Looking Forward to

October 20th

Anticipated Harvest

§ Arugula

§ Broccoli for some

§ Kale

§ Lettuce

§ Onions

§ Parsley

§ Sweet turnips

§ Winter squash

Last Pick-Up November 3rd

Riverdale CSA

Annual

Fall

Potluck

Dinner

Riverdale Neighborhood House

Sunday, November 6

Bring a dish to share.

A farm update for all those keeping an eye on the weather:

The farm received eight inches of rain this last weekend, with minimal flooding of the fields because the previous weeks have been so dry. We thought we were going to have a frost last week, but the temperatures have not dipped down below 35 degrees here. This week we are not expected to have a frost, either, so we may have a record-breaking late frost date this year. The weather has an effect of keeping us farmers humble. Farming is always intimately connected with the weather and our surrounding environs, as agriculture is a partnership of human perception and endeavor and the forces of nature.

Dear CSA members:

During the last three weeks, the leaves on the trees here on the farm have turned to all shades of yellow, orange and red. As the sunlight grows less intense and shines for fewer hours of the day, the chlorophyl in the tree leaves begins its long winter rest, and it allows the brilliant fall colors to emerge. The festival within the tree leaves is like a reflection of the summer’s harvest from the field, with the red of the beets, the orange of the zucchini flowers and pumpkins, and the gold of the onions. Green is also well represented in the trees, with not just one single green in the trees, but a blue-green of the spruce trees reflecting the blue-green of the leek leaves, the lime green of the early leaf buds reflecting the tender green lettuce, and the solid and strong green of the maple tree reflecting the dark green peppers.

Seth, our local musician and pickle maker, told me recently that most violins are made from maple wood. The resonant quality of the maple, along with its strength to withstand the tension of the violin strings, makes maple ideal for the violin. I have been looking at maple trees differently now, looking at a tree and imagining the sound of the violin. A maple tree with its sap circulating, its rough texture of the bark, its expressive limbs and wide, shady leaves. Of course, the craftsmanship and artistry of the violin maker and the musician are essential to the violin. But as I am surrounded by more maple trees than luthiers, and no musician has yet serenaded us with a violin in the vegetable fields, I am continuing to marvel at the maple tree itself.

There is certainly a festival happening here on the farm, if only a quiet one. It is a festival of color, growth, CSA harvests, rushing water in the creeks, and honey bees foraging for the last pollen before the winter. The qualities of all the different violin music are here, from a gypsy reel to a sixteenth century classical quartet to an Appalachian jig. It is my hope that you can taste the music in your CSA shares!

Farmer Katy

Cabbage, Apple and Celery Root Salad

1 small green cabbage

1 bunch watercress

½ small celery root

1 crisp apple

1 shallot

1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp. hazelnut or walnut oil

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Garnish: chives and/or chervil

Pull off and discard the outer leaves of the cabbage.

Cut it in half, remove the core, and slice into thin strips.

Wash and dry the watercress, removing the larger stems.

Peel the celery root, cut into thin slices, and then into julienne. Peel and core the apple and cut into small dice.

Prepare the vinaigrette by peeling and dicing the shallot and combining with the sherry vinegar, salt, pepper, and oils in a large salad bowl.

Add the cabbage, watercress, celery root, and apple to the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly. Serve the salad scattered with chopped chives and a few sprigs of chervil. Serves 4.

from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

2005 Thompson-Finch Farm Apple Varieties

Don and Marnie MacClean are the farmers at Thompson Finch Farm. They are good friends and great farmers and provide all our apples and potatoes each year. This season, we thought we would send along a list of the varieties you can expect to see in your weekly shares:

Cortland-Old-time N.Y. apple. Best for pies and for fresh eating. White flesh stays white when sliced, does not oxidize to brown color on a serving plate.

Cox’s Orange Pippin- English seedling favorite. Sprightly sweet tart flavor. All purpose.

Empire-Selected from a cross breeding of McIntosh and Red Delicious by the Genevea NY Experiment Station. Crisp fresh eating apple, sweet and a bit tart, not good for cooking.

Fortune- Offspring of Northern Spy and Empire with the best traits of both. Very large and beautiful apple.

Fuji-Japanese late season winter keeper. Stays crisp for months. A favorite of many.

Golden Delicious- Great for fresh eating and pies or apple crisp. Makes a pale colored sauce. Sweet with pear-like-aroma. An old time favorite of ours.

Golden Russett-Antique variety for cooking and juice or fresh sliced for the extremist, very tart. The apple that bites you back! Traditional favorite for hard cider.

Ida Red-Long keeper. Flavor improves with storage. Brilliant red, white flesh, tart flavor, good for eating and cooking.

Jonagold-Beautiful red blush over yellow. Long keeping. Favorite of ours. The sweet aromatic taste of Golden Delicious crossed with the tart snap of Jonathan.Crisp and juicy.

Macoun-Northeastern old-time fresh eating favorite. Super crisp and juicy.

McIntosh-Old fresheating favorite and applesauce, when cooked with skins creates a lovely pink color.

Mutsu-Japanese.Larger, tarter juicier relative of Golden Delicious. Excellent dessert apple.

Northern Spy-Another antique favorite for eating sliced or cooking. Maintains firm consistency when cooked in pies. Mix with another variety for best results. Very tart.

Red Delicious-This is the old original variety before extra red color and hard rock shipping characteristics were bred in. Sweet, mild, extremely aromatic. I love them.

Rome Beauty-Large mild flavored dark red apple. One of the best for baked apple or deep pink colored applesauce.

Snow Apple-Antique McIntosh ancestor. Red striped over green skin with brilliant “snow” white flesh. Fresh eating.