Letter from a Farmer,

A big thank you to all the members who came out to harvest sweet potatoes on Saturday. It was great to have people back on the farm. It was uplifting to hear the laughter and conversations drift over the field while we worked. And fortunately the rain held off until the very end of the day. The soil was wet from previous rains so getting the sweet potatoes out of the soil was a bit more work than normal. Everyone seemed to enjoy the excavation and mud. We finished almost 3 of the 8 beds of sweet potatoes we have planted in the field. Thursday the farm team will head back out again to keep on digging. Unfortunately the two additional inches of rain we got Saturday into today will make the harvest more of a challenge.

Seeing the rain in the forecast we hustled on Thursday and Friday to harvest carrots. First we harvested the bunches for this week's share and then the rest of the carrots were harvested without tops. We harvested 950 bunches and 36 bulk bins of carrots (22,000 lbs) in total. We also started the popcorn harvest and so far have more than 3000 ears drying for delivery in a week or two. We were lucky to have the help of our Dutch friends Anna and Jip for encouragement and to lend much needed extra hands.

In addition, we had 20 acres of cover crops to seed before the rain. Friday late morning and afternoon Kyle and Linnea seeded tillage radish and oats & peas into the fields we are using for veggies next year. Those two crops need to be seeded mid-September in order to grow before the cold weather hits. We knew if the seeding didn't happen on Friday, it would be too wet and too late by the end of this week. We have 45 more acres to seed into rye & vetch or clover & vetch. But we have until the end of October to get those planted.

We still have a lot of work ahead of us the next couple of weeks to continue harvesting sweet potatoes, cabbage, and the different storage radishes. Plus preparing the land for the rye & vetch cover crops. And then the clean up of all the fields and equipment for the winter. But as the days continue to get shorter and the weather chillier we can feel the season begin to wind down. Crossing our fingers for dry weather for the next few weeks with sunshine and blue skies. ~Jody

ROXBURY FARM CSA PORK in WHOLES, HALVES, or QUARTERS

Purchase our farm raised pork in bulk to get more for you dollar and to stock up your freezer for the winter. Our pigs are raised on certified organic grain from Green Mountain Feed in Vermont and live in a shady wooded pasture. You can purchase a quarter, half, or whole pig to pick up on farm. Click HERE to reserve your order & pay your deposit today. You can pay the remainder when you pick up your pork.

Member sweet potato harvest party

CHICKEN SHARE #4: Week of Oct. 16

CHICKEN SHARE #5: Week of Nov. 13

PORK SHARE #1: Week of October 23

PORK SHARE #2: Week of November 7

If you can't pick up your egg or meat share a particular week, please contact the farm and we can hold your share and send it another week.

ROXBURY FARM CSA

PORK and BEEF

We have our own beef and pork available to purchase by the cut.

Click HERE to see what cuts are available

head lettuce, tomatoes or onions, napa cabbage, cilantro, beets or carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, kale, broccoli or cauliflower

Farm team harvesting cilantro in the rain

This week's full share: arugula, tatsoi, kale, tomatoes, head lettuce, carrots, cauliflower or broccoli, green beans, fennel, winter squash, and cilantro

FRUIT SHARE: Gala Apples

This week's small share: kale, cilantro, head lettuce, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, and winter squash

COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

Tatsoi and Carrot Stir Fried Rice

1 cup Jasmine Rice

6 oz Tatsoi

2 Carrots

2 Scallions

1 Lime

3 Tbsps Soy Sauce

1 1-Inch Piece Ginger

⅓ cup Sweet Chili Sauce

In a small pot, combine the rice, a big pinch of salt and 2 cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Set aside in a warm place.

Peel and mince the ginger. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Roughly chop tatsoi. Peel the carrots; thinly slice into rounds. Crack the eggs into a bowl; beat until smooth. Quarter the lime. To make the sweet and sour sauce, in a bowl, combine the soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and the juice of all 4 lime wedges; whisk to combine.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the ginger, tatsoi, carrots and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.

Add the eggs to the pan of vegetables; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and the eggs are just cooked through. Add the cooked rice and half the sweet and sour sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes, or until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside in a warm place.

Garnish with the green tops of the scallions.

www.blueapron.com

Chili-Lime Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, and cut crosswise into ½-inch slices

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)

⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¾ teaspoon honey

1 head of lettuce, leaves separated, larger leaves torn

¼ cup toasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

¾ cup crumbled Cotija cheese (3 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil and arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle with chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Bake until soft and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk together lime juice, cilantro, honey, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange romaine on a platter, then top with squash, pepitas, and Cotija; drizzle with dressing. www.marthastewart.com

Butternut Squash Roast with Yogurt and Grain Relish

1 medium butternut squash halved, seeds removed

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

2 small shallots (2 ounces total), 1 thinly sliced, 1 finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup farro

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper

⅓ cup pomegranate arils

¼ cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon capers, chopped

½ cup raw pistachios

¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange squash, cut-sides up, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle with sliced shallot and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until thickest part of flesh is easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 1 hour to 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add farro and cook until tender but still slightly chewy, 20 to 25 minutes.

Drain.

In a bowl, whisk together remaining 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, and Aleppo-style pepper until well combined. Stir in warm farro, pomegranate arils, parsley, capers, and chopped shallot. Season with salt and pepper.

In a food processor, purée pistachios with yogurt until mostly smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread pistachio-yogurt mixture on a platter and arrange squash on top. Top with farro relish; drizzle with more oil and serve.

www.marthastewart.com

Roasted Fennel

1 large bulb fennel

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cloves garlic minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1/8 cup parmesan 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Remove any of the stalks from the fennel bulbs and then cut them in half lengthwise.

Cut each halved fennel bulb into 1/2 inch thick slices and arrange the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet ensuring that they are all laid out evenly and do not overlap.

In a bowl combine the olive oil and minced garlic and brush it over the sliced fennel and then sprinkle the thyme, salt and pepper overtop to ensure they are all well seasoned.

Roast the fennel in the oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes if using parmesan, sprinkle it over the fennel and then return the tray to the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.

After 35 minutes of baking the fennel should be tender and caramelized on the edges (cook for another 5-8 minutes if its not yet tender). Serve warm. www.everylastbite.com