Letter from a Farmer,

Last Monday, we checked out the forecast during the morning farm team meeting and saw rain coming once again on Friday and Saturday. Our to-do list had a backlog of tasks delayed by the previous rainy weekends. And once again we were running out of time to get some of those jobs done. This included planting garlic, seeding cover crops, finishing the sweet potato harvest, and picking the parsnips & storage radishes. The team said we got this and headed to work.

The farm team had worked on Saturday morning to get crops washed for the week. On Monday we harvested and washed more crops so we would have time to do field work later in the week. We also started splitting the garlic bulbs so we could plant once the soil dried out. On Tuesday we made beds for garlic and started to prepare the 40 acres of land for seeding rye, clover, and vetch. On Wednesday part of the farm team planted garlic while others finished splitting garlic bulbs while Kyle & Linnea started seeding cover crops. Then on Thursday we harvested the last three beds of sweet potatoes while Kyle seeded cover crops all day. On Friday we harvested the parsnips and storage radishes with the root harvesting machine. And we even had time to seed rye & vetch in the fields where the parsnips and sweet potatoes had been growing. We were ready for the rain and at the same time hopeful we wouldn't get too much. We were tired but enjoyed the feeling of getting so many tasks finished.

Saturday was our last farmers market for the season. Linnea and Anna went prepared for a rainy market but the storm held off until they were loading the van to come back home. And then it was a deluge. Another inch of rain fell on the fields.

We still have a long list of cleaning up to do before winter and the cabbage to harvest. We will start chipping away at that list, checking each item off as we complete them until the farm is ready for a winter's rest and so are we. ~Jody

P.S. It's time to sign up for the Winter Share so you can eat from the farm all winter long. Click HERE to sign up today.

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 the farm. Click HERE to reserve your order & pay your deposit today. You can pay the remainder when you pick up your pork.

Planting garlic

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

onions, green cabbage, beets, sweet potatoes, broccoli or cauliflower, dill or cilantro, green tomatoes, potatoes, and kale

Sweet potato harvest

Treats fueling our sweet potato harvesting

This week's full share:carrots, onions, red cabbage, bell peppers, cilantro, popcorn, winter squash, collards, and head lettuce

FRUIT SHARE: Ambrosia Apples

This week's small share: carrots, onion, bell peppers, popcorn, winter squash, collards, and red cabbage

COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

Red Cabbage, Cilantro, and Walnut Salad

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon agave syrup

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Salt to taste (optional; fish sauce is salty)

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 tablespoons walnut oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

8 cups finely shredded red cabbage (1 medium cabbage, quartered, cored and finely sliced)

½ cup slivered cilantro leaves with top parts of stems (lay bunch down and cut across the bunch)

1 cup julienned radishes

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, to taste

1 cup lightly toasted walnut halves or pecans

In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, rice vinegar, agave syrup, fish sauce, salt (if using) and oils.

In a large bowl, combine red cabbage, cilantro, radishes, ginger and ⅓ cup of the nuts. Toss together, add dressing and toss together again. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and toss again before serving.

Mound the slaw in a bowl or on a platter. It looks nice if you press it into a bowl then reverse it onto a platter. Top with remaining toasted nuts just before serving. www.nytimes.cooking.com

Cilantro Lime Red Cabbage Slaw

4 Cups Finely Sliced Red Cabbage 

½ Cup Sliced Onion 

½ Cup Cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoon Lime Juice

½ teaspoon Kosher Salt ¼ teaspoon if using fine grain salt

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt.

Massage with your hands, squeezing the cabbage for about 3 minutes. This helps break the cabbage down a bit, making it easier to eat.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. www.earthlyprovisions.com

Sautéed Collard Greens with Peppers & Onions

1 bunch collard greens

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1/2 red or green bell pepper, sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper

Remove and discard all but 1 inch of the collard stems. Cut the remaining stems out of the leaves, separating the leaves and stems. Cut the leaves into 2-inch squares. Slice the stems into thin slices.

Wash the leaves in a big basin of water. Leave the water in the basin or sink and use a strainer to dip the leaves out of the water. Don't wash the leaves inside a colander or pour the water off the container with the leaves inside; this would allow any sand to stay with the greens. Wash the stems separately in the same basin of water, using the same method as the leaves.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Have a colander ready in the sink to drain the greens and a bowl of water with ice cubes in it to chill the greens.

Cook the stems for 1 minute. Add the leaves, and once they turn bright green, fish out a small leaf to taste it. The greens are done when they taste tender. You can't really tell whether the greens are done without tasting them.

Pour the cooked greens into the colander to drain. Once the hot water has drained off, carefully put the hot greens into the ice water. Once the greens feel cool to the touch, drain them in a colander again. Drain for about 10 to 15 minutes so that they are quite dry. (At this point, the greens may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onions gently in the oil. Raise the heat and add the peppers, and then the garlic. Add the blanched greens and saute until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. www.foodnetwork.com