This list may change, but here's our best guess of what you'll be getting in your share this week. l

 

Summer vegetable tian makes use of Rushton Farm's bounty. Recipe from Aug. 22 Wild Carrot

 

 

 

 

DIGGING RUSHTON FARM

 

We've got a blog!  More recipe ideas, musings about the farm and more...join the conversation at Digging Rushton Farm.

 

   

 

 

 

WCT BIRD BLOG 

 

Keep up with what's happening at our banding station at Rushton Woods Preserve as well as other activities in our Bird Conservation Program.  Inspiring photos and words from our staff and supporters.

 

   

 

   

There has been a lot of talk within the farming community about the difficulties farmers have had to face this season.   Tomatoes that usually last well into October are cracking on the vine from over saturation. On many farms lettuce beds and field greens are being washed out by the repetitive heavy rains. Pumpkins and winter squash are withering in the field. This has been a challenging season to say the least.

 

Last week I took the time to pull out my field journals from the last 12 years to try to find a season that parallels this one. It is often therapeutic to look at entries from past seasons to remember that there is no perfect season and every year has its trials and tribulations. It would be hard to argue that record heat and rain, an earthquake and a hurricane followed by an additional 6 inches of rain could be matched but I did find some solace in the weathered pages of these journals. In 1998 nearly 2 months went by without rain. In 2000 an April 19th snow covered early plantings of greens and peas and burnt the blossoms on the fruit trees. 2003 saw multiple days of frost in late May that caused the farm I was at to lose over a thousand tomato plants. The flooding from hurricane Floyd in 1999 seems to have done as much damage to local farms as the heavy rains of this year.

 

The purpose of these "fond" remembrances is not to wallow in self pity over the difficulties one faces in a season but to recognize that weather is a constant to be dealt with and it's never all bad. While the tomatoes may be suffering from the water, the fall carrots, beets, broccoli and greens are flourishing. The lettuce and salad greens at Rushton have not been washed out and they are looking quite healthy. Personally, I think we are going to have a brilliant fall and with a little bit of sun and dry weather we expect most of the fall crops to meet expectations. So while the rain may come the sun will always return and with a little luck, a soggy season can turn into a thriving one.

 

 

- Fred      

   

Despite the seemingly never ending rain showers we have been receiving, we were able to squeeze in quite a bit of work this past week. Ideally, we try not to disturb the crops too much during rainy weather because of the threat of spreading diseases from plant to plant among other reasons. But sometimes we do what we have to and hope that the plants are not affected too much.

 

This past week we harvested another couple of beds of Kennebec potatoes and will be harvesting the rest this week. We also harvested a majority of our winter squash including the spaghetti, acorn, and some of the delicata (my favorite).

 

We are also growing butternut and kabocha squash but they, along with the rest of the delicate, are taking longer to grow and ripen. Hopefully we will be harvesting them in a week or two.

 

As with the onions, the squash is currently curing in the green house. Curing the squash will help it store longer. Another crop that we will be doing a big harvest of this week are sweet potatoes! These will also be cured in the greenhouse. Curing sweet potatoes helps store longer and improves their sweetness.

 

Here's hoping for drier weather! 

 

- Lisa

   

 

Spicy Spaghetti Squash with Black Beans 

 

 

Serve these stuffed squash halves immediately or fill with the stuffing and refrigerate them, covered, one day in advance. Simply reheat them before serving.

 

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash 

Filling 
2 teaspoons olive or corn oil 
1/2 cup red onion, chopped 
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced 
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped 
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained well 
1/2 cup sweet corn, frozen or fresh 
1 teaspoon chili powder 
All of the reserved cooked squash, about 4 cups 
1/3 cup cilantro, minced 
1 tablespoon lime juice 
1 teaspoon sea salt

 

Roast squash in a 375°F oven for 50 minutes until tender or cut squash in half and place in a microwave dish with 1/2 inch of water, lightly covered with plastic wrap for 20 minutes on high until tender. cool. When cool, scoop flesh from squash halves leaving the shell intact for stuffing. 

For the filling, heat oil in a large pan and sauté red onion, jalapeño chili and red pepper for 2 minutes. Add beans, corn and chili powder; sauté 1 minute longer. Add cooked squash, cilantro, lime juice and salt, cook 1 minute until heated through. 

Fill squash halves with filling, mounding mixture in the center.

 

 

 - Whole Foods Market

 

 

Spaghetti Squash with Feta, Black Olives & Basil   

 

 

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise

and seeded

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoons sliced black olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

 

2.  Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.

 

3.  Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.

 

4.  Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl.

Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

 

 

- Allrecipes.com

 

Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

 

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 medium beets, cooked and quartered

6 cups fresh arugula

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries

1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed

3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

 

 

Line a baking sheet with foil. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper. Toss the beets in a small bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool.

 

Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad atop 4 plates. Arrange the beets around the salad. Sprinkle with the avocado and goat cheese, and serve.

 

-       Giada De Laurentiis