Hello Members! Please click on "Continue Reading" to see our whole newsletter.
This is the LAST BOX! Thank you to everyone for this great CSA season! We have also sold out of Fall Shares-thanks for your continued commitment!
This week you will notice that you can sign up for Organic Sweet Sixteen/Honeycrisp Apples! Our very good friends down the road from us Earthsong Fibers, have lovely organic apples for sale that we will be sticking in the box if you sign up. If you are like me, it is hard to trust what happens to apples before they get to your kids mouths. These folks don't use any sprays and also have apples that are not "perfect" because of it. They are varied in size and have specks and odd shapes sometimes, but they taste great and store well, too. They also raise goats and sheep that they graise under their apple trees! These apples are very good!
This week we also have excess red Italian Carmen peppers, which you can buy in bulk and either roast and freeze, can or just eat! They store for many weeks in the fridge.
Please mark your calendars for our Annual Harvest Party and Pig Roast Saturday, October 5th:
3 pm- late
Potluck, bonfire, pig roast, wagon rides, pumpkin picking, self-guided tours of animals and fields, apple cider pressing and The Beez Kneez's own Kristy Allen will be sampling honey and have honey for sale!
We hope you and your family can make it out! Please RSVP by emailing us at blackbrook.farm.llc@gmail.com
You can always just show up, but it is nice to get an idea of how many people to expect!
As always, here are a few things for you to remember about the CSA and the boxes:
You can still return your boxes, as we will continue picking up empty boxes for the next 4 weeks because of the Fall shares.
ALWAYS take the box with your name on it that is from BLACKBROOK FARM! If someone is picking your box up for you, please tell them to take the box with your name on it from BLACKBROOK FARM! This is very important.
IF you can't pick your box up on THURSDAY, please communicate with me about this so I can arrange for it to be kept at the dropsite instead of donated or used.
Please return your box either the same week (bring a bag to empty your veggies into) or the following time you pick up your box. Please collapse your box and neatly stack it or put it where the other boxes are.
If you are half share, your box is delivery every other week ( unless you have rearranged your schedule with Harvie). Please remember to check if this is your week or not. Full shares are delivery every week. When your box is delivered on Thursday, a delivery email is sent out. EVERY one at that dropsite gets that email, even if you do not get a box that week. So it is important for you to know which weeks you pick up. Please email me with questions. Here is information on how to access when and where to pick up your box
We also have 100% Pastured Pork One-time Shares for sale that we home deliver to your door. This is a great way to load up on all the cuts of a hog and get your good healthy fats! You can find our sign up share HERE . Let us know if you have any questions! Raising animals is a large part of what we do at Blackbrook Farm!
Pigs enjoying some daily veggies scraps
This is what may be in your box this week:
Pac Choi (Bok Choy)- 1-2 per box. These grill up great when tossed with sesame oil, olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. They are best in a stirfry seared with soy sauce, garlic and oil.
Fennel Full shares-I know fennel is not everyones favorite, but we love to use it with italian pork sausage and veggies, or in a marinara. These bulbs are really big and gorgeous!
Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel
Broccoli-Nice fall broccoli succession just coming in now! Broccoli tastes best when the nights are cool.
Collards Greens Bunch-We love collard greens, but you will want to cook them for a while!
Slow-cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hock
Vegetarian Southern Style Collard Greens
Beets Full shares-These beets are so nice! Great for roasting, grating into a salad or cooked and tossed with olive oil, chevre and added to a salad. Top them to keep them from getting soft.
Carrots Half shares-These carrots are really funky in shape and size. We are not sure why but assume it has something to do with compaction of the ground due to excessive rain and the carrots couldn't find their way straight down. You can still just cut them up and use them as normal. They are not the friendliest carrots tot eat like a snack however.
Delicate Squash- These are a favorite around here. They have an edible skin, so you can roast them until soft and golden brown and eat the whole thing! These are basically cured, no need to keep them in the fridge. Just make sure to cook your squash long enough so it is soft and sweet!
Butternut Half shares-These are our other favorite squash, especially in a creamy soup!
Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Red Kuri Full shares-These are great for an actualy Curry...Kuri Curry!
Colorful Peppers-Everyone gets a little container of Lunchbox peppes this week! These are great in your kids lunchbox! They are the sweetest and easiest to just eat. No peppers in your box are hot this week!
You also got red/colorful peppers, too!
Popcorn on the cob! Fun as a decoration and also to pop!- Use this nice bouquet of popcorn as a decoration until about Thanksgiving or a little earlier. Then you can take the kernals off the cob and pop them on the stove with lots of oil (we use coconut oil). Enjoy!
Radishes Half Shares- These radishes are on the bigger side, but they are still nice and crunchy and a bit spicy!
Brussels Sprouts (half shares)-These are really great roasted (make sure to NOT undercook them, take the time to cook them long enough)
Maple Bacon Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Celeriac (Celery like Root used for soups, very tasty!)-These look really wierd, but they will keep in the your fridge forever and are great in soup base!
Rutabaga Full shares-Rutabaga are a great substitute for potatoes. When cooked thoroughly (we steam them) they mash up great with butter, garlic salt and pepper. They are great also as a gratin or in roasted veggies with your beets, carrots, onions, squash and garlic.
Mashed Rutabaga with Sour Cream and Dill
Greens Mix of lettuce, spinach and arugula- This is a zesty mix that will keep for a couple weeks and is great for sandwiches and salads with dressing, radishes and maybe roasted beets or grated carrot!
Cabbage some-Our fall green cabbage is looking great! This crisp, sweet and crunchy veggie is one of my favorites. My kids like to eat it in chunks. We fry it up with any meat, or saute it with onions and other veggies in a stir fry. It keep for months in the fridge, just take the outer peel off.
Cabbage with Tahini Lemon Sauce
One Skillet Hot Sausage and Cabbage Stir Fry
garlic half shares
Thank you for supporting our Farm and committing to eating local, organic and fresh vegetables. Have a great Fall and Winter and we hope to see you at the Harvest Party!
Your Farmers,
Ayla, James, Ronia, Edwin and the Crew
Ayla, Andy, Julie, Sadie (dog), Andi, John
