Weekly Update October 5/7

A little late, but here goes:

Next week will be our last week for the season. That will make it 20 weeks for us! We are thrilled! Admittedly, we had a few rough spots this year, but we are learning and growing.
We hope you have enjoyed your food as much as we have.

Please return all of your boxes next week, and bring a bag, basket or other container to empty your full box and leave it where your pick up location is, so that we don't have to shuffle and track them down later. We hope to assess the condition, how long we can reasonably expect them to last, if any can be re-used for other purposes, which boxes held up the best, etc.



Now, for the contents of the box this week:

POPCORN! It may need to dry a bit more, but it is 100% edible! If you aren't that brave, just use it for a great decoration

Swiss chard
Dried Beans
Red Cabbage
watermelon
butternut squash (or other winter variety, some substitutions are possible)
carnival squash
beets
carrots
celery (just a small taste of it, this stuff is stronger than the stuff you will find in the store, but it is also a bit difficult to grow in large quantities and have it turn out well)



I got some great recipes today from a CSA Member, I am excited to share them with you! I love getting new recipes to share with everyone, especially "tried and true" recipes, rather than the ones I dig up online for everyone.

Pot Roast:

1 Roast Beef – any size or cut you like. Can be fresh or frozen.

I usually put a tablespoon or so of oil in a pan – heat until hot and sear the roast good on all sides (or as best you can).

Select a kettle for the oven and lightly spray with pam or olive oil. Slice 1 large onion and lay in bottom of pan. Lay seared roast on top of onions.

Season the roast however you prefer – you can use your favorite fresh herbs or spices. Sometimes I sprinkle a packages of Lipton’s dry soup over the top.

Next add whatever vegetables you like – I usually use whatever combination from the following – depending what I have on hand:

Potatoes, Rutabagas, Parsnips, Turnips, Carrots, Celery stalks (for flavor), Fresh mushrooms, and always more Onions (cut in ¼’s).

Leave the vegetables in large pieces.

Depending on the size of your roast and how long you leave it in the oven or crockpot – you can either put the vegetables in the same pan as the roast or cook as follows:

Roasted Root Vegetables:

• 2 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound turnips, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon each fresh rosemary and fresh thyme leaves
• 1 red onion, sliced

You can do just about anything …… you can add garlic, a little beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, etc. You can even sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of flour on your roast before searing. It’s up to you.

You can either serve the roast with the whole vegetables on a platter or you can mash some of the veggies together and serve.

Make your favorite gravy with the juices from the pan and enjoy!

For Roasted Root Vegetables:

One hour before the pot roast is done cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add all the vegetables to a large bowl and add the canola oil, rosemary, thyme, and onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and arrange on a sheet tray. Roast for 30 minutes, then toss and roast another 30 minutes. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

(Thanks, Sherry!)