Week 6: October 10 - October 13
We moved the first of our three moveable tunnels yesterday - a sure sign that the seasons are turn, turn, turning. These moveable tunnels are a key part of season extension on the farm. In the spring and summer, they provide a hothouse for our tomatoes and cucumbers, keeping them frost-free in April and giving them a perfect place to flourish throughout the hotter months. Then, when the tomatoes have run their course in the fall, we push the tunnels along permanent metal tracks to cover another set of beds where we have planted spinach and other leafy greens. There, they keep our cold-hardy crops sheltered from the harshest elements during the winter.
Before and after pushing a tunnel from position A to position B, there’s plenty of work to be done. We spend a couple hours clearing soil off of the tracks by hand, disconnecting ground anchors, pulling out posts, and moving sandbags to free up the structure. Then, after the somewhat anticlimactic pushing part, we do it all in reverse order, anchoring the tunnel in its new position.
In some ways, moving a tunnel is a microcosm of farming. It appears simple on the surface - you just push it from one spot to another! But under that surface is a mixture of careful planning, attention to detail, and elbow grease. Like farming, it’s easier when lots of hands pitch in to help. And, like farming, there’s a cyclical rhythm to the moving of tunnels. The fall tunnel move means frost is upon us, spinach season is commencing in earnest, and the farm will soon shrink to its winter footprint.
After a nip of frost last week, it looks like we’ll get our first taste of 20s on Monday night, so we’ll finish moving all three tunnels by the end of the weekend. We’ll fire up the wood stove, make some cozy meals, and say thanks for a fantastic season of tomatoes and cukes. Then, pretty soon, we’ll start planning to do it all again in the spring.
Have a (seemingly) simple week,
Chris, Ashley, Hallie and the 10th Street Farm Crew
In Your Bag This Week
Spinach: The spinach is growing fast this fall, so the leaves are large! But it's still tender and tasty, with hints of oncoming winter sweetness. Use as a salad base, sautéed as a side dish or bake into a casserole. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Cabbage: A staple across cuisines, cabbage is equally tasty in a fresh cole slaw and roasted in the oven. Versatile, storable, and beautiful. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Watermelon Radishes: These incredible fall radishes look like a watermelon when you slice them in half! Sweet with a hint of radish spiciness, they’re great fresh or cooked. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Sunflower or Pea Shoots: Crisp and fresh, these are a great substitute for lettuce on sandwiches or wraps. Or add them to your salad for a little extra crunch! Store in your fridge.
Onion: Storage onions are here! A flavorful start for soups, sautees, or a sheet pan of roasted veggies. Store on your counter.
Celery: Crunchy celery shoots full of flavor - almost a completely different vegetable from the tasteless, water-filled stuff you find in stores. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Peppers: We’re nearing the end of sweet pepper season, with colder nights approaching. Sweet peppers are amazing raw, with dips, or added to a skillet or grill. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Sweet Potatoes: One of our seasonal favorites - creamy and sweet and just tastes like fall. Store in a cool, dark place.
Flavor Mix microgreens (full shares): 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.
Carrots (full shares): These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in your fridge.
Garlic (full shares): The best cooking advice we ever received? When a recipe calls for a clove of garlic, use two or three! Store on your counter.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
With sweet potatoes in the bag this week alongside spinach, we absolutely must recommend this red lentil curry with sweet potatoes and spinach. We eat this throughout the fall and winter as a cozy, healthy dinner that the kids love. If you’re looking for something simpler to do with your sweet potatoes, try a grated sweet potato hash for brunch one day, or lean into the sweet side with these indulgent roasted honey butter sweet potatoes.
We’ve got cabbage weighing down the bag this week as well (in a good way!) We love cabbage in the fall, cut in segments and roasted to the point of caramelization. If you want to jazz up that simple preparation, try this caramelized cabbage recipe that adds a little spiced tomato paste. Or combine it with your celery and onion for a tasty cabbage soup! And if you’re looking for a recipe that brings together a ton of ingredients from the bag into one amazing-looking meal, try riffing on this “buddha bowl”, which could feature sweet potatoes, watermelon radish, spinach, carrots, cabbage, and shoots!
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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