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this week's
HARVEST
This list may change, but here's our best guess of what you'll be getting in your share this week. l Cabbage Lettuce Heads Root vegetables - mixed Sweet Potatoes Salad mix Pick up time is 2 - 7 pm! |
DIGGING RUSHTON FARM
We've got a blog! More recipe ideas, musings about the farm and more...join the conversation at Digging Rushton Farm.
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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.
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FORKS FARM
Now delivers to Rushton Farm regularly!
Place your order for sustainably produced grass-fed beef, poultry, and other meats and dairy at Forks Farm.
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KEEP US IN THE LOOP!
Email is our primary means of communicating all CSA matters, so please contact us if your address changes, or if you'd like a family member's address to be added to the CSA mailing list.
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WHEREABOUTS
 Rushton Farm is located on Delchester Road, just south of Goshen Road in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
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ARCHIVES
See prior recipes and read past issues of the Wild Carrot.
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Week of October 31, 2011 ~ Issue no. 25
IN THE BAG tidbits from Fred
In this unusual season it seems only fitting that it ends not with a gentle frost on the pumpkins but with a heavy snow on the fields. Whether it is a harbinger of things to come this winter or Mother Nature showing her sense of humor it does mean the season is drawing to a close. In general many farmers like to end things on October 31st. It leaves time in November to turn over the last fields and clean up the farm before the ground freezes and winter sets in. Farmers also really enjoy celebrating Halloween so it's nice to be able to go out and trick or treat knowing the season is over.
But wait- the season at Rushton Farm is not over! We have two more weeks to enjoy our late season harvest. We will also be offering discounts on the dry goods that are featured at the Saturday Farm Market. These include teas, soaps, salts and honey. It is our hope that these final two weeks will give our members the opportunity to pick up some hardy vegetables and stretch the season a little bit longer.
-Fred
The lower south field in late October (before the snow!) shows off cabbage, watermelon radish,
broccoli, and romanesco.
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THE DIRT notes from the field
What a bizarre growing season. A rainy spring was followed by drought like conditions for much of June and July. Thunderstorms that threatened but never fell on the farm in July came down in torrents in August leaving the pathways in our lower fields underwater, drowning the vines of our winter squash, and washing away many newly germinated seedlings. And now, snow in October?
You might be thinking this marks the end of the season and indeed it looked that way this morning when we took our weekly harvest walk. The broccoli, arugula, kale and collards are coated with a thin layer of snow and ice and we could not lift the row cover off of the carrots, beets, and salad mix without ripping the protective fabric now frozen to the ground.
Fortunately, the crops that remain in the field are amazingly cold tolerant, some hardy enough to survive temperatures as low at 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter hardy plants survive freezing temperatures in two ways. Extra sugars stored in plant cells act as natural antifreeze, making them much sweeter after a few frosty nights. Second, plants pump water out of their cells as temperatures approach freezing so when the cell does freeze it won't burst its walls.
This resiliency means one last harvest of salad mix, root vegetables and cabbage. We are crossing our fingers that the broccoli will come in for the last pick up next week but if not, we will send out an email when they are ready so you can come out to the farm and pick your own along with some late season carrots and the like.
The sweet potatoes that were dug up in September have sweetened in storage and will be in your share this week. Enjoy them now or save them for a Thanksgiving feast!
-Ashley
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The bounty of the season was a feast for the senses for all to share at the Harvest Celebration.
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Trust staffers Fred and Bill attend to the bonfire at the Harvest Celebration, which was attended by over 400 people.
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RECIPES what to do with all those veggies
Roasted Sweet Potatoes The key to this recipe is roasting the sweet potatoes at a very high temperature and tossing them a few times while roasting. The brown sugar really brings out their natural sweetness and adds a caramel-like quality to them. We never have any leftover no matter how many I make. 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Lime wedges (optional) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread cut sweet potato wedges in a single layer. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the potatoes, then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Toss well, then set in middle rack of oven. Toss every 15 minutes. Total roasting time will be about 35-40 minutes. Sweet potatoes will be nicely browned with a few crispy edges. Serve hot with a lime wedge, if desired. -Alicia Sokol
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Roasted Root Vegetables
Peel and trim any assortment of root vegetables into similar size wedges or slices, such as:
8 to 12 slender carrots, peeled and trimmed
8 to 12 baby turnips, peeled
6 to 8 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise in halves
1 or 2 large parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
1 or 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled and halved, each 1/2 cut into quarters
1 or 2 large beets, peeled and cut into thick wedges
1 or 2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into thick wedges
1 celery root, trimmed and halved, halves cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
Other ingredients
1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Season well with salt and black pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly.
Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve the vegetables from their baking dish or transfer them to a platter to accompany a roasted main course.
- Adapted from Wolfgang Puck
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