CSA Newsletter – October 2
CSA share
The Weekly Share
Here’s what to expect in this week’s share:
- Carrots
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic
- Herbs – lemongrass and sage
- Hot peppers
- Kale
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Scallions
- Sweet peppers
- Sweet potatoes
- Swiss chard
- Tomatoes
*Due to the unpredictability of weather, pest problems, and other factors produce in the weekly shares are subject to last minute changes.
Fall into Soups
Fall is officially here! For me that means it’s soup season. Some homemade bread and a bowl of soup is just what I love on cool autumn days. Soups and stews are also a great way to use CSA veggies and herbs. I am particularly fond of finding savory uses for fall squash and sweet potatoes that often get served sweet. My favorite tip- roasting vegetables before making them into soup adds an extra layer of flavor. Here’s one of my favorite fall soup recipes:
Roasted Sweet Potato, Carrot, and Apple Soup
- 1 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/2 lb carrots
- 1 apples
- 1 medium onions
- 3 large cloves of garlic, peeled
- A high heat oil – like Asian stir fry oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 4 C vegetable stock
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 in ginger
- 1 lemon
1. Preheat the over to 400. Cut the sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions into 1 inch chunks. Core and cube the apples. Then toss the garlic, apple and all the vegetables into a pan. Oil the mixture and season liberally with salt and pepper. Put the pan in the oven and roast for an hour (until fork tender) .
2. Puree the vegetables and broth together and heat over medium heat.
3. Peel and grate the ginger into the pot, though you can always chop it and throw it while you puree the vegetables.
4. Zest the lemon into the pot, making sure not to get the white pith. Then juice half of the lemon and add it to the pot. Also add the curry and chili powders.
5. Heat the mixture thoroughly. Then enjoy!
Adding a dollop of plain yogurt or even sour cream to each bowl is delicious but not necessary. I am partial to serving the soup with grilled cheese.
Meet Your Farmers – Michael Taylor
“Michael’s garden plots are so beautifully tended and they are a welcome sight as I arrive at the farm.” Alyson Earl, Executive Director
York native Michael Taylor started a community garden plot at the Horn Farm two years ago and is now a first year intern. Michael has a career as a respiratory therapist and he spent eight years teaching exercise physiology at York College. He’s also been on his own personal health journey, losing weight and trying to be healthier. Michael became vegan, which is part of what lead him to start his community plot and grow his own vegetables. Reflecting back on that first year gardening, he says, “the weeds kicked my butt” but clearly they didn’t deter him. He delved into studying nutrition, ecology and plant science as part of his journey. In his role as a respiratory therapist, he “saw all these people suffering from lifestyle diseases.” Michael realized his own journey had equipped him with tools to help people prevent these diseases rather than treating them after the fact. He was inspired to do wellness coaching, “I can straddle clinical medicine and holistic wellness.” Knowing wellness coaching had to include nutrition, he thought an internship on the farm would be a good place to start, to learn more. Michael is also a father, he beams when he talks about his 4 year-old daughter Marlena Lin. Next time you see Michael at the farm stop and visit, he’s got a gift for putting one at ease and he has a wealth of knowledge to share.
Connect and Share
What is your favorite part of your CSA share? Are you having trouble figuring out what to do with something in your share? If you have a recipe or picture you want to share, a trick you learned, or a question about your CSA produce please let us know at csa@hornfarmcenter.org. Share on social media with the hashtag #HornFarmCSA.
This week you’ll find North America’s largest native fruit in your shares -pawpaws! Pawpaws are native to Pennsylvania and 25 other states. They have a custard-like texture similar to a banana and their flavor is a mix of banana, and mango oftn with hints of pineapple or melon. Nutritionally pawpaws are high in vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese and potassium. The skin and seeds are non edible and similar to pears they’re ripe when brown spots form on the skin. However, they have a limited shelf-life so they need to be consumed or frozen quickly; they can be refrigerated for up to a week and pureed then frozen they can last much longer. They’re wonderful to eat plain or added to smoothies and there are now many recipes online for use them in baked goods and custards.
