CSA Week 17: Gorgeous CSA day at the farm


        
            
            
                
                
                October 4, 2023
                
                
            
            

            CSA Week 17: Gorgeous CSA day at the farm

            

            

            
            
            
Farm Share Newsletter - October 4, 2023

Housekeeping
The farm event this week complicated CSA parsing a little bit and we checked and double checked to make sure everyone would get a box. BUT ... if we did mess up and you did not get your box on Sunday or later today, PLEASE don't hesitate to call or text me at (314) 728-3945.
This Week's Share:
-Chrysanthemum greens
-Two mini kabocha squash (For best results, wait up to 10 days before eating. Store in a warm/sunny location).
-Lemongrass
-Parsley
-Kale
-Hot pepper medley
-Tigerella tomatoes (probably the last of tomatoes!)
CSA Day
All but one photos sent by member Vanessa. I deliberately chose photos where faces are either obscured or difficult to see, as I forgot to ask whether people would consent to showing up in our newsletter!
After a rainy, windy week whose bleakness recalled the Pacific Northwest winter, the sun broke through just in time for CSA day at Tian Tian Farm. It felt great meeting so many of you and your families after writing your names on painter's tape 17 times. I hope that the day was as fulfilling for you as it was for us.
For those of you who could not make it, worry not! Experience the day vicariously through member Vanessa's photos and my words.
I might be reading from the Wikipedia page for Mid-Autumn Festival. 
On Saturday morning, Elizabeth and I harvested a bunch of vegetables for lunch. We prepared a pork belly wrap buffet with perilla, chrysanthemum greens, tomatoes, eggplant, ginger-scallion sauce, and smashed cucumber salad. I forgot to take a picture of the spread, but thankfully member Lauren documented the day's lunch on Instagram:
During peak season, Elizabeth and I probably eat this twice a month. So it felt like a natural CSA day meal.
After lunch, Elizabeth led a tour of Tian Tian Farm. We started at the greenhouse, which for most of the season shelters our seedlings but currently houses our winter squash for their curing process. By the time you read this (or very soon after), you will have received two of our four varieties (delicata and kabocha). We're also growing red kuri and a mini butternut squash. Winter squash need to cure for at least 10 days for optimal flavor and storage, hence the greenhouse takeover. 
I promise that is not the NRA logo on my shirt.
We then headed through a gate in our deer fence to the main farm area. We walked through most of the farm, talking about irrigation, cover crop, compost, crop selection, pest control, our low-till practices, marketing, and more! 
The tour even took a detour off our main farm paths into our buckwheat.
Finally, we gathered back at the tent to pack jars of kimchi with komatsuna, daikon, carrots, scallions, and gochugaru provided by members. (Thank you Lichun, Jonathan, Lauren, Vanessa, and anyone else who came to the pepper flaker rescue.) Elizabeth and I have been experimenting with fermenting this season to preserve our harvest after giving up on the long, tedious process of canning. We loved bringing you all into the fold. Without any advance notice, member Shaun — who just happens to be a pro food scientist — even gave a brief rundown on lactofermentation.
Everyone took home a jar. 
In the end, we were really happy with how the day turned out and also very happy with the turnout. We'll definitely do it again next season.
'Til next week,
Steven