Greetings!   

This week I'm very excited to have apple cider.  My cider guy, Gary, was thinking this would be the first year ever that he didn't have cider by Halloween.  He made some calls, scraped up enough apples, and we'll have cider.

You are probably wondering why cider is tight this year?  It starts with the fact that the apple crop is horrible.  The fruit that survived is delicious.  The hot, dry weather concentrated the flavors.  However, the warm spring - those 80 degree days in March - caused the trees to bud early.  Then in April it got cold for a couple weeks and there was a string of about 8 hard frosts in a row.  That killed most of the buds and therefore no apples.  Rich Eshleman, my primary apple supplier, estimates his loss at about 80% this year!  Now figure that the demand is about the same...that leaves a few basic options - either price goes up or someone doesn't get apples, or both.  

That being said, I have a good relationship with Rich and he's sorted out some beautiful Empire Red apples for us this week.  Each bag will get a quarter peck.  

Another special product this week is the pepper havarti.  Susan Morris was going to stop making this product except that I insisted that she makes it for my customers.  It has a mild kick to it from red pepper flakes embedded into the creamy and buttery havarti cheese.  Yum!

As for produce this week, we have some black beans, which will go well with any left over winter squash you may have or even chorizo.  We'll also have acorn squash, broccoli, mustard greens, and napa cabbage -  a leaf type cabbage with broad, crunchy leaves.  

So here is this week's full package:  

Summer Week 20: 

1 head napa cabbage

1 8 oz chunk pepper havarti

1 bunch mustard greens

1 lb black beans

1 half lb mixed greens

1 head broccoli 

1 acorn squash

1 half gallon apple cider

1 quarter peck Empire Red apples

Large CSA Share Small contents above plus:

1 bunch collard greens

1 butternut squash

2 ct red peppers

1 head cauliflower

1 head leaf lettuce

1 package, 1.25 lb, Andouille sausage (smokey, spanish sausage) 

Vegan Share (in plaec of cheese)

1 bag rolled oats, 1.5#

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 butternut squash

1 head leaf lettuce