Week 22!
Heads Up: Our Thanksgiving Schedule - PLEASE READ!
It’s still three weeks away, but Thanksgiving plans are already in the works for most households. For this reason, I’m sending out the first reminder about our delivery schedule the week of Thanksgiving.
Mark your calendars!
For the week of Thanksgiving
WE WILL DELIVER ALL HARVEST BASKETS ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21st
We do this for two reasons:
- To ensure that everyone gets their food in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
- To give ourselves a brief holiday from harvest and delivery during Thanksgiving celebrations.
These are the specific times for pickup at each location on Wednesday, November 21st:
Valley Flora: unchanged – 9 am to 5 pm
Coos Bay: unchanged – 12 pm to 3 pm
Bandon: Wednesday, 11/21, starting at 12 noon (no end time)
PortOrford: Wednesday, 11/21, starting at 10 am (all day)
If you are leaving town early and will not be able to pick up your Harvest Basket, we are happy to hold your tote for you in our walk-in cooler. You can pick it up at the farm upon your return. To make arrangements, please email us the following information by Friday, November 15th:
· Your name
· Your pickup location
· The date you plan to pick up your Harvest Basket at the farm.
We will email you further instructions when we hear from you.
Also, EGG SHARE MEMBERS: Please remember that there is no delivery of eggs the week of Thanksgiving. We knew when we were planning the egg shares last spring that Candace’s hens wouldn’t be able to squeeze out enough eggs for everyone by Wednesday, so we intentionally planned for no eggs the week of Thanksgiving. No doubt she will have them for sale at the Langlois Market and her other usual outlets. Or you can special order eggs from her for that week if you contact her directly: www.imachickenrancher.com
Please mark your calendars with these schedule changes to avoid any confusion the week of Thanksgiving!
This Week’s Squash: Butternut
The quintessential soup squash! Butternuts are different from all the other winter squash in that they are practically all meat. The seed cavity is small and the skin is smooth, leaving you with any easy-to-peel, ample-fleshed, smooth, sweet, creamy, orange squash that is the foundation of my favorite Fall soup. Pair this with the fresh sage leaves in your tote this week, with the help of this simple recipe from Deborah Madison:
http://www.valleyflorafarm.com/content/butternut-squash-soup-fried-sage-leaves
Or try this exotic Persian-inspired spin on winter squash from Deborah Madison (if only we could grow dates, almonds, pistachios, olives, and Meyer lemons at Valley Flora!):
http://www.valleyflorafarm.com/content/winter-squash-rounds-dates-and-pi...
Butternuts are also wonderful roasted simply with salt and olive oil, at 400 until soft and slightly browned.
This Week’s New Produce:
Beet Medley: Red beets, gold beets, and chioggia beets are tumbled together in your tote this week. If you have never cut into a chioggia before, you’re in for a surprise! All of them store for months in the fridge, and cook up the same – roasted, steamed, or any other way you like.
Escarole: It looks like a huge head of lettuce, but this is actually a member of the chicory family (think radicchio, endive, etc.). It’s a little more toothsome than lettuce, and can either be eaten raw or cooked. Here are a few jumping off points to help you dig in:
http://www.valleyflorafarm.com/recipe_search/results/escarole
Romanesco Cauliflower, aka the vegetable that makes you think you’re on psychedelics even when you’re not! Or, The vegetable that makes mathematicians swoon (fractals!). Or, the vegetable that many members forget to eat because they are too busy taking pictures of it on their countertop.
But please, EAT THIS VEGETABLE! It’s the nuttiest, yummiest cousin to cauliflower and broccoli in the world. So popular that I grew twice as much of this year, to keep up with the clamorous demand. Steamed, or better yet, ROASTED! Toss it with a little salt, some olive oil, and put it in the oven at 400 for awhile until it’s tender and crispy.
New Fall Farmstand Hours: Saturdays ONLY from 10 am to 2pm
Our farmstand is now open every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm, through November 17th! We are no longer open on Wednesdays. The autumn abundance is awesome right now, as summer crops collide with fall food: peppers, tomatoes, chard, kale, onions, potatoes, leeks, spinach, salad mix, apples, beets, carrots, zucchini, herbs, and much more.
Cranky Baby Hot Sauce: Spice it Up!
Handcrafted at the farm with homegrown hot peppers that are vine-ripened to a sassy red in the greenhouses, this Tabasco-like hot sauce strikes the perfect balance between hot, sweet and tangy. Makes a great gift, or a standby condiment in your own kitchen (we go through it by the gallon!).
Available by the bottle, half case, or case:
- $5/bottle (5 oz)
- $27/half case (6 bottles)
- $48/case (12 bottles)
To order, please email us your: name, pickup location, and the quantity of bottles you would like. We will deliver to your pickup site.
In your share this week:
- Yellow omions
- Beet Medley – Red, Gold & Chioggia
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Escarole
- Butternut Squash
- Red Ursa Kale
- Yellow Finn Potatoes
- Fresh Sage
On Rotation:
This means that some pickup locations will receive it this week, others next week – or in a future week.
- Romanesco Cauliflower
The Valley Flora Crystal Ball: What MIGHT be in your Share Next week
Remember, no promises!
- Yellow Onions
- Broccoli?
- Carrots
- Head Lettuce
- Brussels sprouts
- Romanesco Cauliflower?
- Delicata squash
- Pac Choi
- Hakurei Turnips
Recipes Galore
Please note: all of our produce is field-rinsed, not washed. We recommend you wash all of your produce before eating it.
For recipes and ideas, check out these links:
http://www.valleyflorafarm.com/forum/4
Our own collection of recipes, where you can contribute and share your favorites
http://www.valleyflorafarm.com/content/recipe-searcher
Our website’s recipe “search engine,” where you can hunt down recipes by ingredient
A vast collection of recipes, searchable by one or multiple ingredients
http://info2.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php?cmd=RE
A storehouse of recipes, searchable by ingredient
http://helsingfarmcsa.com/recipes.php
A Washington farm that has a good collection of seasonal recipes
