Week of October 20, 2025
My dear Community,
You can feel the shift in the air - the kind that makes you reach for a sweater before the sun rises. Buellton nights have turned cold, and with that, the fields take a breath. So much of what we grow in summer begins to slow when the temperatures drop - zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes all begin to rest, and the rhythm of the farm changes. Fall asks us to do the same - to settle, to savor, to notice.
If you’ve been loving the Jonagold apples in your boxes, grab more while you can. Although they’re one of my favorites - sweet and crisp, they don’t keep for long. We’ll be moving onto Braeburns soon, another delicious variety with a little more tang and a longer shelf life.
As the season cools, our food naturally shifts to support us. The red onions and carrots in your box are rich in antioxidants that help strengthen immunity when needed most. Potatoes ground us with steady, slow-burning energy, and avocados keep us nourished with healthy fats that sustain warmth and balance. Nature really does know what we need and when we need it.
Even as the fields quiet, I think about life that continues below the surface - roots stretching deeper, storing what they’ll need to rise again. The same goes for us this time of year: less rushing, more restoring. Our local food system built on care, connection, and shared effort is more than nourishment. It’s a silent undercurrent of resistance. Proof that people working together in love can create something stronger than fear.
From the deepest part of my heart I want to thank everyone who has donated a veggie box to La Casa de la Raza. I’ve been delivering what I can each week, and those boxes have truly set us up to keep this effort going. You are helping feed local families who need it most, and it’s been such a powerful reminder of what community really means.
Be good to each other.
Carolyn
Celery Chopped Salad with Dates, Feta and Nuts
Ingredients:
10 Stalks of Celery
½ cup Walnuts or Pecans, coarsely chopped
6 Medjool Dates, pitted and roughly chopped
½ cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 Shallot, sliced thin
Juice from 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
⅛ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Kathleen Ashmore)
Honey Dijon Potato Salad with Bacon {Paleo}
Ingredients:
2 lbs baby potatoes, either halved or quartered depending on their size
2 Tbsp raw honey melted (if solid) or maple syrup
3 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
3 Tbsp avocado oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
3 hard-boiled eggs chopped*
6 slices paleo friendly bacon cooked until crisp and crumbled**
1/2 medium onion diced
1/4 cup fresh chives chopped
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Paleo Running Momma)
Flowerless Almond Butter Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup (96 g) zucchini, grated
1 cup (250 g) almond butter, creamy (add 1/4 tsp of salt to the recipe if using unsalted almond butter)
¼ cup honey or maple syrup
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspon cinnamon, ground
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup (185 g) fresh blueberries, divided, (if using frozen, defrost first and drain off excess liquid)
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at The Natural Nurturer)
Chickpea, Avocado, & Feta Salad
Ingredients:
15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, pitted, and chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons green onion
1/3 cup feta cheese
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper, to taste
(Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Two Peas and their Pod)