Greetings!   

What a nice surprise the weather is this week.  It's like summer is coming back!  I'm hoping this helps extend the season a little or at least give a push to some of the later crops. 

This week we have a nice mix of vegetables:  mustard greens, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, onions, and peppers.  Then throw in the black beans and cheddar and I immediately see soups, chilis, salads and dips.  

For the large members this week we have some very nice items. In fact, we have so many we'll have to trim back next week.  

There are two meats in the large this week.  The first is one lb of grassfed beef stew meat.  This will go great with the tomatoes, beans, and cheese in a body warming chili (although we don't quite need that this week!).

The second is a brand new product.  Seasoned (no msg or nitrates) and smoked chicken wings!  These fully cooked chicken wings are ready for a quick basting in your favorite wing sauce and a few minutes in the oven or on the grill to heat them up.  Robert and I came up with this product idea  last month.  Then when they came in, Mike (one of the drivers and our official Browns fan at Fresh Fork) made note that the Browns play Buffalo this week.  With Buffalo being the home of the original chicken wings, it only seems appropriate that we bump this product up a week and feature them this week.  There are extra chicken wings available for preorder and they will be $5 per lb with approximately 7 to 8 wings per lb.  Please preorder the wings at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com before Tuesday at midnight.  

Turkey Breast Lunchmeat.  About 70 packages left.

The turkey breast lunchmeat was very popular last week.  I know I had lots of folks asking at the back of the truck but we will not have it at the back of the truck. Please preoroder it online at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com by Tuesday at Midnight.  After this, our next turkeys are harvested on Oct 16th, which means the turkey breast lunchmeat will be back in stock at the end of October.  

This lunchmeat is made with the same turkey as our Thanksgiving turkeys.  They are pasture raised on organic pastures and their diet supplemented with non-gmo grains.  The birds never receive hormones or antibiotics and live a happy life outside.  The breast meat is then cured with a no-nitrate cure and smoked.  It is ready to eat right out of the package.  It is $8 per 1# package. 

Beer Brat Experiment - feedback wanted

If you purchased the beer brats last week, please send us your thoughts.  We have to make a decision before Monday so we can make more brats next week.  Please just reply to this email with your opinions of the sausage, how you cooked them, and which you preferred.  

Baked Goods to Warm the Soul

I keep forgetting to write about these.  Has anyone tried the brownie mix, yellow cake mix, or cornbread from Sugarplum Cake Company?  Well, Robert and Lauren (greeter on the west routes) have been raving about the brownie mix all month and I'm quite partial to the cornbread, which is great served with ratatouille or chili. 

These mixes are all original recipes from Jewels Johnson, owner of Sugarplum, and are made using local ingredients including whole wheat flour and cornmeal from Stutzman Farms.  

Here are some quick descriptions of the products:

Chocolate Brownie Mix (per Robert): $8   Rich, dense, and fudge-like. The high quality chocolate shines through and a little piece goes a long way.  Excellent with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.   

Yellow Cake Mix:  $7   Sweet, moist, and dense (soft but not light and fluffy) with a hint of caramelized sugar.  Can be used great as a layered cake or even substituted for a shortcake and served with fruit or jam and whipped cream.  No frosting necessary.  

Cornbread:  $5   Soft, moist, and sweet.  It's almost a cross between cornbread and cake and is sure to impress your guests!  

The best way to get the baking mixes is to preorder online at http://csalogin.freshforkmarket.com 

Ohio Sausagefest, this weekend

One of our former employees and a current customer, Mathias, is involved in organizing and promoting this first ever event.  We are sad that we can't participate actively (as a vendor) due to deliveries that day, but maybe next year we'll be involved.  

The event is Saturday, Oct 5th from 10 AM to 6 PM at Brandywine Country Club in Peninsula.  Full details can be found at their website at http://www.ohiosausagefest.com. 

So here is this week's entire list: 

Summer Week 18: 

Small Share

1/2 lb leaf lettuce mix

1 bunch mustard greens

Approx 2 lbs tomatoes, mixed romas and heirlooms

1 head broccoli

2-3 red peppers 

Approx 3# Bosc pears (quarter peck)

1 large candy onion

2# bag organic black turtle beans

8 oz smoked grassfed cheddar cheese 

Large Share

Small package plus:

1 sleeve bok choy

1 kohlrabi

1 bunch collards

1 butternut squash

1 lb green beans

1 lb lima beans

1 lb grassfed beef stew meat

1 lb smoked chicken wings

 Vegetarian Substitutions 

no substitution needed but I had already ordered beans, so:

1 lb green beans

Vegan Substitutions (in place of cheese)

1 butternut squash

1 lb lima beans

1 kohlrabi