Thank you for a great season! We appreciate all your support and hope you have a festive winter holiday. Don’t forget to stop by our pop-up holiday sale in the Armstrong Center atrium on Friday, December 6, to get farm gift boxes and bee posters. Spread the word to your friends as well.
Gift Basket $25.00
Bee Poster $25.00
Bring extra bags today. We will be distributing everything we have since this is the last pick-up of the season. Remember to return any cropboxes you might have hanging around; or you can drop them off at the farm. FYI the winter squash will keep for a long time on your kitchen counter or cabinet. This is a great week for stir fry.
Cook Field Pick-up, Thursday, Nov. 21, 3:30-5:30pm
Produce this week…
Acorn squash
Beets
Garlic
Green onions
Spaghetti squash
Spinach
Self-select items…
Carleton
Kale (green curly)
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Squash (assorted)
Turnips
Thanksgiving Week Produce–ON FARM PICK UP
Monday, November 25, 3:30-5:30pm.
Asian cabbage (baby)
Beets
Cabbage (baby)
Carleton
Garlic
Green onions
Leeks
Onions
Potatoes
Sage
Squash
Farm up-dates…
Gift Basket $25.00
Bee Poster $25.00
We will be having a holiday sale on December 6 from 10am to 4pm in the Armstrong Student Center to celebrate a bountiful season. You can reserve a gift basket with Oxford Local salsa and marinara and garlic from the farm, or a bee poster celebrating Lorenzo Langstroth, “the father of American Bee Keeping,” at the CSA pick up this afternoon. These gifts will also be available at the On Farm Thanksgiving Pick Up on Monday, November 25.
Cook Field Pick-up, Thursday, Nov. 16, 3:30-5:30pm
Produce this week…
Carleton
Daikon radish
Delicata squash
Kolhrabi
Spaghetti squash
Self-select items…
Beets
Bok choy
Jalapeño peppers
Russian kale
Tomatoes
Tentative list of produce for Nov. 21
Beets
Carleton
Green onions
Kale
Winter squash
Farm updates…
We just got a new batch of salsa and marinara sauce from our harvest this season. We will be selling our few remaining jars of salsa and marinara from last season at a discount. Bring cash or a check if you want to stock up. Also, Stephanie will be putting together some farm gift boxes for the holidays. We will be selling gift boxes and bee posters in Armstrong Center on Friday December 6 between 10am and 4pm in the atrium. Please spread the word.
What to do with your produce this week
From my perspective kohlrabi blends the earthiness of fall vegetables with the juicy crispness of apples. I like it peeled and sliced into matchsticks for a snack or to add to a salad. But, it can also be cooked. Here is a link from Kitchen.com that provides some alternative ways to cook kohlrabi. If you still have a butternut squash from last week, you might try the roasted kohlrabi and butternut squash.
4 medium kohlrabi (2 1/4 lb with greens or 1 3/4 lb without)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 lb butternut squash
PREPARATION
Put oven rack just below middle position and put baking pan on rack, then preheat oven to 450°F. (If roasting vegetables along with turkey, preheat pan for 15 minutes while turkey roasts, then roast vegetables underneath turkey.)
Trim and peel kohlrabi, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Toss kohlrabi with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Transfer kohlrabi to preheated pan in oven and roast 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel butternut squash, then quarter lengthwise, seed, and cut into 3/4-inch pieces. Toss squash with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in same bowl.
Stir kohlrabi, turning it, then push it to one side of pan.
Add squash to opposite side of pan and roast, stirring and turning squash over halfway through roasting, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 30 minutes total (after squash is added). Toss vegetables to combine and transfer to a dish.
We have our row covers in place for the cold weather this week and we are planning for the final few pick ups this semester. To help you plan for Thanksgiving, here is a list of what we are planning to have for our on farm pick-up, Monday, November 25: beets, carrots, garlic, leeks, potatoes, white onions, winter squash, and sage.
¼ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more to finish
Extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon dried chile flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup dried breadcrumbs
Preparation
1. Stack several kale leaves on top of one another and roll them up into a tight cylinder. With a sharp knife, slice crosswise into very thin ribbons, about 1/₁₆ inch wide (this is called a chiffonade). Put the kale in a salad spinner, rinse in cool water and spin until completely dry. Pile the kale into a bowl.
2. Put the chopped garlic on a cutting board and mince it even more until you have a paste (you can sort of smash and scrape the garlic with the side of the knife as well). Transfer the garlic to a small bowl, add ¼ cup pecorino, a healthy glug of olive oil, the lemon juice, chile flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt and plenty of twists of black pepper; whisk to combine.
3. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss well to thoroughly combine (you can use your clean hands for this, to be efficient). Taste and adjust with more lemon, salt, chile flakes or black pepper. Let the salad sit for about 5 minutes so the kale softens slightly. Top with the breadcrumbs, shower with more cheese, and drizzle with more oil.
Cook Field Pick-up, Thursday, Oct. 31, 3:30-5:30pm
Produce this week…
Beets
Kale
Leaf Broccoli
Lettuce
Onions
Spaghetti squash
Self-select items…
Eggplant
Heirloom tomatoes
Peppers
Radish
Sunflower heads (birds)
Winter squash (misc.)
Tentative produce list for November 7…
Butternut squash
Greens
Potatoes
Radish
Turnips
Farm updates…
We are expecting a killing freeze tonight and into the weekend. The farm staff will be covering beds with row cover to protect produce not yet harvested. The change in weather is a signal that the end of the season is coming. We will still have things like kale, spinach, green onions, winter squash and potatoes in our final weeks of the CSA. But, be aware that as the weather changes, the list of produce each week could change dramatically.
Also, you may have started thinking about Thanksgiving. We will have an on farm pick up on Monday, November 25 from 3:30 to 5:30pm. This is tentatively the second to last CSA pick up of the season. For these final pick ups we will be offering all the produce that is still available.
3 cups beets, peeled and diced into bite sized pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups radishes, sliced (save the leaves)
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped radish leaves, plus more for topping
2 ounces goat cheese, plus more for topping
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium-sized bowl, toss the beets with the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Toss the radishes in the same medium-sized bowl with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
After the beets have cooked for 20 minutes, add the radishes to the baking sheet. Stir well to coat with olive oil and incorporate with the beets.
Roast for an additional 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, spritz the vegetables with lime juice and vinegar. Then add the cilantro and radish leaves. Stir.
Transfer the vegetables into the medium-sized bowl, add the goat cheese and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with additional leaves and goat cheese.
Cook Field Pick-Up, Thursday, Oct. 17, 3:30-5:30pm
Produce this week…
Beets
Eggplant
Heirloom tomatoes
Mustard greens
Peppers (lunchbox)
Radish
Salad turnips
Winter squash
Self-select items…
Fall decorative squash
Tentative produce list for 10/24…
Arugula
Beets
Cabbage
Garlic
Heirloom tomatoes
Winter squash
What to do with your produce this week…
We have an abundance of produce this week. If you are wondering what to do with salad turnips, try a version of mashed turnips. Boil them until very tender, mash, and mix with butter and cream cheese. Add a little roasted garlic or cayenne pepper to give them a kick. Also Charles shared a link to this recipe for pumpkin (or winter squash) quinoa porridge.
Cook Field Pick-Up, Thursday, Oct. 10, 3:30-5:30pm
Produce this week…
Eggplant
Mixed greens
Peppers
Salad Turnips
Tomatoes
Self-select items
Cucumbers
Okra
Radish
Decorative 8 Ball Squash for Halloween
Tentative produce list for 10/17
Beets
Carrots
Garlic
Onions
Winter Squash
What to do with your produce this week….
Baba Ghanouj (Creamed Eggplant) from Madhur Jaffrey, World Vegetarian Cookbook
Ingredients
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 lbs) roasted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Put coarsely chopped eggplant into a bowl. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Blend fro 5 to 6 seconds until creamy. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Farm flowers are at their peak! We will have large and small bouquets for sale for $5 and $10 at the CSA pick up.
Cherry tomatoes
Cucumbers
Peppers
Radishes
Squash
Tomatoes
Self-select items…
Cabbage
Eggplant
Greens
Okra
Tentative produce list for 10/10
Beets,
Eggplant
Greens (2 types)
Okra
Peppers
Salad Turnips
Squash
Tomatoes
Farm up-date…
Tomatoes are starting to dwindle and it appears that the weather is beginning to cool. You will begin to see more fall vegetables in the coming weeks.
What to do with your produce this week…
Time for gazpacho soup to celebrate the last of the summer tomatoes. Here is an easy recipe from Delish.com.
Ingredients
2 lbs tomatoes, quartered
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. red wine or sherry vinegar
1/2 cup water (you could substitute our Oxford Local Marinara here to enhance the tomato flavor)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tbsp. basil for garnish
Directions
Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper, garlic, vinegar and water in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then add olive oil and blend to combine. If you like a coarse gazpacho, chop your vegetables by hand and mix. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Once chilled, serve with a sprinkle of fresh basil on top.
Cook Field Pick-Up, Thursday, Sept. 26, 3:30-5:30pm
Produce this week…
Chard
Cucumbers
Peppers
Squash
Tomatoes
Self-select items…
Basil
Eggplant
Mixed greens or Arugula
Okra
Tentative produce list for 10/2
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Greens
Okra
Peppers
Squash
Tomatoes
Farm Updates…
We had our first week at the Village Green Farmers Market in Fairfield this Wednesday. Farm staff pulled out all the stops for a beautiful display of our produce. If you have friends or colleagues in Hamilton, please spread the word. The Institute for Food Farm is now selling produce, marinara, and flowers Wednesday evenings from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at the Village Green Farmers Market.
What to do with your produce this week
Once again, we will have okra as a self select item. For many of you this might be an unfamiliar vegetable. Okra comes from the Malvaceae, or mallow, family and is related to cotton, hibiscus, and hollyhock. It is a warm season crop that is a staple in southern cuisine. The variety we grow has a thin skin, which makes it easy to sauté for a quick meal. Just add oil and garlic and cook for a few minutes until tender. You can also chop it and use it in stews or pickle it. It’s a great source of nutrients, minerals, and fiber.
Okra with Tomatoes
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cups okra (halved lengthwise)
1 small onion (cut into wedges)
salt and pepper
Directions
Saute 4 smashed garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add 4 cups okra (halved lengthwise) and 1 small onion (cut into wedges); season with salt and pepper and cook until the okra is tender and bright, 10 to 12 minutes. Add 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes; cook until just bursting, 3 minutes. Finish with a splash of cider vinegar.
