{ Community Supported Agriculture Newsletter {

Looking Forward to

September 29th

Anticipated Harvest

§ Arugula

§ Broccoli for some

§ Cauliflower for some

§ Kale

§ Leeks

§ Lettuce

§ Potatoes

§ Turnips for some

Fall Harvest Festival

Saturday, October 8

11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Rain or shine

Join us for a day of fun and learning for the entire family.

Hay rides, games, farm activities, music, homemade organic food, dessert cafe, hands-on and participatory demonstrations, The Magical Puppet Tree, The Storycrafters, wildlife demonstrations, Open House and tours at Hawthorne Valley School, and a whole lot more.

Dear CSA members:

Can it be the third week of September already? This year, the welcome warmth of May turned into the blazing heat of July and August, and now our nights are cooler, with warm days still. Each part of the growing season has seemed to me to have a fierce intensity to it this year.

In the vegetable fields, we mark time with the changing seasons, the growth of plants, and the seasonal harvests, as well as with the changing qualities of the sunlight, air and rainfall. A sunny day in May is certainly different than a sunny day in September.

In May, a sunny day includes farmers’ hopes for a new growing season, the smell of freshly tilled healthy soil, red wing black birds nesting in the hedge rows, trees sporting their new lemon-green leaves, and happy cows quietly grazing the lush spring pastures.

In September, a sunny day will have farmers immersed in harvesting, planting fall salad greens for the cool weather, mapping out the last of the pasture season, beginning to put the vegetable fields to rest for the winter little by little, and storing away the summer harvest of hay for the cows to eat all winter long. Now Canada geese have begun to fly South again, the color of the trees is turning a more olive green, with bursts of yellow, and the cows will still graze on the pastures until the end of October, when the fresh grass stops growing for the winter.

We still have a good six more CSA deliveries ahead of us; we will finish this CSA season on November 3. We are hoping you are enjoying the bounty of the whole year!

Katy

Beet Ravioli

2 large beets (14 ounces)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp. dried breadcrumbs

1 package wonton wrappers

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets individually in foil; place on baking sheet. Roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Open foil carefully (steam will escape). Cool. Peel beets; finely grate into medium bowl.

Add ricotta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in breadcrumbs.

Place 8 won ton wrappers on work surface. Place small bowl of water next to work surface.

Spoon 1 teaspoon beet filling onto half of each wrapper. Dip fingertip into water and dampen edge of wrapper. Fold diagonally over filling, pushing out as much air as possible and pressing edges firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat and stir in poppy seeds; keep warm. Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to skillet with melted butter; toss to coat. Divide ravioli among 8 plates; sprinkle with Parmesan.

Makes 8 first-course servings.

Bon Appétit, May 2005

NOTE: Can also be made with goat or feta cheese

Medley of Brussel Sprouts, Beets and Turnips with Hazelnuts

4 medium-size beets, tops trimmed

1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
1 1/4 pounds turnips, peeled, each cut into 8 wedges

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced shallots
1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 large garlic cloves, minced

Preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap beets in foil; bake until center is tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel; cut each beet into 8 wedges.

Cook brussels sprouts in pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Using large slotted spoon, transfer brussels sprouts to bowl of ice water; cool. Drain. Add turnips to pot; boil until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water; cool. Drain. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Melt butter in heavy large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and hazelnuts; sauté until nuts begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add thyme and garlic; sauté until nuts are golden, about 2 minutes. Add all vegetables except beets; cover and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, Sauté beets in a separate pan until just heated. Add to vegetables just before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.
by Jeanne Thiel Kelleyfor Bon Appétit, November 1999

Turnips and Carrots with Herb Butter

4 Tbsp butter, softened

1 Tbsp. minced scallions

1 Tbsp snipped fresh chives

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 pound turnips, peeled and sliced into half moons

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the butter in a small bowl. Beat in the green onion, chives, thyme, and parsley. Set aside.

Simmer the turnip and carrot slices over medium heat, in salted water to cover, until crisply tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 Tbsp of the herbed butter, and heat through. Serve hot, with the remaining herb butter in a separate bowl.

Makes 6 servings. From Vegetables on the Side by Sallie Y. Williams