Seedy business

FFF Photo a Day - Day 309

A good year for pumpkins means its a good year for roasted pumpkin seeds!

Salted, spiced, even sugared pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack that provides a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, that are hard to find in other foods. 

Pumpkin seeds are also known as pepitas (spanish) and can be eaten raw, shelled or toasted, roasted, in the shell, even sprouted! 

The seeds pictured were toasted after being tossed with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning. Yum!

Welcome! Come on in...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 290

Finally got around to putting up a somewhat seasonally relevant display at the end of our driveway.... Happy Friday!!

Mystery squash?

FFF Photo a Day - Day 273

Sorting through the squash plants, pulling dead squash and picking the remaining squash and.. have a whole wheelbarrow full of these mystery items! 

Obviously some kind cross breed between two squash plants but not entirely sure what! Perhaps butternut and pumpkin? What do you think? 

Fall upon us...

FFF Photo a Day - Day 267

This autumn display brought to you by the first full day of fall! My personal favorite time of year, the bugs are disappearing and temperatures are a bit more comfortable for working in. 

As we tuck food away, preserving, drying and canning in preparation for the upcoming winter, it feels great to see the pantry fill. 

Week #11 - 2015 FFF CSA - What's in the Box! - Ladybug, Ladybug!

I can't believe that we are on our second to last week of our CSA! Summer has flown by! This week our shareholders are going to need some serious muscles to move these baskets! 

While we battled are fair share of disease, molds and mildews this growing season, a welcomed infestation has been ladybugs... we've never seen so many ladybugs as this year. So hoping you love them as much as I do and won't mind a few red ladies on your swiss chard! Remember they eat aphids and will keep your houseplants healthier! 

Now what to do with the lovely pie pumpkin you will get this week.. why make some pie!! While you can pretty well take your pumpkin pie recipe and substitute with fresh cooked pumpkin instead of canned, this link does a nice job of spelling it out for you - from how to cut and cook the pumpkin to a handy recipe!

You will notice that we've put your ground cherries in a brown paper bag... we encourage you to simply store them that way as they keep very well this way! Tomatillos also can be stored in a brown paper bag in the fridge with much success.  (Note: The hot peppers are tucked in there just so they don't get squished). 

For those planning ahead, next week you will get spaghetti squash and another large pumpkin! Please remember to bring your own boxes and bags next week along with any of our baskets and pails that you might have to return to us.

So in summary... What's in the Box this week?

• Zucchini
• Potatoes
• Peppers (check out the brown paper bag)
• Beets 
• Onions
• Pumpkin (smaller pie pumpkins)
• Acorn squash 
• Ground Cherries (check out the brown paper bag)
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Tomatillos
• Kohlrabi (full shares only)
• Beans (full shares only)
• Swiss Chard
• Kale

Notes to our CSA Share holders: 

We pick the vegetables within 24 hours of the box being delivered. We do rinse the produce but it would be important to wash all vegetables before you eat them. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer.

Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (pails, cups, bags etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

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Garden of surprises!

FFF Photo a Day - Day 187

Went for a meander up and down the rows in the garden today to see how things were faring given the heavy rain and light hail we got on Saturday night. 

I was pleased to find that the water seemed to be quickly being absorbed and most of the veggies were looking really good. 

Found a few surprises as well... like this pumpkin... already a good size for the beginning of July!

Week #12 - 2014 FFF CSA - What's in the Box - Final Treats

Well, twelve weeks have rolled by and we find ourselves on the last week of our CSA share for 2014. We have enjoyed feeding you all, new customers and old (or should I say returning :). Its been a growing season of extremes.. wet start and wet finished sandwiched between a very dry spell. As usual some plants enjoyed the season and others didn't. We hope that despite any of the challenges that you ate well, learned something new and expanded your eating experience. 

The final box will bring a few final treats: 

• Eggplant - this purple people pleaser is yummy fall treat. Slice it up and roast or fry it or make our favorite baba ghanoush - a Mediterranean dip.  
• Tomatillo - you will find these gems inside the paper bag. This is the best way to store them. Tomatillos are often referred to as the Mexican tomato and grow with a papery husk around them that you remove. (similiar to ground cherries). A tomatillo is the main ingredient in many salsas such as salsa verde.
• Spaghetti Squash - as many of you know our squash experiment using straw bales did not do as well as we would hope. Between this new growing technique and the weather conditions this growing season, most of our squash are delayed and are not yet ready. We have tucked in a special treat from our friends from Almost Urban Farm who had some spaghetti squash to share. Please be assured that they too grow their veggies in a natural, sustainable manner with no pesticides or herbicides. A huge thank to them for helping us out! 
• Pumpkin - Fall would not be fall if it didn't have pumpkins! This year we grew both the traditional orange pumpkins as well as a yellowish "ghost" pumpkin variety. We wanted to be sure that you all got your pumpkin before the end of the CSA so we have tucked them in the box. If your pumpkin is still green, do not fear it will ripen up over the next few weeks in time for carving or eating - whatever your pleasure! 
• Finally, we've also tucked in a small potted cilantro plant for your windowsill. May the fresh, fragant smell of this yummy herb extend your summer just a little. 

So... What's all in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Romaine Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Spaghetti Squash - New!
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant - New!
• Beans
• Tomatillos - New!
• Ground Cherries
• Melons 
• Kale
• Carrots
• Peppers - Hot and Sweet
• Onion
• Leeks
• Potatoes
• Rhubarb
• Pumpkin - New!
• Dried Basil - for full shares only
• Potted cilantro plant - New!

Please keep in touch! As you may know we sell eggs, meats and selected other products all year round so check back here regularly for updates. We are gearing up for Open Farm Day this Sunday from 11-4 when we, along with many other farms, open our farms to the public. As always you are welcome to come for a visit, either on Sunday or any other day. Just let us know. Thank you so much for your confidence and trust in our products... we look forward to feeding you in the future. 

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