This week’s newsletter includes recipes for spinach stuffed winter squash.

Carnegie Hill Newsletter – week 14

Dear CSA Member,

This week starts our fall season.  The weather has been brutally hot again and so we don’t feel very fall like, but the garden moves at its’ own pace.  Most of the summer crops are now finished or will be finished in the next couple of weeks.  There will be a few more tomatoes and peppers, but they will have lost some of their peak glory. 

We are starting to pick the root crops and there will be freshly dug carrots for you this week. For anyone that has been a member in the past you will remember my fondness and awe of the carrot.  The carrot seed is small, very light and slow to germinate.  When they do finally grow, the fronds are very light and airy.  Hardly competition for the weeds that want to take over.  We need to weed constantly and most of the carrot weeding is done by hand.  Carrots are probably the most time consuming crop that we grow.  Not easy organically.  When we do start to dig them, the beautiful orange color and hearty roots are a prize.  I think there is nothing like the flavor of a fresh carrot. 

We have also started harvesting winter squash.  It is a wonderful harvest this season.  The hot dry weather has been kind to the plants and the winter squash is beautiful.  To give everyone a taste of fall we are sending Baby Bear Pie Pumpkins this week.  This is a small pie pumpkin that will look great as a decoration until you are tired of looking at it.  Then cook it up and make pumpkin bread or a pie.  What could be better.

This coming Saturday is the Farm Festival.  Jen has put together a great newsletter that you can download from the farm website.  If you are coming please make sure you bring your own place setting and a dish to share if you like.  There are other farms that will also be attending with their products.  You will find the full listing in the newsletter.  Heather Ridge Farm has great pastured meats and fresh eggs along with other products.  You can pre-order from Heather Ridge Farm if you would like by downloading the order form from our farm website on the newsletter listing as well.  Please contact Carol directly if you would like to pre-order.

So, welcome fall.

Enjoy the Vegetables.
Deborah, for everyone at Stoneledge Farm

Full Vegetable Share
Summer Spinach – 1 bunch
Basil – 1 bunch
Carrots – 1 bunch
Ancho Peppers – 4 each - these are a mildly hot pepper traditionally used for Chile Relleno
Hot Peppers – 2 if you like
Mini Purplette Onions – 1/2 pound.  These are a small, sweet red onion. 
Tomatoes – 1 pound
Baby Bear Pumpkin – 1 each
Acorn Winter Squash – 1 each

Fruit Share
1 Bag
Gala Apples
Macintosh Apples
Barlett  Pears

Santa Rosa Plums – 1 basket

Gala Apples are the oval apple.  Good eating.
Macintosh Apples are the round, red apple.  Good for eating and also for apple sauce and even an apple pie.  Great all round apple.

This week’s newsletter includes recipes for an eggplant appetizer, fresh tomato sauce, and a desert of tahini and honey over fruit.

Carnegie Hill Newsletter – Week 13

Dear CSA Member,

This is the time of year when we are harvesting every last summer vegetable from the field.  The weather is still warm, but most of the summer crops have been producing for so long.  There will be bits of this and that as we clean the fields of the remainders of a wonderful summer harvest.  We don’t waste a thing.

You will see that some of the tomatoes are getting really ripe and will not hold as long as they had been.  You can easily freeze them for use in cooking this winter by washing, slicing and putting them in zip lock freezer bags.  That is it.  So easy and they will taste like summer when you take them from your freezer to use.  If you go to the farm website and look at the Photos section you will see that we are very proud and so happy to have such a great tomato harvest.  I think we each took a turn posing with a tomato. 

The Farm Festival is fast approaching, September 11 from 11-3.  Jen has done a fabulous job on the Farm Festival Newsletter and you can find it on the farm website www.stoneledgefarmny.org under the Newsletter listing.  If you are planning on attending please bring a dish to share, your own place setting and be ready for a great day at the farm.  There will be other local farmers and producers that are involved with the farm there as well.  The complete listing of those that will also have their products at the Farm Festival can be found in the Newsletter.  There is also a downloadable PDF order form for members that will be attending to order pastured meat and eggs from Heather Ridge Farm, our neighbors.  Please contact Heather Ridge directly if you would like to pre-order.

Enjoy the Vegetables-
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm