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What's happening on the farm right now?
We got surprised by some frost this morning. I walked around the farm just as the sun was coming up over the mountain and there were patches here and there, one head of lettuce frosted with the one right next to it just damp with dew. It doesn't look like we lost anything besides a few of the basil plants. Hopefully this past night will have toughen up the flowers and veggies to get through tonight which is supposed to be just a little bit colder.
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And then it is on to the weekend of rain, rain and more rain. A rainy Saturday is actually a lovely time to come to the North Asheville Market because there are no crowds. The vendors are so happy to see you and have time to chat. And all the kinds of produce, bread and other delights that are usually sold out by the time you arrive, are still available! Sophia and I will be at market so please come and visit us.
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Frosty Lettuce. Its neighbor was frost free. How does that work???
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What's available in the store and at market this week?
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We've got cauliflower in the online store this week, along with beets and carrots. Lettuce mix and all the kind of head lettuce. Kale, collards and swiss chard. Eggplants and tomatoes. We've got rossa di milano red onions (great for storing) and yellow onions, white and yellow potatoes. All kinds of winter squash. Parsley. Dahlias and truely lovely mixed bouquets.
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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 cooking observations and delicious recipe offerings appear here each week.
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“If you express love through food, you might be Italian, Greek, or from the South”
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If you still have some delicata squash, and have for a while, now may be the time to bake it. What’s cool is that you can eat the whole thing.
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STORING YOUR WINTER VEGETABLES – Onions, potatoes and squash can be stored for weeks and even months if stored properly. The main thing is a well-ventilated place, as cools as you can find, and as dark as possible. Best temp is 50 or below. This is the ideal for the longest shelf life. Just do the best you can. In past times folks had root cellars and cool basements. We store our butternuts on a pantry shelf and they last 3 or 4 months.
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Do not wash your vegetables!
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WINTER SQUASH – The longest lasting we’ve found are butternuts which can last until late winter or even spring. Other ones can last from 5 or 6 weeks up to 3 months. We use cardboard boxes. Just Google up the type you have for storage information.
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Every month or so, check for spoilage.
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POTATOES – We use boxes or mesh if we’ve got it. Check for brusing, cuts and soft spots. Use these first. With potatoes, checking every week or so is a good idea because one rotten potato can quickly spoil a box full. You can smell the bad ones.
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Sort and store by variety. Do not store near onions.
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ONIONS – Pay attention for onions as they like to spoil. Use mesh bags or boxes with holes punched in them and hang the bags if you can. Milk crates are good too. It is important to check for cuts and brusing and don’t store ones you have dropped. Be sure to trim the ends and peel off extra skin.
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So good luck and hopefully a winter with lots of produce.
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Next week we’ll do some squash recipes.
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Popcorn is ready to harvest! Look for it at market and online towards the end of October.
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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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