Hi everyone!
Thank you all again for an amazing season! While we’re sad to be coming to an end, the shift is always a nice change pace but I’m sure I’ll be longing for Spring and fresh produce sooner than later. This newsletter is a little long, so here is a quick TLDR; tote return Friday November 14th 5-6p (reach out if another time works better), complete this survey for a free larder item at tote return, end-of-season potluck 11/15 12-3pm (location tbd) and recommendations for where to find local produce over the winter, and our reflections on the season.
While this is the last share, we still want to see you all one more time to collect totes and containers. You’ve probably already heard this from us, but our tote bags are rescued via zero-waste spaces (facebook groups, eco-ship, etc.). Because of that, they aren’t particularly easy to replace so we appreciate your help making sure they find their way home at the end of the season. We’re looking forward to giving them some needed love over the winter so that they are ready to go for next season. We’ll plan to keep our same cadence and setup at Monochrome Tuesday November 11th with the regular reminders ahead of time.
We need your help! The seasonal nature of a CSA gifts us with the perfect opportunity to reflect, adjust, and plan for next year. We love to take full advantage of that, and feedback from you gives us perspectives that we don’t have. This survey shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes. If you complete the survey, when you return your last tote and containers we’ll have a gift for you. In the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to build up our pantry with pickled beets and begin fermenting cabbage for sauerkraut. We’re excited to share these items with you all as an incentive to both returning totes and sharing feedback.
Join CSA Club members in sharing some tasty food and celebrating the . Block your calendars for Saturday November 15th 12-3pm. We’re still working on the location, but we’re aiming for somewhere in the Logan Square/Wicker area. With the cooler temps, we’re looking for something indoors so breweries/taprooms are where are minds are at the moment. If you have any suggestions send them our way! We’ll send out more details as we get closer.
Hope you enjoy the share!
-Ben
Fall/Winter CSA
Home Delivered Local Produce
Winter Farmer’s Markets
Special requests
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More leek! With the potatoes in this share a potato leek soup is sounding delicious. Vichyssoise is a classic. While typically served cold, with the cooler temps I’d just eat it hot.
We also had butternut in the shares back in September. We’ve been enjoying our squash roasted, as soup, and even as pasta sauce.
A variety of fingerling potatoes, these are an easy to use size. In kitchens, we often refer to tasks that are tedious and not really necessary as ‘french’. Peeling potatoes for anything besides mashed potatoes a bit too ‘french’ for me when doing home cooking.
The carrots are building up in our refrigerator from the ample amount Nichols has put in the shares this year. We’re planning to use some of the carrots for carrot cake as a different format for enjoying them. The rainbow carrots might add a fun variation to a typical carrot cake. Or it might just look a little ugly since the purple/red colors are due to anthocyanins which are water-soluble and pH sensitive (cakes are typically slightly alkaline from the baking soda/powder).
Eggplant and peppers are a couple of fruit-that-we-call-vegetables that have seasons extending into fall (vs. cucumber, tomato, or summer squash). This will be the second time we have them in the share from Otter Oaks and will be the some of the last things they harvest from the Bronzeville plot. Next year Otter Oaks will be cultivating an acre out in McHenry county. Jarvi said they’re looking forward to having the extra space (only 1/4 acre in Bronzeville currently) as it will allow them to grow more space intensive things like winter squashes as well as space things out a bit more to reduce pest pressure.
Jonagolds are a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon bred at the New York State Experimental Station in the 1950s. The texture of the one I tried was a little softer than I prefer but the taste was a strong sweet-tart balance with an intense apple juice flavor.
Developed by the University of Minnesota, honeygolds were breed to be an alternative to Golden Delicious that is suitable for colder climates. They have yellow to golden red skins with creamy flesh that has subtle notes of pear.
A friend of mine used to refer to fennel as “celery that tastes like something.” And that taste is similar to licorice or anise (anethole is the chemical to thank for this). The entirety of the plant can be used: bulb, stalks, and fronds. The stalks are most similar to celery and can be fibrous. Chopping and cooking can help mitigate that. The fronds can be used as you would any other herb. The bulb is what most fennel recipes will call for and can be used in a variety of ways. I like to slice it thinly and toss with oil and vinegar for a salad. I also like to sauté or braise it, as it caramelizes really nicely.
This variety of kale is a little frilly with mild flavor and pretty dark red color. It’s hardy and sautés well.
