Summer #14 CSA Newsletter Aug 31 - September 6, 2025

Stacey Feiner
Sep 3
11 min read

VEG SHARES - Weekly + "A" week for EOW

LETTUCE MIX (¼ lb) - Store in a plastic bag in your fridge. Often considered a “1st Priority Vegetable” with a shorter shelf life than the other vegetables in your share, however if you put a paper or cloth towel in the bag to absorb moisture, our freshly harvested lettuce will often lasts more than a week! Guide & Recipes

TOMATOES (red slicer) - Store on your countertop for best flavor. If the tomato is not fully red, wait a couple of days for it to ripen completely. Guide & Recipes

CHERRY TOMATOES (1 pint) - Store them on the countertop if you plan to eat them within a few days. For longer storage, put them in your fridge in a plastic bag. You should try to eat these within a week. They can be roasted or turned into sauce too! Guide & Recipes

SWEET PEPPERS (1 colored or green bell or horn) - Store these in the fridge in a plastic bag. Stuff, add to stir fries, egg dishes, soups, tacos & burritos, pizza, etc. or slice for salads, veggie trays, or to snack on. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!

RED NOODLE BEANS (1 lb) - With a tender, crisp texture and a mildly sweet flavor, these long (up to 22 inches!) are perfect for stir-fries, salads, and steaming. As they cook, the red color deepens, adding visual appeal to dishes.

MINI BROCCOLI (1 lb green & purple) - More tender with a milder flavor than standard head broccoli, all of the parts of the mini broccoli, also called baby broccoli, in your bag is edible. It can be steamed, sautéed, roasted, stir-fried, or even puréed into a sauce. And while it makes a good side dish when cooked, broccoli can easily be used raw in salads and crudités. Store in your fridge in a plastic bag for a week, although spears will go limp (still edible!) the longer you keep them. You can often revive them by soaking in very cold water for 10 to 20 minutes. Guide & Recipes

GREEN CABBAGE - Store this in your fridge. Cabbage keeps for quite a while. (If the outside leaves get yellow or floppy, just peel them off and discard to reveal good cabbage underneath!) Shred it for cole slaw or sauerkraut. Saute it with some garlic and olive oil for a tasty side dish. Guide & Recipes

RED CABBAGE - Often smaller than green, these can be thinly sliced in salads like slaw, cooked, pickled, or in fish tacos. (When cooking, add a little some vinegar or lemon juice so cabbage doesn't turn blue.) Guide & Recipes

CELERY (4 or 5 ribs or stalks) - Celery is a herbaceous plant, in the same family with parsley, carrots, dill, and fennel. It’s crunchy, juicy, and aromatic, with a grassy, sweet, spicy flavor, and is regarded as a so-called "aromatic" vegetable, like onions and carrots, and is widely used as one of the three components of mirepoix (along with onions and carrots). Celery is also combined with onions and bell peppers to make up the "holy trinity" of Cajun cuisine. These mixtures are generally sautéed or roasted, and form the flavor base of innumerable sauces, soups, stocks, broths, stews, and other dishes. Celery will go limp if it isn't refrigerated. Remove the band holding the bunch together, put in a plastic bag or wrap the bunch loosely in paper towels, and store it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for about a week or so. Alternatively, trim off the very bottom of the ribs and put them in a glass of jar with an inch of water. Store the glass in the refrigerator and replace the water every couple days.

CUCUMBERS (2) - Store in the crisper drawer of your fridge in a plastic bag and use within a week or so. Remember these are organic - no need to peel!

TOMATO (red slicer) - Store on your countertop for best flavor. If the tomato is not fully red, wait a couple of days for it to ripen completely. Guide & Recipes

SWISS CHARD (1 bunch) - Put it in a bag to store in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “First Priority Vegetables” or ones with a short shelf life - use it within the week for maximum efficiency. To revive limp chard, cut a sliver off the bottom of the stems and soak in very cold water for a few minutes. Guide & Recipes

RED RUSSIAN KALE (1 bunch) - Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) keep it in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” If you can’t use them in the next few days, freeze them you can use the stalks too! Every part of the leaf is edible, though really thick ribs take longer to cook, so they're often discarded. The kale can be cooked whole, cut into thin strips, or chopped, depending on your recipe and use. Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) keep it in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” to be used in the next week. If you can’t use it in the next few days, consider freezing it. Guide & Recipes

DINOSAUR KALE (1 bunch) - (Also known as Lacinto or Toscano.) Dino kale has an earthy, nutty flavor. It doesn't have the same strong bitterness as other varieties of kale, though it is still there. The sweetness helps offset that and makes it more approachable.This green can be used just like any other kale. Every part of the leaf is edible, though really thick ribs take longer to cook, so they're often discarded. The kale can be cooked whole, cut into thin strips, or chopped, depending on your recipe and use. Store in a plastic bag (a Debbie Meyer Green bag if you have one) keep it in the fridge. Use within a week. This crop technically falls into the category of “1st Priority veggies” to be used in the next week. If you can’t use it in the next few days, consider freezing it. Guide & Recipes

EGGPLANT, Globe - (1) Store in the fridge in a plastic bag and use within a week. Peel the skin before use. The inside will begin to change color as it oxidizes. That’s okay! (You can try putting lemon juice on the eggplant to prevent this). Some people say you can pull the bitterness out of eggplant by salting it first and letting the moisture come out. Rinse and dry. Guide & Recipes

DARK RED NORLAND POTATOES (1 lb) - Excellent flavor. With red skin and white flesh, this variety is good for baking or boiling. Store in a paper bag, or out of the light, in your pantry or on the counter away from onions. Guide & Recipes

ADIRONDACK BLUE POTATOES (1 lb) - Blue flesh and skin with a slight purple tint. Great flavor, hold color when cooked, and contain lots of healthy anthocyanins. This variety is good for boiling, baking, and mashing, and can be used for brightly coloured salads. Store in a paper bag in your pantry or on the counter for a month. Guide & Recipes

SWEET CORN (3 ears) - Tips may be trimmed to remove bug damage. Sweet corn stores best in its husk in the fridge. It turns starchier the longer you store it, so try to enjoy it in the first 3-5 days. Did you know you can eat corn raw? Just cut the kernels off the cob with a knife, and add to salads. Or that you can throw a whole ear in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes and easily remove the husks and silks after it cools? Add 2 to 3 minutes for each additional ear depending on how done you like your corn.

CARROTS (1 lb, roots) - Store the roots dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Guide & Recipes

CHIOGGIA BEETS (1 lb) - Pronounced kee-OH-gee-uh after a town in Northern Italy, and also known as “Candy Cane” or “Bullseye”, Chioggia have an especially sweet and mild earthy flavor—and don’t ‘bleed’ as much as regular beets. You can use them just like red beets. Often put in salads to showcase their eye-catching stripes. If boiling, add a little bit of lemon juice or white vinegar to prevent the stripes from fading! Store in the fridge in a plastic bag for months. Guide & Recipes

RUTABAGA (1 lb or more) - Nutritious root vegetable with dense sweet-tasting flesh also known as Swedish turnip or neep. When you buy at the store, rutabagas are often coated in wax so they need to be peeled before cooking. Since these are organic and not waxed, peeling is optional. Can be used in hearty soups like beef barley or chicken noodle, stew, and casseroles, boiled, mashed (with potatoes and/or cauliflower, or on their own), and are excellent roasted, either alone or, with other root veggies like carrots, radishes, turnips, potatoes, onions, etc. This long storing veggie can be stored in the refrigerator, in the crisper drawer. Or if you’ll be using within a week or two, these can be stored like potatoes and onions in a cool, dark place on the counter.

GARLIC - Ready to be used now or later, this is “cured”, or dried garlic, and as such should be stored on your counter out of direct sunlight.

GREEN ONIONS (1 bunch) - Store in a plastic bag in the fridge OR in a glass of water, about an inch deep on the countertop or fridge. Cover tops with a plastic baggie. Change the 2 water periodically. These will store for about 3 weeks. You can use the tops for cooking too — you can even chop them and freeze them for later!

YELLOW ONION (1 lb) - Store on your counter or in your pantry out of direct sunlight. Onion peels can be put into a freezer bag with other vegetable scraps to make soup stock later, as they are full of antioxidants. To freeze: Cut or slice onions to desired size and place in Ziplock bag. Remove all the air and seal. It helps to freeze them in 2-3 cup increments. These are a good all-around onion, great for cooking and flavoring dishes. By far, they're the most popular onion sold in America and versatile enough for just about anything. Yellow onions are a smart choice for caramelizing, which draws out their natural sweetness.

RED ONION (1 lb) - Colorful and spicy-to-mild flavor. Because of their bright color and crispy texture, they're great for salads, salsas, and other fresh recipes. They're also excellent sliced for sandwiches. With cooking, the color fades, but they're still delicious cooked. Store on your counter or in your pantry out of direct sunlight. Onion peels can be put into a freezer bag with other vegetable scraps to make soup stock later, as they are full of antioxidants. To freeze: Cut or slice onions to desired size and place in Ziplock bag. Remove all the air and seal. It helps to freeze them in 2-3 cup increments.

LEEKS - Members of the onion family, leeks look like scallions (or green onions), but they're a lot larger. Their mild flavor and ease of preparation make the vegetable a favorite addition to soups, casseroles, and white meat entrées, as well as a simple side dish when gently sautéed. Generally, the taste of leeks can be described as a mild onion that is slightly sweet.

PARSLEY (1 bunch) - Snip the bottom of the stems off and store on the counter in a glass of water. Or if you plan to use it in the next day or so, you can store the bunch in a plastic bag in the fridge.

BASIL (1 bunch) - I’ve found the best way to store basil is to pretend they are cut flowers. Cut the bottoms of the stems off and put in a glass of water on your counter or table. (They make a pretty centerpiece until you are ready to use them!) Basil is great in pesto - - which can be frozen.

RHUBARB - (1 lb) - These tart green & magenta stalks this hardy perennial vegetable is generally thought of as a fruits. It’s mouth puckering goodness is often sweetened with a little sugar or honey and is used in dishes like crisps, compotes, and pies (from which it gets its second name, "pie plant"). Rhubarb also lends a fruitiness to savory dishes and pairs very nicely with pork and poultry. To use: wash and trim off any dry ends. Some peel the skin but there’s no need to do this and besides it holds lots of color and flavor. Store in loose plastic in the crisper drawer of the fridge, where it will keep for about a week or a little more. To freeze, cut the rhubarb stalks into 1-inch chunks and seal in an airtight bag and it will keep for up to a year.

RASPBERRIES (1/2 pint) This delicious snack also perfectly tops cereal, salads, and desserts if not gobbled up straight out of the container! If you're getting behind on using these, freeze spread on a cookie sheet or other flat surface and then store in a freezer bag or container to enjoy come winter.

DAKOTA BLACK POPCORN (1 lb) - This richly flavored popcorn has a deep purple kernel that pops into a bright white and tender treat. (from Meadowlark Organics)

SMALL RED CAYENNE BEANS (1 lb) - These beans are small, plump, and creamy and are great for soups and stews. We call them the “everything” bean, as they’re a good chili, soup, salad, refried, baked bean. (from Meadowlark Organics)

ALL PURPOSE BOLTED FLOUR - Best applications include but are not limited to cakes, crackers, pizza dough, and breads.PROTEIN CONTENT= 10.5%. (from Meadowlark Organics)

MES SHARES - at Mazo and Dianne Dr

EGG SHARES - all Weekly & appropriate Biweekly

Recipes:

Wondering what to do with a bunch of cherry tomatoes?

Toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper and little garlic, then roast them at 300 till they start to blister. Top with cottage cheese, avocado toast or pasta - Yum!!! 😋

On the Farm . . .

This year's onion harvest was a good one.

Onions have traditionally been a challenging crop for us.

Soon after planting them, their thin upward growing leaves, instead of big broad ones like those of other crops like red Russian kale which naturally shade and hinder competing weed growth, leave surrounding ground wide open for undesired competitors.

And since Mother Nature is modest and always covers herself if we don't do it for her, weeds proliferate.

And the onion seedlings quickly being overcome resulting in a limited yield of onions.

In recent years, Aidan has spearheaded some worthy changes to our onion growing practices like:

planting cover crops the prior season
using more uniform spacing in growing beds which is conducive for shallow tractor cultivation
AND
making on farm aged compost by combining and turning woodchips and our animal manure.

These practices, along with regular soil testing and the addition of needed micronutrients, are starting to pay off with larger yields.

An added benefit we've observing is that the vegetables we grow ourselves, not only have superior flavor to those we bring in but also store longer.

Both of these are indicators of the completeness of their proteins, as well as, their overall nutrition for us.

So it's looking like we'll still need to buy in more onions from a fellow certified organic farm to have enough for the coming winter season, BUT it can be a smaller order. 😊

And that's a big fat YAY! for all of us for multiple reasons!!!!!!!

Raspberries are also a big fat Yay!

I've been dreaming of cake for a few weeks (maybe in anticipation of Liam's upcoming birthday?) so over the weekend, I broke down and made a from-scratch yellow one with chocolate frosting.

I made a raspberry filling for between the cake layers and decorated the top with them also.

Maybe it's because we don't do much baking in our efforts to avoid sugar and other sweeteners, but everyone agree, it was DELICIOUS. 😋

Above is the fall cabbage and Brussels sprout field.

They're loving the cooler temperatures of late much more than the heat loving crops like Basil which has incurred some bruised leaves due to several 40-50F degree nights.

Below is a pic of Aidan sowing cover crop seeds of an oat, clover, and vetch mix while he waited for it to get dark enough to lock up the laying hens in their converted chopper box wagon.

If you look close, you can see the photo resolution of him is not all there.

My phone camera takes time to take a photo in lower light situations, and Aidan was walking too fast to register correctly, but enough for us to get the idea anyway.