In the Box

• All Blue Potatoes
• Red Cabbage
• Carnival Squash
• Marjoram
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Pea Shoots
• Spaghetti Squash
• Salad Mix
• Broccoli (West Side & UW East Clinic)

This week’s box has some new colorful foods. The potatoes are called All Blue, but I think they should be called All Purple. They are a lovely purple color inside and out. And, unlike some vegetables, the color remains even after the potatoes are cooked. They make a lovely purple splash on the plate when they are mashed. Or try the potatoes roasted. Cut them into similar sized pieces. Boil for a few minutes. Then drain the potatoes. Coat them in olive oil and put them in a baking dish. Add some minced garlic. Chop up some marjoram and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Red cabbage is making its only appearance in your boxes for this season. Once again, I think it should be called purple cabbage. You can eat red cabbage raw in salads or cole slaw. Or try it cooked. Most of the recipes that I have seen use apples with the cabbage. See the recipes below for a tasty recipe.

Marjoram is the herb of the week. A little goes a long way. Marjoram is sometimes known as wild oregano, so you can use it in any recipe that uses oregano. Try it with the roasted potatoes.

Salad Mix is back in your boxes after a break for the hot weather. It is really delicious. Add the pea shoots for a great salad.

This is the last week for cherry tomatoes, so enjoy them. Since the days are getting shorter, the plants are not producing as much as they were. Cherish every one…

Carnival squash is a beautiful cream color with green stripes and orange patches. It is a cross between acorn and delicata squash. So it is sweeter than an acorn squash, but keeps better than a delicata. You can simply cut them in half and bake them facedown on a cookie sheet. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash. Plan on at least 20-40 minutes. You can microwave squash as well. In this case you leave the squash whole. Poke the squash with a fork and microwave for 5-10 minutes. I’ve never actually tried this so be careful. I would cook it for a few minutes at a time until it is done.

Last CSA Pickup

The final CSA pickup will be October 16th. There will be 2 more boxes after this one. Please round up all the extra boxes that you have and return them soon.

This Week’s Recipes

Apple and Wine-Braised Red Cabbage
Stuffed Carnival Squash

News from the Farm

It was a stressful week on the farm. On Tuesday, I noticed that the cooler had flipped its breaker and was off. I flipped it back on, but it didn’t cool down. By Tuesday afternoon, I called in a professional. The long and short of it was that the compressor was shot. I ended up replacing all of the refrigeration equipment. It was a very expensive week.

But, I shouldn’t really complain. Sure I didn’t want the expense right now. (Who would?) But, when I bought this refrigeration equipment, the seller told me he would give me a great price because he didn’t know how long the equipment would last. Well, that was 17 years ago. I have paid for maintenance and repairs, but this is the first big expense in a long time.

It was a little challenging to get through the week without refrigeration. I bought lots of ice and kept things cold the old fashioned way. On Fridays, the refrigeration specialists showed up, ripped out the old equipment and installed the new. It was just in time to get everything chilled before the farmers market. Now we have a great system in place that is chilling the veggies down properly. I guess it all worked out ok in the long run.