{ Community Supported Agriculture Newsletter {

Dear CSA members,

Here on the Farm, we are living with the seasons. The growing season is sadly coming to an end, as it always does. The seasons continue on in their rhythm, forming the framework for our work and our daily routines.

One could just about tell the time of day on the Farm without even looking at a watch. If you were awake early, you would know it was between 4:30 and 5:00 am if you heard one of the farmers calling to the cows in their night pasture, "Come On, Cows". Then you would hear the brass cow bells ringing slowly as Hyacinth (the oldest and most knowledgeable cow of the herd) and Electra (a sprinter of a cow; she always manages to come into the barn first) begin to walk down the cow lane with the rest of the herd from the night pasture into the milking barn. The cows make almost no noise as they walk; only the gentle ringing of the cow bells and a few quiet encouragements from the farmer can be heard. At 5:30 am, when all the cows are settled into the milk barn, the morning milking begins. At 6:00 am, the morning harvest of vegetables begins out in the vegetable fields.

As the sun rises in the sky, the light comes through the colorful Rainbow Chard leaves and looks like illuminated scrolls, or stained glass windows and we catch our breath in the beauty of the world. At 7:00 am, the cows have all been milked and now are on their way, walking to their day pasture field. Every day and night the cows get fresh pasture. Just before 8:00 am, the harvest team brings in the early morning’s harvest of vegetables. Then it’s time for breakfast for the farmers and everyone eats a hearty meal. (Rainbow Chard, cooked with a little onion, is an excellent addition to scrambled eggs, by the way.)

The bulk of the day on the Farm goes by in a flash, with chores for the barn team and hundreds of bunches of turnips or beets or you name it for the harvest team.

At the end of the day, we wrap it up in the garden, put away the tools, clean the milk house, close the night pasture gate for the milk cows, and get ready to do it all again tomorrow.

We try to bring some of the routine rhythm of our work, some of the early morning sunlight on the fields, and the ringing of the cowbells to all the CSA members along with the CSA vegetables. In fact, I think these qualities are actually in your vegetables. Perhaps that’s part of the vim and vigor, the vitality, as Farmer Dan wrote last week, that we all enjoy in our CSA meals.

-Farmer Katy

OCT 28^th

Last Day to

Pre-Order!

Anticipated Harvest

for Nov 4th

LAST PICK-UP DAY!!

Beets
Carrots
Celeriac
Kale
Onions
Potatoes
Salad greens
Turnips

CIDER SHARES: There is a possibility that a recent State Law may make it illegal for us to offer unpasteurized cider. We are investigating a course of action and will keep you posted.

Pumpkin Puree: Slice pumpkins in half from top to bottom; remove seeds and pulp. Bake pumpkin halves cut side down in a 350-degree oven until tender, about 90 minutes,. Scoop out the flesh and puree with a hand mixer, blender, or food processor. Use as directed in your favorite recipe for cakes, pies, or bread.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 leek, chopped

1 potato, boiled and cubed

1 tsp. olive oil

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

4 cups milk

1 Tbs. curry powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Sauté leek and potato cubes in olive oil. Place mixture in a large pot and add other ingredients. Cook over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. Purée soup in a blender, or use a hand mixer, then serve.

by Colleen Miner, www.hgtv.com

Pumpkin Dip

Spread this on sliced apples or use as a dip for carrots.

¾ cup (6 ounces) cream cheese

¼ to ½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons maple syrup

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add syrup and cinnamon, and beat until smooth. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve with apple.

Cooking Light, October 2003

Rutabagas are wonderful when sautéed with apples and onions or mashed with potatoes and cream. Here are a few more ideas:

Hearty Rutabaga, Turnip and Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped leek (white & pale green parts)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups ½ -inch pieces peeled turnips

2 cups ½ -inch pieces peeled rutabagas

2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled potatoes

2 cups sliced carrots

1 can (14.5-oz.) diced tomatoes in juice

6 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add leek, celery and garlic and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add turnips, rutabagas, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes with juices and 3 cups broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.

Transfer half of soup to processor. Puree until almost smooth. Return puree to pot. Add remaining 3 cups broth; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and serve. Serves 6. Bon Appétit, January 1998

Roasted Root Vegetables

Can be prepared ahead and reheated in the oven or on the stovetop. Use any combination of:

Carrots

Celeriac

Garlic cloves

Onions

Rutabagas

Turnips

Peel vegetables and cut into ½ inch cubes or batons (garlic cloves can be halved or used whole). Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. If desired, season with rosemary, thyme, or your favorite herbs. Spread in single layer on one or more baking pans and roast at 400^o. Stir occasionally so they don’t stick. Be patient, it may take up to 45 minutes for them to caramelize.

Baked Pumpkins with Apples and Fruit

1 baking or sugar pumpkin

2 apples, cored, peeled, cubed

2 pears, cored, peeled, cubed

1 cup dried cherries

½ cup brown sugar

4 Tablespoons butter

½ cup apple juice or cider

ice cream

Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom and remove the seeds and stringy pulp. Divide fruit between the two pumpkin halves, and top each with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and two tablespoons of butter. Pour 1/4 cup of apple juice into each pumpkin half. Bake at 350 degrees for about 90 minutes. Scoop the pumpkin flesh and fruit into bowls, top with ice cream and serve. by Colleen Miner, www.hgtv.com