Hi All!

Cold hand season is back on the farm these days as we keep plugging away towards winter. Early mornings are starting tobe filled with field clean up chores while we wait for the sun to defrost the plants and hopefully dry out the soil. We have had a lot of moisture this month and the farm is somewhat of a muddy mess. We are counting on some of that Colorado sun to wick some of the moisture from the ground so that we can start harvesting root crops to put into storage. It is a big chore, one that we will chip away at over the next few weeks, but only if things dry out! If not, it will be an intense November :)

It got extremely cold on Mondays night with a low of 23 clocked on the farm and although we had some loss (row cover collapsing or blowing off), we were able to keep many of the cold tolerant plants alive in the field. Things that we had to say good bye to, (at least for a little while), are beets with tops and two beds of spicy mix. After the hail and cold weather, we are unsure about the cauliflower heading up and we will probably have a slight pause on kale, collards, and chard at the stand. The arugula is thick and spicy this week, so I recommend getting a bag and wilting it in a skillet with some shallots and good vinegar. A good blue cheese would also be advised, crumbled on top before serving. Next up on our tour d'peppery Asian greens, we visit tatsoi. Mild enough to use at the base of fall salad, it pairs well with a sweeter dressing. You can also just wilt it in a skillet, toss it in a risotto or stir fry, or wilt it for a soba noodle salad. Japanese salad turnips are back at the stand and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways including paired with carrots and glazed with honey and balsamic, enjoyed with the greens in a turnip soup with local ham, or baked in a gratin with butter and cream...or if you have more will power than I do, you can just eat them raw with or without salt.

We have three more weeks left in our CSA with the last pick up day being Saturday, October 28th. The end date is the same regardless of your pick-up location so if you are a farm stand member, be sure to get your goodies before then! If you are running out of money, feel free to keep coming to the market as you don't want to miss out on all the great fall food. Just be prepared to pay cash, check or credit when you stop by. Finally, just a reminder to come pick up your roasted chilies if you signed up for pick-up today!

Looking forward to seeing many of you soon!
Katie

This Week's Harvest

Kale

Collard

Chard

Spinach

Arugula

Japanese Salad Turnips

Baby Bok Choy

Kohlrabi

Celeriac

Head Lettuce

Broccoli Rabe

Bell Peppers

Potatoes

Red, Green, and Savoy Cabbage

Fennel

Carrots

Beets

Onions and Shallots

Garlic

Winter Squash

Farmer's Journal