Week of October 27, 2025
My dear Community,
The mornings in Buellton are cold and crisp, even as the afternoons stay warm under a gentle fall sun. You can feel the change in the fields - shorter days, heavier dew, and crops that are naturally shifting toward roots and hearty greens of the season. Our Buellton farm will turn from different colors to a green blanket of cover crops over the next few months.
We'll see the last cucumbers this week- a final taste of summer as we move into heartier vegetables like cabbage and spinach. We’re welcoming Braeburn apples this week - bright, crisp, and perfectly autumn - along with heirloom pears from our neighbors on Santa Rosa road, some of the best I’ve ever tasted. And for a sweet surprise, blueberries are back in the store and fruit expansions.
Each week after a long day of harvesting, packing, and delivering, I take home my CSA box - the same one you see in our social media photos. And even though the kitchen is anything but quiet - kids arguing, dishes in the sink, dinner half cooked - unpacking that box feels like standing in the eye of the storm. There’s a strange peace that settles in the middle of it all. I wash the lettuce, tuck away the carrots, and find my rhythm again. It’s my reminder that amidst the noise and chaos, there’s always something steady - something alive - keeping time.
I want to thank every one of you who has donated a veggie box to La Casa de la Raza. Donations come in at the start of each week, but it really hit me last week as I was loading up a smaller-than-usual delivery - realizing how many of you had quietly stepped in to make sure it kept going. That collective care filled the gap, and those boxes are now feeding local families who need them most.
As we head toward Thanksgiving, if you’ll be out of town, consider donating your box. It’s one of the most direct, heartfelt ways to share the harvest and keep that rhythm of generosity alive.
Our local food system - rooted in care, connection, and shared work - is the quiet heartbeat of resistance.
It’s how we nourish one another, and how we keep hope alive.
With warmth and gratitude,
Carolyn
Spicy Miso Carrot Soup
Ingredients
4 cups Carrots chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil or coconut oil for flavor
1 medium Onion diced
3 cloves Garlic minced
1 tablespoon Ginger fresh, grated
4 cups Vegetable Broth low-sodium recommended
3 tablespoons Miso Paste red or white
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce or tamari for gluten-free
1 tablespoon Sriracha or adjust to taste
1 can Coconut Milk full-fat recommended
to taste Salt
to taste Pepper
For Garnishing
1/4 cup Chopped Green Onions
1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Recipes by Natalie
Cucumber Avocado Salad Recipe
Ingredients
2 cucumbers
1 large avocado peeled and diced
1 cup shelled edamame
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Find the recipe and inspiration here at Fooduzzi
Zucchini Cake – With Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
For the zucchini cake
2 medium zucchini – (2 cups grated)3
3 large eggs
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups, packed, blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the cream cheese frosting
6 ounces softened light cream cheese
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Pinch Me Good
Simple Roasted Green Cabbage Wedges
Ingredients
1 small head green cabbage (~1.5 lbs.)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
optional: serve with Lemon Garlic Herb Tahini Sauce (for drizzling overtop)
Find the full recipe and inspiration here at Eating by Elaine