Fall CSA #31

November 15

Well it looks and feels quite official outside now.   We've been pretty lucky as far as frost goes until yesterday when some items froze quite hard.  Today I will be getting as much as i can save harvested up into bins to be washed and prepared later, it's something I wish had already been done but we have been going non-stop for quite awhile now and i just couldn't get to it.
 Still, this year, we are further ahead than we've ever been but it still would be nice to have a few more things done.  There is always more to do and it's hard not to work all the time. Thankfully this time of year the days are shorter because it's so dark out there and there's no point going out too early because everything is frozen.  However, we still cheat Mother Nature's limits by erecting greenhouses and washing and bagging produce at night.
Last night, when my husband got in from closing up the farm he said in a discouraged voice and now i have to start worrying about things freezing (water). Last winter was brutal! I really hope we have an average winter when it comes to temperature and snowfall. Our son has joined a travel basketball team and we are hoping to be able to enjoy the events together but if the weather is too bad I will have to go at things alone while my husbands stays back to keep things going.  It would, however, be nice to get away just a little something we haven't been able to do in a very long time!

This weeks baskets:

1 bag of Chez Nous Mix
Kohlrabi
Tatsoi Greens (so sweet and crisp- use in place of spinach)
Celery
Butterhead Lettuce ( I did get at this a week too late, a little bit of damage on tips of leaves but gorgeous inside)

Greens upgrade: Bag of mixed leaves broccoli and Flower Sprouts and a bag of spinach

 Here is the beautiful butter lettuce before damage...

As bittersweet as frost is....it's beautiful!  It does make veggies sweeter however it can change their texture somewhat by making them floppier which isn't really an issue because it taste amazing!

Here are some pictures of out side crops this morning:

Cabbages were put in very late and i am surprised they even came along this far. Will more likely be used as looser leaf cooking greens.

Little broccoli sprouts

These carrots need to come out

 When crops are frozen they look very droopy and perk back up when they thaw, for the most part.

Mustard seemed the hardest hit.  Leaves that have grown in warmer weather can't tolerate as much cold as new leaves that grew while it was cold.  

Swiss Chard

Collards

Escarole which should appear in your baskets next week.

Very small golden beets

Bok Choy

Turnips and celery

Flower Sprouts, really hoping to send some out soon.

Leeks look un-bothered.

Next week baskets will be available earlier on  friday as we are leaving for a basketball tournament in the afternoon.

Have a great weekend!