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Misty morning in Big Sandy Mush
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What's happening on the farm right now:
I'm so glad that we got all the winter squash up last week. It is safe and dry, curing in the barn. It looks like the best and biggest crop we've ever had. We had to make two trips out to Van Wingertan's Greenhouses in Mills River to get enough crates to store it all, at 175 crates a trip. Each squash we've cooked so far has been sweet and delicious. Hopefully that will be your experience as well.
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We got a lot of planting done before the downpours on Monday afternoon, a big planting of kale and collards for our November and December markets and more beds of lettuce and lettuce mix. After the rain settled in, we headed to the greenhouse and seeded more lettuce and lettuce mix, a round of fall spinach and our over-wintering onions. After harvest yesterday, still in the rain, we headed back to the greenhouse for stepping up our over-wintering flowers. And, wow, that's kind of a wrap on our greenhouse sowings for 2023! We have one more round of lettuce and spinach and we are done. The number of beds in production starts to go down now and our focus turns cleaning up and clearing out fields so we can sow our fall cover crop in the next couple of weeks.
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Flower harvest on Tuesday
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What's available in the store and at market this week?
The peppers have finally started to color up. We have 1lb quarts of mixed colored peppers online and at the RAD market today, as well as poblanos, shishitos and jalapenos. We've got all the kales this week, green curly, red curly and Italian black, along with some lovely collards. Rainbow swiss chard. Red beets with tops. Winter squash: honeynut, delicata, butternut, acorn and angel hair spaghetti. Three kinds of onions, lots of kinds of potatoes.
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The usual line up of tomatoes: heirloom, red slicing cherries and cocktail. I think this our last week for summer squash. The bugs and disease have finally moved in. Cukes are finshed until our late planting high tunnel ones come in. Dahlias for days, sunflowers and mixed bouquets. Also celosia and gomphrena bunches are online now as well as at market.
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North Asheville Tailgate Market hours are
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Saturdays 8am-12pm on the campus of UNC Asheville.
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River Arts District Farmers Market hours are
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Wednesdays 3-6pm at the Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Drive.
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John's Recipe of the Week
| John Loyd is our dear friend, neighbor, CSA worker member and a gourmet Southern cook. His delightful observations on gardening and cooking appear here each week. |
“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” Doug Larson
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STORING YOUR WINTER SQUASH – Winter squash, like butternut, is the most durable of the squash family. Stored well, and with some luck, it can last up to 4 months. If you can, store winter squash in dark places at 50/55 degrees. The shelf life is shortened the warmer the squash is stored. Keep them away from ripening fruit and don’t let them touch each other. Check them often. Butternut squash freezes well and you can roast it directly from the freezer. Peel, seed, and cut it into one inch squares. Then put it on a cookie sheet, freeze, and drop it into freezer bags.
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ROASTING YOUR SQUASH – Once roasted, squash can be used many ways. Simply butter and put on the table. Maybe add a bit of maple syrup. We often go on and make soup with our roasted squash. It is up to you if you care to peel before roasting.
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Preheat the oven to 375F. Cut into pieces about ¾ inch thick. Place on a baking sheet, oil, salt lightly, cover tightly with foil and roast for 30 minutes or so until just tender. The foil can be taken off the last ten minutes to make the squash crispier.
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Look for some more winter squash ideas soon.
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BEET GREENS – These greens can be processed and eaten like all other greens. They contain lots of nutrient value. To prep the greens, two rinses are best. Then boil salted water and blanch for 2 minutes until they are tender. Put in a bowl of ice water then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely. Now you’re ready to cook them. At this point you can keep them for a day or so in the refrigerator. Sauté is a great way to cook the greens.
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One pound of beet greens, prepped, and ready to cook
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Additions can be lemon juice and or lemon zest
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Heat the oil and cook the garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring until fragrant. Add the greens and stir for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Check on the internet for other ways to use the greens. There are lots of ideas.
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Another shot of Nature's pest control and another way I would not like to go
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Your farmers, Vanessa and Alex
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Love the flowers. Honor the vegetables. Let the weeds go!
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- Cheri Huber and Ashwini Narayanan
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