THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
If you find yourself getting backed up on a certain fruit or veggie, consider exploring the world of light preservation! Although a fun and worthy skill, canning can be intimidating because of the volume, time, equipment it requires to make happen. Fortunately, pickling and freezing are two methods of preservation that are a little easier and more accessible. The majority of the items in the shares this week can be preserved in one of these two ways. Personally, I found myself quickly collecting the colorful carmen sweet peppers we’ve been enjoying this season. I decided to try out an overnight pickled pepper recipe, and the results were amazing! It only took about 20 minutes to prepare, and now I can top anything I like with these sweet and crunchy treats without having to worry about the peppers spoiling in my refrigerator. Pickled recipes like this one will last a month or longer in your refrigerator. Most freezing recipes involve a quick blanch and voila – you’ve got your own home-prepped frozen goods!
| A Route | Z Route |
| 3 carmen peppers, Weeping Willow Farm | 3 lb green cabbage, Blue Goose Farm |
| 3/4 lb hot banana peppers, Matthews Family Farm | 1 bunch green kale, Clarion River Organics (OG) |
| 1 large garlic bulb, Clubhouse Gardens | 1.5 lbs heirloom tomatoes, Nu Way Farm |
| 2 lb yellow onions, Weeping Willow Farm | 1 pint sun sugar or cherry tomatoes, Nu Way Farm or Grow Pittsburgh |
| 1 lb mixed beets, Sunny Meadow Farm or Hostetler Farm | 2 lb butternut squash, River View Dairy |
| 2 lb yellow bartlett pears, Dawson’s Orchard | 1.5 lb fingerling potatoes, Hostetler Farm |
| 1 bunch French breakfast radishes, Nu Way Farm | 1 bunch French breakfast radishes, Nu Way Farm |
| 1.5 lb heirloom tomatoes*, Weeping Willow Farm or Nu Way Farm | 1 jar tomatillo salsa, Penn’s Corner |
| 3/4 lb radicchio or green kale, Crighton Farm or Clarion River Organics |
If you are unsure of your delivery route, click HERE.
*Some of the members in the A Route will be receiving Penn’s Corner Canned Chopped Tomatoes
*** OG = Certified Organic, CNG = Certified Naturally Grown
Green 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: Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing, Cabbage with Bacon & Roasted Potatoes, Garlic Roasted Cabbage Wedges
Sun Sugar Tomatoes
Grower: Nu Way Farm or Grow Pittsburgh
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: Easy Pickled Cherry Tomatoes, Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Crockpot Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce, Grilled Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Tomato Herb Quinoa Salad with Goat Cheese
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: Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken, Cheese & Garlic Muffins, Slow Cooker Roasted Garlic Baked Potato Soup
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: Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup, End of Summer Corn, Tomato, Avocado & Quinoa Salad, Roasted Stuffed Heirloom Tomatoes, Mediterranean Fresh Herbs & Tomato Salad
Yellow Onions
Grower: Weeping Willow Farm
Store: Onions can last for several weeks (if not months) without compromising their taste or nutritional value. However, you must be sure to store them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place. Once you cut an onion, wrap whatever portion you don’t use in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator. It will keep about 4 days.
Recipe: Homestyle Sausage & Potatoes with Garlic & Onions, Baked Salmon, Sweet Candy Onion & Brown Sugar Mandarin Glaze, Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Bisque
Green Kale
Grower: Clarion River Organics
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: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Kale & Feta, Kale & Potato Soup with Corn & Chorizo, Warm Kale & Delicata Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
French Breakfast Radishes
Grower: Nu Way Farm
Store: Store radishes in a plastic bag in the crisper of the refrigerator and they should keep for at least a week. If your radishes have leaves attached, it is best to remove them, as they tend to leach moisture from the root.
Recipe: Cabbage, Apple & Radish Slaw, Radish Leaf Pesto, Creamy Cucumber & Radish Salad
Beets
Grower: Sunny Meadow Farm or Hostetler Farm
Store: To keep the beets dry, store them and the leaves, unwashed, in separate plastic bags in the vegetable drawer
Recipe: The Best Beet & Avocado Salad, Rainbow Dragon Bowl with Shredded Beets, Carrots & Cabbage, Roasted Beets & Green with Goat Cheese Crostini
Radicchio
Grower: Crighton Farm
Store: Keep radicchio refrigerated in a tightly sealed plastic bag. It’ll last at least a week.
Recipe: Chickpea Radicchio Wraps, Orzo Pasta Salad with Radicchio, Sundried Tomatoes & Kalamata Olives, Seared Radicchio and White Bean Puree
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: How to Freeze Peppers, Pickled Sweet Peppers, Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables
Yellow Bartlett Pears
Grower: Dawson’s Orchard
Store: Store at room temperature until ripe — to hasten ripening, place pears in a paper bag at room temperature. Once ripe, place pears in a plastic bag and refrigerate.
Recipe: Pear Custard Pie, Pear & Basil Lemonade, Brown Butter Pear Bars
Hot Banana Peppers
Grower: Matthews Family 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, Baked Stuffed Jalapenos, Hot Pepper Mustard
Butternut Squash
Grower: River View Dairy
Store: Do not refrigerate whole butternut squash; it will keep for a month or more in a cool, dark place. Peeled butternut squash should be stored tightly covered and refrigerated for up to five days.
Recipe: Mexican-inspired Stuffed Butternut, Creamy Butternut Alfredo Pasta, Butternut Squash Fritters
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
Penn's Corner Farm Alliance 