CSA for September 18th!

From left, regular tomato, top Lemon Boy, Husky Gold,
below Pink Brandywine, ripe Aunt Ruby's Green,
far right unripe Aunty Ruby's.

It seems very much like Fall around the farm!  The garden renters are pulling their gardens; what was productive growing space just a few weeks ago is now barren earth, with little piles of brown, crispy vines and bushes.  Throughout our own gardens, touches of frost are evident in the open spaces everywhere and all the plants are looking tired and drooping.  Along our driveway and throughout the shelterbelt, the frost has started the process of leaves turning.  The early fall colour - particularly ash, is already bright yellow, and the Manitoba maples are well on their way to gold!  Even the goats seem to feel it: their favorite treat, willow branches, seems to be attacked with extra urgency, as if they know they won't be getting it much longer.

With the coming of Fall and the end of the growing season, so too comes the end of another season of CSA.  Next week will be our last delivery of boxes!  CSA has gone longer this year than last - every growing season is different, it seems.  We'll reminisce about the successes and failures later - meanwhile we're still hurrying to get things harvested and finished for the last week!  We'd like to finish our potato harvest, to give the varieties adequate time to cure for good winter storage!  We're hoping to pick a lot of tomatoes before it's too late (which could be any night now!) so everyone can have some green ones to ripen over the next few weeks.  So many tasks still to complete.....

It is a tomato tasting day for Tuesdays CSA!  A lot of our interesting heirlooms are always late.  Everyone has the golden 'Husky Gold' to try today, a low-acid, sweet, juicy tomato.  We've included the weird and wonderful looking 'Aunt Ruby's German Green'; just a delightful tomato that stays green.  It is ripe when it's a little soft and has some yellow tints to the green.  Hardly anyone is getting one that is actually ripe today but just give it a few days on the counter.  The Full Shares also have Brandywine, probably the most famous heirloom.  It is pink when ripe and just awesome flavor.  As Farmer Man likes to say: "If you go somewhere for a $40 hamburger, the tomato on it will probably be Brandywine!"  Enjoy the taste sensations!

Everyone is getting a 'Sugar Pie' pumpkin today.  This little pumpkin is the one for pumpkin pie; although all pumpkins are edible, this one has smoother flesh and sweeter taste.  It is also excellent as a side dish, simply roasted and mashed a bit.  We also use it in muffins and loaves.  It would be great in this recipe for Curried Squash Soup with Lentils.  Don't forget to save the seeds for roasting!

So, for the FULL SHARES: 3 lbs. Mark Warshaw potato, 4 lbs. Cherry Red potato, lg. bundle of beets, Sugar Pie pumpkin, Bush Delicata winter squash, cucumber, assorted tomatoes, onions, garlic.

For the PART SHARES:  2 lbs. Mark Warshaw potatoes, 3 lbs. Cherry Red potatoes, sm. bundle of beets, Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Bush Delicata winter squash, Lemon Ball cucumber, slicer cucumber, assorted tomatoes, garlic.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Cherry Red potatoes, sm. bundle beets, Sugar Pie Pumpkin, Lemon Ball cucumber, slicer cucumber, assorted tomatoes, garlic.