Week 4: September 26 - September 29
Note: Winter CSA shares go on sale next Tuesday morning, October 1st! Mark your calendars - these tend to sell out quickly.
Week four! Hopefully you’re feeling settled into your CSA and the rhythm of picking up your bag, cooking delicious food, and generally enjoying what the farm has to offer this time of year! We continue to ease into fall crops with persistent warm weather - and frost still hopefully a few weeks off.
I spend a lot of time in this newsletter talking about vegetables. But this feels like as good a time as any to introduce the people who plan, grow, harvest, wash, pack, and otherwise do the work that brings those veggies to you. Managing around four acres of growing space isn’t an easy task - and certainly not one that can be accomplished alone.
Ashley and I run the vegetable side of the farm, overseeing what we plant, where we plant it, and when it goes into the CSA and market. We moved to the farm in early 2023 from Northeast Minneapolis, where we managed a small urban farm for a few years. The last two years have been dedicated to learning the ins and outs of this farm and growing the best veggies we can. You’ll often see us in and around the market barn with our two little ones during pickup - please say hi if we haven’t already met!
We truly couldn’t do what we do without an amazing team, and we are super grateful for our incredible fall crew. Elisse, who has been on the crew for two years now, is on the farm daily, helping us with a wide variety of tasks, ranging from fun (harvesting broccolini!) to terrible (clearing overripe peppers). Valerie joined the crew halfway through the summer and helps out a couple of days a week, and summertime crew member Beth is chipping in here and there when she can this season as well. Tina, our summer greenhouse manager, is helping with packing veggies this fall. And we’ve got a few volunteers on the farm (hi Racheal!) who are getting to know the farm and lending a much-appreciated extra hand.
Elsewhere on the farm Hallie manages the kitchen, with a hand from her mom Lisa, dreaming up ways to showcase our produce along with the most delicious baked goods that come out fresh every Thursday. Ashley’s mom Jamie has taken over management of the cut flower operation this year, and is making gorgeous bouquets with the flowers from the farm. And Hallie’s dad Andy is our go-to guy for any on-farm fixes - moving and mending tunnels, turning compost, or repairing the myriad things that seem to break on a weekly basis.
Phew. That’s a lot of people squeezed onto this small acreage! But we rely on this team to make things happen. We are an intentionally hand-scale farm, which means that we choose not to rely on heavy machinery to till the soil or chemical controls to manage pests and disease. That means happier soil and healthier vegetables - and a little more work to spread around. We're extremely thankful for this amazing group of people who make this farm what it is!
Have a teamwork makes the dream work week,
Chris (and Ashley, Hallie, and the 10th Street Farm crew!)
In Your Bag This Week
Flavor Mix microgreens: Mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Try them on eggs or sandwiches – or anything, really! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Head Lettuce: Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Carrots: These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in your fridge.
Garlic: The best cooking advice we ever received? When a recipe calls for a clove of garlic, use two or three! Store on your counter.
Green Beans: These green beans are flavorful and ready for your favorite fall recipes. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Tomatoes: We’re reaching the end of tomato season - this will likely be the last time they’re in CSA bags. So cherish them! Store on the counter - never in the fridge!
Peppers: Sweet peppers are amazing raw, with dips, or added to a skillet or grill. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Spinach (full shares): Oh-so-tender spinach - the first harvest off of our fall planting. Use as a salad base, sautéed as a side dish or bake into a casserole. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Jalapeño Pepper (full shares): Add some zip to whatever you’re cooking up! Not the hottest pepper, but these flavorful and familiar jalapeños serve up plenty of spice! Store in a bag in your fridge.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
If you’re looking for a simple, easy side, why not sauté some green beans with garlic? It’s a classic for a reason. Or if you’re looking to crank it up a notch, try these roasted carrots and green beans with brown butter and lemon. Amazing.
Everyone has some crisp fall lettuce in the bag, so maybe it’s time to break out some lettuce wraps, like this chicken lettuce wrap or some vegetarian roasted carrot lettuce wraps. Or if you’d rather not turn the oven on, maybe try a late summer tomato and carrot salad or, for full shares, a spinach salad loaded with your favorite add-ins. And then later in the week when it finally cools down you can whip up some creamy red pepper pasta with blistered tomatoes. Yum!
If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and share with other members!
We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Please bring your bag back next week so we can re-use it! Thanks!
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