Happiest Halloween to all. Hope these vegetables balance out any sugar intake that may occur 😀 We will be going to sleep early Wednesday night so eat an extra butterfinger for me. I’m not a huge fan of candy, but I can definitely get down with a butterfinger or peanut butter cup on occasion.
The farm has been having a lot of trouble storing onions. We usually grow onions during the summer and then store them in our barn for the year. The weather doesn’t want to cooperate and we’ve up throwing a lot into our compost piles. The heavy fog and damp air cause the onions tend to go moldy or sprout. So I’m loading the CSA boxes with the good onions that remain for as long as I can. Pretty soon they will be gone until next year. So if you find yourself with more onions than you can use, just put them in a dry, dark space until you need them.
We are also quickly going to run out of things like zucchini (our last crop got a bad case of mildew), tomatoes and red bell peppers. This is why we are having a repeat this week of some familiar things.

CSA Contains:
CELERY
RED TOMATOES
BROCCOLI
CARROTS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
RED BELL PEPPERS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS
GARNET YAMS from QUAIL H. FARMS
YELLOW ONIONS
BIG BOX ADD: ROMAINE LETTUCE, CARROTS, LACINATO KALE, RED CHERRY TOMATOES, FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS

FRUIT EXPANSION: POMEGRANATES from OLSON FAMILY FARMS and STRAWBERRIES

JUICE FEAST:
CELERY
RED TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
CARROTS
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS
RED BELL PEPPERS
ROMAINE LETTUCE
STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS
CILANTRO
LACINATO KALE
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CSA Contains:
BROCCOLI
CARROTS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
RED BELL PEPPERS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS
GARNET YAMS from QUAIL H. FARMS
RED CHERRY TOMATOES
GREEN CURLY KALE
CILANTRO
BIG BOX ADD: ROMAINE LETTUCE, CUCUMBERS, CELERY, CARROTS, YELLOW ONIONS

FRUIT EXPANSION: STRAWBERRIES AND FUJI APPLES

JUICE FEAST:
CELERY
CARROTS
CUCUMBERS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS
JUMBO GARNET YAMS
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS
GREEN CURLY KALE
CILANTRO
ROMAINE LETTUCE

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We are sneaking one more week of melons into the CSA box. Enjoy these super fresh, vine ripened, unlike anything you can buy in the store – cantaloupes. I tend to cringe when I see those slices of melon in the store. The ones that are pre-cut and tucked away into plastic containers. They look like melon, might even smell like melon, but they are far from tasting like the real thing. Enjoy these final bites of summer.
A heads up about the basil. We will be picking it Wednesday morning, but basil is very fickle and will wilt in an instant. To keep basil fresh, trim the stems and place them in a glass or jar of water, just like cut flowers. It does best at room temperature, so no need to put it in the fridge.

CSA Contains:
CARROTS
ARUGULA
STRAWBERRIES
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
YELLOW ONIONS
CUCUMBERS
LACINATO KALE
RED CHERRY TOMATOES
BASIL
CANTALOUPE
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, RED LEAF LETTUCE, MINI SWEET BELL PEPPERS, ZUCCHINI, RED TOMATOES

FRUIT EXPANSION: FUJI APPLES and STRAWBERRIES

JUICE FEAST:
CARROTS
STRAWBERRIES
FUJI APPLES
CUCUMBERS
LACINATO KALE
ITALIAN PARSLEY
CANTALOUPE
RED BELL PEPPERS
CELERY
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE

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I’ve been cooking a lot with the cippolini onions. They are so sweet and tender when you cook them down. It can be as simple as frying them in some oil/butter/ghee for 5-10 minutes until translucent and golden brown and then cracking a few eggs over them for breakfast.
When you get your cilantro, snip off the ends, remove the twist tie and put them in a glass of water. Make sure to change the water every other day and consume the bunch within 5 days. A great way to use a whole bunch of cilantro is in a dressing. Cut off the stalks to the cilantro and put in a blender with a few cloves of garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, a little honey or maple syrup and a few big glugs of good olive oil. Whizz it up and enjoy over roasted veggies or a big salad. It’s that easy to boost your nutritional value and get some serious detoxification benefits as well.

CSA Contains:
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
MINI SWEET BELL PEPPERS from SUNRISE ORGANICS
STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS
CUCUMBERS
CILANTRO
RED TOMATOES
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
CIPPOLINI ONION
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, ROMAINE LETTUCE, GREEN ZUCCHINI, EASTER EGG RADISHES, CHERRY TOMATOES

FRUIT EXPANSION: FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS and STRAWBERRIES

JUICE FEAST:
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
CELERY
STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS
CUCUMBERS
CILANTRO
RED TOMATOES
ROMAINE LETTUCE
LACINATO KALE
FUJI APPLES from CUYAMA ORCHARDS

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I can’t believe it’s already October, but I can definitely feel the crispness to the air up here in Buellton. And with that chill comes a startling halt to a lot of warm weather crops. Keep an eye on the blog as it may change with what we can actually pick this week. If we get melons it will definitely be the last week for them.
I listen to a lot of health related podcasts to keep up on the latest findings in health. I always knew it was important to eat a variety of vegetables to get the most diverse nutrients, but I recently learned that one key facet of good gut health that is a fairly new discovery — is eating an ample and diverse amount of produce. It is a key to healthy gut function because of its influence on gut bacteria. I find when I go to the store I tend to buy the same things, so it’s cool to have such a variety of things in our CSA boxes every week.
And my last note is for broccoli. I’ve been reading and hearing so many amazing detoxification benefits that this vegetable provides. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine found that broccoli contains a potent sulphur-containing chemical called sulforaphane that can turn on our genes and cause them to produce both antioxidant, and detoxification enzymes. When we eat raw broccoli, our chewing enables the release of an enzyme, myrosinase, which is trapped in the cell walls of this plant. Eating the vegetables raw, or lightly steamed is best, as it will preserve the enzyme activity, and having healthy bacteria in your intestines will help as well. Check out a recipe below for a delicious raw broccoli salad. I tried it and my whole family enjoyed it!

CSA Contains:
CARROTS
STRAWBERRIES
GREEN LEAF LETTUCE
MINI SWEET BELL PEPPERS
RED TOMATOES
CUCUMBERS
GREEN ZUCCHINI
YELLOW ONIONS
BROCCOLI
HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, ROMAINE LETTUCE, MOUNTAIN MAGIC TOMATOES, ACORN SQUASH, LACINATO KALE

FRUIT EXPANSION: GALA APPLES from CUYUAMA ORCHARD and STRAWBERRIES from SUNRISE ORGANICS

JUICE FEAST:
CARROTS
STRAWBERRIES
ROMAINE LETTUCE
GALA APPLES
CUCUMBERS
LACINATO KALE
ITALIAN PARSLEY
CANARY MELON
GREEN KALE
CELERY
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