In Your Box:

  • Beets
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Celeriac
  • Garlic, “Larissa’s”
  • Kale, “Curly Roja”
  • Leek
  • Onion
  • Winter Squash, Butternut or Spaghetti

Farm News

Thanks so much for your support this year! This is indeed our last box of the growing season, and we hope you’ve enjoyed the experience. Once again, this was a thoroughly enjoyable season on my end. We had to deal with miserable heat waves and wildfire smoke, but the harvests were consistently strong and all the work we put in paid off. 

Thanks so much to my family for all of their support and patience throughout the growing year. And thanks to our five amazing families who have come out on Tuesdays this year to help wash and pack the vegetables. Your help and support mean so much!

If you still have boxes to return, please get them back to your delivery site by next week Tuesday (10/20). I’ll be making one more pass to all of the sites to pick up boxes to reuse next year. If you’re not able to make it back, you can return the box next spring if you plan to rejoin or just recycle it.

Once again, thank you so much for supporting local farms and sustainable agriculture! Your support enables me to live out my dream, growing healthy fruits and veggies in harmony with nature and treasuring the land I live on.

We hope you’ll consider joining next year for all that 2027 brings! I’ll reach out after the winter holidays with more info on our next growing season. Have a great winter!

This week’s box

We also welcome one of my favorite veggies this week: Brussels sprouts. I kept these on the stalk because they will store better and longer this way. Just store the whole stalk in the fridge or a cool basement or garage and the sprouts will keep well for a month or so. If you don’t have room to store them, you can just snap off the sprouts and store them in the fridge in a container. When you’re ready to use them, pop off the sprouts, snip off any extra material from the stem, and wash. 

Brussels sprouts can be cooked in boiling water for 4-5 minutes or steamed for 6-10. Be sure to check them regularly so they don’t get mushy. We also enjoy roasting them. Just toss the sprouts in oil and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until crispy.

One crop you might not be familiar with is Celeriac, which is indeed a close relative of its cousin celery. Celeriac’s tops are edible and used just like celery, while the root bulb itself is the highlight of the vegetable. To use it, just peel the outside skin and any roots. The white flesh can be chopped fine or grated and added to any stew for a great, rich root taste. The tops stay fresh for just a week or so, but the root stores well in the fridge for up to a couple months.

Also, this week brings us our first leek of the year. Leeks are in the same family as onions and add a great, rich flavor to soup. Leeks store very well all through the winter and should be kept in the fridge. If you can’t find your leek in the fridge but find a puddle instead, there’s a good chance someone has taken a leek. Ha! Get it–take a leak? OK, so maybe I use that awful pun every year. But it’s still my favorite.

Winter squash, onions, and garlic will keep well until the new year, at least. It can be kept at room temperature, preferably in a dark pantry or basement.

Squash Lentil Soup

From The Zen Monastery Cookbook

  • 4 c. cooked and pureed winter squash
  • 1 c. red lentils
  • 6 c. water
  • Fresh ginger, as desired, chopped fine (or 2 tsp dried ginger)
  • 1 tsp. turmeric
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  •  1 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Bake the squash, scoop the good stuff out of the shell, and puree (a blender works fine for this, but you might need to add some extra water).

2. While the squash is baking, wash the lentils and put them in a big pot with the water. Bring to a boil and skim off the foam.

3. Add the ginger, turmeric, and cumin. Cook until the lentils are tender (45 minutes or so).

4. Add the salt and the pureed squash and more water if needed. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Serves 6-8

Coming up

Next week I’ll be taking a nap. But we’ll be back in the spring–think salad and strawberries!

Recommended Recipes

Potato Leek Soup: https://foxandfawnfarm.com/2010/10/01/potato-leek-soup/ 

Massaged Kale with Celeriac: https://foxandfawnfarm.com/2011/01/25/massaged-kale-with-grated-root-vegetables-and-avocado/

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