Weekly Newsletter for Doorstep Harvest for 10/19/11
I’m getting used to high school but still have so little time! At last I’m enclosing a short newsletter… better than none. I am experimenting with season extending techniques and planted new seeds last week for fall harvest. My root crops will be harvested soon. In the hoop house, newly planted seeds are up: peas, salad, kale, spinach, and radish. In the green house the following seeds are up: arugula, kale, and spinach and carrots. Under the season extender we have the tomatoes that are ripening well now and summer spinach. Next week we’re hoping the following roots may be ready: potato, sweet potato, sunchoke, and more horseradish and beets. My carrots planted in late summer dried up. The cucumbers are done. This is the last week for melons. The winter squash failed from heat and bugs. The black beans and scarlet runner beans failed in the heat. The mung beans worked but produced small amounts. I want to plant more next year to enclose. I just planted two medlar trees (two varieties) and three gooseberry bushes (two varieties) today. Mom read that in Lawrence, they have found a way to grow figs and I was given two fig trees today to experiment with this winter… This is the last week for summer squash and okra. I’m dreaming of kiwi, plum, currants, and asian pears next year! Also a white Christmas!! Mom just brought back over a hundred strawberry runners from Ithaca yesterday so, next week I’ll be planting these as well as another bed of asparagus for early harvest in spring (maybe March/April) under the cold frame!
You will find the following freshly harvested vegetables in your delivery this week:
Crenshaw melon: Probably the last of the year.
Beets: just a few this week. Try them in soup.
Horseradish root: freshly dug. Wash when ready to use and make horseradish sauce using recipe from springtime. Some people like the spring digging more than fall because the winter freezing mellows the flavor. Some people like the fall digging better.
Sweet potato winter squash: Stuff and bake or stuff and boil or put into soup.
Tomatoes!!!! Mom says to Slice and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and finely chopped basil (feta is nice too).
Cherry tomato blend of heirloom varieties.
Arugula: Mom says to chop finely and eat as a salad with toasted walnut or pecan, feta, olive oil, vinegar.
Salad mix: The first of the fall salad mix is up and although small, I couldn’t resist picking it and including it in this weeks delivery. Sprinkle onto your salad mix from the store. It has pineapple sage flowers in it.
Stir fry greens mix made of spinach, chard, Holland greens, and kale. Mom says the second year chard is a bit tough so, to most enjoy, she says to slice all of the greens very thin and sauté with onions and dressings, cook covered for at least thirty minutes and mirin will really bring out the flavors.
Herb mix of: Tai basil, purple leaf basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, and lemon balm.
Soup mix: zucchini, jalapeño pepper, onion, okra, green bean. This is the last of the lot! Make a “stone” soup with these, a couple of tomatoes, and fresh herbs (above) and enjoy.
More info with wikifacts coming next week!