I want to say that I am pretty surprised at how well the summer crops are still doing. As far as the weather goes, It has been such a mellow transition from summer to fall this year. All we can do is hold a point that the summer crops hold on long enough for the fall crops to start getting some size and taking root before it gets too cold. There seem to be 2 months out of the year where it is impractical to plant here. February and August. August is just too hot for babies to go outside all alone. And February is cold enough to completely stunt young plants. So the goal this fall is to keep planting new sets from the greenhouse every week through January so that we have multiple stages of veggies already in the ground come February.

 It is funny how the seasons blur together because it seems like it was just spring. Somehow summer squeezed in there and now I am planting as fast as possible for a February deadline which actually, is when I sit down and start planning spring!!

I am going to need some help more than usual around February next year. That time of year is a good time for me to take on a few volunteers from the CSA group or anyone interested because it is when we have special projects. Also, I am able to work with you pretty much the whole time because the gardens are not as demanding then. You do not need any experience. Pretty much, if you can bring some curiosity and an open mind, I have a feeling you will be quite surprised with what you come away with. And of course, there is the bonus food for volunteers, which is pretty nice!
This is the first mention of this. And as we get closer to winter, I will be asking for anyone interested in volunteering to email me with some dates that they would likely be available so that I can put together some work parties.

Here is the list this week

valencia oranges
avocados
red romaine lettuce
pomegranates
basil
chard
summer squash
multi color bell peppers
tomatoes
handful of cherry tomatoes
sapotes
limes

Eureka! Sapote Recipe!

We have found a practical and delicious way to eat Sapote.

I think that that even some of the biggest fans of sapote will tell you that if they could change one thing about them, it would be the texture. Well, here is something you might want to try. Actually, it is two things. #1. mix them with the bananas. Somehow, banana seems to balance out the texture and flavor nicely. #2. remove the skin. The skin is gritty and grainy. If you remove the skin, sapote’s are as smooth as silk. It is actually pretty easy to do, even when they are real soft. Just put them under a running faucet and scrape away the skin with your fingernails. At first, as you are doing it, you might feel like you are going to have nothing left when you are done. I assure you that if you just work your fingernails around the fruit under the running water, you should end up with a perfectly skinless sapote in your hand. At that point, break it open and pull out 3 or 4 seeds. Do this with two or three sapote’s. Chop up 2 bananas and roughly mash them together into the sapote with a fork. Now you have a bowl of mashed skinless, seedless sapote and bananas.

 Put the mix in a blender and pure. Then Put pure mix in a saute pan with 2 tablespoons of butter or virgin coconut oil. Add a drop of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon. When the pure starts to bubble, add a 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of water to thicken up the mix and there you go. Now you have a workable pudding that is superb just as it is. But you can go a few directions from this point.

#1 use as a frosting on a cake or banana bread

#2 skip the corn starch in the pudding recipe, add some rum, saute longer and pour over vanilla ice cream with some roasted pecans

#3 Use the pudding as a base for any banana cream pie

Pasta with Roasted Summer Vegetables and Basil

“This one is from Martha Stewarts site

It uses the basil, squash and cherry tomatoes”

 “Rouge d’hiver lettuce. The star of the box this week”

Here is a simple but great recipe to help you take advantage of this gourmet head of lettuce this week.

1head romaine lettuce

valencia or temple oranges

2
tablespoons Fresh lime juice

2
tablespoons agave

1
pinch Salt

1/2
teaspoon Cinnamon

1
tablespoons Orange flower water

3/4
cups Walnuts — chopped

Wash lettuce and section into leaves, discarding the tough outer ones. Drain; wrap in paper towels to dry. Store in refrigerator until needed.
Peel oranges and remove all outside membranes, using a small serrated knife and employing a seesaw motion. Section the oranges by cutting away all the membranes from the orange flesh. As you work, lift out each section and place in a small mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice from the remainder of the orange over the sections to keep them moist. Cover; keep chilled.
Make a dressing by mixing the lime juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Blend well, then taste. The dressing should be sweet.
Just before serving, shred the lettuce and arrange in a glass serving dish. Pour the dressing over it; toss. Make a design around the edges with overlapping sections of orange, then sprinkle the salad with the chopped walnuts and dust with more cinnamon. Serve immediately.
Variation: Prepare as above, using 3/4 cup chopped dates and almonds in place of the chopped walnuts.

Reminder
Full share boxes are 132 dollars for the month of November