Summer 2025 CSA Newsletter - September 2, 2025 (Week 15)
Howdy Folks,
We had a low of 38 degrees this last Thursday. We are getting the hint that Autumn is soon to come! The basil isn’t dead yet, so we have some time. Basil is usually the first to go on these cold nights. It’s a warning sign that Autumn is just around the corner! We have never seen the 30’s at night in August since we began Who Cooks. The earth is dry right now. We haven’t had a good rain in a bit. Although we were very grateful for our ¼” on Thursday night. It’s very hard to get seeds to germinate on dry ground and it’s also hard to wet such dry ground. The struggle continues. But, then so do the harvest. We are able to drip irrigate many of the plantings we are harvesting from and they are very happy for it. It’s a constant switching of values from open to close all day. From the beginning of the day around 7-8 am until bedtime around 8-9pm.
Remember to stock up at this awesome time of the year when summer and autumn crops blend. Freeze Peppers, make tomato sauce, make enchilada sauce by mixing roasted tomatoes and peppers, make tomato or tomatillo salsa, freeze pesto, dehydrate watermelon, husk cherries, cherry tomatoes, aguaymanto! Dry herbs! Ferment!
We have begun to harvest the first of the winter squash! With these cold nights it’s nice to bake and add the warmth of the oven to the cooling house.
My good old friend, Estelle Palley from high school is visiting us for several days. It was on Estelle’s fathers organic vegetable farm that I, Aeros started my journey into production farming and farmers markets. These were the days in the late 90’s. I mostly did flower production and I delivered CSA’s and also took produce and flowers to sell at three farmers markets. I was in my late teens. These were good times! Northern California in 1998-1999. I remember all to clearly the Y2K scare that summer! Folks were stocking up a storm! It was Tom Palley, who instilled the need and poetry of the farm newsletter in me. Back in these times, I would deliver each CSA box with a paper print out of the farm news.
Times have changed, but we are elvolving and keeping core values close to heart as we naviagte the ever changing modern times.
Have a great week folks! Keep on keeping on the good life, the good vibes, the heart and soul!
Your Farmers, Chris and Aeros
IN YOUR BOX:
All contents of your box are listed on your LABEL! If your label says something other than you think it should, please don’t take something different, please contact the farm. Note: Texting is the fastest way to reach us.
Add On Shares:
Mushrooms: King Trumpet or White Beech
King Trumpet Mushrooms are the largest of the Oyster Mushroom family, but unlike most oyster mushrooms, the stems of the King Trumpet are meaty instead of woody. These mushrooms are often fried in tempura batter, or used as an addition to stir-fry.
White Beech mushrooms have an almond-like aroma and a sharp, bitter flavor when fresh. When cooked, the texture is crunchy with a buttery and nutty, shellfish flavor. White Beech mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as sautéing, braising, stewing, and roasting, as their raw flavor tends to be strong. They should not be washed, as the mushrooms are porous and too much water will change the texture. They can be incorporated into different cuisines including European and Asian and hold their shape well for use in soups, bisques, stews, omelets, noodle dishes, stir-fries, rice dishes, flatbreads, and sauces.
Cheese:
Clover Creek Cheese Cellar in Williamsburg, Blair County PA.
Pirate Blue has a tangy, crusty rind with a chalky, salty edge that will remind you of the ocean. This is a strong blue cheese, aged for two months.
Fruit:
Peters Orchards brings us Peaches this week, another fruit grower from Gardners, PA. Durgin’s was frozen out and do not have anymore for us, so we are grateful for Peters to still bring us our indulgence in PA stone fruit.
RECIPE IDEAS
Ratatouille
Adapted from Jeanine and Jack (loveandlemons.com)
Ingredients:
1 medium - large eggplant (1 pound), cut into ½ inch pieces
Sea salt
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
2 medium zucchini (1 pound), cut into ½ inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, and cut into ¼ inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound tomatoes on the vine (3 - 5), cut into ½ inch pieces
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of cane sugar
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup thinly sliced basic leaves, plus more for garnish
Directions:
Step 1:
Place the eggplant in a colander, clean, and sprinkle with ½ tsp of sea salt. Place in the sink or over a large rimmed plate and set aside for 20 minutes to drain, then blot dry with paper towels.
Step 2:
Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Step 3:
Add another 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the zucchini to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the zucchini is tender but not mushy. Season with ¼ tsp of sea salt and transfer to the bowl with the eggplant.
Step 4:
Add another 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until softened. Stir in the garlic and ¼ tsp salt and cook for another 10 minutes, or until very tender. If the pan becomes dry, add more oil if needed.
Step 5:
Stir in the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil into the peppers and onions. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and sugar and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down.
Step 6:
Add the eggplant and zucchini back into the skillet along with the vinegar, thyme, ¼ tsp salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the ratatouille is thick. Stir in the basil and season to taste. Garnish with more basil and serve.
Red Potato Salad
Adapted from Margaret Blomquist (tasteofhome.com)
Ingredients:
5 pounds medium red potatoes, halved
5 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
⅛ tsp black pepper
Directions:
Step 1:
Place potatoes in a large kettle; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut potatoes into ¾ inch cubes.
Step 2:
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, and onion. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture and stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Carrot Cake
Adapted from Jeanine and Jack (loveandlemons.com)
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pans
4 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots, about 9 oz
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, plus more for garnish
Cream cheese frosting
Directions:
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Step 2:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
Step 3:
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the eggs and whisk until combined, then whisk in the applesauce and vanilla extract.
Step 4:
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the carrots and pecans/walnuts.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake, then invert onto a large plate or baking sheet. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
Step 6: OPTIONAL
When the cakes are completely cool, use a large serrated knife to slice off the domed part of one of the cakes to create a flat top. Use this cake as the bottom layer in a layer cake.
Step 7:
Frost the flat surface with cream cheese frosting, then place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake, if desired, with the remaining frosting. Top with pecans/walnuts, slice and serve.
FARM PICTURE
This past week, we delivered 3,000 lbs of tomatoes to the foodbank. When we are in peak harvest and we have too much, we keep the fresh produce moving. When we get more than we can move through the CSA and markets we often reach out to the foodbank. The huge harvest came in and we knew we had to move them outside of our normal customer base, so we made some phone calls and then once the acceptance was confirmed we started packing. Our crew works like improvisational dancers, the flow is fluid and peaceful with precision and intention. These harvests and packs are so special to be a part of.
PICKING UP OF YOUR SHARE/S:
When you arrive at your pick up site, please first look for the RED CLIPBOARD! Find your name and take a look at what is waiting for you. Please check off all the shares listed by your name on the sign in sheet! Then look for a box with your name on the label, this is your box. Please unpack this box and take the contents home. You are not to take home this box! This box is for farm to pick up site transportation only! Please do not take this box home with you, but if you do, please return it the following week. HERE IS A LINK TO A FACEBOOKS PAGE VIDEO SHOWING YOU HOW TO OPEN AND FLATTEN THIS BOX.
READ YOUR BOX LABELS: On your label you will see all that you should be picking up today. Please note, that none of the optional shares are inside of this box although they are listed on the label! These optional shares include, Eggs, Cheese, Mushrooms, and Coffee. These shares are located in the blue coolers. Please reference your box label to make sure you get the correct optional shares that you paid for on each given week. ONLY TAKE THE ITEMS LISTED ON YOUR BOX LABEL AND SIGN IN SHEET UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTIFIED!
The mushrooms are in brown paper bags.
Eggs, half dozen = 6 egg carton
Eggs dozen = 12 egg carton
Cheese is by the piece, just take a block. ( If a cheese has a name on it, don’t take this cheese unless it has your name on it)
Fruit - The fruit share is located in a box labeled Fruit Share, please take one paper bag per share. 1 bag is 3# of fruit.
If you don’t see a share that you think you should be getting, please don’t take it, please instead be in touch with the farm. If you are ever missing any veggies or add on items or the quality is not up to WCFY par, please be in touch. Call/Text 814-221-7177. Or email us. info@whocooksforyoufarm.com