THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
September brings us the best of both worlds on the farm: the peak summer superstars and the fall early risers. These shares are still full of the juicy tomatoes we’ve been enjoying all summer, but we are getting our first fall favorites: apples and winter squash! Our apple season this year is opening with the classic McIntosh, a sweet and juicy early season variety. The small and tender delicata squash is one of our favorites because its thin skin allows it to cook into a quick meal. Check below for some great recipes. Both routes can look forward to more of these cold season treats as the leaves start to turn!
| A Route | Z Route |
| 1 pint sun sugar tomatoes, Nu Way Farm | 2 delicata squash, River View Dairy (OG) |
| 1 lb green beans, Blue Goose Farm (CNG) or Kistaco Farm | 2 lbs red or white potatoes, Weeping Willow Farm or Nu Way Farm |
| 1 pint ground cherries, Clarion River Organics (OG) | 1 lb green beans or rattlesnake beans*, Hostetler Farm or Grow Pittsburgh |
| 1 medium-large eggplant, Matthews Family Farm | 1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes, Weeping Willow Farm or Nu Way Farm |
| 1.5 lb fingerling potatoes, Hostetler Farm | 1 pint sun sugar tomatoes, Nu Way Farm |
| 1 lb tomatillos, Sunny Meadow Farm | 2 lb red cabbage, Blue Goose Farm |
| 4 carmen peppers, Weeping Willow Farm | 2 lbs McIntosh apples, Kistaco Farm |
| 6 jalapenos, Matthews Family Farm or Blue Goose Farm (CNG) | 1 large garlic bulb, Clubhouse Gardens |
If you are unsure of your delivery route, click HERE.
*** OG = Certified Organic, CNG = Certified Naturally Grown
*Some Z Route members will be receiving Penn’s Corner Jarred Dilly Beans instead of green beans this week
Fingerling Potatoes
Grower: Hostetler Farm
Store: Fingerling potatoes can be stored at room temperature, but because they have not been cured, they won’t last as long as regular potatoes — several days instead of several weeks. When refrigerated, the starch will begin to convert to sugar, so if they’re chilled for very long they’ll taste sweet.
Recipe: Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans, Warm Mustard & Herb Fingerling Potato Salad, Fingerling Potato-Leek Hash with Greens & Eggs
Sun Sugar Tomatoes
Grower: Nu Way Farm
Store: Store on your counter at room temperature with the stem side down out of direct sunlight. They’ll last longer and taste better than storing them in the refrigerator. Refrigerating tomatoes changes both their taste and texture because it damages the membranes inside the fruit walls and changes the chemical structure.
Recipe: Pasta with 15-minute Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce, Garlic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Quick Pickled Cherry Tomatoes
Green Beans
Grower: A Route – Blue Goose Farm or Kistaco Farm; Z Route – Hostetler Farm or Grow Pittsburgh
Store: Store unwashed fresh beans in a reusable container or plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days. Freezing Green Beans: Rinse your green beans in cool water and then drain. Cut the ends of the beans off and then cut the beans to whatever length you prefer.
Recipe: Southern-Style Green Beans & Potatoes, South African Stewed Green Beans, Chinese Dry-Fried Green Beans
Heirloom Tomatoes
Grower: Weeping Willow Farm or Nu Way Farm
Store: At room temperature on a plate not in plastic, keep out of sunlight. Keep in mind that storing in a refrigerator can make tomatoes mealy and the skin dry. If you find that your tomatoes are not yet ripe, let them ripen on your counter top for a few days.
Recipe: Heirloom Tomato & Ricotta Tart, Heirloom Tomato Salad with Cucumber & Onion, Open Faced Heirloom Tomato Sandwich with Garlic Aioli, Grilled Lemon, Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Tomatillos
Grower: Sunny Meadow Farm
Store: Refrigerate in a paper bag.
Recipe: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde, Fried Green Tomatillos, Enchiladas in a Tomatillo Sauce
Delicata Squash
Grower: River View Dairy
Store: Although its storage life is a little shorter than hard skinned varieties of winter squash, Delicata can be stored for about 6 weeks at room temp in a cool, dry area. Avoid refrigerating.
Recipe: Breakfast for Dinner Delicata, Roasted Delicata Squash & Quinoa Salad, Chipotle Black Bean Stuffed Delicata
Red or White Potatoes
Grower: Weeping Willow Farm or Nu Way Farm
Store: Fingerling potatoes can be stored at room temperature, but because they have not been cured, they won’t last as long as regular potatoes — several days instead of several weeks. When refrigerated, the starch will begin to convert to sugar, so if they’re chilled for very long they’ll taste sweet.
Recipe: Indian Potatoes & Spinach (Aloo Palak), Potato & Soy Sauce Side Dish, Crash Hot Potatoes
Red Cabbage
Grower: Blue Goose Farm
Store: Store in the refrigerator and keep it wrapped. Wrapping cabbage in plastic and storing it in the crisper section of your refrigerator limits its exposure to air flow, and thus reduces spoilage. Plastic wrap keeps external moisture out, preventing mold and rot, while helping the cabbage to maintain its internal moisture—without which, the cabbage leaves lose their firmness and begin to wilt.
Recipe: Apple, Kale & Cabbage Salad, Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing, Easy Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage
McIntosh Apples
Grower: Kistaco Farm
Store: Apples are one of the few fruits that really do benefit from being stored in the fridge as quickly as possible. Keep them in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag.
Recipe: Chicken & Apples in Honey Mustard Sauce, Cupcake Tin Apple Pies, Israeli Couscous & Apple Salad
Carmen Peppers
Grower: Weeping Willow Farm
Store: Store unwashed (or washed and dried) peppers in the refrigerator in a loosely closed plastic bag. Moisture is a pepper’s enemy and hastens spoiling. For peak flavor and nutrition, use within a week.
Recipe: Sweet Pepper Chicken Nachos, Grilled Eggplant & Pepper Pizza, Roasted Red Pepper Carrot Pesto, Tomato-Mozzarella Salad with Sweet Peppers
Garlic
Grower: Clubhouse Gardens
Store: Garlic bulbs can be kept in a mesh or wire basket, a small bowl with ventilation holes or even a paper bag. Do not store fresh garlic bulbs in plastic bags or sealed containers. This can cause mold and sprouting.
Recipe: How to Roast Garlic & Many Ways to Use It, Homemade Garlic Naan, Ultimate Cold Killer Shots
Jalapeno Peppers
Grower: Matthews Family Farm or Blue Goose Farm
Store: Store unwashed (or washed and dried) peppers in the refrigerator in a loosely closed plastic bag. Moisture is a pepper’s enemy and hastens spoiling. For peak flavor and nutrition, use within a week.
Recipe: Quick Pickled Jalapeno Slices, Jalapeno Cornbread, Baked Stuffed Jalapenos, Roasted Jalapeno Hummus
Ground Cherries
Grower: Clarion River Organics
Store: Remove the husks and rinse the fruits before preparing. Husked fruits keep in the refrigerator for five to seven days. To freeze ground cherries, simply spread the husked, washed fruits on a rimmed cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once they’re hard, package them in plastic bags.
Recipe: Ground Cherry Compote, Cherry Tomato & Ground Cherry Salsa, 10-minute Ground Cherry Coffee Cake
Eggplant
Grower: Matthews Family Farm
Store: If you don’t intend to eat the eggplant within 2 days, it should be refrigerated. To refrigerate, wrap in a paper towel and place in a reusable container or perforated plastic bag in the crisper section of your refrigerator for use within 5 – 7 days.
Recipe: Eggplant with Yogurt & Tomato Relish, Smoky Baba Ghanoush, 3 Turkish Eggplant Specialties
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