Summer 2025 CSA Newsletter - October 7, 2025 (Week 20)
Howdy Folks,
FALL CSA IS JUST 4 weeks away! So if you have yet to sign up...better get to it sooner than later as we don’t have as many fall shares as we do summer. Here is a link to registration! We don’t have customizable shares for the fall, but you will have plenty of swapping options, so you should never be stuck with something you don’t like. If you have questions ab
Well week after week and event after event, which one sparks the newsletter? This week we must say goodbye to Jane Goodall. A legend, a trail blazer, a one of a kind lady who died still putting her best foot forward. Eager for hope and positive change. I read that she died while on a speaking tour. Wow, Cheers to her life’s work of discovery and patience to watch and learn with eagerness to see the world and its being and to share the importance to care for our planet and its creatures!
People passing is not really the same as a vegetable going out of season, but it’s a loss of a familiar soul. For famous influencers and vegetables it’s maybe like when those you love move out of state, or when loved ones go to school. You get a glimpse of famous people as their works are still referenced, and your loved ones you do get to visit them via a phone call, letter, or zoom call. But it’s just not the same as seeing them in person and being with them. Like sun dried tomatoes in winter! It’s not the same as a fresh tomato in the summer, yet you get what you can, cuz you love them. You buy the out of season tomato, you eat the tomato sauce or frozen peppers. It’s a glimpse of the past and a hope for the return. Sadly when these greats die, there is no return, but their teachings remain within us and continue to inspire for generations to come. We are their chambers of hope and memory to carry on their impactful lessons and legacy.
I read more this week. About the essential neighborliness of the Sequoia Redwoods. These trees are the tallest of the trees in the world and yet their root systems go no deeper than 12 feet, instead together they network with fellow Sequoia Redwoods and share an intertwined shallow root system that weave together a dense wide web of strength, forming an interconnected communicative community, that at large and together is strong and resilient! That’s what I’m eager to talk about. The sharing & togetherness in a time of mourning. The growth! I’ve included a picture of Chris and I. Here we were all but love and love for learning about growing. Growing ourselves and plants. It’s been an amazing journey together, growing our interconnected root system as a couple, a network of our own human family, worker family, plant family, pet family, customer family. There has been a lot of determination, get it done, keep growing. Always sleep, but never give up. So much effort has brought us so far. Last night we sat in the twilight, drank tea as we sucked in the last of the light of October 2nd. We were allowing life to be a little slow in all the push. We are amazed at how many mouths we feed, and how many families we have come to know and love. I hope that you all take a moment to enjoy tea in peace with those you love! The sacrament of sharing connection, time and space with those you love. I wonder if this is what the Sequoia’s do every evening together? Give peace and love a chance and a lot of awesomeness comes out of it. It may feel shallow, but really it’s deep!
Well that was a tangent for sure!
Chris and I have been hard pressed for time to stock up. We got tomatillo salsa on the back burner until Monday, kraut is in the crock, dreams of more frozen sweet peppers, roasted hatch, and more stuffed peppers. Also more dreams of a tomato pepper sauce! Gotta pull a Goodall!
Have a great week. May the Good for all prevail!
Your Farmers, Chris, Aeros and The Who Crew!
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: Cremini
Cremini Mushrooms, also sometimes called “Baby Portobellos” are small, brown mushrooms with a mild earthy taste. Cremini Mushrooms are good sauteed with butter and garlic, baked into a quiche, or used in pasta dishes..
Cheese: Frew Mill Fire
Cheese for the next three weeks is coming from Pasture Maid Creamery, located in Latrobe. In the heart of farm country Adam Dean and his father have been partners on the farm for the last 20 years. Love has recently brought Lindsay from Three Rivers Grown to join Adam on the farm!
Frew Mill Fire is Made with cultured raw milk from their own farm, this colby style cheese is made spicy by mixing red and green jalapeños into each batch of "Frew Mill Fire." While the cheese itself is young in age and mild in flavor, the oils of the dried red and green peppers add quite a kick! This cheese is great for snacking, but it's also a nice, stringy melter. If you're looking to add an extra kick to cheese melts, thinly slice "Frew Mill Fire" atop your hamburgers, sloppy joes or grilled chicken sandwiches. If barbeque isn't your thing, try folding shredded "Frew Mill Fire" into your favorite biscuit or pastry recipe for some added heat.
Fruit:
This week’s apples are Empire and Snap Dragon. Empire are intense maroon red, with green fleck blotches. They are sweet-tart and crisp with a bright white flesh. They do not store long, so they are an early autumn apple. They are a hybrid of McIntosh and Red Delicious breed at Cornell University in 1945. It’s amazing how many amazing fruits and veggies come out of Cornell University!!! This is not one you will find in the stores come late fall. They are great for fresh eating or applesauce. Snap Dragon is also an apple from the Cornell University breeding program. It’s got mixed reviews from growers, so who knows if it will stick around. It’s got thick skin that gives it a super crunch! It also has undertone flavors that folks are raving about. Its parentage is Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Monroe and Melrose.
FARM PICTURES
Chris and Aeros 17 years ago, in our late twenties! This is us just a few months into Chris and Aeros! Dreaming up a life together full of good food and country living. We recently celebrated our 15th Wedding anniversary.
The sweet potatoes are curing in the greenhouse. In the end of September the greenhouse tables get flipped on their sides and are tucked into the corner of the greenhouse. In this now open covered space we begin to cure winter squash and sweet potatoes. The curing allows the sweet potato skin to thicken. Just after harvest the sweet potato skin is paper thin. This time in the air allows it to thicken also they get sweeter and sweeter as they cure!
RECIPE IDEAS
Chicken and Gnocchi Bake with Broccolini
Adapted from Martha Stewart (marthastewart.com)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 heads Broccolini (about 9 ounces total), cut into 2-inch pieces (4 cups)
14 ounces fresh or frozen gnocchi
1 ½ cups torn cooked chicken (preferably dark meat)
3 ounces Gruyére, grated (1 cup)
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (½ cup)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Step 1 -
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add flour; cook for 30 more seconds, then whisk in broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Step 2 -
Add Broccolini, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and add gnocchi; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, Gruyére, and ¼ cup Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3 -
Divide mixture among four 12-ounce baking dishes (or transfer to one large baking dish or ovenproof skillet). Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano. Bake until bubbly in center and golden brown on top, about 15 minutes (20 minutes if baked in one dish). Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Quick Pickled Sweet Peppers
Adapted from Melissa (simplywhisked.com)
Ingredients:
2 cups sliced sweet peppers
¼ cup rice vinegar
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
Step 1 -
Place peppers into a jar. In a small saucepan, heat vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar and salts are dissolved. Remove from heat and add garlic.
Step 2 -
Pour the liquid over the peppers in the jar. Top with additional water if necessary to cover the peppers.
Step 3 -
Cover that jar and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Beet, Tangerine, and Steak Salad
Adapted from Cat Cora (womansday.com)
Ingredients:
12-oz sirloin steak, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 tangerines or 4 clementines, plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 5-oz package baby arugula
1 15-oz can whole beets, drained and cut into wedges
Directions:
Step 1 -
Season the steak with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper and broil to desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.
Step 2 -
In a large bowl, whisk together the tangerine juice, vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the onion and toss to coat.
Step 3 -
Cut the peel and white pith from the tangerines, then cut into rounds. Gently toss the arugula with the tangerines, beets, steak, and vinaigrette.
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Adapted from Ree Drummond (thepioneerwoman.com)
Ingredients:
2 whole small pumpkins
Directions:
Step 1 -
Cut the pumpkins in half. Using a spoon or a scooper, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don’t have to be too thorough about this.
Step 2 -
Reserve all of the seeds in a separate bowl. Repeat until all the pumpkin pieces are largely free of seeds and pulp.
Step 3 -
Place the pumpkin pieces on a baking sheet (face up or down); and roast in a 350 degree oven until the pumpkin is fork-tender, about 45 minutes. They should be a light golden brown when done.
Step 4 -
Peel off the skin from the pieces. If you have a food processor, throw in a few chunks at a time. A blender will work too, if you add a little water. Or, you can simply mash it up with a potato masher, or move it through a potato ricer.
Step 5 -
Pulse the pumpkin until smooth. If it looks too dry, add in a few tablespoons of water during the pulsing to give it the needed moisture. (Note: if the puree is overly watery, you should strain it over cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid.)
Step 6 -
Dump the puree into a bowl, and continue pureeing until all the pumpkin is done.
Step 7 -
You can either use this immediately or store it in the freezer for later use. To store in the freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into each storage bag. Seal the bag with a tiny bit of an opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the pumpkin inside the bag and push out the air. Store in the freezer until use.
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! If you do take this box, 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 & sign in sheet 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