We've started peeling the tomato plants out of the high tunnels to make way for all the winter greens. It's a slow process that would feel a little sad after all our hard work getting them up if we weren't already daydreaming about varieties to trial and new techniques for next year's tomatoes. It's been a little challenging to decide when we should begin the process, if left alone they would continue to slowly ripen until we got a frost hard enough that it crept into the tunnels and zapped the plants. But due to the shorter days, cooler nights, and older plants, their ripening has slowed to a trickle and soon, the eating quality will drop off. So while it's hard to watch the green tomatoes fall to the ground as we haul them out, it's all for the benefit of tasty frost sweetened spinach in February (fingers-crossed).
In shares this week we have our first WINTER SQUASH. This is the stuff of dreams. The first squash we'll have available this season is a variety called delicata, which is not a variety you see a lot of in grocery stores, it's much more common in farm shares and at farmers' markets. It's an oblong, striped squash that has thin skin and medium dry flesh, and it's sweet almost as soon as it's harvested. The skin is so thin that you can eat it once it's cooked, which means that if you are not into the cutting it the long way and roasting it like a little canoe full of butter and maple syrup, then you can cut in into smaller pieces, leave the skin on and roast or saute it that way. Once cooked, it can be tossed into a stir fry, onto a salad, or onto a pizza. I personally think it is the most convenient and easy cooking friendly of all the winter squashes. It really can go from 0 to dinner-ready in 30 minutes. I've included a few links below to give you some ideas of what to do with this great squash.
https://cookieandkate.com/roasted-delicata-squash-pomegranate-arugula-salad/
excited to try this one in tacos: https://cookieandkate.com/chipotle-glazed-squash/
https://www.delishknowledge.com/wild-rice-and-kale-stuffed-delicata-squash/
https://familystylefood.com/rigatoni-and-roasted-delicata-squash/
You can see there really are so many options!
We also have the return of salad turnips! These will be without their tops (aphid issue in the leaves, so not worth bunching), but they are tasty all the same. Roast them up or put into a soup like a traditional turnip, or slice thin and top a salad. They are delicious! And they keep in your crispy happily for quite a while, so they'll wait for you to be ready.
OH and CELERY, which in my life I've hated and wouldn't really get excited about except that this will be the best celery you've ever had. No longer just a vehicle for peanut butter and raisins, this celery is sweet and salty and will make a soup pop. Enjoy the power of local and fresh!
Don't forget Autumn and Winter Sign-ups are open! And we've added eggs and cheese to those deliveries! You can sign-up for all shares at:
https://www.harvie.farm/signup/harvest-tide-organics
Extra reminder - we require a minimum of 5 shares per delivery site - so if you're cor-workers haven't signed up yet, put a bug in their ear!
