Hi everyone, Jess here with another week of Springdell’s finest! Well, it’s been a week for sure, and we are most grateful for the bounty of the CSA to bring some comfort food into our lives. This venerable cornucopia is nourishing in more ways than one.
- Cabbage– I still have a green head of this stored, and am thinking of a colorful purple and green kimchi and slaw that mix the two. If you’re not a slaw person, cross sliced sections of cabbage roasted with bacon may be your answer!
- Brussels Sprouts– Hooray for Brussels Sprouts! Again, bacon and brassicas are a winning combo, I find that halving and roasting is a great way to go. You can also enjoy them raw in a salad! Here’s a tested recipe for the Brussels Sprouts averse.
- Buttercup Squash– Another squash that’s a top–of-list contender, it’s a beauty! I like to cut into the ring at the bottom (the side that’s opposite from the stem) and follow around the circle with the knife, pop off the bottom and scoop out the seeds. This squash has a full-bodied flavor, great for baking and roasting. I plan to store a couple of the hardiest- skinned ones and will use the remaining one for mac and cheese.
- Cauliflower– Should I say “Falliflower”? This is the fall crop of the summer favorite. I may repeat some General Tso’s Cauliflower, Buffalo Cauliflower, or some combo therein, to be determined.
- Celery– This is the stuff! My plan for this is to blanch most of it, thinly slice some of the choice stalks for a salad with celery and apple, and use the rest in an acorn squash stuffing. Read below for more info on how to make the most of celery season!
- McIntosh Apples– This old standby is a New England favorite. Here is what the farm stand has to say! – “Originating in Fitchburg, Massachusetts…this New England showcase variety originated in 1801 and is one of the apple varieties that the Northeast is well-known for. This apple is beautiful with its rosy cheeks and greens splashes. Keep this one in your fridge or on your counter for up to three days. Great for eating, great for cooking and perfect for dipping in caramel.”
- Cortland Apples– This is an all-purpose apple, juicy and sweet. Great for eating, excellent in pies. Here’s the farm stand info- “This is an old-time favorite and really delicious and crisp when eaten right after harvest. It has a beautiful red and green splash with specks and stripes of white. The flesh is a crisp white. This apple has been around for a long time…1898! And still is a common variety found on almost all orchards here in New England! This apple variety has a great storage life and was commonly put away by our ancestors. Cook or eat! A lot of the generation before many of us, loved this variety in apple pies. Try stuffing these apples with something sweet and creating unique desserts!“
Single Shares this week include Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Buttercup Squash, Celery, and McIntosh Apples.
Small Shares this week include Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Buttercup Squash, Celery, and McIntosh Apples.
Super Shares this week include Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Buttercup Squash, Butternut Squash, Cauliflower, Celery, McIntosh and Cortland Apples.
*Quantities vary by share, with the larger shares receiving the larger quantities accordingly. Please note that items may vary slightly throughout the week depending on daily yield, but share value will remain consistent.
- Kale– This bunch is going straight into smoothies in our household, but if smoothies aren’t your thing, try the Caesar Salad.
- Collard Greens– I’ve been craving these with ham hocks, so I may freeze them until I get my hands on one.
- Autumn Gala Apples– These sweeties are a cross of Red Delicious and Orange Pippin. Here’s more from the farmstand- “Originating in New Zealand in 1976, this is one of the most common apple varieties grown across the globe. While there are several different strands of this well-know, sweet and crunchy apple, our farm will only showcase two varieties! The ones coming out of the orchard in Groton much different in color from those coming out to the orchard in Sterling. They are crisp, sweet and a great snack apple! Be sure to store these pink, speckled, red-cheeked beauties in the fridge. They are best for fresh-eating! Their storage life is not that great and are certainly not ideal for cooking.”
- Cranberries! – Cranberry and Apple is a wonderful combination of sweet and tangy, its like the strawberry rhubarb of the fall season! I may do a cranberry apple crisp or some yummy scones this week – this recipe welcomes the addition of small dices of apple.
- Eggs! – Given everyone’s home in the Anderson household all the time, the eggs disappear fast.
Let’s talk more about celery for a minute! Nothing like the supermarket version, Springdell Celery is the real deal. It is incredibly dense in flavor and delicious in soups and stocks, stuffings, and stir-fries. Springdell Celery is also easy to freeze, and a great way to make this limited seasonal veggie last throughout those winter months.
To freeze fresh celery, I wash, chop (leaves and stalks) and blanch it for a minute or two if I plan to freeze it for more than 2 months. I won’t bother with the blanch if I’m freezing it for shorter periods.
I recommend spreading the chopped/blanched celery on a cutting board or cookie sheet- any flat surface will do to help keep the pieces separated once frozen. Place the whole sheet of chopped celery in the freezer overnight, or for at least a few hours. Once frozen, then you can pop the celery pieces into a freezer bag and use as desired. When time allows, I separate the celery pieces into wax paper parcels of 1/4-1/2 cup, making it easier to measure out and throw into my dishes straight from the freezer. I sort the stems and leaves into soup/stuffing parcels (soup parcels tend to have more leaves and stuffing parcels tend to be more stalks). Some people skip the pre-freezing process and measure out 1/4-1/2 cup servings into a muffin tin prior to freezing, then toss the muffin tin into the freezer to create measured cubes of celery. Whatever your method, freezing celery is a great way to stretch the season!
As always, feel free to check in with any veggie-related inquiries, I’m here to help! Enjoy your week, everyone!