(CSA Newsletter: Week 44)
Meet this week’s vegetables:
- Castelfranco — This lettuce-looking winter green has more in common with lettuce than just its appearance: it is one of the mildest and sweetest ‘chicories’ (related to raddichio). Chop and clean (removing any browning tips of leaves) and then toss with a dressing before serving (because the leaves are thicker than lettuce, they benefit from being tossed with dressing rather than just having dressing poured over).
- Brussels sprouts
- Butternut squash — It may not be a ‘root’ crop, but Butternut squash is delicious in roasted winter vegetable dishes. It’s easy to prepare: peel the skin off carefully with a paring knife and then chop into equal sized pieces. A tip on safe peeling: cut the squash in half to separate the narrow part from the wide part. Then, peel each one separately by setting the cut edge solidly against the cutting board and peeling down toward the cutting board.
- Beets
- Carrots
- Red thumb fingerling potatoes
- Yellow onions
We survived the hearing!
The big news of the week was the continuation of the quarry hearing last Thursday. After months of preparation, we were finally able to voice our concerns to the county commissioners in person.
Not surprisingly, it was another grueling event. The hearing started at 10 am and went well into the early evening hours (with no break for lunch!!!!!). The good news of such a long event is that each person who testified was given enough time to fully make their case and adequately answer follow-up questions.
Now we’re back to the waiting game. We have until this Thursday to submit any final written testimony and then the rock company has a week to submit their written rebuttal. Their in-person rebuttal will happen at a January meeting, followed by the commissioners’ vote.
Our group feels very confident about our testimony’s strength. Now we just have to see how well it was heard …
New restaurant in Amity!
In other farm news, we have a new client: the Blue Goat, a new restaurant in downtown Amity!
They just opened for service last Tuesday, and we haven’t had a chance to visit for an official meal, but the owners and chef hosted us for an informal sneak preview the night before Thanksgiving. We enjoyed empanadas (Spanish-style calzones with green olives and goat sausage) that were baked in the central feature of the Blue Goat: a large, beautiful wood-fired cob oven built by Kiko Denzer. We also ate roast goat, roasted winter vegetables, and a winter salad (all of featuring many of our vegetables!).
We were also excited to see affordable prices on the menu next to tasty-sounding dishes. When we have time this winter, we will definitely be going there to eat! If you’re looking for something new, check it out!
Final 2010 payments due now!
Just a quick reminder that we’re quickly closing in on the end of 2010, and your final CSA payments are due now! If you are unsure of how much you have left on your account, email me: farm(at)oakhillorganics(dot)org.
Bring final payments to next week’s pick-up or mail to us: Oakhill Organics, P.O. Box 1698, McMinnville, OR 97128.
Have you signed up for 2011?
If you haven’t signed up for 2011 yet (and want to do so), let us know ASAP so that we can include you in our count!
Rusty’s first birthday this Saturday!
We just thought you all would enjoy knowing that Rusty’s birthday is this Saturday, December 11. How amazing to think that it was just about a year ago that we finished up our second-to-last CSA harvest and then I went into early labor! Two days later, Rusty was born here on the farm!
We’re excited to celebrate that happy occasion, although of course there is some sadness in marking the end of our first child’s first year. We are so happy that he is growing and thriving (and starting to walk!), but we will also always think fondly of little baby Rusty! This has been a truly lovely year of our life.
Second Holiday Harvest next week!
We’re holding our second custom ‘Holiday Harvest’ next week — this is an opportunity for you to stock up on some veggies before we go into our month-long winter CSA break. I’ve included the list in this week’s newsletter.
Different from the Thanksgiving harvest (and prior December harvests): we’re actually going to bring the Holiday Harvest veggies with us to next Tuesday’s CSA pick-up and distribute them that way. See the Holiday Harvest info for more details!
Final 2010 CSA harvest next week!
Next week is the final CSA harvest of 2010! After that we start our family’s winter vacation (which will of course be used to catch up on a million farm and personal projects, but we’ll try to do some fun things too!).
Please remember that our 2011 CSA starts two weeks earlier next year, on Tuesday, January 18!
We’ll see you next week for our final CSA share of 2010. In the meantime, enjoy this week’s vegetables!
Your farmers, Katie & Casey Kulla
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December Holiday Harvest!
How it will work: Choose your vegetables from the following availability list … then email (farm@oakhillorganics.org) or call (503-474-7661) to place your order. We’ll take orders on Sunday, Dec. 12 & Monday, Dec. 13.
Once we have your order, we will custom harvest your chosen vegetables for you and bring them to downtown McMinnville for you to pick up next Tuesday at the final CSA pick-up of the year.
Holiday Harvest veggie list & prices:
- Chard ~ $2 bunch
- Brussels sprouts ~ $4 stalk (off stalk $3.50 lb)
- Cabbage ~ $4 each
- Collard greens ~ $2 bunch
- Dino kale ~ $2 bunch
- Butternut squash ~ $1 lb
- Ambercup squash ~ $1 lb
- Pie pumpkins ~ $1 lb
- Rutabagas ~ $1 lb
- Red fingerling potatoes ~ $3 lb
- German butterball potatoes ~ $3 lb
- Sweet potatoes ~ $3.50 lb
- Carrots, bulk ~ $2 lb
- Beets, bulk ~ $2 lb
- Celery root ~ $4 each
- Cipollini onions ~ $3 lb
- Yellow onions ~ $2.25 lb
- Leeks ~ $3 lb
- Garlic ~ $6 lb
- Popcorn ~ $0.75/ear
