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Fresh Fork Market 2012–Summer CSA–week 21

Oct 262012

Today we had a cold and rainy pickup. We gifted our greeter with a hot Starbucks beverage. Starbucks makes everything better. The kids enjoyed their special chocolate milk and it was a nice treat. We arrived at the pick up just about 4PM when it opened and were in and out quickly. We didn’t stay and hang out due to the weather. There’s only so much room under the tent.

I’m starting to recognize the weather based on our bags. It’s October and getting cooler. We’re seeing more greens again and the start of more winterish crops like potatoes, rutabagas and cabbage.

Here’s what we were expecting to receive this week:

1 head either savoy green cabbage or red cabbage (smaller heads)
1 bunch kale
1 to 2 rutabagas with tops, depending on size (some are rather large)
3# bag red Norland potatoes
Approx. 1# onion
1 head cauliflower
1 8 oz. piece goat gouda
1 lb. Spelt Flour and Rosemary Linguini
2# Roma tomatoes
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 package sirloin pork chops, approx. 1.5#
1 carving pumpkin or bag of corn chips

It’s definitely the end of tomato season. These are the “good” side of these Romas. I have a couple that aren’t going to be usable. We’ll be making mashed rutabaga/potatoes or creamy soup with those ingredients.

We ate the cauliflower for dinner with the pasta. It was tasty. It had one bad spot so I wanted to wash, cook and eat it quickly.

I’m a little behind on cooking our cabbage. This will be a 2 head consumption week!

I’ll chop and add the onion to the “unstuffed cabbage recipe I hope to put in the crockpot tomorrow. The small sweet peppers were a nice surprise. I might stuff them with the red pepper Havarti from last week and roast them in the oven.

We had a choice between pumpkins and chips. We took the chips since we already have a pumpkin. If I could find some mild black bean and corn salsa from Blaze, we’d be all set. The pork will probably get baked for a meal this weekend.

I’m not sure what to use the Gouda for. It’s probably going to be enjoyed in its own so we can taste the flavors. I don’t think I’ve ever had goat Gouda before. We also have more greens this week. Swiss chard and kale. I’m pretty sure the Swiss chard will go into the Andouille sausage/sweet potato dish similar to what we made last week.

I haven’t decided on a use for the kale yet. We may have another quiche in the cue for this week. That’s one of my go to dishes when I don’t know what to do with a green.

It’s hard to believe that next week is the last week for summer. I’m glad there no break before the winter CSA starts! I’m also starting to think about getting a turkey. We don’t host Thanksgiving at our house, but last year I bought a package anyway since we like many of the ingredients. It was just a bit too much food at our house all at once. If I buy a turkey, I’d cut it up and freezer the parts and probably also make some turkey sausage. I need to decide soon. Turkey deliveries are three and a half weeks away.

Fresh Fork Market 2012 Summer CSA–week 18

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Oct 052012

Today was a rainy, but very green pick up. We haven’t seen this much green since the spring.

Here’s what we were expecting to receive this week:

1 lb. city chicken (cubed Berkshire pork)
1 head broccoli
1 bunch turnips
1 spaghetti squash
A handful Croatian peppers
1 bunch beets
1 bunch mustard greens
1 head cabbage
1 bunch kale
1 head cauliflower
1 lb. bulk Italian Sausage
Approx. 1 lb. onions
8 oz. piece smoked cheddar cheese

We actually had our choice of the city chicken or a pork tenderloin. We haven’t had tenderloin in ages and I had never had city chicken. I ended up buying one as an extra. The Italian sausage I cooked up to go with some pasta for dinner tonight.

Turnips are hard for me, but I’ve been perusing some new recipes. Cabbage is always welcome in our house. I’ll probably make unstuffed cabbage this week.

Local broccoli is one of my favorites. It will probably be part of tomorrow’s dinner. I’ll use the peppers in quiche or chili this week.

I’m going to prep the greens by sautéing all of them in the morning. That way they will be easy to add to quiche, eggs or other dishes throughout the week.

I’ll probably include the onion when I sauté.

The smoked cheddar will go into quiche or perhaps some butternut squash burritos that I was just reading about. We ate most of the cauliflower at dinner tonight. The left over will be part of lunch tomorrow.

I love winter squash, but spaghetti squash is not my favorite. I must research a new way to prepare it. We are still finishing up our last two.

I missed apples this week. Hopefully, Stephen will be taking the kids picking tomorrow and we can make some applesauce this week. Last year, we canned many quarts and still didn’t have enough to get through the winter months.

Fresh Fork Market 2012 Summer CSA–week 15

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Sep 132012

We have plans tomorrow evening, so we picked up our CSA in Beachwood today. There was quite a line when we arrived, but it moved quickly.

I love the colors this week!

Here’s what we were expecting:

1 bunch golden beets
Approx. 2.5 lbs. San Marzano Roma Tomatoes
Either heirloom tomatoes or 1 pint grape tomatoes
1 pint yummy pepper mix (all sweet peppers)
1 lb. Berkshire bacon
1/2 lb. mixed baby greens (chard, kale, arugula, mizuna, and more)
1 head cabbage
1 quarter peck Gala apples
1 head broccoli
8 oz. grass-fed smoked cheddar cheese
1 half pint of either Pappy’s pepper butter (like a sweet and tangy homemade mustard) or 1 half pint of Pappy’s Candied Jalapeños (semi-hot jalapeños in a honey syrup)
A handful of colored peppers (red long peppers probably early week and purple peppers later week)

I’m not sure what happened, but we ended up with eggs and spaghetti squash. We didn’t get broccoli. I can see the switch with broccoli and squash – but eggs? We also got lettuce, but I think that was a deliberate attempt at BLT ingredients.

I have two spaghetti squashes. I’m thinking about making it Italian style and serving it like spaghetti. I think everyone in the house will eat it like that (especially with cheese on it). The head of cabbage is pretty small. I think I’ll keep it a few days and then make some of my coleslaw.

We’ll be eating apples in our oatmeal. Also, I ordered a new dehydrator and I’m anxious to try fruit rolls, so some puree might be in order. These are really good paste tomatoes, so they’ll end up in sauce at some point. For now, the freezer will be their home, along with the heirloom tomatoes. We have an over abundance of tomatoes this year, but we aren’t getting them all at once, so it’s harder to make and can sauce.

The Pappy’s Pepper Butter is medium hot. I’m not a fan of hot things, but I’m determined to try this and a few other things that are on our shelf soon. My goal is to eat from our house as much as possible.

Delicious bacon never goes to waste around here. I didn’t get it in the freezer right away, so it’s thawing in the fridge. We’ll probably have it on Saturday or Sunday. I wasn’t expecting eggs and we have an overabundance. I’m going to gift a dozen to my mom since she’s helping with the kids tomorrow.

I don’t think I’ve ever tried this cheese, but there are very few that I don’t like. All of the peppers this week should be sweet (not hot!) and I’m happy about that.

We also got some mixed greens. This batch looks pretty good to me, so I’m going to have a big salad for lunch tomorrow. I’ve gotten away from lunch salads and need to get back to them since they are delicious.

We still have some beets from the other week, so I am going cook all of them all of them tonight or tomorrow. I’ll probably make a big batch of Harvard beets since we haven’t had them for a while. The lettuce looks very tasty and will be good in salads or maybe a BLT.

There’s 7 weeks left and I’m already getting sad that the season will be ending soon. It’s a good think there’s a winter program starting sometime in November.

Geauga Family Farms CSA-summer week 11

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Aug 142012

Hi, everyone! Husband Stephen here with a guest post. Tomato season is upon us, we’re still in melon and corn season (yum!), and there’s pretty much produce everywhere this time of year. It’s great!

Here is what we received in this week’s Geauga Family Farms CSA small share.

First up are the tomatoes, in regular size and cherry. In fact, some of these cherry tomatoes are so small that they may count as the “grape” variety.

Next, some onions and a bell pepper. The onions are strong. I could smell them as soon as I opened the bag.

Corn and cabbage…

And finally, a head of lettuce and a medium watermelon.

The forecast is for a break from this unusually cool August now that these peppers have arrived to heat things up…

I love this time of year!

Fresh Fork Market 2012 Summer CSA–week 10

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Aug 102012

We picked up our bag at Mayfield this week. It was the heaviest bag ever. I had to split it into two bags to carry it to the car.

Here’s what we were expecting to receive this week:

1 dz. eggs
1 piece gouda cheese
A handful of hot Hungarian peppers
Approx. 2 to 3 green peppers, depending on size
1 head cabbage (most will be green)
Either 1 pint mixed color cherry tomatoes or about 1.5 lbs. heirloom tomatoes
1 lb. green filet beans
2 ct. cucumbers
1 pint blackberries or approx. 1.5 lbs. peaches
1.5 lbs. spelt berries
1 bunch beets
1 lb. chorizo
1 head broccoli
2 ct. patty pan squash
6 ears sweet corn

I’m going to be preserving peppers and squash tonight. We have enough of both to can or freeze. I’m also going to make a small batch of pickles with my cucumbers since I have a few.

We ate the sweet corn for dinner. This is one of the weeks when dinner was determined bulkiness.

We’ll be having beans with lunch tomorrow. I’m not sure about the tomatoes, but they might just get pureed and frozen for later.

The cheese will keep a few days. The peaches won’t be ready to eat for a couple of days, but will go great in our oatmeal.

The carrots will make a side dish for dinner tomorrow. These peppers are hot and that is my least favorite Fresh Fork item. I’ll probably just freeze them for chili this winter.

We have an abundance of eggs and I’m going to make some custard tomorrow. I’m also going to hard boil some to have for snacks. The chorizo was partially thawed, so it will become part of lunch tomorrow.

The spelt berries are in the pantry. The beets will get used tomorrow. I’ll probably make Harvard beets again. It’s a household favorite.

The cauliflower was dinner. I made it “mac and cheese” style. I used the cauliflower (received instead of broccoli) as the pasta and made a white cheese sauce that used Mayfield Road creamery Smoked Gouda. It was delicious. I don’t have plans for the cabbage yet.

I’m leaving town on Sunday and will be back late on Wednesday. I should have taken a vacation week with Fresh Fork, but I wasn’t really thinking. I’m going to prepare and preserve as much as possible before I leave. My goal is for Stephen to have food for while the kids and I are gone, but not be overwhelmed when he tries to find something in the fridge. I did sign up for vacation next week. That will give me a few days of recovery when I get back. Our freezer is pretty full right now. I just need a couple of days to make some jam and get a bit organized. I’m hoping to make time for that next weekend.

Geauga Family Farms CSA–summer week 5

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Jul 032012

Today was the 5th pickup for the Geauga Family Farms CSA. I feel so out of the loop after being on vacation for 2 weeks. We got back Sunday night, but I still am in that not quite back to reality phase. The Whole Foods pickup has been different every week. I hope we get some consistency soon. I really miss Andrew manning the table.

Here’s what we received this week:

I think it’s a pretty easy identification week, but just in case I’ll list them.

zucchini, cucumbers

sugar snap peas, candy onion

small head of cauliflower, blueberries

tomato, kohlrabi

lettuce, cabbage

I was quite excited to pick up our share today. We picked up a few things at the store yesterday since our fridge was bare from being gone 2 weeks, but for the most part, we were still lacking in produce.

The last couple zucchini were shredded and put in the freezer. I’m going to make squash fritters tomorrow so these don’t fall victim to the freezer later in the week. The cucumber, tomato and lettuce will go into salad with tomorrow’s grilling. I’ll probably have Stephen grill the kohlrabi, too. The kids will snack on the peas. The blueberries will go on cereal for breakfast. I now have two head of cauliflower since I bought one yesterday. One head will just be steamed and served plain. I’m thinking of making a au gratin dish with the other.

I have a cole slaw recipe that I love that involves cabbage, apple, pineapple juice, onion, raisins, blue cheese and a simple dressing. I’m going to look for it since I don’t think I could quite make it from memory. It’s a great summer dish and I think I have all of the ingredients on hand. Once I find the recipe, I’ll try to get my version in a post soon. We’re sure to see cabbage again.

My goal is to use 100% of this share up before I pick up our other one on Friday.

Fresh Fork Winter CSA–week 10

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Mar 012012

Today was a crazy day. We ran errands before our trip the gym. Then, we had an indoor picnic before heading home. Sally napped for a short time. Nick napped for a short time after I decided that driving them around in the car was my best bet for some quiet time. Then, it was off to swimming. While Nick took his lesson, Sally and I swam. By the time we made it to pick up our CSA, I was pretty done. I was glad that they weren’t busy and we were able to do a rare drive thru pick up. Thanks to Eric and Robert for having bags all ready to go. It was great with the tired kids!

Here’s what we were expecting to receive this week:

1 pork roast
1 half pint raspberry jalapeno jam
1/2 lb. mixed salad greens
1 pt. pickled banana peppers, hot or medium
Frozen fruit (cantaloupe or watermelon, great for smoothies)
1 head cabbage
2 lbs. turnips
1 lb. cracked black pepper linguini
quarter peck Fuji apples

Here’s a group shot:

Apples are always welcome for snacking and oatmeal. I’ll probably do the roast in a crockpot recipe this week. I’m trying to use the crock pot more so we can enjoy dinner without last minute prep and cooking. It really helps with the dishes if we only have to do the ones we used to actually eat after dinner time.

I’m at a loss with the peppers. We don’t really eat much hot food. These are supposed to be mild so maybe they will appear in some fajitas or chili soon. I’m hoping the jam is more sweet than hot and that the jalapeno adds more flavor than bite. I’ll have to let you know.

The greens are pretty standard. They aren’t really my favorite this time of year. The frozen fruit will be lucky to be in our freezer by this time tomorrow. The kids are excited about smoothies.

The Fresh Fork CSA staff has been giving us lots of ideas for the turnips. I haven’t decided which recipe to go with, but I want to use them tomorrow or Saturday. I popped the pasta in the freezer. It will make a quick meal one day this week.

I’ve been making unstuffed cabbage with much of our cabbage this winter. It’s easy and I can make it in the crockpot. I suspect that will appear on our table this week.

Even with the drive thru pickup, we still had our $3.50 ready just in case Robert had some corn chips. Everyone was hungry after swimming and these kept everyone entertained for the drive home.

I really like the variety of staple and storage items that we get to try out during the winter CSA, but I’m glad it’s March. I hope the spring weather treats the farmers well. I’m really getting in the mood for summer fresh produce.

Fresh Fork Winter CSA–week 5

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Dec 212011

Today, we had another soggy Fresh Fork CSA pick up. I think Trevor should invest in Gortex running gear for the crew, and maybe some sand bags for the tent. It was really a smooth pick up. The kids wanted to wait with me, so they ran around in the rain while I waited in line for our goodies.

Here’s what we were expecting this week:

1 tub (4 oz.) goat milk feta
8 oz. jar of brandied cherry preserves
8 oz. mixed baby greens
1 sleeve of leaf lettuce
1 head of cabbage
1 bag of Mrs. Miller’s dried egg noodles
1.25 lb.s Andouille
2 lbs. ground beef
8 oz. pak choi
2 lbs. onions
1 lb. Brussels sprouts
3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 24 oz. loaf of apple pound bread

Here’s a group shot:

I don’t have any immediate plans for the sweet potatoes, but I’m glad that everyone in our house likes them. I’m thinking of using the ground beef in a crock pot unstuffed cabbage tomorrow. I only got one pack of beef and I’m checking on that.

I’ve never used Andouille sausage in anything before. For now, it’s in the freezer and I’ll think of something later. My husband just found a sweet potato and Andouille recipe that sounds promising. The goat cheese will disappear on crackers and toast. Cheese never lasts long in our house.

Greens disappear without much effort and these will be no exception. We need to keep our veggie intake up to balance the cookies this week.

I have all of the ingredients for French onion soup and will make it in the next day or two.

The Brussels sprouts and pak choi will make good sides this weekend.

Apple pound cake is a new one for us. I’m sure it will be eaten quickly once we taste it. The noodles will be in the cupboard for a few weeks since they aren’t perishable. We still have turkey in the freezer, so some soup may be in order.

We aren’t cooking a ham for Christmas, but I’m sure these preserves will be tasty no matter how we enjoy them. I’m considering making homemade jelly doughnuts for Christmas. Maybe they will have cherry filling.

I also splurged on extras this week. We were out of eggs and still wanting to do some baking this week. The breakfast patties were so good when we had them before, so I couldn’t turn them down. I wanted to try some local eggnog. The bacon will be in the freezer for as needed in recipes. The spinach pasta was dinner tonight. I can’t remember the individual prices, but our total was $28.

I’m excited for the holidays this week and hope to enjoy cooking a few meals at home. Eating out really does get old, but sometimes it’s definitely the easy way out.

Geauga Family Farms–Winter CSA week 6

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Dec 172011

It’s hard to believe that this was the last Geauga Family Farms CSA pick up for the winter. Once again, Stephen and the kids went to St. Noel to pick up our share. I had a scheduled hike that began at 10AM in Ashtabula County.

Here’s a group shot of what we received:

Let’s take a closer look:

Wheat bread (not 100%), Swiss chard

Radishes, very large sweet potato

Lettuce, spinach

Cabbage, turnip

Beets

We were getting pretty low on produce. Before this pick up we had a small head of cabbage and a little bit of lettuce left. Most of these items are quite welcome in our fridge.

We’ve had many meals out this week, but I’m happy to say that after tonight, I don’t have any meals planned out this entire week. Eating at home will make it very easy to use our veggies.

I’ll probably make unstuffed cabbage again. It’s easy and freezes well. Stephen sliced the bread so we could freeze it. I’ll make Harvard beets again. It’s an easy recipe and everyone likes them.

I never know what to do with the turnip, but last time I made some turnip and potato soup that turned out well, so I am guessing that will make an encore appearance.

The spinach will get used in a pasta dish or quiche this week. We’ve been cooking the chard with some onion, spice and Balsamic vinegar.

I’m looking forward to cooking a few local fresh meals at home.

Fresh Fork Winter CSA–week 3

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Nov 222011

Today, we had a rough Fresh Fork CSA pickup. It was extra busy because people were picking up Thanksgiving packages, regular shares, turkeys and a variety of other holiday items. It was also raining!

Here’s what we were expecting this week:

1 half gallon apple cider
1 quarter peck of Mutsu apples (very large, tart apples)
1 lb. nitrate free bacon
1 dozen pasture raised chicken eggs
1.5 lbs. white spelt flour
1 large white stem bok choy
1 bunch medium leeks
1 bag, half lb., of young mustard green mix
2 lbs. butter, salted or unsalted
1 lb. pumpkin sage linguini
1 head cabbage
1 head cauliflower

Here’s a group shot:

We ate the pumpkin sage linguini for dinner tonight. There’s one serving left and I’m hoping to have it for lunch tomorrow. We’ve been out of fresh apples for oatmeal the last few days, so these are welcome.

I put the bacon in the freezer. Soon, I’ll make a version of my uncle’s stuffing and it will use the bacon. The spelt flour came as whole wheat. This is fine with us since we use whole wheat flour all of the time.

I was happy to get unsalted butter this time. We don’t usually buy salted butter. I’m looking forward to trying it. I never know what to do with leeks. I’ll probably chop them up in an Asian stir fry for Stephen along with the bok choy.

We’ll have our standard sautéed greens with balsamic, garlic, salt and pepper with these greens.

Personally, apple cider is too sweet, but my husband and kids love it, so it’s always welcome. Behind all of these leaves is a head of cauliflower. Everyone in our house likes cauliflower, so it will go quickly.

Cabbage is used in the stuffing recipe that I’d like to make in the next few days. I may freeze the cabbage by blanching it just to give me time to use some of our other items up. We were almost out of eggs. I need them for my sweet potato recipe and for waffles this weekend.

We got the granola that was owed to use from the last pickup and purchased some more yogurt ($10).

We also picked up a Thanksgiving package. I’ll show it to you tomorrow! It’s late and there are still dishes left in the kitchen.

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