbands wheels started turning as he plotted out how he was going to manage it.  And there it went, from the tomatoes, over the carrots to finally rest over the Greens where it will stay during the winter allowing us to continue to harvest some sweet Kale.

Our biggest and nicest tomatoes were grown in the open hoop house this summer.

The plan was to cover these carrots to be harvested mid- winter as candy carrots because they should be super sweet! However after seeing the beautiful patch of greens in the 3rd plot we decided that it would be much easier to try and cover the carrots with fleece and plastic and continue to pull the hoop house over the greens.

Ideally we would like to have this upon a track system allowing us to easily slide it back and forth.   

We still need to cover both ends.
  

By now most gardens are saturated with water and the limited sun we get in the Fall is not enough to dry the beds up. However, uncovering the summer plot gave us a few nice dry beds to till and plant- garlic will be going in here.

My husband harvesting the gorgeous colored Heirloom carrots you received this week.

A few of the crops i plan on harvesting next week. Asian Greens, baby turnips and celery.

As well as the lettuces.

Last I would like to share a new recipe i made recently.  I absolutely loved this!   It was shared by a site where i do lots of online shopping. It's called Life Without Plastic.  This recipe is a great way to use a variety of veggies, the flavor is so vibrant. I served it with a side of Mustard Greens/ leeks and some fire bread.  ( we love to flame bread and wraps over the gas stove the char adds a wonderful extra!)

http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/ca/blog/fall-for-dal.html

 Next week's basket should contain 1 sweet potato ( yea not a huge crop) and a few hot peppers which would fit nicely into this dish.   I used bok choy in mine.

Have a great weekend!