CSA News for the Week of September 6th

This Week's Vegetable Harvest:

• Arugula
• Purple-Top Turnips
• Carrots
• Romano Beans
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Beefsteak Tomatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Juliet Tomatoes
• Bell Peppers and/or Italian Frying Peppers
• Fresh Sage

This Week's Fruit Share:

• Raspberries
• Bartlett Pears
• Peaches
• White Concord Grapes (seedless)
• Red Grapes (seedless)

Important Dates

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Week of September 29th/30th

Last week for Summer Vegetable Shares and Fresh Fruit Shares

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Week of October 6th/7th

Start of Fall Vegetable Shares

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Week of November 17th/18th

Last week for Fall Vegetable Shares

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Farm Photo Journal

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This week's dramatically cooler temperatures serve as a reminder that autumn is fast approaching. Each passing day on the farm seems to bring another reminder that summer is beginning to transition into fall. This week I was walking down the driveway to the mailbox when I looked up and noticed an ocean of Big Bluestem waving in the breeze all along the south side of the farm. The Big Bluestem has begun to turn a unique shade of bronze with just a hint of purple. We are lucky to have such a diversity of beautiful prairie plants surrounding the farm.
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The beauty of some of our fall cover crops has also caught my eye lately. This field of forage radishes, with its bright green leaves, enhances the view while working to break up soil compaction and enhance soil fertility.

Forage radish isn't the only cover crop we use this time of year. Oats, field peas, hairy vetch, and annual rye (pictured above) are some of the other plants that we sow in September and October to enhance soil fertility and tilth, to control weeds, and to limit soil erosion.

And just in case I needed one more visual cue to signal that fall is fast approaching, here it is-- a group of employees in flannel shirts and hooded sweatshirts harvesting turnips. September and October can be some of the best months for working on the farm. Mosquitos begin to disappear, temperatures start to moderate and the workload gradually lessens. We are looking forward to our work during these last couple of months, and we're looking forward to enjoying the flavors of fall!

Notes from the Farm Kitchen

The flavor of purple-top turnips is a nice combination of sharp and sweet. They can be cooked in many of the same ways as potatoes - boiled, mashed, roasted, scalloped, etc. Nutritionally speaking, turnips top the charts. They are a great source of vitamins A, C and B complex as well as the minerals potassium, magnesium and calcium. Use turnip greens within a week. Turnip roots will keep for months in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.



We most often think of sage is an herb used to flavor the stuffing for our Thanksgiving turkeys, but it is so much more versatile than you might imagine. It goes well with many Italian dishes, particularly those of Northern Italian origin. You might want to make your own variation of a real classic--Tuscan white beans with sage, garlic and fresh chopped tomatoes. You could also use it to make sage butter for pairing with ravioli or gnocchi. There are many versions of these recipes available on the internet.

This Week's Recipes

Carolina-Style Turnip Greens
Chile-Vinegar Turnip Greens
Pickled Carrots, Turnips and Peppers
Creamy Turnip Soup with Matchstick Carrots
Braised Turnips with Mustard Sauce
Chicken Saltimboca


Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... swiss chard, leeks, tomatoes, garlic, cipollini onions, eggplant, mustard greens, beets, apples, plums, grapes and more!