Hard to believe there are only two more CSA pickup weeks left. We always feel a bit bitter sweet this time of year, on one hand its nice to close off another great season and on the other…..we are going to miss you all very much. The great news is our on-line store continues to be loaded with so many yummy things to eat so we hope you continue to come by and enjoy the later fall produce. We will also be attending the Welland farmers market each Saturday morning until we run out of inventory. Now is the time to ask everyone to look around your house, basement or garage for extra Rumar bushels, baskets, quarts, pints and even egg cartons. We recycle as much as possible and your help would be greatly appreciated. Marc will be sending out an email to everyone shortly with year end instructions so watch for it in about a week.
Here is what you can expect this week:
Salish Apples – Have you even heard of this variety? Its a new bi-coloured dessert apple developed by the Canada breeding program in Summerland BC. It’s crispy and juicy, simply delicious! It’s also great for jams, jellies , syrups or cooked into sauces.
Garden Peas – Also called sweet peas, shelling peas or English peas. The pod is not edible so you will need to shell them first. They don’t have to be a side dish, you can add them to everything you are cooking. Fresh pasta with peas, pea chowder, green pea dip, stir fry on rice, salad with peas……you get the picture.
Butternut Squash – One of our favourate soups to make on a cool, fall day is butternut. It’s an easy to make without a lot of fuss. Sauté a chopped onion and minced garlic in a little bit of olive oil. Add in diced butternut squash and vegetable broth and cook until softened. Use a blender to blend it all together and add a little salt and BAM, Soup’s on!
Lettuce Mix – Our fall plantings of lettuce is ready for harvest. Keep the salads coming.
Eggplant – Enough for a stewed vegetable dish that originated in France called ratatouille. It uses onion, garlic, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers and basil. Cook cubed eggplant in a pot with olive oil, salt and pepper. Set aside and sauté the peppers, onions and garlic in the same pot with a bit more oil. Add back the eggplant along with herbs (fresh basil and dried oregano). Add more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and cook for a few minutes. Add chopped up tomatoes and after about 10 more minutes of cooking its ready. Garnish with fresh basil and swirl of olive oil.
Cherry Tomatoes – A low calorie snack but high in fiber, vitamins A & C, and carotenoid antioxidants. BTW, an insatiable craving for tomatoes or tomato products is known as tomatophagia. Good thing its a nutrient-dense superfood.
Herb de Provence – A mixture of herbs commonly used in French cuisine, though the flavours also pair well with Mediterranean cuisine. This is another collaboration between the gardens of Rumar Farm and our partner, Joanne Moore. You will get this mix in a small paper bag and we suggest you keep them in there to dry your supply. Tie the end of the bag closed being sure not to crush the herbs as you do, and poke a few holes in the bag for ventilation. Your herbs may be dried and ready to store in as little as one to two weeks. When dry, remove leaves from stems, crumble and store mixture in an airtight container.
Enjoy.
