Wednesday Classic Harvest Boxes

Wednesday Jersey Fresh Necessities Boxes

Thursday Classic Harvest Boxes

Thursday Jersey Fresh Necessities Boxes

Helpful information about herbs you received can be found here: Your 2017 CSA Herb Garden

Helpful information on share contents can be found in the Produce Information Booklet

Letters & Information

“Food For Thought” by Jennifer Borealo

“I can’t wait!” I have been hearing these words for weeks now. Believe me we feel the same way. We are ready to welcome all of you! The greenhouses and the fields have come alive and we are all busy working at this first share and of course we are setting our sights on the weeks to come as well.
Early in the season some of the produce in the shares will have been wintered over. Those of us who are seasoned realize that the spring is time for leafy greens. This week the spinach in the shares comes to us from the organic fields having survived the extreme cold!

So let’s get started. First you will find that you will have two potted herbs in your share each week for the next 5 to 6 weeks. Parsley and mint are the first two. It is okay to leave the herbs in the small pots for a while or prepare to plant your kitchen garden either in the ground or in larger pots. Mint should be planted alone. It will send out runners that that need space. The pot with parsley can have the cilantro and basil that will come along later. The light and water needs of each of these plants is similar so they will flourish. If you were with us last year you might see your chives coming back in your garden, they are thriving in the organic fields and will be cut and in the shares this week. Snip them into your scrambled eggs, salads, potatoes, and rice. Try to use them within the next five days. Cilantro will be in the shares ready to enhance any of your Southwestern or Mexican favorites.

Leafy greens are abundant at this time of the year. In the past the recommendation was to store in plastic bags or containers along with, or wrapped in, paper towel. Continuing to read and research there are many sites that just use the plastic bag. If you are keeping the greens for just a few days this method can be successful. The greens from the radishes can be used in salads and soup. Remember to cut the tops off and store the radishes separately.

We have been pressing cider in the past few weeks during the spring tours. The late season apples have been in cold storage over the winter. The mixture of apples has proven to be a winner. The cider was well received through the spring. It is a treat at this time of year!

CSA member Michele Zanzonico was in touch last week with a recipe that she tried over the winter using the cranberry beans from one of the last shares in November. I will share that recipe later in the season. If you have any questions, ideas, or recipes please share, you can reach me by writing to jenn@alstedefarms.com

Wednesday Classic Harvest Boxes

Wednesday Jersey Fresh Necessities Boxes

Thursday Classic Harvest Boxes

Thursday Jersey Fresh Necessities Boxes

Helpful information about herbs you received can be found here: Your 2017 CSA Herb Garden

Helpful information on share contents can be found in the Produce Information Booklet

Letters & Information

“Food For Thought” by Jennifer Borealo

With October and Halloween in the past, we set our sights on the next holidays. Is there a magazine cover or food article that is not talking about Thanksgiving? Some boast about the best recipes of the past and it seems that many are trying to refresh and revive old recipes to make them work with our updated diets and trends. This share will help you to do some early preparation and you may want to try some new recipes for this year’s holiday table as well.

The variety of apple this week will be the Granny Smith. This is one of the favored and most popular applesfor baking, cooking, pies, and of course eating fresh and out of hand. The apple is loved and easily recognized for its light green skin, crisp, juicy fruit, and of course they are tart. This is an old apple that is named after Maria Anne Smith who found a chance seedling on her property in Australia in 1868.

Granny Smith are not recommended for sauce, don’t worry, Jonagold apples will be along this week as well
and they are the perfect variety for that preparation.

I think this may be the first time ever for a “Cheese Pumpkin” to be in our shares. They are named for their look. The pale orange color and squat round shape resembles a wheel of cheese. On the inside however the flesh is a dense, deep orange, and less stringy by comparison to other pumpkin, it is much more like butternut squash. It is perfect for preparing pie. It can be roasted much the same as any of the other fall squash. If roasting on its own, it is recommended that a little water be added to the baking pan so that it does not dry out or burn as it is larger than most squash. You may find that you don’t even need to puree this pumpkin when preparing it for other recipes.

I am including a recipe that has been referred to as an arts and crafts project, probably because of its beautiful table presence. Choose a pan that is oven to table. It will help the pumpkin to hold its shape. Baking on a sheet (with sides) is possible however the presentation at the table will not be as picturesque. Vary the recipe as you like. Use cooked rice instead of bread for a risotto like filling. Add greens such as spinach and kale even beans or peas and eliminate meat for vegetarian diets. Eliminate cheese and cream and add broth, nuts, and seeds for a Vegan dish. The choice is yours.

Has everyone been watching and reading all the Facebook Posts? Maggie and the team have been very busy, there is so much going on! I am not sure what is first so I will start with the Feedback Survey that is so important to us, Turkey orders, Enrollment for the Holiday Share, and Enrollment for next year. I have been reading comments, you can send comments to jenn@alstedefarms.com or even better I hope to see all of you next Saturday at the Fall Meet and Greet so that we can chat in person. Until next week, enjoy the freshness.