Letter from a Farmer,

Wow. Another rough weekend for the northeast. We are thinking of all of you in Westchester and NYC who are affected by the flooding and rain. We had 2 inches of rain between Friday and Saturday. Which isn't great but we haven't flooded so we count ourselves lucky.

Some of our crops are enjoying this wet weather and some just aren't.

The broccoli, arugula, late baby turnips, and napa cabbage are not faring well. A disease called Alternaria is very common in brassicas. It is a fungus that spreads in wet weather, especially if the leaves on the plants stay wet over night. It causes the broccoli heads to rot and brown spots on the leafy greens. We plant 6 different broccoli plantings and each planting should result in 800 to 1,000 heads. The first three plantings have yielded less than 300 heads. We are hoping the next three will be better. The last arugula plantings and the baby turnips are turning brown as they come out of the soil. We aren't sure if we will be able to harvest them or not.

The tomatoes are done for the season. We may get one harvest of green tomatoes but that will be it for the year. They were doing well until that last rain. The outdoor ones split and the ones in the tunnels are too old to be yielding well now.

The lettuce and radicchio don't mind the weather but have been decimated by our local wild turkey flock. Each morning we scare them out of the lettuce patch. Not much we can do to fence out animals that can fly. We had enough lettuce and radicchio planted to get us through week 23 but now this may be the last week of lettuce.

We are enjoying our best popcorn harvest yet. The ears are long and full of kernels. The ends of the field have a lower yield because the deer have been enjoying a snack. The cilantro and dill are growing well. The sweet potatoes are really beautiful but getting them out of the mud has been a challenge. We have three more beds to pick this Thursday. Somehow the cabbage has made it through many challenges and the heads are forming nicely. Same with the curly and lacinato kale.

Growing such a wide variety of crops gives us a buffer against bad weather. We will have plenty of root crops, cabbage, kale, squash, onions, and winter squash to get us through the rest of the season. And hopefully some surprise greens and broccoli. ~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.

Praying Mantis in the popcorn

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, red cabbage, carrots, winter squash, bell peppers, green tomatoes, popcorn, cilantro, collards, and broccoli or cauliflower

Popcorn harvest

This week's full share:kale, napa cabbage, purple potatoes, head lettuce, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and beets. Plus onions that aren't pictured

FRUIT SHARE: Gala Apples

This week's small share: kale, head lettuce, purple potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and cauliflower or onions

COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

Napa Wedge Salad

For the buttermilk Parmesan dressing:

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons buttermilk, more to taste

2 tablespoons finely crumbled or shredded Parmesan

For the Napa cabbage wedge salad:

1 small head Napa cabbage

1 small red onion

2 crisp apples

2 tablespoons tablespoons crumbled Parmesan, plus a few bits for crumbling over finished salad

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 pinch Sea salt, to taste

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

In a small mixing bowl, combine the garlic, sherry vinegar, Dijon, and sea salt with a fork. Whisking vigorously with the fork, drizzle in olive oil and then whisk in sour cream. When mixture is thick and creamy, slowly whisk in buttermilk. Finally, add the crumbled Parmesan, and whisk vigorously to combine.

Chill dressing in the fridge while you prepare the salad.

For the Napa cabbage wedge salad:

Keeping the core intact, slice Napa cabbage lengthwise into four equal quarters. Arrange on a large platter.

Either with a mandoline or a sharp knife, carefully cut the red onion into paper thin slices. Core and cut apples into 1/8-inch thick slices. In a medium-sized bowl, toss apples and onions with a pinch of sea salt and a tablespoon of the prepared dressing.

Tuck dressed onion and apple slices all around and between the leaves of the cabbage wedges. Drizzle the Napa wedges with most of the remaining dressing. Finish with chives, a pinch of sea salt, plenty of fresh ground black pepper, and scattered Parmesan. www.food52.com

Warm Lentils with Beets and Kale

3–4 beets ( enough for 2 people)

2 cups cooked lentils

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 a red onion- diced

3 garlic cloves- rough chopped

4 cups (packed) kale- chopped (or chard, beet greens, baby spinach)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, more to taste

1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

2–3 tablespoons fresh basil, or Italian parsley.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Scrub and trim beets and cut into ½ inch slices or wedges. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and roast until tender, about 25- 30 minutes.

If cooking lentils, place ¾ cup dried lentils in a small pot and cover with 3 inches of water and a pinch salt. Bring to a boil, cover and turn heat down to a simmer, cook about 25-30 minutes or until tender but still hold their shape. Drain.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add diced onion and saute 3-4 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add garlic and cook 2 more minutes, until golden and fragrant.

Lower heat to medium low. Add kale and gently wilt, just slightly, about 5-8 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 2 cups cooked lentils to the skillet, gently folding them in and warming. Season again with salt and pepper.

Add beets and splash with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Let vinegar cook down for just a couple of minutes so it’s not so acidic. Taste, add more vinegar if you like, cooking it down. Sprinkle with goat cheese and herbs. Taste again, if it tastes bland it most likely needs salt. Serve immediately. www.feastingathome.com

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1″ cubes

1 teaspoons salt, divided

⅓ cup finely sliced green onion, mostly green parts (from 1 bunch)

⅓ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 small-to-medium garlic clove, pressed or minced

1/8 cup sour cream

1.5 tablespoons butter, cubed

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover by about 1″. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender (in other words, it’s easy to slide a fork in and out), about 9 to 12 minutes.

Drain well, then return the potatoes to the pot. Mash the sweet potatoes to your desired consistency.

Promptly add almost all of the green onion and parsley, reserving a small amount of each for garnish. Add the garlic, and stir to combine. Then stir in most of the sour cream (reserve roughly 1 tablespoon for garnish), all of the butter, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and swirl the reserved sour cream onto the top with a spoon. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion and parsley, drizzle the top lightly with olive oil, and finish with a sprinkle of pepper.

Serve promptly. Leftovers will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days.

www.cookieandkate.com

Kale Pesto

½ cup pepitas

1 small garlic clove

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 packed cups chopped curly kale

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor, pulse the pepitas and garlic until the pepitas are ground up. Add the cheese or nutritional yeast, salt, and several grinds of pepper and pulse again.

Add the kale and lemon juice. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil, and process until combined. Season to taste. www.loveandlemons.com

Roasted Kale

1 bunch kale

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or two if you’re doubling the recipe). Chop the kale. In a large bowl, mix the kale with the olive oil, garlic power, kosher salt, and black pepper. Place the kale leaves onto the baking sheet in a single layer.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 5 minutes. Remove the tray, stir and roast another 2 minutes. Remove the tray one more time, stir, and roast 2 minutes more until wilted and crispy on the edges. Eat immediately, or you can refrigerate up to 1 week and add to meals throughout the week. www.acouplecooks.com