Order by Noon on Mondays for Wednesday
evening delivery or pickup.
(West Allis Farmers' Market Pickup is Tuesday or Thursday)
October 23rd, 2021
Well, it's starting to look (and feel) like late October! We've had a few light frosts in the last week, but, considering the late date, our current veggie selection will only improve from the cold.
Of course, warm weather crops like Basil and Tomatoes are on their way out. Basil was frozen to a crisp, and our end-of-season tomato harvest was very small as we've been selling our tomatoes as fast as they've been growing! This week, we're down to just Artisan Cocktail Tomatoes, which I picked half-green so they'll be ripe in time for next Wednesday. Grab them for one last taste of summer!
We managed to bundle up our bean field, the lettuce patch, our pepper rows and our fennel, so they'll make it through the cold nights...(you know it's a warm Fall when you'll have fresh Bell Peppers and Snap Beans in November!)
The light frosts will be good for the rest of our crops, as the coldness actually improves their flavor and increases their natural sugars. I was actually a bit disappointed in our Brussel Sprouts last week, as they hadn't had a chance to sweeten up from a frost--no worries on that front now! Baby lettuce, asian greens, cabbage, kale, spinach, radishes, parsnips, carrots, and beets also love the cold!
Winter Squash is in it's prime and are all harvested and curing in the barn. We have more Honeyboat Delicata and Honeynut than expected, so I lowered the price a bit.
Pumpkins are also on sale now, as we're only one week out from Halloween. If you're like us, and you carved your pumpkins early this season, now is the time to do it all over again! All Jack-O-Lantern types are $1 off, plus you get an additional $1 off when you select one of our "2 for" specials. "Baby Bear" Mini Pie-Pumpkins are now only $2 each or 4 for $7; and our "Jade Knight" Stacking Pumpkins are only $3 each (and some of them are rather large!)
This will be the last regular week that we drive to MI for fruit; after this week, we only restock Apples and Cider once per month. That being said, this will be the final week for Fred & Linda's wonderful fresh Raspberries. I know my family will miss them!
Also, I'm not sure if you caught that, but we will have fresh Apple Cider coming in from them on Wednesday morning. It is by far some of the best, most authentic cider I've had! It's cold-pasteurized and entirely preservative-free, so be sure to keep it refrigerated and use it up in a few days. A few of my chef's freeze it, and they've enjoyed the results. Just be sure to pour out a bit before putting it in the freezer, or you'll have a mess on your hands!
Thanks again for a wonderful week last week, we're looking forward to truly transitioning into "winter-farming" mode soon!
All The Best,
The Centgraf's
NEW THIS WEEK
Green Onions
Rutabaga
Seychelles White Beans
Apple Cider
The Detox Bundle
EXCELLENT THIS WEEK
Red Dragon Napa Cabbage
Brussel Sprouts
Winter Radishes
Rapini
Snap Beans
Tom Thumb Mini Bibb Lettuce
Honeynut Squash
Honey Crisp Apples
Raspberries
Photos: Green Beans, Raspberries, Red Dragon Napa, Fresh Brussel Sprouts
BOX CONTENTS
THE "YOU-CHOOSE-THE-REST" BOX
1 Bunch of Mixed Lettuce
1 Half-Pound of Green Beans
1 Bunch of Rainbow Carrots
2 Winter Radishes
2 Honeynut Squash
VALUE OF $16.00
SMALL
1 Bunch of Mixed Lettuce
1 Bunch of Rainbow Chard
Small Bunch of Sage
1 Pound of Red Cabernet Onions
1 Half-Pound of Green Beans
1 Bunch of Rainbow Carrots
3 Winter Radishes
2 Honeynut Squash
1.75# Cortland Apples
1.5# Crispin Apples
VALUE OF $30.00
LARGE
1 Bunch of Mixed Lettuce
4 oz. Scarlet Frills
2 Bunches of Rainbow Chard
Small Bunch of Sage
1 Pound of Red Cabernet Onions
1 Pound of Green Beans
1 Bunch of Rainbow Carrots
An Extra Pound of Rainbow Carrots
3 Winter Radishes
4 Honeynut Squash
1.75# Cortland Apples
1.5# Crispin Apples
VALUE OF $43.00
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Beet & Carrot Salad w/ Pomegranate & Pumpkin Seeds
Looking for something healthy, or just delicious? The trick to this salad (for the health benefits and the taste) is to go heavy on the parsley. I skip the balsamic vinegar and squeeze on lots of fresh lemon juice.
Try this healthy and delicious salad in this week's Detox Bundle.
Photo & recipe from "An Edible Mosaic"
Roasted Honeynut Squash w/ Maple Sage Butter
I can go an entire summer without craving anything sweet, but as soon as it starts getting cold, the temptation sets in!
Use the Fresh Sage and Honeynuts from your box in this easy and slightly sinful recipe! I would check the Honeynuts at 45-50 minutes rather than an hour as they're pretty mini.
And, if you're feeling really adventurous, try slow-roasting the leftover squash peels into a Squash Skin Crumble.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds: Three Ways
I'm sure you, too, have been busy scooping seeds out of squash and pumpkins these days; so, why not start roasting them regularly?
My kids, for example, eat squash almost every day, so each time we make squash, we just clean the seeds, leave them to dry and toast them when we have a good sized pile of dried seeds.
Pumpkin seeds are fine, too; but, we think the squash seeds are even better!
Join our Community Page to find & share other great recipes!
THIS WEEK'S MARKET BUNDLE RECIPES
The Soup Bundle:Creamy Parsnip & Pear Soup
from Alexandra's Kitchen
The Detox Bundle: Beet and Carrot Salad with Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds
from An Edible Mosaic
The Baked Tomato & Fennel Bundle: Baked Fennel, Tomatoes and Spanish Onion
from Delicious.com
Weekly Order Cut-Off Time is Noon on Monday.
Deliveries & Pickups are on Wednesday evening.
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