CSA for September 20th, 2012

Left, Hubbard blue and orange, right, Kabocha orange
and blue!

I noticed this morning, during milking, that the goats' coats are getting thicker and rougher.  I noticed it particularly on Choco, who has the shiniest, silkiest coat of all the goats!  Winter is just around the corner.....

This is the second to last CSA basket of the year!  It still has some of summer's great flavors - the tomatoes have been doing all right in their protected little spot, although not ripening very quickly.  The weather forecast predicts a cold night for Saturday, so we may pick everything in the tomato patch Saturday afternoon.  This could be the last taste of truly vine-ripened tomatoes.

Some of the Full Shares and the Single Shares are getting Hubbard Squash today.  This is a very old American variety, said to be part of the Native Americans 'Three Sisters' plantings of corn, beans and squash.  The Fulls mostly have a blue Hubbard, although some have Kabocha, the Singles have orange Hubbards.  Now remember: for the Part Shares who have blue Kabocha 'Confection' - Winter Squash recipes are largely interchangeable!  I like the look of this custard pie made with Hubbard squash - sounds like a family heirloom recipe.  This Maple-Nut Hubbard side dish sounds really yummy, too - and simple!  I think it would be great with pork!  This weekend we're going to try this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Squash - maybe with chicken.

We're sharing two of our favorite potatoes today!  I think we've mentioned that 'Sangre' is the one we use the most, but today's choicest get used a lot, too!  We've bagged up 'Linzer Deleketess', a beautiful old fingerling: waxy and dense, but beautiful nutty flavor.  Great in tinfoil on the BBQ, great roasted - and make too much: they make awesome hash browns!  'German Butterball' is the other selection today.  It's similar to Yukon Gold, which used to be a fav, but the flavor is just outstanding!  Good for fries, boiling, mashing!

So, for the FULL SHARES:  4 lbs. Linzer fingerling potatoes, 4 lbs. German Butterball potatoes, garlic, lg. Hubbard or Kabocha squash, beets, Aunty Ruby's German Green tomato, slicer tomatoes, pint of mixed cherry/grape tomatoes, cucumber.

For the PART SHARES:  3 lbs. Linzer fingerling potatoes, 3 lbs. German Butterball potatoes, garlic, Kabocha 'Confection' winter squash, beets, Aunt Ruby's German Green tomato, slicer tomatoes, Husky Gold tomato, pint of cherry /grape tomatoes.

For the SINGLE SHARES:  2 lbs. Linzer fingerling potatoes, 2 lbs. German Butterball potatoes, garlic, Hubbard squash, beets, Husky Gold tomato, red slicer, pint of cherry/grape tomatoes.