Week 12

When the stand starts to wind down in the fall we often get questions about where we buy produce in the winter.  I know we live in our own little bubble and so I try to craft my response in such away that doesn't make us look like a couple of crazy freaks.  First I say that we don't typically buy much produce  (that is the part that most people find a little extreme) and then I follow it by saying that we buy lots of avocados and oranges in the winter hoping that that makes us seem a little more normal.  I use to find this concept a little crazy myself.  About four years ago I bought one tomato for some sandwiches that I was making for us and another couple.  Kelly still talks about it like I committed some sort of crime!  I do get restless in the middle of winter but when I scan the produce isle looking for something that inspires me I usually go home with avocados and some citrus.  We have plenty to eat in the winter out of the garden in terms of nutrition but it can get get a bit boring and that is why we try to put some food up.  At the beginning of last week I decided we would try to get one thing put up for the winter every day of the week.  It can be difficult to stay motivated in the evening but for the most part the challenge was fun and we did a good job.  We froze green and colored peppers.  We froze corn.  We finished canning all the crushed tomatoes we need for year (about 24 quarts) and made six blenders worth of  tomatillo salsa .  We dried a bunch of sungold tomatoes, made ketchup(10 pounds of tomatoes turned into 4 cups of ketchup!) and pickled some Italian peppers that we grew for the first time this year.  I would still like to get a few bread and butter pickles canned and we still have to roast and freeze colored bells and poblanos, dry some chile peppers and make hot sauce.  Over the years we have realized what we will eat and while frozen snow peas or canned green beans might add variety to our diet they don't get eaten.  The best way I know to get through winter without missing tomatoes or cucumbers is to eat so many of them that you don't want to look at another one for months!  I am doing my best to make that happen but I have to admit I am unsure I can eat enough tomatoes to get sick of them!

Carrots
Lettuce 
Romano Beans - very pretty and very tasty
Cherry Tomatoes
Slicing Tomatoes
Sweet Onion
Swiss Chard
Zucchini - Large Only
Corn - Large Only…maybe

A farm share customer shared this recipe with me.  It is delicious.  Zucchini noodles have become popular with rise of the paleo diet.  I didn't think I liked raw zucchini but this salad is great, full of flavor.  I skipped the red pepper and added cherry tomatoes.  It says to use a mandolin for the squash but a making ribbons with a vegetable peeler works fine.

Zucchini and Corn Salad