My dear community,
As we quickly approach the official start of winter we’ve already experienced frost in Buellton. Temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s have taken out most of what was left of our summer crops. The mornings are so cold we have to wait until about 9 to pick because the crops are frozen. This doesn’t leave us with a great variety to choose from in our CSA boxes, but we still have the tastiest cabbage. We continue to grow crops and varieties specifically for flavor. Crops higher in natural sugars are harder to store on the shelf and ship across the country. But we continue to grow the sweetest because we can sell locally – that’s the goal. Thanks for supporting what we do.
50 more chickens are arriving on Thursday. They will be nestled in our barn and out of the elements while they grow big enough to roam free. I partnered up with Alchemist Farm in Sebastopol to buy chickens. They breed chickens to survive without vaccinations and we are going to have more colorful eggs come springtime. In a regular hatchery most males are killed right off the assembly line. The Alchemist Farm helps roosters live before they become food or given away to a good home. They are also just amazing people and I’m happy to be partnering with them.
As a reminder, we will be closed the last two weeks of December. We will close the 23rd of December and reopen on January 6th. If you are on our bi-weekly schedule A and you’d like to receive a box on January 6th, please make sure to reach out to me. Otherwise the system will divert your box to January 13th. I’m here to help if you have any questions or last minute needs.
Consider giving the experience of our CSA program to your loved ones. It’s simple to gift a box of fresh organic veggies and other local goodies to be delivered right to someone’s doorstep.
Be good to each other.
CSA Contains:
CARROTS
RED LEAF LETTUCE
SATSUMA TANGERINES
GREEN CABBAGE
BROCCOLI from Fresh Venture Farms
YELLOW ONIONS from Finley Farms
LACINATO KALE
BUNCHED SPINACH
CELERY
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
BIG BOX ADD: CARROTS, LITTLE GEM LETTUCE, RED BEETS, LEEKS, GREEN ZUCCHINI
Fruit expansion: Fuji Apples and Satsuma Tangerines
Lettuce of the Week: Little Gem
Juice Feast:
CSA Contains:
CARROTS
LITTLE GEM LETTUCE
FUJI APPLES
GREEN CABBAGE
LACINATO KALE
BUNCHED SPINACH
CELERY
RED BEETS
ITALIAN PARSLEY
Sesame Ginger Cashew Chicken
Ingredients:
FOR THE SAUCE:
1/2 cup coconut aminos or liquid aminos
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp tapioca flour or gluten-free flour
1 (2-inch) nub fresh ginger peeled
1 Tbsp sriracha optional
1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
2 Tbsp avocado oil
3 chicken breasts chopped, about 1.5 to 2 lbs
1 large crown broccoli chopped into florets
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup raw cashews
2 tsp sesame seeds for serving, optional
1/3 cup fresh cilantro for serving, optional
(Find the full recipe and directions here at THe Roasted Root)
Chopped Thai Chickpea Salad with Curry Peanut Dressing
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 cup shredded carrots
½ small head of cabbage, chopped (about 2 cups shredded cabbage)
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced
For the curry peanut butter dressing:
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 tablespoons warm water, to thin dressing
(Find the full directions and inspiration here at The Ambitious Kitchen)
Roasted Hasselback Butternut Squash Salad
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
6 leaves fresh sage
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
7 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp water
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 oz halved pecans
2 oz arugula (sub spinach)
4 oz creamy goat cheese, crumbled
flaky sea salt (optional)
(Find the full recipe and direcitons here at The Original Dish)
Creamy Celery Soup
Ingredients:
¼ cup vegan butter (I use Miyoko’s) or ½ cup water for water saute*
1 large head of celery (about 5 – 6 cups), thinly sliced with leaves
1 medium onion or leek, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. potatoes (waxy white or Yukon gold), diced into ¼ – ½ inch cubes
4 cups vegetable broth or water (or combo)
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
mineral salt & pepper to taste
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at The Simple Veganista)