Gravel Road Farm News, September 17 2022
This is Week 15 of the CSA and the last delivery will be October 11th. All boxes need to be scheduled on or before that date. The days are getting shorter, but still lush and full of growth. The boxes will be filled with all sorts of things, from warm season tomatoes to cooler weather winter squash. The huge rainfall last weekend has kept everything growing. But huge rainfalls also bring diseases into the plants. We are hoping for a dry week so that we can keep the gardens growing.
We’ve picked a bunch of spaghetti squash and some acorn squash this week. It could spend a little more time in the field, but there is a risk of damage by animals and weather. We are letting the butternut and pumpkins ripen a little longer and cure in the sun. The skin of the squashes has to dry and harden. The squash should keep for a while on the counter if you can’t eat it yet for a week or two. We’ve spent some time digging potatoes for these last boxes. They are a red variety called Red Gold. We are hoping to dig up some more root crops for boxes ahead of us, like carrots, parsnips and rutabagas. We are short on time and energy this time of year, and looking forward to the slow down in labor.
We still have some bulk tomatoes left, but it is nearing the end. This is a great time to freeze some produce. Blanching it, or dipping it in boiling water for 3-5 minutes is an important step. It prevents natural enzymes from breaking down the food while in the freezer so that it is more flavorful when you thaw it. We freeze green beans like this, and kale. We also like to make roasted red peppers on the grill, then after the skin is removed, freeze them on parchment paper on a sheet pan, then once frozen, put them in a zippered bag.
We hope you find the time and the right recipes to turn your bounty into delicious meals for your family.
