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***Important note for Pepperell Share members!
Wednesday is predicted to be really, really terrible weather (rain and winds gusting to 40mph). It doesn't make sense to try and set up distribution in that weather.
We are rescheduling Pepperell's distribution to Thursday, 12/1 from 2pm-6pm.
We will distribute out of the back of the propagation greenhouse (the one with the blue painted walls).
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Hello Everyone,
I hope you enjoyed your holiday. I was able to connect with many family members, including 3 of my living grandparents. I'm feeling very, very grateful for them.
I'm also very grateful for your contributions to our crew bonus fund. We were able to raise $5,000. This year, the crew agreed to split the bonus based on hours worked, so everyone will be getting a bonus in the next pay period thanks to you. It means a lot to me that you are willing to help me care for our team. I feel the support of the CSA model, maybe slightly differently than it's original intent, but we are a community, and it feels so good to have community support.
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I didn't take any farm pictures this past week - probably because the first week after several hard frosts are pretty, dreary, slimy and a little sad . . . and maybe also because I needed a mental break! But I got a pic of Kevin being cool about the tame deer in a neighborhood near my grandparents house in Pennsylvania and Harvey jumping on rocks by the marina (one of my favorite things to do as a kid when visiting).
Speaking of gray - we are getting more into winter-time type distribution for the last three shares, but we still have some excellent fresh produce - a great follow up to a week of festive eating! Everyone is getting carrots and spinach, and we encourage you to take kale (it's very sweet right now). There are plenty of other green choices - enjoy them while you can! Some of the spinach leaves may have a little bit of white from extreme cold, but you can just chop them up and use them as is. This is the last harvest of spinach from the field, we will be moving on the greenhouse spinach next week. It was a little tough to pick, but we really didn't want to let it go to waste! Thankfully it was 'warm' yesterday morning (read "not freezing"), so we had a full-day harvest window. The rest of the week has narrower windows when things may be un-frozen, but we will make it work!
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We've got some bright veggies to stave off the gray!
We have watermelon radishes available this week, which are white on the outside but bright pink in the middle. These are fairly mild radishes and look great sliced or grated in a salad!
A medley of roasted root vegetables is always a great go to. Even just carrots and hakurei turnips are a great, sweet roasted vegetable combo. Or just make this easy sauted turnips in butter recipe.
We have two types co cabbages, napa and savoy. The napa got big (go napa!) but the savoy stayed pretty small. Kevin and I picked it yesterday until dark! Cabbage roles, cabbage soup, okonomyaki and slaw are great uses for cabbage!
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So, what's in the veggie share?
Carrots, 2 pounds
Spinach, 1 bag
Choose one herb: thyme, rosemary, lavender
Mix and match 4 pounds: onions, watermelon radish, hakurei turnip, butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, fennel, leeks, savoy cabbage
Choose 2 more items: napa cabbage, sugar loaf chicory, radicchio, kale, lettuce mix, pea tendrils and probably a few others
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Recipes
Hi - Jess Girotti here. If you have a recipe that you love that you'd like to share with other members or if a recipe link isn't working for you, feel free to email me at jgirotti@live.com. (Please note that I can't re-print a recipe from a cookbook that isn't already online.) Don't forget to check out the recipe pages on the Upswing website if you need more ideas for your other veggies.
HOW TO COOK SUGAR LOAF CHICORY
This website does a great job of explaining what Sugar Loaf Chicory is all about and several delicious ways to cook it.
BEET SALAD WITH SPINACH, CASHEWS & GOAT CHEESE
Super simple salad with craisins and a honey-lemon vinaigrette. You could also switch the lemons for oranges and add chicken/beans to make it a heartier meal.
EASY ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP WITH SPINACH & CARROTS
I'm in major soup mode lately but also short on time. You can use frozen meatballs to really speed this one up. I usually add way more veggies than it calls for.
SUPER CREAMY CAULIFLOWER KALE SOUP
Fellow CSA member, Kathy Halamka, recommends this scrumptious, veggie-loaded soup.
KALE BACON SALAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS
I made this last week and it may be my new favorite salad. The cider vinaigrette is AMAZING and I love the balance of the peppery arugula, nutty parmesan, sweet maple syrup, citrusy orange and salty bacon. I added chicken and made it a main course. I didn't use as much of the candied nuts and bacon as it suggested but I'm sure more is amazing.
SPINACH & FETA QUICHE WITH SWEET POTATO CRUST
Don't be daunted by the "sweet potato crust" it's WAY easier than it sounds. You layer slices of sweet potato into the pan and bake them and then add the quiche topping and bake again.
NAPA CABBAGE SLAW WITH CARROTS AND SESAME
I've been loving this Asian slaw. If you're out of Napa cabbage you can use any type of cabbage you have on hand or just use all carrots! If you were lucky enough to grab and freeze some of the ginger they were selling at the stands, this is a great recipe for it!
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Sincerely,
Your Farmers
Brittany and Kevin
Thanks for the spring pic, Melody!
...maybe we need a fall pic? Good luck finding us in the same place at the same time! Our current "M.O." is "divide and conquer"!
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Pick Up Details:
Holliston Community Farm
34 Rogers Rd, Holliston
Tuesday, 1pm-6pm
Park beyond the farm stand (up the hill, past the yellow house)
On Farm, Pepperell
65 Brookline St, Pepperell (parking is more like 50 Brookline on maps)
Wednesday 2pm-6pm
Park in the lot near the greenhouses with the white 'Upswing Farm' sign
Weston Nurseries
93 E Main St Hopkinton (but don't pull into the main entrance!, See parking info below.)
Thursday, 1pm-6pm
Just west of the nursery is a traffic light. Turn up the hill onto Legacy Farm Rd North and then take your first right into the back gravel parking lot to park. You will see our truck and tents from the street.
Call 508-215-8378 with questions. If you text, please make sure to include your first and last name in the text.
Email brittany@upswingfarm.com with any planned schedule changes
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Storing Produce
Greens: In a plastic bag in the fridge, not near the freezer. (Ideally between 34 and 40 degrees with 98% humidity.) If they don't come in a bag, undo the twist tie when you get them home and put them in a bag. They will wilt without one.
Root veggies: All roots (except potatoes, onions and sweet potatoes) want to be in the fridge. You should twist roots like radishes, beets, turnips and carrots off of their greens before storing. The greens are all edible - so you can store them separately if you plan to eat them.
Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squash: Store at room temperature - your countertop or in a cabinet in your kitchen is best.
Onions and Potatoes: These crops like cool and dark, but dry, not moist like inside your fridge. If you plan to use them up in a week, on the counter is fine. If trying to store them for longer a dark (inside a brown bag), dry and cool environment like a basement or garage where they won't freeze is best - although don't forget about them!
Herbs and scallions: Unless you are drying them, they can go in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Tomatoes: Don't like the fridge! Store on the counter at room temp.
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